Sony Fontopia MDR-EX51LP

Pros: Ultra-light, ultra-comfortable, excellent sound, great noise blocking, neck-chain design for easy wearing.

Cons: No wind-up case, not all that durable.

Summary: Unlike any other ear-bud headphones (except for its brand mates), the unique "neck-chain" style construction lets you hang these 'phones around your neck when not in use, like when you need to talk to someone. Chances are you'll regret it when that happens, 'cause these are the best sounding ear-bud headphones I've ever used. The closed in-ear design and INCREDIBLY comfortable silicone pads deliver the best bass you've ever heard, yet they're so light, you may forget you're wearing them. They block out so much external noise, if you're not playing music through them, your footsteps, your heartbeat and even rain hitting your head will be quite audible!

That said, I tend to go through about one set of these a year. Don't know if they're just not as durable as you'd want or I'm just hard on them, but Sony doesn't help the situation since, unlike their cheaper and not-as-good ear-buds, they don't provide a cool wind-up case for them, only a "capsule" that keeps the ear-buds themselves clean and protected. Don't be fooled by the slightly more expensive brand-mates that include a hard case. The case is VERY awkward to use and fragile its own self, and unless you have a player with a remote control with a headphone jack, you'll find the cord on that model is either too short without the included extension, or too long with it, thus contributing to them being easily jerked out of your ears and an even shorter lifespan.

Overall, though, that I keep re-buying them 'cause they're GREAT 'phones, I somehow doubt that the pricier 'buds are that much more durable, and I know that none of them have the you-don't-know-it-till-you-try-it convenience of the neck chain design. If you can deal with the feel of 'em snugged into your ears (and the distinct absence of external sound!), I'm sure you'll dig the incredible sound!