I don't think they suck. I think you're paying alot for the brand and fashion statement

This, crazy markup. Anytime I see someone with them on I immediately know one thing about them: sucker.

I'm partial to Sennheiser and Pioneer. For your purposes a pair of lower end Sennheiser will sound amazing and be near your $ range. Someone already said the HD280 Pro. Do yourself a favor and grab those. :thumb:

Sennheiser CX 475 in-ear --- love them

Those JVCs might not be too bad. I had a pair like that from Koss a while back that were similar. You couldn't hear *anything* and they sounded pretty good. A little too much on the bass (just like everything from Koss) but overall good for the price.

The big thing is to understand your needs. If you want something that's going to be used for running, then big over the ear's probably aren't the way to go. Stability is as important as anything else in that situation. I also wouldn't run with those marshmallow earbuds because you might not hear cars around you.

If you're going to be wearing them for hours at a time, spend a little money and get something that's going to be comfortable. Same thing for the sound. If they sound like ass, then you won't actually end up using them as much.

Oh, and for sound quality once you get a pair of good headphones you'll quickly see that it does matter as you start pulling out old albums to listen to again. The Beatles albums in particular are almost like new if you have the remasters and some half way decent speakers or headphones.

I bought a pair of V-Moda from Radio Shack. Dude said it would do pretty well about keeping noise out. I thought BS, but they've got this rubber seal that seals to your ears and actually does a fair job. Nowhere near the battery powered noise reducers though.

But the sound is excellent for in ear jobs, they have all metal plugs and speaker housings along with quality materials, and they were in the $60 range. I couldn't be happier with them.

I looked for them on V-Moda's website and couldn't find them. But you might try there. I really like them.

I got my Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones off Amazon and love them! $25.00

Go with Sennheiser's, which is a TRUE professional brand, and not just a marketing gimmick (like BEATS).

I have a pair of Denon noise-cancelers that are life savers on flights.

I went with the Beats Solo HD, and don't regret it. I'm sure most of the price is for the name, but vs the other $150 headphones that were on display, the bass sounded by far the best on them. Don't remember the other brands but the prices were all around the same.

Had them for over a year and use them daily in the gym & during football warm-ups. Dropped them a hundred times and still good to go.

Are there better headphones for that price? Sure.
Do they sound good? Hell yeah.. especially if you like bass.

Sorry, after re-reading my comment I did seem a bit harsh.
I like Beats Audio quality and I shouldn't have knocked them, but I really do prefer other brands for the price (Same with Bose). There is a significant markup on Beats audio right now due to the popularity like someone else mentioned.

Audio Technica and Sennheiser both make fantastic headphones that can be found online for cheaper.

Anyone have experience with ear-buds made specifically for running/activity so they dont fall out, but offer high end audio quality & bass? Budget is $150-200.

I would check to see what Shure has out.

For in-ear headphones I use Klipsch s4's. They'll run you about $70-80. They have a pretty thin wire and some people complain about it breaking but I haven't had a problem with it. The only time it broke was when I left it out and my cat thought it was a toy. I love'em. The sound is pretty awesome and its constantly compared to the quality of headphones that run you $200+. I personally can't verify that since I'm not stupid enough to spend that kind of money on headphones.

How about in ear "earbuds" with a cloth/fabric covered cord? Preferably decent sound, not picky. For my fiance who mostly listens to audio books. Maybe under $30? Sick of buying cheap sets over and over. The cloth seems to extend the life considerably.