Unlike the traditional headphones which fit with a brace over the head and cover both ears, the earbud is made to go directly into the ear passageway and make the sound more direct for listeners. They are more easily transported to all of your busy spots and often much more easy to stash away when not in use. They are a good option for sport headphones because they are light weight and comfortable to wear when working out.

Many retailers gave a nod to the popularity of the earbud which started in the late 1990s by giving it away free when a customer bought a listening device. The portable CD players that dominated the market at that time were made a little less clunky with the earbud. For many, it was the birth of new sound.

The only thing some listeners complained about was how rough uncushioned earbud plastic seemed to be against their ears. Manufacturers came up with foam covers similar to the foam used for a microphone in order to make listeners more at ease with the devices. There was also a sanitation benefit to earbud covers. They are so inexpensive and disposable that they allow listeners to change them out and keep their earbuds clean.

The biggest benefit to these small miracle sound channelers is the comfort they bring to others around the listener. Unlike their counterparts (the headphones), earbuds make it difficult for others to hear your music. This makes for more peaceful transit rides in cities where people of all musical tastes and cultures are forced to ride the same trains or buses.

The experience of cheap earbud headphones is akin to have a personal stereo that you can place directly in your ear – but for a portion of the price. Many who purchase the earbud cannot remember a time when there was such a foreign thing as headphones. One good brand to look into are the audio technica headphones due to the good price to performance you get.