I bought these to replace my iPod earbuds, which died after about seven months of use. I'm not an audiophile, so I can't comment on the quality of the sound, but these things are comfortable and stay in my ears while running, which was the main thing I was looking for. They also isolate sound enough that I can do noisy chores like washing dishes or cutting firewood while still being able to listen to audiobooks, yet they aren't so isolating that I don't feel unsafe wearing them while running alone.One downside (which apparently is common with true noise-isolating earbuds) is that when the cord rubs against clothing, the sound is amplified in your ears and gets annoying really fast. However, switching to the smallest ear piece pretty much alleviated this problem (the buds aren't quite as snug anymore, but they still don't fall out while running).These were definitely worth $16. Oh, and the little felt carrying pouch is adorable.**UPDATE 6/2/11** After two and a half years, these things still work like the day I bought them, even though I use them at least twice a week, and the rest of the time they sit at the bottom of my work bag where they get books dumped on top of them every day. I've also dropped them in water, wood ashes, and probably other unknown substances. The only problem is the earpieces have started to become a bit loose (I lost one after it dropped off while running), but that could be because I tend to fidget and pull them on and off repeatedly, so they've probably gotten stretched out by doing that.