A few things creep us out. Elves taller than four feet, for example. And, sometimes, ear buds.

We’re not against all ear buds, just the ones that require a lot of poking around in dark places our moms told us to avoid messing with.

That’s why we’re into the old school, full-ear-covering luxury of Urbanears. They’re big in just the right way, and plenty comfortable. Most importantly, the sound quality is strong.

Jammin’ to Cee Lo, we enjoyed the full sonic experience -- from the bass at the bottom, to the ringing, psychelic flourishes on top. Then we switched over to a phone call and found the built in mic worked great, too.

These classic headphones take up more space than buds, but they fold up in a new-fangled way to about half their full size. Because they cover a good portion of your head, you may need to take’em off from time to time and let your epidermis breathe a bit. They won’t claim too much of your bank account, though -- ringing in at $59.

We also dig the way Urbanears make headphones so much fun -- from the array of colors to the packaging (which avoids plastics to be more sustainable). The Web site and catalogue are awash in colorful images making it seem as if the headphones are doing some synchronized swimming. All that has nothing to do with the sound quality, but it still makes for a good gift.