Ha. Earphones.

So a while ago I mentioned I was in the market for some new earphones. Well yesterday I finally found some I like. I headed off to my local Wal-Mart, assuming they'd have about one pair to choose from, however, there were about 15 different kinds. I probably took about 20 minutes checking them all out, but finally settled on a pair of Excel International Electronics HS812's.

Yeah, it's one of those "no name" brands that copy the bigger names for cheap (a similar pair from Panasonic was $40). That's actually a link to the 816 model, but my 812's are almost the same, white with a silver circle in the middle. They clip onto my ears comfortably (wore them for an hour yesterday), and I can wear them while lying down. I took them out for a spin on my bike for about 40 minutes and they were actually pretty good at blocking the wind noise. Don't wanna block out all the ambient noise of course, but just cut out enough so I can hear my podcasts without cranking them to stupid volumes. They also fit under my helmet.

So, they don't meet all the original criteria I had written up: no in-line volume control and the cord is anything but tangle-free. However, they're amazingly comfortable, sound much better than I'd expected, and can be had for a grand total of $6.51! Considering that extremely low price, I'm very happy with them...I may even go back and pick up a few more pairs, just in case.