Ten of the best... noise-isolating earphones

Apple In-Ear Headphones With Remote and Mic

The little white earphones that Apple sells with the iPod have come in for a fair bit of stick over the years, so the new Apple In-Ear Headphones are an attempt to provide a higher-quality alternative. But while the richer audio quality and sound-isolating features are certainly a big improvement on the bog-standard iPod earphones, they’re not exceptional for a set of headphones in this price range. In fact, the stand-out features are the built-in microphone and remote control that are specifically designed for use with an iPhone. So while the In-Ear Headphones will make a good companion for your iPod Touch or iPhone we wouldn’t recommend them as a set of general-purpose ‘phones for non-Apple music players or mobile ‘phones.

Reg Rating 75%
Suggested Price £54 Find the best online price here
More Info Apple's In Ear Headphones page

V-Moda Vibe

The V-Moda website may be unspeakably pretentious, with its waffle about "high-end lifestyle" and "audio art', but its Vibe earphones sound pretty good nonetheless. They're like little metallic earplugs that fit neatly into your ears, and are heavy enough to stay put without falling out every five minutes. They don’t do a particularly good job at blocking out background noise, but the sound they produce is very clean and clear, even at high volumes. There’s a little carrying bag included with the earphones and you get three sizes of earpieces in both black and white, so you’ve got a good set of spares if you need them.

Reg Rating 75%
Suggested Price £55 Find the best online price here
More Info V-Moda's Vibe page