Yes, the HD280s are closed-ear and sound great. Not fatiguing, and have a fairly flat frequency response. The elongated shape of the cans work for those with longer pinnae (like me), and for the price, they’re a great value. You could also try looking at some comparison forums like head-fi.com to get some user perspectives. Earbuds tend to be a bit more hazardous in the sense that their isolation makes listeners prone to over-powering them and exposure to unsafe levels. You could also check out Audio-Technica ATH-M50S, which are comparable and slightly higher quality closed-back design. Ultrasone, Denon, and Beyerdynamic are also great brands, but lean toward the $150-up end of the spectrum.