HEADPHONES
EDITORS' PICK Ultrasone | SHFI-2200 ULE Whereas "cans" produce a constricted sound, Ultrasone's vented ear cups and off-center audio drivers let music reverberate naturally -- features that simulate stepping away from a speaker in a room. [$300; ultrasoneusa.com]
NOISE-CANCELING Bose | QuietComfort 2 Bose pioneered noise-canceling headphones in 1989, when they supplied them to pilots. Seventeen years later, no competitor trumps Bose's triple threat of background-noise elimination, comfort, and audio quality. [$300; bose.com]
WIRELESS SURROUND Pioneer | SE-DIR800C Built-in Dolby processing creates a convincing surround-sound experience in miniature. Wireless, yes, but infrared transmission means the music cuts out completely if you lose sight of the base unit. [$400; pioneerelectronics.com]
BUDGET Grado | SR60 A small company well worth discovering, Brooklyn-based Grado Laboratories brings craftsmanship to its retro-looking SR60s. The sound has a surprising amount of bass and volume for the price. [$69; gradolabs.com]
WIRELESS Plantronics | Pulsar 590 The Pulsar 590 headset connects to both your Bluetooth-equipped cell and portable music devices wirelessly, so you can switch between chatting on the phone and listening to music. [$200; www.plantronics.com]
EARBUDS
BUDGET Sony | Fontopia MDR-EX71SL A significant audio upgrade from original-equipment earbuds, but not much bass power. [$50; sonystyle.com]
SPORTS Shure | E2C The insertion depth felt intrusive (despite an assortment of foam sleeves) but they never fall out. The isolation from outside noise was impressive and the bass substantial. [$100; shure.com]
EDITORS' PICK Ultimate Ears | Super.fi 5 Pro Featuring the same dual-driver technology as the company's custom-fitted model, each bud of this off-the-shelf version has two speakers for high- and low-frequency sound. [$250; ultimateears.com]

Photographs by: Michael Pirrocco
(March 2006)