If you’re going to be listening in noisy environments like a subway or crowded office, you most likely want in-ear monitors or over-ear earphones. Popular manufacturers include Sennheiser, Shure, Master & Dynamic and OPPO. Look for “closed-back” models, which don’t have any vents or openings in them so they keep out competing environmental noise while sparing others from hearing the mosquito-like version of whatever you’re listening to.

Closed-back earphones with active noise canceling by manufacturers like Bose and Phiaton produce a nullifying frequency to block intrusive sounds. But be aware that what you gain in canceling environmental racket, you lose in the crispness of the audio you’re playing. Earphones such as the Parrot Zik 2.0 ($400) come with an app that allows you to adjust various aspects of what you’re hearing using a five-band equalizer, much like an audio engineer.

For listening in quiet, isolated environments like your home, “open-back” earphones, usually over- or on-ear, are your best bet. They allow sound to pass through them rather than be contained within them, and thus don’t have the slight distorting reverb that can occur in closed-back models. As a result, they are audiophiles’ top choice because they sound truer to life. Sennheiser, AKG, Fostex, Grado and Audio-Technica make versions that reviewers consistently praise.

Exercisers are likely to want fitness earphones such as the Jaybird BlueBuds ($170) and Bose SoundSport ($150). They are sturdier, sweat- and water-resistant and tend to stay put. Some models, like the Sennheiser PMX 686 SPORTS series ($110 to $130), allow just enough outside noise so that you can hear a car or person around you. Some fitness earphones have wireless versions, although they never sound quite as good as their wired counterparts because of the degradation in the signal from source to earpiece.

Image Sennheiser CX 300-II, $60. The CX 300-II in-ear monitor delivers respectable clarity and enjoyable sound, and they are cheaper than custom monitors. Credit... Sennheister

It also makes a difference what you are listening to. If you’re listening to lower-quality MP3s or a low-resolution free music streaming service, it’s going to sound pretty lousy no matter how good your earphones are. Conversely, if you’re paying for premium MP3s or higher-resolution streams from services like Spotify, Pandora, Tidal or Rdio, you’re not going to hear the improvement wearing $10 earbuds you picked up at a mall kiosk.

Another thing to consider is whether you want your earphones to come with a microphone so that you can use them to talk on the phone, record your voice or use video-calling services like Skype. Many earphones on the market do, but be sure to check the specifications since some do not or may need an adapter or special cable to work with some devices.