While portable audio devices are constantly changing in technology, they have remained a popular accessory for several years now. The latest portable audio devices can deliver higher quality audio than the devices of a generation ago because of an increased digital storage capacity. It is no longer necessary to use compression formats that compromise sound quality. What many people don't realize is that this means that in most cases, the weakest link in sound quality on the modern portable device is the headphones.

Currently there are three popular styles for portable audio device headphones. These popular styles are the inner ear piece, ear buds, and over-the-head cans. By far the most common are the traditional over-the-head cans. These basically look like two flat or cupped pieces that attach to the ends of the arm that hugs your head. The arm is generally adjustable in length or cup attachment to allow it to fit any size head.

The inner ear piece is generally a composite of a soft synthetic material and plastic. Having it go right into the entrance of the ear allow you to get a full surround sound feeling without any of the audio escaping. Generally the inner ear piece is considered a much better choice for comfort and sound quality than the ear buds, which just fit at the edge of the opening to the ear canal.

Generally, Apple's inner ear piece is considered a good choice for sound quality and range, particularly for younger listeners with a full hearing range. The Apple earpieces do cost more than most. Apple's inner ear piece can provide high quality sound even at high frequencies. However, the cable for the Apple inner ear piece is only 42 inches long and many people also find that the ear pieces don't fit in their ears quite right. The good news is that Apple has tried to address this issue by making their rubbery inner ear headphones in three different sizes. It should be noted that these Apple headphones don't tend to have a very strong bass. But this is partially made up for by having the headphones deliver the bass without sound loss near the eardrum.

The ear bud may not provide quite the audio quality of the over-the-head-cans or deliver the audio as directly as the inner ear piece, but the ear bud does provide a nice combination of fitting in the ear with a better sound quality than the inner ear pieces. They also tend to be the most portable type of headphones. They can be easily stored in any case and discretely placed in the ears. They work particularly well when used with devices that aren't specifically for music, such as portable gaming devices, laptops, portable televisions, and radios. Most portable audio devices these days come with a stock-set of ear bud headphones. They can be very convenient when you need something discreet and easy to carry, but aren't typically used as primary headphone sets for listening to music.

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Bland listens to his portable audio device everyday while commuting on bike and train. He likes to rotate between using Audio Technica earphones and Sony earphones.