Group test: iPod upgrade headphones under £100

Overview: Price comparison: Sennheiser PX 200 Website: www.sennheiser.co.uk Type: Closed back headphones Weight: 60g Sensitivity: 115dB Plus points: Comfortable to wear, clean sounding Minus points: Bass response could be better

Sennheiser PX 200

Sennheiser has a few portable 'phones on the market, but we've chosen the PX 200 over its other models such as the arguably superior sounding PX 100. This is mainly because the PX 200 is closed-back, designed to seal off external noise as well as reducing the chance of your fellow commuters being able to hear what you're listening to (yup, we think we got away with that Queen album the other day).

Although there is still some noise leakage, it's not enough to impair the excellent overall sound quality. It's clear, rich and even at high volumes there's no distortion. One small niggle we have is perhaps that the bass is a little lacking compared to others here. The bass issue is offset however by the fact they're one of the most comfortable fitting out of the group. Unlike most in-ear 'phones, prolonged listening with the PX 200 cushioned earpieces is a pleasure and once you're done, they fold up in an ingenious little plastic case (fitting them in is initially a little bit tricky, but becomes second nature after a bit of practice).

Although Sennheiser's in-ear models (such as its popular MX 500) perhaps offer more portability, the PX 200 is extremely slender and lightweight and of course offers supreme comfort that Sony's and Shure's in-ear buds can't match. If you're finding your music is often drowned out in those noisy commutes then you might want to have a peek at the recently launched £80 PX 150 noise-cancelling headphones, but if expense is an issue then at just £30 we reckon the PX 200 still remains a great upgrade choice. Oh, and for those iPod owners amongst you, they come in muggable matching white as well as the standard black and silver livery.

Overview: Price comparison: Sony MDR-EX71 Website: www.sony.co.uk Type: In-ear phones Weight: 4g Sensitivity: 100dB Plus points: Punchy sound, cheap, cancels out noise effectively Minus points: Bass may be a little overwhelming for some tastes, build quality is suspect

Sony MDR-EX71

The EX71 has been on Sony's roster for a little while now, but as US government official Bert Lance once remarked, “if it ain't broke don't fix it.” Well, in fact these 'phones do break after a while, but we'll get onto that later.

With an in-ear design and three different sized buds available, you should be able to get them to fit pretty snuggly. This in turn means that external noise is generally blocked out more effectively than any on-ear design can achieve. Once in position, we found they delivered an extremely full, bass driven sound that might be a little overwhelming for some ears, as well as lacking the natural rich tones of say, Bang & Olufsen's A8. However, at under £30, the EX71 generally punches above its weight in the sound department. It's also surprisingly comfortable and it took a period of prolonged listening before our ears started to strain.

Although the lead is quite short as it's primarily designed to be used with a remote control unit, you do get a one metre extension chord so your music player can be tucked neatly away in your bag. One thing to watch here though is that the wires can tangle easily when not in use. Unfortunately, you don't get a wind-up carry case that might solve this problem, rather you're lumbered with a plastic holder for the earbuds and a soft carry pouch.

And as we mentioned, although build quality is a little suspect (our model began to fall apart after extended use over a couple of months), overall we couldn't help but be drawn to the portability, ease of use and sound quality of the EX71. Like the Sennheiser PX200, it's available in white as well as black, so if you're looking for a cheap sound insulating upgrade from those stock iPod headphones, then these are a good choice. Just don't expect them to last forever.

Overview: Price comparison: Shure E2c Website: www.shuredistribution.co.uk Type: In-ear phones Weight: 30g Sensitivity: 105dB Plus points: Amazing sound isloation, clear and balanced sound Minus points: Not the most user-friendly

At Shure, they don't do things on the cheap. At £60, the quirky looking E2c is the base model in an earphone range that escalates into silly money for the flagship models. Before you can even think about using these 'phones though, there's some all-important prep work to be done. Firstly, there's a wax guard to be fitted (it's a bit of a fiddle but ear wax build-up is the bain of many in-ear headphones) and then there's a choice of earphone sleeves - flex, soft flex or foam. We found the rubber soft flex ones to be the most comfortable, but it's nice to be given the choice.

After a couple of hours of wearing them completely incorrectly (“oh, they go into the ear like that”) we were amazed at just how much external noise is cut out. As they sit in the ear canal opening, it blocks everything out to the point where you can almost hear your brain ticking over. This of course means that you don't need to crank up your audio player as high as you would normally do, which might save you a bit on battery life. If you wear them correctly (and the instructions could be clearer in this respect), the sound quality is absolutely astounding. It's bassy, well balanced and so clear that you might be inclined to re-burn your MP3 collection to a higher bitrate as they expose pretty much any compression flaw. Another bonus is the nylon carry case that lets you wind the cable up to keep everything neat and tidy.

Yes, the E2c isn't that cheap and the ear buds certainly take a while to get used to, but if it's audio quality and sound isolation you're after, then look no further.

Overview: Price comparison: Bang & Olufsen A8 Website: www.bang-olufsen.com Type: In-ear phones Weight: 22g Plus points: Quality construction and design, beautifully warm, natural sound Minus points: Others offer better sound isolation, a little on the expensive size

With an RRP of £90 (although cheaper if you hunt around), B&O's A8 is the Rolls Royce of the group. But with a beautifully suave anodized aluminium and rubber finish, straight out of the box it looks like money well spent.

These 'phones are a breeze to set up, with adjustable brackets that help to get a good tight fit and enable them to fold neatly away. Unlike Shure's and Sony's models, these buds rest on the ear rather than going further inside so naturally they're a little more comfortable. And although this means that sound isolation isn't as effective, the supreme quality of sound shines through. We found none of the other 'phones in the group could match the warm, natural tones of the A8, and we could pick up on subtle notes and peripheral instruments that we'd never heard before.

Although some other headphones have a little more bass response, we weren't too bothered as the overall result was so beautifully balanced. Indeed, it's not going too far to say that anything less than 256kbps quality MP3s won't do these 'phones justice. The A8 combines portability, comfort and class (heck, you even get a designer leather carry case) and it's worth mentioning that the build quality is a notch above pretty much all of its competitors here.

So if you want the purest, most natural sound from your audio collection as well as looking as cool as fridge-fresh cucumber when you're on the move then the A8 is the one to plump for. You certainly won't regret it (well, that is until your credit card statement comes through the letterbox).

Overview: Price comparison: Philips SBC HN050 Website: http://www.philips.co.uk Type: Closed-back headphones Weight: 158g Sensitivity: 102dB Plus points: Noise-cancelling feature works well, good sound quality, low price Minus points: Design may not suit everyone

Usually you have to consider selling off a kidney to afford proper noise-cancelling headphones, but thankfully Philips has made the feature available to those wishing to keep all their organs.

For a meagre £35 not only do you get a battery operated (1xAAA) noise-cancelling unit, but also a rather fetching silver pair of DJ-style headband phones. This design may be a matter of taste, but what's not in debate is comfort - the soft cushioned pads are a good fit and even with the noise-cancelling unit switched off they work effectively to block out external sound.

Once up and running, the NH050 emits a full and warm (if ever-so-slightly muffled) sound, with an empahsis on bass. We found the noise-cancelling unit does its job pretty well (it's not as effective as simple in-ear plugs, but good nevetheless) and that the single AAA battery seemed to last for an age - we weren't counting exactly but it's around the 40 hour mark.

We really like the NH050 - the build quality is decent, it looks cool (if you go for this type of design) and the sound quality is impressive for the price.