$2.19 for an mp3?

[Jerome]

Digressing slightly but in a similar vein - the systems people are playing music back on is the real issue for me. A speaker has to move a volume of air - it's basic science and we can't get away from it. So those earbuds can only produce so much movement even if they only have to move a small volume of air inside the ear. The bass response of these things is terrible. And if they are not placed correctly in the ear the stereo image is distorted/lopsided. They have pre-progammed IC's inside the various devices you are playing music from to make you think you are getting the proper dynamic range but you aren't. Boosting certain frequencies to make you think you have good sound. Tomfoolery - and the buying public have fallen for it. What really amazes me is that they don't notice the lack of quality. Over the ear phones have a much better frequency response but has anyone noticed what they are charging for 'designer' headphones that have the same basic components in them that the cheap ones do? It's nothing short of extortion.