First the good, sound quality is fine, I pretty much plug into the treadmill at the Y and some IPod use and have not problem. I also like the little added piece that holds the buds in my ear more securely but I could see how this would bug some people. But if you have had problems with buds falling out, this feature helps a lot.The bad, almost immediately one of the covers on the outside (the black plastic part with the product name on it in the picture) fell off one and then both sides. not a functional problem but I am sure they were there for a reason if not to just look better (which they did). Also one of the rubber gaskets on one of the ear pieces that surrounds the speaker and the mesh speaker screen have suddenly disappeared which has made them less comfortable to use. I am not rough on them, pretty much coat pocket to use and back again so I really think they should have held up better, especially since they are not the cheapest choice in ear buds. Hope that helps!