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Earbuds by David Ranada

Sennheiser MX 550 ($25) Earbuds produce the best bass when they fit very snugly into your outer ears. But you almost have to jam these in to prevent them from falling out - not all ears will be accommodating. Once I had them firmly in place, the sound had a welcome brightness and clarity, but the bass was easily overwhelmed by external noise. Verdict: Not perfect, but still a big step up from the earbuds that come with an iPod - and only $25. www.sennheiser.com

Apple In-ear Headphones ($39) These Apples actually don't go very far into the ear canal, which makes them more comfortable to wear than the other in-ear units. But since you can't insert them deeply, it's harder to maintain the tight seal you need for great bass. Highs sounded nasal on both voices and instruments. Verdict: While they were the most comfortable in-ear models, they also had the most colored sound. apple.com

Sony MDR-EX71SL ($50) These 'buds could be inserted surprisingly deeply in my ears and still remain comfortable while providing some sound isolation. I was able to get a good seal, with solid, deep bass all the way down to 20 Hz. The smooth but rolled-off highs, though, sometimes made music sound boomy. Verdict: These would be a good starter model to see if you can stand having 'buds in your ear canals - definitely an acquired taste. sonystyle.com

Shure E2C ($100) I had a hard time keeping a good bass seal in my ears using the rubberized plugs. And even when they were properly seated with the alternative foam plugs, the E2C's sounded nasal and lacked brilliance, though the bass was solid. Verdict: Experiment with the plug options to optimize the match to your ears. But this model's comfort is still outclassed by the Sony and Apple at left and its sound by the Etymotic and Shure to the right. shure.com

Etymotic Research ER-6i ($149) An Etymotic engineer showed me that moistening the flanged plugs just before inserting them improves both the sound isolation and the bass - a great trick you can use on other in-ear models. These 'buds go down firmly into the deep bass, and their highs were the smoothest and least colored of all the models, but I had to use the alternate foam plugs to get these results. Verdict: As long as you get a good seal on the plugs, this is one of the best-sounding earbud models here. etymotic.com

Sony MDR-NC11 ($149) These earbuds feature an active noise-cancellation system that works best when the noise is steady and you're physically isolated from its source, like when you're sitting in an airplane or on a park bench with traffic in the distance. But it won't have much impact in a car, bus, small plane, or train. Sound quality was very similar to the much cheaper Sony MDR-EX71SL at left. Verdict: The noise cancellation does work, but you can get more isolation from an earplug-like in-ear model. sonystyle.com

Bang & Olufsen A8 ($159) The elaborate frame supporting these 'buds is supposed to comfortably hold the miniature speakers right up to your ear canals. But I was never able to get the left one to seat well, and even in the right the leakage was so bad that there was hardly any deep bass. (The highs were like those from the Sennheiser earbuds.) Note: glasses might make these difficult to wear. Verdict: While these earbuds are comfortable, the better in-ear models here can produce good sound more reliably and less ostentatiously. bang-olufsen.com

Shure E4C ($299) Experimenting with the different plug options ultimately provided a very good seal as well as very good sound isolation (about the same as the Etymotic when its foam plugs are used). These 'buds had smooth, extended highs and firm, deep bass, resulting in a very natural sound. Verdict: Tied with the Etymotic for best sound, these are one of the best of the group - but pricey. shure.com