Listen Up

For the gadget aficionado, Apple's (AAPL Quote) iPod portable music player is a must have.

Simply go to your local Apple store and pick out the color of nano or iPod you like. Done.

Enjoy the iPod for what it is -- a marketing triumph disguised as a gadget.

But headphones for iPods? That's another story.

As much as Steve Jobs has redrawn the digital landscape with his iPod and other Apple products, he has turned a deaf ear to his headphones. IPod headphones, like all things Apple, certainly look cool; those little white earbuds are as ubiquitous as they are iconic.

But as headphones, they are a disgrace. IPod earbuds are shrill, have no low-end definition and muddy up even mush-music like early Beastie Boys. Plus, iPod earbuds hurt. After just a few minutes, my ears ache.

The good news is there are excellent aftermarket choices for high-quality headphones for portable music players. These headphones sound better. They fit better. They last longer and they look slicker. ...