It was only recently that I developed an appreciation for headphones, thanks to my husband who, tired of hearing me complain about my ear buds tumbling out, bought me a set of Shure SRH240A full-sized sealed headphones ($59.99) last Christmas.

I quickly discovered what a difference it makes to have your ears completely covered — no more shrieks from babies seated next to me on planes, or sirens distorting my music during workouts, but even better, they were as comfortable as a cashmere cap and the sound was spectacular from the deep bass to the high riffs.

Discussing my new headphones with friends, I learned that there is a huge world of audiophiles out there. There are Web forums, like www.Head-Fi.org, devoted solely to discussing high-end personal audio and headphones, with readers providing strong opinions on every product from simple in-ear plugs to wireless headphones. I also learned that heaphones can range in price from $20 to $2,000 (the latter buys you the Audeze LCD-3, a high-end headphone that comes with a military-grade secure travel case).

“The whole home stereo and Hi-Fi rig that took up an entire wall is a thing of the past ever since the iPod showed up and began changing the headphone industry,” said Jorge Cervera, vice president of sales and operations for the 20-year-old HeadRoom Corp., which is based in Montana. Through its Web site, www.headphone.com, HeadRoom sells an array of headphones and personal audio gear that has been individually tested in the company’s own “audio lab” with a “listening team.”