do open or iem's sound warmer or fuller than closed cans? i'm worried about the ones i get being too bright and fatiguing.

what are your favorite phones for non-fatiguing sound?

It doesn't matter necessarily if they're open, closed, or iems. Different headphones have different sound signatures. I'm a bit sensitive to bright sounds and am over-sensitive to those with a lot of treble energy. The most non-fatiguing headphones in my experience are the HD6X0s and R10s. Although I'm not a fan of the Denons, the D5000s were pretty non-fatiguing based on my limited time with them. As far as iems go, the Shure SE530 and SE420s were not bright at all, and though I didn't experience the 310s or 210s as bright or fatiguing, I had other issues with them. Within your budget, however, I'm not sure. Sorry, I just realized I wasn't being very helpful. I had the RP-22Xs for a few weeks and they seemed okay, but I never listened long enough to really test that out. If you're expanding your search to include open headphones, and you can play with your budget a little, you can often get a good deal on HD580s, and can even still buy them new for under $200 (I think) on ebay.

oh, i'm just ruling out open and iems because i need to isolate the outside world so i can listen in cafes and such...and iems quickly get uncomfortable for me. that's why i'm looking at closed cans.

but i am very sensitive to bright, fatiguing sound. so that's why i'm asking for a good warm sound signature.

oh, i'm just ruling out open and iems because i need to isolate the outside world so i can listen in cafes and such...and iems quickly get uncomfortable for me. that's why i'm looking at closed cans.

but i am very sensitive to bright, fatiguing sound. so that's why i'm asking for a good warm sound signature.

From my limited experience with them, I think the AKG K271 would work pretty well for you. They are closed, and have a pretty warm signature.

My recommendation for an IEM would be the Shure 530 or the 420.