I will be travelling quite a bit this year and need a pair of earbuds to replace the much too clunky Sennheiser PX-250's I've been using. My primary concern is sound quality and isolating outside noise like airplane turbines. I've always had the suspicion that most companies that make earbuds are not interested in sound isolation for fear of being sued (ipod-wearing skateboarder couldn't hear truck comming, etc.). So I don't trust them entirely.

With other cans I've tried - namely the Senns and Bose - I've always had to turn the volume up too high which is not only bad for one's ears, but would probably be even worse with earbuds. Now there are tons of choices out there, including some from Sennheiser. I don't mind spending a bit more for added comfort and better technology, but those $500 jobies are over the top, in my opinion - these are earbuds, folks, not Piega's.

Any suggestions, recommendations?