IEM's or Headphones?
They both got their perks and uses.
For example, IEM is better for discretion, outdoor uses, active uses (gym, sport, bicycling, etc). Headphones is better for more static and relaxed uses, like sitting on a lazy chair, gaming, etc.
In the same price level, I'd say headphones sounds better than IEMs. Headphones sounds wider (even closed back, it's still wider than IEMs), less constricting, less fatigue (especially in the ear canals, where headphones don't touch the canals at all). Remember, the comparison is in the more or less same price level. There are high-end IEMs that sounds way better than most headphones, but those cost a lot more.
Adding on top of that... Most of us are more well-versed on the options out there for headphones instead of IEMs and that applies when we're trying to give suggestions. I believe that IEMs tend to have a harder time presenting a natural soundstage. A headphone is already super far from a real speaker system, IEM is another step in the other direction.
Headphones have worse soundstage to speakers, but better sound quality (apart from soundstage) than speakers for the same price. If I had to guess, IEMs are yet another step in that direction: Even worse soundstage, but marginally better sound quality in a price? I also think that headphones are more well-known for many companies when it comes to engineering so maybe that's a win for headphones?
However, I have not done extensive IEM vs headphone comparisons at a given price point, take what I say with a grain of salt. Custom IEMs should remove any fit and comfort problems but they are very expensive (and not comfortable for anybody other than yourself). Although, headphones annoy me because they are clunkier than in-ears. Personally I'd rather have my ear plugged with IEMs than have an over-ear touch my face, which annoys me even with a comfy headphone (plus hair can get in the driver). IEMs also tend to have better sound isolation. Even if you were to get an IEM for active use you damned well better make sure the fit is good (so it doesn't fall out) and that the cable has no microphonics.
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