Headphones vs speakers

Imagine feeling trapped with ear muffs that get hot, are tethered by a cord, are not like all the other sound we hear all day long, and that make you feel claustrophobic after a while.

Nah, I want sound in the atmosphere, not pressed up against me like an arresting officer.

I have pursued both for virtually all of my fifty years with visions of a high end system. Headphones are for the times I cannot listen to my main system. 

It is true that the acoustics of the space are not a concern with a headphone system... all other aspects are the same. Matching, choosing the right sonic quality and ultimately they can be jaw dropping good. It took me decades to get there. But when I did, I couldn't believe how much of the high end audio experience could be delivered through headphones. I use Sennheiser 800 headphones which are have a very light touch and are open so you they are not at all fatiguing to wear for hours. The richness and depth of the bass is incredibly satisfying and the natural and musical sound is just spectacular. You can see my Woo / Ayre / Aurrender system under my UserID. It took years of effort and it was the investment in the Woo amp that completely transformed to sound... Takatsuki 300B tubes also contribute. 

I can listen for hours. 

They both can be great but are two totally different experiences.  They are not substitutes. 

I totally agree with @larsman & ​​​​@ghdprentice as I have built both a headphone system and a 2 channel room system that satisfies my soul. I am currently cleaning and play grading all my albums as well as culling to get down to 1500 albums and use my headphone system to do that. As good as my main system is, it is the headphone system that my family knows will be my out the door system when the need to relocate to a much simpler housing situation happens. Enjoy the music

I exclusively use headphones. I haven't owned speakers in over 15 years