I haven't tried the new Apple ones but I've been a fan of the Etymotics for years. Be careful, there are two slightly different versions and I don't remember which model number is which. One is white and the part that plugs into the jack is straigh. The other is black and has a 90 degree angle at the plug. The angled plug makes all the difference in longevity. Much less stress on the wire. If there are other differences, I was unable to tell. I've also used Shure which were nice but wouldn't stay in my ears. The ER6s are comfortable enough to sleep in, don't fall out when I'm running and, if you take the time to seat them properly, sound really good. You just have to remember to clean the (yuck) earwax out of the regurlarly. Even a slight blockage has a very noticible effect on the sound.
