I'm considering buying a pair of headphones specifically for work, but I have a couple of questions first. I have been using the stock iPhone earbuds with foam pads on them as my default work solution for a couple of reasons. I have a pair of IEMs, and they clearly sound much better than the earbuds. But I am interrupted CONSTANTLY by people stopping by, phone ringing, going to meetings, etc. Taking out the IEMs each time I'm interrupted and then reseating them for the best sound is a pain in the ass. The earbuds at least are easy to take in and out since they aren't picky about fit, and I can also hear people if the music is stopped even if the earbuds are in. The foam pads do slightly improve seal, comfort, and bass performance, although nothing earth-shattering. I have a pair of good full-size closed headphones at home, but I don't want to use them in the office since they kind of look ridiculous on my head. Comfort is also a factor since, although I get interrupted a lot, I do listen to music for 3-4 hours a day if all goes well. Finally, I'm somewhat price-sensitive since these would be an "extra" pair -- say, $50-100 as an ideal range.
It seems like the best compromise for my work situation would be a portable or small set of supraural or circumaural closed headphones. I can't go with open headphones since I have to keep my music to myself in the office environment. Headphones -- as contrasted to IEMs -- would also be easier to take off and put back on when I am interrupted. And I'm guessing that small/portable headphones would be in the price range that I'd be targeting, and also might be more comfortable for wearing over long periods of time. But, there also may be solutions that I haven't considered. So, the questions:
1) If I did want to go with portable headphones, what are the best options in that range? I used to have a pair of Sennheiser PX200s a long time ago, but I don't remember how they used to sound. Are they superior to the stock earbuds? How do they compare to full-size headphones? Are there other options in that price range that I should consider? Audio-Technica ATH-ES5? Wait for something more expensive to go on sale?
2) Some people draw a distinction between "IEM" and "canalbud" designs for earphones. The former are truly designed to go deep in the ear and form a tight seal; the latter is supposedly some kind of hybrid design where a seal is formed, but the positioning/seating of the earpiece is less fussy, like a true earbud. But then again, it might just be a clumsy way of distinguishing between shallow and deep insertion for IEMs. Is there anything to that distinction, or is any IEM design going to have basically the same issues?
3) I once tried a pair of supposedly superior earbuds, Audio-Technica CM700Ti. They were somewhat better-sounding than the stock earbuds, but they were heavy and somewhat uncomfortable to wear. Are there better/cheaper earbuds that exist now that might be worth looking into as an alternative? Or will all earbuds sound worse that over-the-ear or IEM-style headphones?
