I see it more as a functionality thing. I bought them initially for exercise -- I got tired of running with headphones on. These days I mostly use headphones in three situations: exercise, commuting (on the subway) and while working. The train&#x27;s heavy environmental noise makes sound quality matter less than isolation, and earbuds can fit in my pocket. Plus, as I mentioned above, they sound better than I expected and I don&#x27;t mind using them on the train even for an hour or two if I&#x27;m taking a long trip. Music while working is mostly about comfort and isolation, as I&#x27;m hopefully working instead of actively paying attention to the music.<p>If I&#x27;m planning on actively listening to music or doing production work, I use my nice speakers or a pair of monitoring headphones. But that&#x27;s a much less common scenario for me.