Right so I read the reviews before I bought this product and they were quite varied. I have only had this product for about a week and I bought the Creative one at the same time. I go through this type of earphones quite steadily because I don't carefully roll them in a box. I just don't have the energy to do that, which is why I need a product that will be relatively cheap. I bought expensive ones before and with the treatment I subject them (quickly rolling it around my Ipod and shoving it in my bag, getting caught in door knobs etc...) whether cheap or expensive, they all end of the same...I lose sound in one of the earbuds. So I thought, let's try the really cheap and the good review and to be honest, although I really like my music (I am no sound expert) so for me as long the sound is reasonably good and I cut out the annoying cackling noises from people on buses and trains, I am good.
Having tried both this product and the Creative one, I can't find a difference in sound quality... Both do what I need them to do, the only difference is one (this one) is really cheap and funky - I do like the weight the metal bits give them and the other one (Creative) is more boring looking and slightly more expensive.
So overall, I would say if you are not a sound purist and want something that will do the trick of cutting out background babble and be cheap, don't look any further...Why pay £20 for something when you can get one for £3 and don't feel too guilty when you realise that you just shoved it carelessly at the bottom of your bag!
Review update - 21.02.12
It's been several months since I bought this item and I have used them every single day and they are still working, which I am quite impressed with as some of the more expensive ones I have bought in the past would have died by now.