These Sony 20th Anniversary Fontopia Headphones are the best things i've ever put in my ears. I HATE earbuds. They suck. THESE however aren't typical earbuds... they actually fit snuggly inside the ear canal with silicon "plugs" instead of sitting in the curve of the ear. The driver is suspended in the middle of the bud and sounds FANTASTIC. My friend got some on a business trip to Japan and when i tried them when he got back, i was floored that those tiny things could produce so much bass and such a rich sound. I've tried a ton of earphones, and these have by far been the best... i made him buy me a pair on his next trip to Japan, as they weren't available here in the US at the time. I haven't tried them with the empeg, so i can't vouch for that... but i always evangelize these things to death, so i thought i'd put in my 2 pence.