When I got a new iPod, I was certain I wanted a new set of earphones other than the ones that shipped with the device. Apple earphones are serviceable but notorious for not being the best sound quality. It was not important to me to have the control remote and microphone on the earphones as the Apple earbuds do, and so I went to Best Buy to have a look at what was available. I settled on a pair of Sony MDR SA5000 headphones, knowing that Sony was a superior brand of earphone based on other reviews I had read previously. Sony also tends to be expensive, you do pay for the quality. These earphones cost $400 at Best Buy. Not many earphones out there go over $40 or $50. But you are paying for sound quality.

I would say the price is worth it, though. They are very comfortable on the ear, as they are easily adjustable. They are not listed as noise cancelling earphones, but the effect was very similar as the close fit very nearly drowned out background noises. One of the bigger problems I had with ill-fitting earphones was that they tended to fall off if you walked or ran or even yawned. So far they have been very durable and not prone to breakage or shredding, even after being tossed around my desk. The bass sounds great and sound comes through loud and clear. They also look high quality in their design as well. I considered a pair of Skullcandy earphones, until I read that they were not nearly as durable or great sounding as Sony or Bose.
The only thing I would change on these earphones is to put a volume control and microphone assembly on them for iPod and iPhone products. Although they are not a necessity for me when buying quality earphones, they are nice features to have and convenient. But aside from the lack of volume control on the earphones, they sound great and last forever.