Earbuds versus headphones

I was using the earbuds that came with the Clip+, and was disappointed that even at the loudest setting (and with the level set on High), I could barely hear my music.  Today I tried using regular headphones and was amazed at the difference.  Not only was the volume satisfactorily high, but the sound quality itself was much better.  I expected an improvement, but not that much of an improvement.

Have others had similar experiences?  Does the brand of earbud make much difference?

Earbuds are very different, pair to pair–just like with headphones.  Also, with earbuds, it is imperative to get a good fit and seal–otherwise, the base can be non-existent.  I suspect that was the issue you had.  For that reason, many earbuds come with different sized tips, to try to get the best of fits.