[breakfast]

Ordered some Westone 1s today. Can't wait to hear em.

 

[Infoseeker]

IEM are not good for studying. The in-ear sound is quite in-your-face when you are trying to study. Plus over-the-ear style is even more annoying to put on; unless you want the effort of putting them on as your pre-study ritual; therefore getting more serious to study. xD
Closed headphones are what I'd suggest; like the ES7. You can listen, and you have the option to ignore it since it isn't in your head!
 
For serious studying I would suggest getting a warm headphone; regardless of what your are listening to. Those higher pitched sounds being emphasized are a really killer to your studying.
 

 

[singha]

I entered this headphone hobby looking for the perfect study headphones cause I'm in medical school and spend way too much time in libraries and coffee shops. I find that comfort is the most important thing and sound second. I bought the M50's and found that they clamped too hard, got too sweaty, and were just too uncomfortable for studying. I plan to sell them when I get enough posts for this reason. The last thing you want is an excuse to complain about sweaty ears or the clamping when your head already hurts from cramming so much. 
 
I also spent over $500 looking for closed headphones (HD25, Sony V6, ATHM50) for studying but keep on going back to IEM's cause of their isolation. The only of the closed headphones are the HD25 cause of the isolation and sometimes the V6 only cause I changed the pads to veour. I also found that neutral headphones are much better than dynamic ones when you are trying to concentrate. I prefer my Re-0 to my MTPC when I am trying to study. Also, make sure to get great tips so they isolate well. If you want extra isolation buy some earmuffs to put over the iem's.