This may come as a shocking viewpoint in the isolation of this particular little microcosm: I can't speak for the genre of music you prefer, but as far as looks and performance and balance thereof...you're going to look like a total dweeb, regardless of how fetching you or anyone here thinks you will look, walking around with pair of headphones on your head in public. It really doesn't matter how good they look as headphones. I mean seriously, are folks here really under the illusion that they're styling when wearing a pair of headphones out in public?!?! Perhaps to an audience of head-fiers, but I doubt the appeal goes much further, and that is a very tiny segment of the population (we're talking grain of sand on a beach). I haven't seen the trend breaking any ground among the general public as a fashion accessory - no doubt someone's going to pull up a fashion spread that prominently features headphones now - but take my word for it - it's a one-way ticket to Dweebsville. So if you're into cans, I'd just look for the best sound possible for the investment and for the genre(s) you like (again, can't help you with the latter), and screw what anyone else thinks about looks, cause you probably don't want to know anyway. As far as getting around the appearance hurdle, IEMs/CIEM's might keep it quiet enough to qualify as a runaround for looking like a complete outcast in public, or some escaped DJ. Hey, but who the hell am I to judge the one in ten thousand I see wearing cans out there?