HISTORYWhen I had to replace my long-time earbuds, I bought the DUNU Titan S after an analysis-paralysis level of research. The DUNU seemed well-built, but they were too tall and narrow for my outer ear canal and their unnatural music reproduction quickly fatigued my ears. Although I was able to return it for a full refund, I see that most sellers won't grant a full refund - especially for higher-priced buds. This is why I restarted my search at the lower end of the price spectrum in case I couldn't return future purchases. I purchased the KZ ZSN Pro. While it was wonderfully free of microphonics (see below), it was very similar to the DUNU in both fit and sound reproduction. Since it appeared that my ears are not a fit for Asian-designed ear buds – ironic, since I'm Asian – I next looked at domestic designs. After narrowing my search to JBL Endurance RUN (ER, henceforth) and Apple EarPods (EP, henceforth), I bought both for a comparison.WHICH DO I PREFER?–Fit: ERThe fit of EP is a mystery to me – there are no tips to tailor the fit and its surface is slippery. Is my outer ear canal so different than those of the millions of EP users? For me, gravity keeps EP in my ears when I'm upright, but gravity pulls them out when I'm lying down. It doesn't fit in any useful sense. It just sits inside my ear. ER, on the other hand, comes with three sizes of grippy silicone tips and makes and keeps a solid contact with my ear canal. Chewing can sometimes loosen ER's fit – if I'm being picky. I could buy hooks to give EP a better fit if I liked EP otherwise, but I don't. Fit is not just about comfort. Fit affects how the sound produced by the earbud drivers is delivered to our ear drums.–Sound: EREP lacks bass. That is mostly due to the driver and partially due to the fit. In higher-end IEM (in-ear monitors), tips are used to tailor the fit and, more importantly, to tailor bass. The ER's tips do change bass quality, with the smallest providing the leanest. ER's bass is not as deep or as accurate as my over-the-ear Sennheiser, but it is surprising and satisfying.–Microphonics: EPVibrations that reach our ear drums are converted by our brains into sound. These vibrations travel through solids, liquids, and gases (air). The more material that the vibration passes through, the more the vibration dissipates. This is how kids learned to tell whether a train was approaching by putting their ears on the train track. When an earbud cable rubs against our shirt or body part, the vibration that travels over the cable to the earbuds is known as microphonics. Wireless earbuds and over-the-ear headphones (insulation in their heavy cables restricts this vibration) have no to little microphonics. If an earbud cable has sufficient microphonics-cancelling material, however, it might be too bulky and the earbud might be prone to being pulled out of your ear with the weight and/or stiffness of the cable. (The KZ ZSN Pro compensates for its stiffness/bulk by having a preformed loop to secure it over your ears.) With budget earbuds like EP and ER, it's a matter of how much microphonics. In this comparison, EP is 50% quieter than ER. I found that wrapping ER's cable once around my ear reduces microphonics dramatically, however. This works because most of the vibration is intercepted by the flesh of my outer ear and scalp before it can reach the earbud. While wrapping the cable was a nice science experiment, I don't rely on it because this arrangement eventually loosens the fit of the buds during the listening session. Finally, because of microphonics, I won't be doing any physical activity while wearing ER – despite JBL's marketing claim.After the trial period, I kept the EP but now only use it with my phone because callers can hear me better through EP's microphone.