Headphones are music to your ears

If there is one accessory that can improve the portable digital music experience, it would be headphones. Few MP3 players ship with decent headphones or earbuds, making this a competitive product category and great as holiday gifts.

The most prevalent trend is the noise-canceling or sound-isolating style, which helps to eliminate exterior noise for better and safer listening at lower levels. (Turning up the volume to drown out external noise — we’ve all sat next to people using headphones or earbuds on a bus, plane or train and heard their music — can damage your hearing.)

A note: The models designed to work with music phones were tested on an iPhone. They should work with most others, but please check.

PlaneQuiet Platinum

$100 at ProTravelGear.com

Style: Ear cup.

Comfort: I generally prefer earbuds to ear cups, but these by Outside-The-Box Inc. were the most comfortable I’ve worn. Plus, they double as ear warmers for commuters.

Sound: Very good. Warm tones, more bass than treble; good at picking up details that standard headphones often miss.

Noise reduction: Very good, but I heard traces of conversations.

Best feature: Could wear these all day. Also, a good price for ear cup-style, which can be pricey.

Drawback: Size; could be cumbersome for traveling.

Speaker for phone: No.

IMuffs MB220 wireless headphones

$150, Wi-Gear.com

Style: Supra-aural (pads sit on your ears).

Comfort: Good. A headband is used to keep pads in place, which can be constricting, but not with these.

Sound: Very good. Featured more treble than bass; had no trouble receiving a clear signal on this Bluetooth wireless model.

Noise reduction: Nonexistent. Everyone could hear what I was listening to. Outside, you need to crank up the volume.

Best feature: Wireless headphones for the iPhone (although difficult to find) and iPods. A Bluetooth adapter plugs into the iPhone’s 30-pin connector.

Drawback: A real drain on an iPhone’s already-challenged battery.

Speaker for phone: Included but didn’t work well.

V-Moda Vibe II

$120, Apple.com

Style: Sound-isolating earbuds.

Comfort: Good, but others in this class are more comfortable. Comes with several sizes of silicone-fitting gels for better fit. Also, ships with ear hooks.

Sound: Very good. Rich tones that emphasize bass; a premium product from a company that has made decent headphones.

Noise reduction: Excellent. Couldn’t hear anything but the music.

Best feature: Includes everything you want for iPhone alternatives: a good microphone, a shirt clip and fine noise-canceling attributes.

Drawback: Price, which is a bit high compared with its peers. The packaging is difficult to open.

Speaker for phone: Included; worked great with an iPhone.

Shure SE102MPA

$100, Shure.com and other online retailers

Style: Sound-isolating earbuds.

Comfort: Excellent. You push them in, then wrap the cord over your ear. Makes for a top-notch fit although awkward at first.

Sound: Very good. I’ve always liked Shure’s headphones. Details came through clearly; better for treble than bass.

Noise reduction: Excellent. Couldn’t hear anything but the music.

Best feature: Delivered the quality of sound we’ve come to expect from Shure, at an affordable price.

Drawback: Call quality was terrible. The microphone is too far from the user’s mouth.

Speaker for phone: Included.

AOSafety Blockade

$40, Amazon.com and other online retailers

Style: Sound-isolating earbuds.

Comfort: Good, better than expected.

Sound: Good, but not as rich or detailed as more expensive pairs.

Noise reduction: Excellent. Couldn’t hear anything but the music.

Best feature: Great value. They look unusual but fit well once you learn how to pull your ear back slightly to slide them in. Includes volume controls on the cord, a nice touch at this price.

Drawback: Some users may not like the deeper ear penetration.

Speaker for phone: No.

Koss iSpark

$40, Koss.com

Style: Sound-isolating earbuds.

Comfort: Very good. Could wear all day.

Sound: Good. Better than the Blockade but short of the Shure or V-Moda models. Sound was flatter than those models.

Noise reduction: Excellent. Couldn’t hear anything but the music.

Best feature: Value and comfort, thanks to the foam tips by Koss, which has been making headphones for 50 years. Features for making calls, a control button to pause and a speaker, are close to face.

Drawback: Sound could have more detail, but it’s not a big issue considering the price.

Speaker for phone: Included; works well.

XEric Benderoff writes about technology for the Chicago Tribune. Contact him at ebenderofftribune.com.

2008 Chicago Tribune