I've had a long list of off-the-shelf phones, both in-ear and circumaural...
CIRCUMAURAL
Koss PRO4AA - This was the first pair of headphones I ever loved. My dad's when I was a kid. These things are monsters... in terms of sound quality, they've been my benchmark for most of my life. In terms of comfort, I think they're a step above having your skull crushed by tank treads. Simply horrific. The pair I have are literally older than I am. I cut the ear cup pads open (since the gel had dried and leaked out about a decade earlier) and stuffed them with cotton. That helped a lot... but after 40+ years of use, they connections are shaky and they're still a lot like wearing an angry spider monkey in iron underwear on your head.
Sony MDR - (at least 4 different models) I'm never disappointed by these. Always a solid performer at their price-point. Reasonably comfortable, good isolation, clear sound, and frequency response specs that don't come across as a lie. The down-side is that after a few years of use (3-5 in most of my cases) the ear cup padding starts to disintegrate, and you get flakes of the faux leather in/on your ears and hair. No bueno. Other than that little detail, great cans.
AT ATH M40 - Possibly one of the highest-reviewed products I've ever encountered. Not that all reviews are worthwhile... but when there are 500+ reviews on Amazon and 93% are 4*+, that says something. I bought a pair for a friend (because she knows I read too much before I buy stuff) and burned them in a bit before I gave them to her. The burn-in helped a lot. Nice cans... and at that price point, they're a serious contender for top marks. FWIW, the ATH M50's are at 2500+ reviews, and 92% above 4 stars... the M30's are near the same ratio (500+, 89% 4+). That's a good track record. Money well-spent.
My current daily driver:Ultrasone PRO 550 - [Non-denominational deity reference]! I practically stole these when I got them new for $140. The last pair of cans I'll ever own. Stunning clarity... completely different level from the ~$100 cans I'd listened to in the past. Not exactly bass-heavy, but if you EQ a little more into them, they'll deliver. If you've got a less-than-stellar S/N ratio, or imperfect source material, these guys will let you know. Hi-def players, DACs, and headphone amps are definitely called for here. But not because your smart phone won't drive them... just because you'll want a nice clean signal to listen to.
EARBUDS/In-Ears
Original Gameboy Earbuds Yeah. I was 12. But these really gave me a new appreciation for the possibilities available. I'm sure if I could go back and listen to them they'd be horrible, but at the time they were the best thing since sliced bread.
Shure SE210 Fast Forward a few years, and many unmemorable earbuds later... I had purchased a pair of the 110's, listened to them for a few hours, and repackaged them and took them back. I was very disappointed compared to some of the cans I described above. I replaced them with the 210's and the difference was astounding. Clear, articulate, and loud. A little light on the bottom end.
Klipsch Image s4 The only repeat-offender in my long history with phones/buds. I found that the double-flange bud didn't fit my ear very well, so I pulled the triple flange from my Shures... wow. Instant bass response. These are definitely worth the money. Ultimately destroyed by an ex-gf moving out of my house and moving large heavy objects over the cord... perhaps on purpose. The second pair was given to a friend (after giving the tips a bath in alcohol).
ThinkSound Rain I really liked the balance of these buds. Clear high end, rich but not overbearing bottom... right up until they broke about 3 months after I bought them and used them very lightly.
Xiaomi 2nd PistonThese would have been another repeat offender... at the stupidly low price of ~$15, they sounded amazing. The downside was that I wasn't too concerned about them and they get lost. So I bought a second pair and learned a thing or two about quality control. Apparently I got lucky the first time around. The second time, not so much. They ended up in the trash after about an hour.
My Current daily drivers:Symphonized MTL I settled on these as a backup to the 2nd 2nd Pistons. At $75, they'd pretty hard to argue with... at $50, almost impossible. But they're not $75 or $50, they're $30 for a dual-driver bud. The quality they provide at this price point is basically theft. Beautiful sonic balance. Nicely detailed delivery of your source material. The mic works really well too... and the flat ribbon cables don't tangle easily or snag like the braided-fabric jacketed ones I've used. I'll absolutely be visiting other Symphonized products to see if the quality holds across the brand.