I just recently (2 days ago) tried the Skullcandy Ink’d buds in an effort to find a better alternative to the stock buds. Many people have recommended them. And I really don’t want to spend a fortune on something that can be damaged beyond repair so easily. I realize that you don’t get something for nothing, but I don’t think one should have to spend more on the earphones than they do on the player just to get decent sound out of it.
1.) Even though there are 3 sizes of silicone tips, I couldn’t find one that fit just right. I either had to jam a larger one in that was uncomfortable, or use the next smaller size that would be loose enough to fall out occasionally.
2.) Very cheap cord that I could not get all the bends out of. Seems the outer casing would bunch up in one spot.
3.) VERY heavy on bass. This may have to do (at least partly) with the fact that they completely seal the ear canal. With the stock buds, I have to lean pretty heavily on the lower frequencies in the Custom EQ to get the bass I want. With the Skullcandy buds, I instantly had to turn the EQ off (flat response) which was still bass-heavy, so then had to further reduce the lower frequencies and boost the upper in the Custom EQ to get a decent and semi-well balanced sound.
4.) This was the final straw or the ultimate deal-breaker for me, and it’s something inherent to the design of inner-ear type phones. Every touch or movement to the cord transmits to unpleasant noise heard through the phones. This would drive my nuts! If you’re old enough to remember, it’s like thumping or tapping on the side of a turntable while a record is playing. The noise is amplified through the speakers.
I’ve read where some brands of this style are ported to the outside, so this might be alleviated and outside sounds could also be heard. But I’d rather not have to order such a personal preference item on-line only to dis-like them and have to send them back, losing the shipping costs both directions just for the privilege of trying them out. No, I want to find some locally, so I can take them back if I don’t like them.
Which is what I promptly did the very next day.
Problem is, there are getting to be fewer and fewer local brick & mortar stores where you can find a decent selection now-a-days. I got these at Target. I also looked at Walmart; virtually nothing. Circuit City: same, very meager selection (and now they’ve announced they’re closing the doors on all stores and will be out of business in March).
I haven’t tried Radio Shack or Best Buy yet, but I’m not feeling optimistic.
Everyone has different opinions on this very controversial subject. It’s not only a sound issue, but they also have to fit or be comfortable to wear for extended periods of time (at least a couple hours at a shot). There have been millions of words written by thousands of people on various blogs & forums all over the net, but it all boils down to what YOU or I like. And you gotta try 'em to find out! 
