What headphones?

Earbuds just don't seem to do it for me. They don't seem to fit right. The sound quality seems to fall off unless I scrunch my face up all weird or hold the buds in my left ear. I figure I need something decent that covers up my ear.

Suggestions?

A few years ago I bought a pair of these for about $180, I can't find the exact model now but they look just like these. Best investment I have made in computer and pod accessories by far. I prefer an on-ear fit versus an over-ear fit, so these small headphones are light and comfortable as hell.
Bose Headphones

Bose Quiet Comfort. Cancels out unwanted noise and you can play your music thru them. Pricey but sound damn good. Of course I'm half deaf so don't hear certain pitches and tones but they still sound good to me.

Can't go wrong with Grados. Pick your price, they'll have something and it will sound good for what you spend. Yeah, they're ugly, but they'll also never go out of style :).

I always use Skull Candy buds. The rubber inserts keep them in your ear, the quality is decent for ten bucks, and they are pretty comfortable.

I can't stand earbuds; apparently I have funny shaped ears.

These are not the audiophile pick, but I find them to stay put pretty well and aren't too bulky. They may be a better pick if you're using them for active stuff than the big over-ear and/or over-top-of-head types...

Similar to mine, which I don't see at a glance...

I got a pair of these: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-202-II-Professional/dp/B003LPTAYI

Work great

Where are you going to use them? At home, in a quiet (office) environment or on a plane or similarly noisy enviroment?

For the latter, you'd need some sort of noise cancellation or at least close headphones.

For quiet environment where you don't get on someone's nerves with the sound coming from your headphones:

Grad SR60i /thread

I bought these Sony's at BestBuy one day without doing any real research. I'm pretty happy with them - they do a decent job with white noise. Sometimes I wish they were over-the-ear to help block some of the other noise but they are way better than earbuds.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRNC7-BLK-Canceling-headphones/dp/B001EYU3L2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317410921&sr=1-1

+1 for Sennheiser

if I had the money i'd go with boes... friend had em and they where AWESOME when flying... made it so you didn't have to crank the music up... also made everything so quiet if you just turned on the noise cancellation and sat... but they are expensive and bulky...

Third vote for Grados if you're listening in a semi-quiet environment where bleed isn't an issue. Buy the best pair your budget allows and never look back. They're an awesome value. (So are their turntable cartridges, but we won't get into that here.)

I've got a set of Grado SR80s and Sennheiser HD280s (I think?)

Open back > closed back for SQ.

How much you want to spend?

I'll tell you the truth, I use a set of Chineese knock off Sony MDR V6s. Yeah, they're fake, but I'll be damned if they don't sound pretty dog gone good.

I use these.

Bose TP-1A. Love them.

Are these just for enjoyment or do you want something that work well for extended monitoring and/or mixing? What kind of music do you listen to? In what kind of environments will you be wearing them? How compact do they need to be? How unobtrusive?

If I were in the market right now, there are a couple I'd seriously consider. First is the AKG K702s... I tried a set recently and found them very comfortable and responsive, with good dynamic range (good, just not great). I actually own a set of the AKG K240s, and the K702s were noticeably better to me. On more of a budget, I'd consider the K141s. Excellent dynamic range and a bargain price. The others I'd consider are the Sennheiser HD380 Pros. Excellent dynamic range and good clarity, but I didn't find them as comfortable as the AKG K702s. I also really liked the Ultrasone Pros I tried, but I can't remember which set they were... price was comparable to the AKG 702s though.

But if it's just for pleasure, you can really just pick any set that you like the sound of and are comfortable. I've done good work for years with my trusty (and thrifty) Sony MDR7506 and AKG240s, which is why I continue to use them. I've found that you eventually get used to the way any particular set of headphones work and can feel where they fall short and are over-compensating.

Guy at work has the Bose noise cancelling type. They seem pretty good. Very light. He does have to change the batteries a lot though. I suggested rechargeable.

I am just sitting in a cube listening to music instead of loud, obnoxious coworkers.

For cube usage (have them on right now), i just use a pair of Sony MDR-XD200s.

Don't know what the modern equivalent is, i've had these for 5-6 years now, but they sound good, they're comfy, and they were cheap.

I'm normally not a headphone guy, but i've come to appreciate it. Thinking of moving up to some better cans and maybe external amplification.

Cheap here: http://www.fiio.com.cn/Index.aspx

Josh wrote: Can't go wrong with Grados. Pick your price, they'll have something and it will sound good for what you spend. Yeah, they're ugly, but they'll also never go out of style :).

Nope, sure can't. I love mine.

Otto Maddox wrote: Earbuds just don't seem to do it for me. They don't seem to fit right. The sound quality seems to fall off unless I scrunch my face up all weird or hold the buds in my left ear. I figure I need something decent that covers up my ear. Suggestions?

If you can go up to Scottsboro, AL and stop by Unclaimed Baggage. They usually have a pretty good selection of headphones (including Bose) for much less then retail. Actually they have lots of cool stuff for cheap.

They had a pair of Grado RS1's at the local audioshop recently. Better sound than any speakers or headphones that I've ever heard.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Grado&hl=en&biw=1304&bih=707&prmd=imvnsr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10990760607963594059&sa=X&ei=H0GGTsqBH8Tk0QHo7ZT2Dw&ved=0CJIBEPMCMAU

Otto Maddox wrote: I am just sitting in a cube listening to music instead of loud, obnoxious coworkers.

Well, I use the aforementioned Grado SR60is as my "office headphones" but then again I've got my own little office and not a cubicle.

I use Grado SR125s at work. Good stuff.

If you're looking for an alternative to earbuds, try looking at good earbuds. I use a set of Etymotic Research ER6 buds. They come with several different ends on them to suit the shape of your personal earholes. Excellent sound quality. The best part is that they're sort of a combination of earplug and speaker, which makes them excellent for noisy environments. I have worn them when driving cross-country in the Targa Miata - and I didn't notice the collector had separated from the header until I stopped for gas. I'll wear them simply as earplugs on airplanes sometimes. They're also a lot more compact and subtle than noise-canceling units.

JVC marshmallows. around 20 bucks, but they work like earplugs and have a squishy bit that fits in your ear very well. Never had an issue with mine falling out, unlike the ones with that one size fits all rubber E36 M3. Also, anywhere I've seen them online they're rated very highly.