[kate2591]

I'm travelling to the US in the next couple of weeks and wanting to buy some earphones while I'm there (all the big brands seem to be much cheaper than in the UK) 

I'm a complete audio noob so I could really use some help - I already have (I know people's opinions on them vary...) some Beats solo headphones which I like the sound of, so something similar to that would be great. I know of the beats tour/urbeats and the Bose MIE2i and Freestyle that I'm looking at, but there's so many brands and models out there I'm curious to see if there's anything else available.

I generally listen to pop/rock/indie music so I like something with a bit of bass to it, and preferably some that don't look too bulky/ugly. I'd prefer some with a control on the wire to skip the song etc, but it's not a must, and also that come with a carry case. Also I'd need something that's fairly easy to buy in a national chain (as opposed to online). 

Price range is $150 give or take! 

Thanks for your help!

 

[MacroPower]

We might need more details. You said you want earphones, correct? Earphones are often in-ear - items you mentioned are over-ear (circumaural headphones). I'm just going to assume you want something closed, so sound doesn't leak in or out.
 
Also, I'm not sure where you would buy most of the headphones or earphones most people would recommend here. When I walk into my local electronics store, I tend to only see Beats or Bose headphones, or really cheap Skullcandy earbuds. If you can find a store, you might just want to try a few and buy whatever you think sounds best.

 

[kate2591]

Hi! Yes, I want in-ear earphones (or whatever the ones like Beats Tour are called....I'm not too up on the vocabulary!), I use my beats headphones for travelling, listening at home etc but I want something smaller for using on the train everyday.
 
I'll be in the US/Canada for 2 weeks and doing plenty of shopping so I should have plenty of chance to go to somewhere like Best Buy, Target, Radioshack etc as well as department stores. I'm not sure what stores are like in the US (first visit!) - I thought somewhere like Macy's might have a good selection since our equivalent in the UK (John Lewis) probably stock 30+ different models!

 

[MacroPower]

I guess it depends on where you go in the US! Where I live, Macy's only has clothing and purses and crap, haha.
 
I've not owned a whole ton of in-ear stuff, so I probably can't give you a descent recommendation. Really, the only in-ear I've been happy with is the OSTRY KC06, which you probably won't be able to find in a store. It doesn't have media controls, but it does come with a pouch and it's great for rock music with its crystal clear mids and smooth highs. It also looks great and is very sturdy. It does have a bit of bass, but it doesn't come close to the bass you would find in a headphone. I still find alternative and pop enjoyable, however, rock really shines on them.