Best earbuds/earphones

My two favorite IEMs are the Etymotic HF2/HF5 and the new Grados. It's such a personal thing that I highly recommend you try some different IEMs for yourself. Headroom is great for information and trials.

In regards to your UEs, have you tried a good amp? That can make a big difference with some cans and buds, especially the UEs. I still prefer the Etys and Grados, but you might try a nice amp to bring the best out of the UEs.

HelloFi...Many thanks for the reply. I have not tried a different amp because I am searching for a portable solution. These will mainly be used with my Droid playing 320kbs mp3 or flac so I am limited. I do realize this is not a great source for fidelity but I think it can be decent for travel/workout/dog walks etc. When at home, the big rig is my source of magic and no phones are needed.

My rationale for not blaming the source for the UE's shortcomings was the comparison to the Skullcandy.

I will begin my quest with your suggestions. Thanks again...

richard--have you considered lightweight, over-the-ear phones like igrado, sennheiser px100 or koss portapro? i personally find them more comfortable and better sounding than earbuds (like you, i can never get earbuds correctly situated).