Koss KEB9iB

One of the colour versions of the KEB9i, Koss's sealed in-ear with a microphone in the cable. Everything that matters carries over from the base model: the in-ear seal that keeps the commute out and the bass in, the single 3.5 mm plug, the answer-calls-without-looking convenience.

Shell colour is the only decision here, and it changes nothing about the sound. Buy whichever suits — or whichever survives being seen at the gym.

As with the whole KEB9 family: sealed in-ears suit travel and open-plan offices; if you need to hear your surroundings, the open KE5 buds do that on purpose.