JVC HA-EB70 Headphones: Quality for Less than a Jackson?

I have gone through numerous headphones as I have gone through numerous iPods alike. The little earbuds which Apple offers with any of their iPods are absolutely horrendous in my experience - they do not fit in my ear, they fall out, I lose the little pads all the time, etc. So I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do is simply buy my own headphones or earbuds, plug them into my iPod's universal jack, and sit back and enjoy the music.

My most recent affair with headphones for my iPod was JVC HA-EB70 Headphones, which cost me a good fifteen dollars at my local Circuit City (before they liquidated). The reason I picked out the JVC headphones was rather straightforward. Unlike previous headphones I had, these would attach to my earlobe instead of having to stick them in. Further, they were less pricey than some of the other headphones which I saw. And last but not least, they are made by JVC - a well-known electronics brand which has been around for years.

The JVC HA-EB70 Headphones are 3.28 ft. in length, which I find to be the ideal size for plugging into my iPod when simply walking around, sitting at my desk, or even working out. The length isn't too long that I have to tie knots in the wire so that my arms don't get tangled in it, or so that it's swinging around uncontrollably as I run. Instead, it's the ideal length when reaching from my waistband to my ears.

The earbuds themselves are small and comfortable - they fit easily around my ear, and the small, circular speakers go into my ear to provide the audio sound. Unlike other headphones that I have had, these do not fall out when undergoing strenuous activities, such as running. Further, the clip to the ear is not so tight that my ear hurts after taking them out. Instead, the clip is sturdy enough to keep the earbuds in place without hurting my fragile skin. Further, the small, circular speakers are soft and are comfortable - at times, I forget I even have them in!

Since I purchased my JVC HA-EB70 headphones, I have enjoyed using them for the most part. I do find that they support a rather significant amount of volume - my iPod can get very, very loud. I do find that in order to receive the optimal sound quality, I can't tune my iPod to its highest volume. In such cases, the music becomes static-y, and the bass sound becomes unbearable. However, when at a reasonable volume level, the sound quality is rather high. I do find that the headphones do a good job of drowning out sound outside of the audio being listened to - so much to the extent that someone will be talking to me and that I won't hear them. I do like, however, that I can clip the headphones onto the neck of my shirt if someone wants to talk to me. This keeps them from getting tangled and/or broken.

I have had these headphones since June of 2008. Right now it is March of 2009, and I have officially had to throw my buddy away in the trash. As of last week, the right speaker stopped working, and it only played music on and off. While the left speaker worked, the sporadic audio in the right speaker became annoying. Nonetheless, I'm impressed that this $15 pair of headphones lasted for this long.

Overall, I would recommend the purchase of these headphones. They are comfortable, durable, and last for a decent amount of time in comparison to the price I paid. The audio quality is rather significant, which is ultimately what it comes down to.