Philips O'Neill `` the Snug '' Headphones after look at hundred of headphone online , and struggle between go all-out on a $ 100 + pair of fancy-pants bose -lrb- or cool\/hipster\/music aficionado equivalent -rrb- , or slumming -lrb- again -rrb- in the $ 15 - $ 20 range , I finally settle on these cuty . context : I use headphone on a daily basis in my office - I have a peach of a coworker who like to tap he pen , suck he tooth , talk to himself , laugh at inappropriate topic and time ... you get the idea . I be literally unable to focus without my bless , bless music . previously , I be use the Koss Titanium open air headphone . at the time I purchase they , I be in a customer-service role , of sort , and need to be able to hear if someone be knock on the door . -lrb- a quick note on the Koss headphone : Great , great sound for a inexpensive set , but the thin foam ear `` pad '' wear through quickly and now the plastic surface jab into my ear ... sad panda . -rrb- those be a satisfactory solution , provide great sound when the music be on , but not block any of the adjacent maddening , irritating noise I do not want to hear ... a necessary evil at that time . no more . the door-answering responsibility have be transfer -lrb- to the noisy neighbor , coincidentally -rrb- and I be free to work in musical oblivion . review : typical disclaimer here - I be not a music expert nor be I able to expound on the technical variances\/driver difference , frequency range , etc. . sound - Nice , clear , balanced . the base be not ear-drum thumping ; it be definitely there , but not unpleasantly overwhelming . I think the description on the box be `` dynamic . '' that be a good word - as other reviewer have point out , and something I do not understand until I put these on , the closed vs. open feature be noticeably different . open-air phone make it sound like you be in the recording studio where the musician be play - every detail be present , and the sound be `` big '' and seem omni-directional . closed phone do not diminish the quality or the sound , but it feel like you be closer - instead of sit in that room , you be sit right in front of the speaker - it be a very unidirectional sound . comfort - if I do not wear earring , these would probably be perfect . as it be now , they be significantly more comfortable than the Koss phone , but do -lrb- right now -rrb- tend to smoosh my ear and jab the back of my earring into the skin behind my ear ... I do not expect otherwise , really . I could eliminate this problem by either a -rrb- not wear earring - ha ! or b -rrb- wear in-ear headphone , which I absolutely despise . the padding on the top be NICE . I do like this feature , and there be no rubbery\/silicone band that catch on my hair -lrb- koss , I be call you out , again . -rrb- appearance - totally subjective , but I adore the purple plaid . I be 30 year old , so I should not be such a nerd , right ? whatever - I like colorful thing , and these might make I look silly , but they also make I smile : -rrb- I provide a couple snapshot to give you a better idea of the scale -lrb- that be one of my concern , since I do not want to look like a helicopter pilot or a bubble head . -rrb- one last note on the `` noise isolation '' - other have note that these do not block out all noise and they be right . instead , irritating noise be muffle significantly . so , in between track , when my favorite person in the next cubicle be mumble incoherently and giggle like a drunk dental patient , all I hear be `` shhhwwemmmmemem '' . so much better !