[nnager]

The small projection of my ear between the canal and the sideburn is very uncomfortable when it's pressed between the iPod's own earphone and the pillow. Some of the discomfort also is at the outer edge of the ear canal. Manufacturer specs, photos and graphics on company websites still leave me in the dark on my concern.

I appreciate all the valuable threads in this forum on iPod in-ear-canal and ear-bud earphones, and, especially, two started by Don Frakes:
http://www.macworld.....eadphones.html
http://www.macworld....analphones.html

I studied tthe threads by Don Frakes and others and visited websites for some of the brands cited. But as a retiree who is new to iPods and earphones, I still can't figure out which--if any--of the "in-ear-canal" or "canal-bud" models would be least uncomfortable when pressure is placed on the ear by the side of the head resting on a bed pillow?

Here's my wish list with the most important criterion 1st and least important 5th:

1. An earphone that will not cause discomfort when my head presses on a pillow when I lie on my side.

2. Nearly as important: lower, if not mute, noise of nearby freeway truck traffic, power tools, and revving motorcycles in the neighborhood. I'd like to do this without blasting volume and adding to the tinnitus buzzing some of us get in middle age.

3.. From a company with a rep for good design and quality-controlled products.

4. I confess that when I was young a music appreciation teacher told me I had "a tin ear." I guess that explains why I'm not very fussy about my music. But I would like to buy headphones with clarity of sound, free of scratchy, tinny noise.

5. LIt would be quite nice (even though I rank this last) to be able to handle headphone controls at night without putting on glasses to look at my iPod display, specifically being able to control volume and playback (such as Apple's yet-to-be-released $79 in-ear model promotion promises: http://store.apple.c....mco=MTIxODk3Mw

I sure would appreciate any recommendations based on your insights and experience.

Respectfully, Norm