I'm often pumped for suggestions of cheap, great-sounding earphones, and I'm sorry to report that there just aren't many. Typically, inexpensive earphones don't sound good. What they can do, however, is fit better and sound better than the abysmal earbuds that come bundled with every iPod. Griffin's TuneBuds don't offer much low end and sound a bit tinny, but they create a tight seal in the ear. This allows for some passive noise isolation and, at higher volumes, the illusion of more bass. If you're not an audiophile and are tough on your stuff—say, you've broken every pair of earphones you've ever owned—the TuneBuds (which are priced at either $20 or $30 depending on what color you buy) might work for you.

The earphones come in a variety of colors, presumably to match the iPod you own, but of course, they can be used with any audio device that has a 3.5mm jack. The black-and-white TuneBuds each come with an unexciting carrying case and cost $30; the colored versions don't bundle the case and sell for $20. They're lightweight (0.4 ounces), outfitted with rubber tips for a secure fit, and equipped with a 46-inch cable, which is just the right length. Based on the experiences of a friend who has gone through two pairs of TuneBuds and is currently on his third, I can tell you this: They're flimsily made, but, oddly, they seem to have a loyal following of repeat customers.

With the TuneBuds in ear and no music playing, enough sound is blocked out to make them useful on a train ride home, but they are no match for vastly more expensive pairs from Ultimate Ears or Shure that truly eliminate ambient noise. Sound quality is not a strong suit. The earphones are overly bright and lack bass, but they're still superior to the Apple earbuds, and they provide a far better fit. The seal helps create an illusion of deeper bass at high volumes, but you also get high-frequency distortion. They're not awful—they just sound like $20 earphones.

If the TuneBuds were $10, I'd tell everyone who hates paying a lot for earphones to buy three pairs and just replace them as they kick the bucket. At $30 with carrying case, they're dangerously close to the starting price range for good-quality earphones—so I recommend staying away from the white and black pair. Buy a colored pair for $20. If high quality is what you seek, Sennheiser makes excellent headphones and earphones starting at around $70. Shure and Ultimate Ears make top-notch pairs in the $100-and-up range. If you're really just trying to save a buck and you're sick of those blasted iPod earbuds falling out of your ear, however, Griffin's TuneBuds may be for you.

Griffin offers a one-year limited warranty on the TuneBuds. For technical support, visit http://www.griffintechnology.com/support.

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