As far as earbuds, you can't go wrong with the Meelectronics AI-M6 / AI-M9 - they're only one step down from the $100+ brands for $10 sales price.<p>My favorite headphones were the Beyerdynamic DT-770 and Audio Technica ATH-M50, both offer durability, significant bass, significant isolation, and significant detail for about $100 new. I used a pair of Grados for a while, and the shock of tight percussion coupled with the detail is an amazing thing, but ultimately it's kind of an odd feeling on your ears if you wear glasses. More comfortable than any of these, though, were the Koss UR-40's, which were a little flimsy, but wearable forever even over glasses, and sounded quite decent for $35 new.<p>All fullsize headphones, no matter how well built, will die on you if you treat them badly. My DT-770's failed at the driver-cable joint, my M50 broke off a tab that held even pressure on your head, and my Grados and UR40 failed at the cable's Y-join. For now, it's the ATH-M50 with something shoved in the slot to keep it open, the AI-M6 earbuds, or attempting to recable the UR40 once more.