Earphones / Headphones: Where to try, what to buy?

I know a sound engineer and he has worked with Keizer Chiefs and others and he complains that before it was 80 tracks they had to deal with, now it's more like 130 which is tough work. If the team is weak, then the concerts or at least some songs will sound like shit.

if its the kaiser chiefs then all songs will sound like shit, because they are the most obnoxious, unimaginative, talentless, self-important shower of cunts who have ever existed.

re the laptop speakers argument- there are some people who are happy to hear thin, top-end heavy music, my mate Charlie does it; he is a discerning music listener, but likes to have noise all the time, and is always listeneing to new things, and doesn't mind if the sound is a bit shit.

I will never understand this, because when I listen to a record, it is carefully chosen sccording to the mood I'm in, it is quite a rare event, and it has to sound perfect, or I get irritated and turn it off.