I generally don’t get too attached to brand names, but I have grown to love my iPods. I bought my first one in 2004 (the iPod Mini), and have had a new Nano nearly every year since then. I haven’t bought one this year, though, because I’m thinking of upgrading to a Touch, and want to wait until after September when the new models come out.

Anyway, I’ve never had an issue with the iPod devices themselves, but the earphones are another matter entirely. The pair that come bundled with iPods are absolutely terrible! Every single set I’ve ever had has either broken or malfunctioned within months of purchase. In fact, just two weeks ago, my latest pair broke, after having lasted a personal best 9 months. All that happened was that they slipped off my desk and dropped to the hardwood floor below — a distance of maybe two feet. The left side earphone cracked and the cover came off, rendering it useless.

I don’t have any backups because all the others bit the dust as well, so now I’m stuck having to buy new headphones. Fortunately, I came across a great sale at Buy.com this morning. They’re offering this 2-pack of ear buds that work with all iPhones and iPods for just $6.99. That’s for two pair! I can probably come up with that kind of cash under the seat cushions on the couch, so the price isn’t an issue at all.

These iPhone ear buds are non-OEM, meaning they were not manufactured by Apple — definitely a good thing, in my opinion. Furthermore, they come with a soft silicone earpiece that looks like it would be a heck of a lot more comfortable than the default iPod headphones, and have a 47-inch cord for a good range of motion.

As I said, $6.99 is such a small price for two sets of ear buds that I’ve just got to give these a try. Let’s hope they last longer than the Apple earphones do!