I actually prefer to use mediocre sounding headphones in public. The cramped frequency response lets me clearly distinguish the sound of the music I'm listening to from the sounds of the environment around me. I bought a pair of high end Sennheiser ear buds a few years ago that I could never get comfortable using in public. They were just too disorienting. I always had that feeling of someone standing behind me calling my name. I have a high end pair of bookshelf speakers at home that causes the same sort of effect on my cats. They get all nervous and freaked out by certain types of music especially if it uses a lot of panning stereo effects. They're totally oblivious to lower quality speakers.