I think that these earphone would just sit outside you ear so that you can hear what be happen around you as well as you music . that be not true with this particular earphone , the speaker be perpendicular to the hook which go around you ear , so the small part must be put in you ear canal to be comfortable . these earphone be great sound , but beyond that I can not wear they for more than a half a hour at a time . the piece that must sit within you ear canal to get good sound be very large , and if you have small ear like I do it will stretch and pull you ear . I do like that you do not have to turn the volume up much to hear what you be listen to well . you can also turn the volume up very high and use they as speaker on you desk , but that do sort of defeat the purpose of earphone . good for some people , but terrible for I .