3. Bose TriPort IE

Not everyone likes canal phones that make a tight fit inside the ear canal, while many ear buds are very uncomfortable to wear and fall out easily. The Bose TriPorts sit neatly inside your ear but only the tip of the soft silicone rubber sleeve goes into the ear canal. The soft plastic means they're comfortable, and they fit securely. There's no fussing around running the cables over your ears either; the TriPorts are very easy to put on and take off, but they won't fall off if you're running around. The cable is long enough to let you stow your player wherever you want. There is a slider to help stop the cable tangling and a chunky grip for the jack (which makes it easier to grip but might cause problems with unusually thick iPod cases).

You get three sizes of tip, so you can choose the one that's the most comfortable and the best fit; unlike canal phones, getting the right size doesn't make a significant difference to the sound quality. And you get no noise isolation at all so these are not headphones to wear on a plane or in any noisy environment - you can hear ringing phones, chatting colleagues and throbbing engines as normal, competing with the sound of your music. That's a shame because the TriPorts come with the nicest carrying case we've seen. The headphones sit neatly in the case, the cable winds neatly round and the jack clips into place to keep everything secure - plus the magnetic cover stays shut but is easy to open and close without fumbling for a zip.

Any traveler would appreciate the case the TriPorts come in, and the headphones themselves are a step up from the disposable ear buds that come with many players. The stereo separation is wider than many in-ear headphones and the sound has the typical Bose warmth and softness in the mid-range. There's a lot of bass - much more than standard ear buds and possibly even too much - but it's not always well defined while treble detail and clarity is disappointing, especially when compared to true canal phones. Bose recommends turning off the EQ on your iPod, but we tested it with and without EQ on a range of players and with CD without noticing significant improvement. You have to have the volume up higher than with other in-ear headphones, too, which will drain slightly more battery power from your media player.

It may be that the unusual tips are letting the TriPorts down; if you press the tips slightly into your ears with your fingers you get a better seal, which gives you significantly more bass, a brighter sound with much more treble detail - and much more volume. The tips feel comfortable and natural in your ears but they don't seem to put the sound where you can appreciate it unless you happen to get a particularly good fit.