earbuds

Altec Lansing is a long-standing competitor in the iPod speaker market, so it makes sense that the company now produces a variety of headphones, as well.

For $40, the Altec Lansing BackBeat Titanium 326 headphones offer an excellent value and make a great replacement for the stock earbuds that came with your MP3 player. They're more comfortable; feature a durable, cloth-covered cable; and offer impressive sound quality. There's not much more we can ask for from a set of earphones.

Read the BackBeat Titanium 326 earphone review.

Apple said it would have third parties developing accessories for the new third-generation iPod Shuffle, and sure enough, they are. First out of the gate: Klipsch and Scosche. And by the end of the week--if not the end of today--we should be hearing about more.

As Engadget notes, Klipsch's press release was pretty weak--the company only said that it would have VoiceOver-compatible Shuffle 'buds by summer and that they would cost $99.99.

Scosche was a lot more specific. It plans to have three earphone models--the IDR350M, IDR450M, and IDR650M--that feature an integrated control surface and range in price … Read more

Do you like to share your iPod's music with a friend, offering up one half of your earbuds so you can both listen at once? Or perhaps you have children that have to share one portable DVD player in the backseat of the car on long trips. Whatever the case, if you constantly find yourself one earbud short of stereo, Mida Interactive has one possible solution for you.

The ShareBuds MX Twin Stereo Earphones offer two pairs of earbuds integrated into one product. A single 3.5mm headphone plug can connect to any standard, portable audio source and is … Read more

It's not unusual for a product manager to embellish certain aspects of the gadgets he or she is representing, which is why reviewers are quick to learn to take everything with a grain of salt. When the hyperbole extends to the actual name of the product, expectations tend to increase, at least incrementally.

Such is the case with Phonak's Audeo Perfect Fit Earphones, a uniquely designed set of earbuds with an impressive array of features and a fair price ($139 for the standard MP3 player version; $159 for the music-phone model with the built-in mic). We can't … Read more

Kitschy tech is entirely too rare on CNET, which is why we couldn't resist the Candy Comfort Earphones. These funky earbuds are decked out in candy branding and fittingly shaped like M&Ms, although that particular treat is glaringly absent from the lineup.

These 'phones may not be the best-sounding or most fully featured on the market, but the fun design is sure to appeal to some. Plus, they're more comfortable than the stock set that came with your player. At $20 a pop, the Candy Comfort Earphones aren't going to break the bank, but given … Read more

Sony's newly unveiled line of EX headphones includes some of the company's most affordable models to date. Four new headphone models were announced to coincide with this week's Sony 2009 line show, including the MDR-EX500LP, the MDR-EX300LP, the MDR-EX33LP, and the MDR-EX35LP.

As the flagship model, the MDR-EX500LP (shown right) feature metal construction and a 13.5mm hand-tuned vertical driver with a multilayer diaphragm and a retail price of $130. For $80, you can pick up the MDR-EX300LP, which offer similar driver specs and design as the EX500LP (minus the hand-tuning and vibration-minimizing metal), and come in … Read more

The Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10vi Noise Isolating Earphones are a slight variation on the UE Triple.fi 10 Pro. The 10vi headphones offer the same spectacular sound quality and gigantic earbuds found across the Triple.fi line, but come with the added bonus of an inline mic and call-answer button for use with your iPhone or other music-friendly cell phone.

Other handy features include a nice, hard-sided metal carrying case; several varieties of eartips, including the super-comfy foam variety; an extender cable; a quarter-inch adapter; and an airplane adapter cable. Be forewarned, though: the ear pieces are truly huge … Read more

Phiaton gave us a nice surprise last year with its anything-but-ordinary MS 400 Moderna Series headphones. This full-size set features an eye-catching red and black design with uniquely patterned earcups and plenty of extras in the box.

The company's flagship earbuds, the PS 200 Earphones, are no different. Like their bigger sibling, Phiaton's littlest headphones feature stylish touches, a slick carrying case, and solid sound quality, but potential consumers might have trouble swallowing the $249 price tag from a relative unknown in the headphone market.

Read the Phiaton PS 200 Primal Series Earphones review.

Stock earbuds are the nasty surprise that come packaged with almost all MP3 players. Sure, they let you listen to your new purchase, but they're not particularly comfortable and they certainly don't sound all that good. The best solution for this problem is to upgrade to a pair of decent headphones, but if you're one of many people who balks at the idea of dropping even more cash when you've just purchased a new gadget, there is now another option.

Acoustibuds snap on to the ear pieces of stock earbuds and purport to offer improved fit … Read more