I'm a long-time lurker as well, and I'm surprised you don't have any response yet. Your question was very well thought-out and detailed. I had the same question, and the information you've already provided is useful to me. Thank you.

yeah, I saw those too, but the 3K+ range on them puts them squarely in the tweeter-only category. I would try them otherwise, but I need something that can at least make an attempt at mid-to-low frequencies even though such a small cone probably won't do them too well. True about the...

Here's a little back story. I recently bought an MSI Wind netbook. I like it, except that the speakers are unbearably terrible. It brings the phrase "cans" to a whole new level, and I can't take it. I've already disassembled the laptop a few times, and the speaker drivers are most definitely...

Etymotics, maybe? ER-6 is supposed to be a pretty good "can" if you want to call it that. And the right price, too. You may not be able to hear your boss yelling at you, though. That could pose a problem. If you're getting the SR-80s for long listening sessions, find some replacement pads...