Is there a downside to earbuds rather than earphones?
There’s downsides to both, really; with buds or in-ear ‘phones it’s usually fit and comfort, getting the things to stay in place, cables conducting noise, etc, and over-ear cans just being heavier.
I’ve got a whole bunch of in-ear ‘phones, plus some Apple EarPods, which I like, and using triple-flange eartips with in-ear canalphones makes them very effective at cutting out background noise, and they do stay in place very well, but they can start to irritate and itch after a while, and they’re usually wired, so microphony is an issue, Bluetooth adaptors are available for some, depending on whether they have replaceable cables, but at some cost.
I’ve just bought myself a pair of Taotronics Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones, and I’m rather impressed, but they’re not something I’d wear when exercising, although they do fit very well. Around 30 hours per charge, which is pretty good, and less than £60, which is even better!