Granted that the iPod phones hardly do credit to the machine - I'd like to put a word in for Koss "The Plug" Earbuds. Very light, full frequency spec, priced from around £15 and a fantastic sound that realy shows what good quality the iPod can put out, with the added bonus of three sizes of "Plug" that fit comfortably inside your ear - giving very good isolation from the exterior environment.
If you want to know how good the I-Pod is, get yourself a pair of Etymotic Research ER4P's. I have state of the art killer components, and feel that the I-Pod and these phones are in the same league. Every time I let someone hear these things, they rush out and get their own. Don't put your money down until you've auditioned these things.
Haven't tried the Etymotic ER4Ps — mainly because of the price. But I use the cheaper ER6is (around £90) and they are amazing. Admittedly they are a bit fiddly to fit and taake some getting used to as they are inserted into the ear canal. But if you really want to hear what's on your iPod nothing I've tried comes close. Beats the hell out of the Sony EX71s — and I'd say they're worth the extra cash.
Thanks for your comments guys - we tried to include the ER6is for the group test but couldn't get them in before the review deadline. Hopefully we'll include them next time round.
I was talking to the distributer of Martin Logan speakers and he told me that he got custom made earpieces for his Eny's that made them more comfortable. He and I were both remarking how wonderful these phones are. Entymotic can recommend places that will custom make these things to Entymotic's acoustic specs.