Shure SE310
$489

Shure is known for its bleeding-edge stereo speaker systems, so it's no surprise that its SE310 sound-isolating earphones can make an iPod roar.

Sure, at $489, this gizmo is pricey, but the extra dough adds so much richness and detail into the music tracks that you'll wonder how you ever lived with cheap earphones in the first place.

The blasters work great, belting out tunes at a ribcage-rattling volume without any annoying static or distortion.

Not only does this gizmo do justice to rockers from Queen and Radiohead, but it also reproduces acoustic tracks really well.

Tracks from KT Tunstall sounded rich and punchy - even when the songbird was barely whispering.

At a taxi stand, I found out how good the sound isolation really was: A Mazda RX8 nearly ran me down and I didn't even realise it.

Altec Lansing UHP101
$69

Attempts to reinvent the wheel rarely roll smooth. Case in point: Altec Lansing's UHP101 earphones. With their protruding foam sleeves that cover the ear canal rather than extend into it, the ear buds look slightly odd when worn.

The protruding foam buds also make it a chore to don - I managed to stuff them into my ears only after four tries. Adding to the frustration was the size of the foam pads, which could not fit snugly into my somewhat tiny ear canal.

Looks aside, the buds have the meat to belt out a tune with decent clarity and punch.

Even when I used them to listen to poor quality YouTube music videos, the tracks had enough oomph to make me want to jive.

The treble, bass and mids also sounded crisp, bright and balanced.

Unlike most earphones. the cords of this blaster are made of cloth, so they don't swoosh audibly when jostled.

Creative EP-830
$79.00

Tracks from this gizmo sounded thin and tinny, especially at high decibels. It also isn't the most attractive and its flimsy silicon sleeve meant that it didn't effectively block out unwanted noise.

But at this price, you can't ask for more.

The earpiece is also really comfortable and I could wear it for more than two hours straight without numbing my ears. It's also ultra light, which is great for users who like to have Fergie in their jogging sessions.

So, while you won't be swept away by its sound quality, for easy listening this gizmo does decent work.

Shure SE530
$815.00

If the Shure SE530 ear buds were a handbag, they would probably be the hottest Prada must-have.

Sexed up with a glossy bronze bezel and a curvaceous bod, these beauties ooze glamour.

And they're not just a pretty face. For one, the SE530 is a master of disguise - the two tiny in-built speakers sounded like a dozen, and the bass and treble had loads of body.

The foam ear bud sleeves also effectively shut out unwanted environmental noise - I was enveloped in a sea of silence the moment I plugged them in.

One tiny gripe, though: The fat sleeves caused my ears to ache after I wore it for two hours.

Altec Lansing UHP306
$199

The gizmo's surround sound effects gave an extra oomph to action films. Gunshots sounded ultra sharp and the explosions in The Bourne Identity made me jump out of my seat.

Overall, though, the sounds felt hollow: boomy bass, tinny treble.

In most tracks, the vocals were emphasised while the bass sounded flat. There was also little differentiation between the various instruments.

But where Altec Lansing got it just right in this number is comfort.

This slick sound system reached into the depths of my ear canals, but not in such a way that my ears felt violated. If you are looking for comfort, these buds are your mate.

Altec Lansing UHP336
$299

On Maroon 5's She Would Be Loved, there's a moment when lead singer Adam Levigne murmurs a soft 'say goodbye' at the end of the song.

Even with the best earphones, that tune might wash off mid-air. With the UHP336, this didn't happen. This sleek blaster produced warm, crisp audio on almost every track that I played.

The silicon buds were also very comfortable.

Because the buds are waterproof, they're a good yoga companion as I didn't have to worry about sweat seeping in.

My only gripe? The chunky buds take some effort to plug in and may be too large for petite ear passages.

Creative Aurvana In-Ear Performance
$169.00

The Aurvana's pristine white bezel looks like a rip-off of the Apple's original iPod buds, and its sound quality is way too blah.

For one, the gizmo did nothing to isolate environmental sound and the tunes sounded hollow and lacked impact. I also had to increase the volume to hear some of the music details.

The saving grace is that the ear buds sat comfortably in my ears, and the white-coloured earphones would look pretty beside an iPod.

Oh, and the poor sound isolation means that you will be painfully aware of everything when you are using this gizmo.

Shure i2c Integrated Earphones
US$99 (S$136)

With a powerful internal amp and bright, punchy audio, the i2c is better than most.

But those ugly plastic earpieces made me look as if I had a tumour growing out of my ears when I wore them.

The chunky earpieces are not suitable for people with tiny ears. But if its looks don't grate on you, these buds are a great buy. The bass is strong and muscular, and the plugs reproduce musical highs and lows very well.

For instance, the choir voices in Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever were well-amplified.

The gizmo also comes with a luxe carrying case that cradles the earpieces when not in use. Great for dealing with messy cable clutter.

Sennheiser CX500
$189

These buds may be tiny, but their sound packs a huge punch. The gizmo handled everything from rock music to acoustic tracks really well - guitar strumming and drum thuds sounded rich and detailed.

A volume control button on the gadget also lets me adjust the music volume without needing to rummage through my bag for the player.

Great for people who want to subtly tune out a nagging spouse or parent.

The buds are so puny, I barely noticed them sitting in my ears. Perfect for long plane rides.