The janitor recently stole the pair of Skullcandies I usually left at work. I wanted a good music listening pair to replace them. I recently bought several "cheapish" ear buds, one 20 dollar set, and a set of JVC flat headphones recently. I couldn't decide based on reviews alone, so tried several different options. I know it was silly. I should have just spent it all on one "nice" pair, but I thought it would be fun, and it actually was. Besides, why give the Janitor such a big target. ;p I also discovered different roles for the buds I bought. They nearly all have a place in my collection. :] Win win. I'm no audiophile, or sound professional. Evenso, I bet I'm like a lot of you. I want nice sounding music to accompany my day while quieting the environment. I hope these comparisons will be helpful so you don't have to buy a bundle of buds, and can maybe zero in on a set or two that will serve your tastes best. I enjoyed comparing and contrasting, and actually noting quit a bit of difference. The buds/phones I tried are iLuv iEP322ORG [orange] in-ear Ultra Bass ~6 dollars Panasonic RPHJE120K [black] in-ear ~6 dollars Yamaha EPH-20Bu [supposedly blue but actually purple] in- ear ~20 dollars JVC 10HAFC earphones ~3 dollars JVC "Flats" on ear headphones black ~12 Skullycandy "Ink'd" in ear buds ~15 [already owned, but in for comparison] Sentry Wind-Ups in-ear buds ~5 dollars iLuv: I chose the orange iLuv's because it was the cheapest color on Amazon. I enjoyed their sound overall. They are the most bass heavy of the group. However, they leave the highs and mids a little neglected. They also reduce ambient sound decently, so you can focus on what you are listening to. So while these are not the most balanced, your teen will probably love the sound. They are also on the "loud" side. Even at minimum device volume these came in the loudest. As such, I will probably put these in with one of my DS systems' carrying cases. It will be great for those, and be on hand so I won't have to scrounge around for a pair, when I want to hear the game and not my wife's TV programs. These also won't be my work or walking pair, because they don't look very adult [again, your teen will probably love them], and they produce the second most "cord noise" in the group from the cords rubbing on your shoulders or clothes while you are walking or exercising. If I had nothing else to compare to, I think I'd have been very happy with this set. Panasonic: The Panasonics were probably the quietest of the group. Sound is relatively balanced, with no real extremes. Bass seems light for an in ear bud. They are now my go to bed buds. I can put my device on minimum volume and easily go to sleep. The iLuvs and Skullcandy were too loud to be comfortable on both my phone media player and iPad mini's lowest setting for sleeping. The Panasonics are also small enough, that they weren't uncomfortable for side sleeping. These also produced the least cord noise from movement, so should be good to walk, exercise in. Noise reduction was decent and reduced my wife's snoring several decibels. This might not be so great for outdoor exercise, where you may want to hear your environment for safety. I may even get a second set or carry mine back and forth so I can walk at lunch break in these, since I have a protected area to walk [no cars, etc.]. The lack of cord noise really makes the difference here. Yamaha: I was curious about what I would get by going a little upmarket. Granted it's not much of a jump at "only" 20 dollars. The Yamahas were probably most similar in sound to the Panasonics or JVC flats. They had a good all around balance and were more full than the Panasonics. Bass is not prominent, nor is it missing. They sound best with Classical music in my experience. On the down side, they were advertised as "blue", but Yamaha's idea of blue is very clearly Purple. It's not a major issue, but be aware, if you choose this color. Cord noise seemed on the loud side, compared to the JVC buds and Panasonics. I probably would not want to do anything active in them. However, if I could "only" have one bud, this might be it. JVC HAF10C earbuds: For only around 3 dollars you shouldn't normally expect too much. Agree? Well, I already had a blue pair [ 4 dollars at retail] so knew what to expect. It's a testament I bought another. This pair was black, and I far prefer the gorgeous blue plastic set, but would not pay a couple extra dollars on Amazon for that choice. I know it shouldn't matter, but I REALLY like blues. Anyhow, the most unique feature of this set is the clamshell case you get. It allows you to wind your cord and protect the buds. I wish higher quality buds would do this. I'd pay a couple extra bucks for it. The case does not work well for most in-ear buds, I would guess. I am able to get the above Yamahas in one case [why I ordered an extra set], but it is not a perfect fit. Larger buds probably won't fit. The buds themsevles have a durable hard plastic casing and should be quite durable. Sound is actually nice, for non-in ear buds. For the price I doubt you'd find better sound. They are also on the quiet side, and not being directly in ear, you could probably give these to your kids without the threat of hearing damage you might get from louder and in ear buds. I use these to walk, talk radio, and some music. Unlike most in-ear, I can wear comfortably all day if I loosely cradle them on ear. While outdoors, they allow you to hear the environment, including wind, which is a downside. Fortunately, they do not generate the cord noise that is such a pet peeve of mine. Great all around value. I don't know that the value can be beat for the quality of plugs, and the very well designed case. Being so cheap, I also don't have to fret too much if the Janitor decides to steal this pair also. JVC "Flats": These are on ear headphones, so probably not fair to compare to ear buds. Still they were part of my purchase, so I am including for contrast. At only 12 dollars, I was very surprised how crisp and clean these sounded. They delivered a balanced spectrum, without sacrificing bass as I'd expected. They do not isolate noise as well as in-ear, but you do get some reduction without having to turn your music WAY up. For straight music listening or watching a video, I might choose these most of the time at home. They do not seem to generate cord noise due to movement, but are bulkier than what I want to walk in. They also fold "flat" making them a nice travel pair for people who don't like in-ear buds. I keep mine in an inexpensive ipad mini neoprene case, for example. Would be easy to take on a plane. I have a big head [really], despite their diminuitive size, they adjusted to fit very comfortably. I can wear for long sessions, without bother. Can't go wrong with these. Skullcandy "Ink'd": This may not be a fair comparison either. I think these had the greatest "retail" price when they were new, but I bought them on sale at Ross stores for about 15 dollars. These are a few years old, so might be an older make than what is available now. However, I am still surprised by how good these sound to me. Of all the ear buds in my collection these are probably my favorite for music. It figures, after buying several, the one I had still sounded best to me. It has plenty of bass, without sacrificing the overall quality like the iLuvs seem to. However, it is still one of the loudest of my collection, and is uncomfortable to sleep with on my devices. My radio is more sensitive and can tune more quietly, but I rarely use that to sleep to. This set also probably produces the most cord noise of any ear buds meaning they won't walk the beat with me. It also features metallic red and white buds, white cord, and the companies trade mark as a red skull. While I think they look "cool" the skull and colors all look a little childish. They are not as garish as the iLuvs, but they are certainly second in my comparison. That
