What to look for when buying earbuds?

[thejinx0r]

Hi,

What should I look for before buying earbuds?

Anyways,
I currently have a pair of Koss Spark Plugs with etymotic ear pieces.
http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&pc^eb^SPARKPLUG
There is some specs about them at the bottom of the page, but I have no clue what it means.

And how would they compare to the V-Moda Vibe?
http://www.v-moda.com/collection/modaphones/vibe.aspx Of course, I know they are not out yet, but there are some specs there. Or is the information about those buds for insufficient the time being?

Thank you.

[mnhnhyouh]

Frequency Response 10-20,000 Hz
Impedance 16 ohms
Sensitivity 112dB SPL/1mW
Distortion <0.3%
Cord Straight, Dual Entry, 4ft


Frequency Response is the range of sound frequencies they will generate. You can hear from about 20 Hz (a Hz is one cycle per second) to about 20,000 Hz, when you are young, but you lose the top end as you age, and listen to too much music. So these will cover your hearing range. This is standard across all but the very cheapest.

Impedance is how hard they are to push. However it seems to have little to do with them needing an amp. Low impedance headphones, like these, can produce more background noise from poor systems.

A good read is here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones

Especially good is this page...

http://www.headphone.com/technical/product-measurements/how-to-interpret-headphone-data/

h

[thejinx0r]

ok, thanks for your help :)