Basic/mid fi headphone advice.

So far I'm happy with the SQ in the Sonys. They seem very neutral to me without over-the-top bass. But, I find the ear pieces to be slightly uncomfortable after more than about 20 minutes. The cushion is very shallow and just not quite big enough. (I guess that means my ears are too big and stick out too far.)

I've ordered a larger thicker set of ear cushions that reviewers claim to be much more comfortable. 

The Sonys that I got block sound out quite well. And my wife says she hears nothing when I’m sitting nearby with them.

I used earbuds with shooting ear muffs (I’m a shooter too) for years when I was mowing on my farm tractor. Works well enough for both purposes. Will try out these Sonys for that as well. Even with small earbuds the muffs start to get uncomfortable after a while.

My main problems with ear bud is they don’t sound good to me unless they are pushed way into my ear canal. Then they sound awesome. I’ve got a decent pair with soft rubber tips (think stethoscope) and they sound great until they start to back out which they always do.

Anyway, new ear pads for the Sony arrive today. If they are comfortable then all problems solved.

The modern retros are ridiculously light and very comfortable. When I first unboxed them I said to myself, you have to be kidding me. They felt like a piece of crap headphone. No weight whatsoever.
The bass blows me away. If you don't want really heavy bass, then these may not be the cans for you. I'm only recommending these headphones to you because they are $24.99. Going by your post, you seem like sound quality isn't too important and you didn't want to spend a lot of money. Less than $100 I think.

Personally, going by your original post, I think you should have taken a chance on these at $24.99 because if your budget is $100 then in the grand scheme of things every headphone will be crap. Might as well save yourself a few bucks.

On second thought, screw the modern retros and screw all the other headphones you considered. I'm listening to my Focal Clears right now and you should just get yourself a pair. You only live once.

I got the replacement ear pads and they are much more comfortable. Overall happy with the purchase and even with the replacement pads it came in at under $100 with free next day shipping.