Perfect for the Apple purist who can’t stand the tinny, standard earbuds.

We’ll admit it. We’re picky about headphones. We spend a few hours a day listening to podcasts while commuting, and we work best with some background tuneage. And while we’re not audiophiles per se--256kbps AAC files sound great to us--we’ve long despised Apple’s standard earbuds. Previous iPhone versions added a handy mic and inline remote, but the sketchy audio quality has remained. Until now. Apple’s latest in-ear models prove that someone in Cupertino is finally making sure that the audio coming out of an iPod or iPhone matches the care that went into designing it in the first place.

Since these new ’buds are in-ear models--yep, you stick ’em inside your ears--they offer some passive noise cancellation. In our office, we like them because we can still hear a bit of what’s going on around us. During our commute, the headphones don’t block out quite enough sound to make our music listenable above the roar of the train when it’s underground, however. That said, the sound quality is great for affordable earbuds.

Thanks to two drivers--one for highs and another for bass and midrange--the In-Ear Headphones produce clear tones across the spectrum. They’re not the bass monsters that some other headphones can be, but we’ll take “accurate and clear” over “clubby bass and muddy everything else” any day.

Even though Apple doesn't officially support using these 'phones with an iPhone, the inline mic/remote works to answer calls on our 3G--and play, pause, and skip tracks on your iPhone or iPod. And the volume controls are a much-appreciated addition that worked well with compatible iPods. We tested the mic in a variety of environments, and our callers said audio quality was good. The mic also comes in handy for owners of iPods with voice recording capabilities. Build quality is solid, and Apple includes three sets of silicone ear tips to maximize fit. There’s also a hard storage case--but the shape and size make it difficult to use.