Best headphones you've ever heard/used

Some of the folks at head-fi really like the Qualias but the opinions have been mixed, FWIW.

The Shure E3's come with an assortment of ear pieces of different size and stiffness so you can use one that fits your particular ear. If it is a real problem, you can even have an ear specialist design something from an imprint of your particular ear that can be used with the Shure earphones. I would guess that would be true of other ear phones as well.

Sid SSP: What kind of adaptor do you use to make your 650's fit in the IPOD ? I've got a 40g Ipod as well and Senn 600's. It would be the same adaptor, I'm guessing.

It is discomforting when one adds up all of the extra money spent on the adapter, case, etc. that is spent by the time the purchase of the ipod is completed. $250.00 becomes $450.00.

Still, a really good set of headphones should not be ignored.

I own the Stax Omega. They are amazing phones, but they can also be very very demanding as far as upstream components are concerned. I have really heard them at their best in someone else's system, specifically, a system with an Audionote M-8 linestage and DAC-5 signature digital source and Verdier/Allaert phono setup. In my own system, I am a bit bothered by the dry sound of my solid-state stuff (Levinson Ref. No. 32 and Naim CDS3). For detail, speed and complete freedom from resonant overhang, the Stax are hard to beat.

I have not heard the Qualia phones, but I am sure they are very good. I really liked the dynamic phones Sony use to make about five years ago that cost about $500. I expect that a $3,000 version of a Sony would be an improvement.