I've used earbuds and really didn't experience any problems. They sound great, and you can still hear everything going on that you normally would with speakers in your face. And of course there is no possibility of feedback.
Most of the time for small jobs I position my main speakers where I can just hear them. The volume in these jobs is low enough that there is no feedback. I have played only one or two jobs over the years where I didn't take external amplification of some sort.
That's why the onboard speakers, while certainly an asset, are not that important to me.
DonM