Best headphones?

i say check out the grado line of phones, all levels are bargains, i have the 60s with yellow sennheiser 414 pads(grado now supplies them in black as oem)and thy are really very good. worth way more than their price and very comfy.

The Sennheiser HD-600 easily beats any Grado, IMHO; especially when driven with tubes. IF I COULD AFFORD THE STAX OMEGA 2 007, I'd buy it in a second. The only thing that troubles me with esl 'phones is that the thin plastic membrane isn't as acoustically transparent (to the back wave reflection from your ear) as the foam-cellulose diaphragm in the best dynamic headphones. Seems like it'd cause all sorts of echo reflections between it and your ear, however open to the outside it is behind the diaphragm/stators. JUST A CURIOUSITY, I have no evidence to support whether there is a significant effect or not...

I have been very happy with my Sony MDR-V6's. They are the compact ones with aluminum speaker enclosures (not plastic). Consumer electronics stores usually do not carry them, but you can get them from Guitar Center (about $100). I have had mine for 9 years. Very neutral and detailed. They are also fairly compact, and comfortable to wear. I have noticed many recording studio photo's where engineers are using these.

John_l: I'd be interested in hearing how you think they compare with the 600's. You sould try them sometime...

I have definitely heard better than the Sony's. One of my co-workers had the old stax electro-static-on-your-ear headphones with the dedicated amp. Those were the best sounding I have heard (at $2000 in 1993 they should be!) I once heard some of the sennheiser midrange ($125ish) and I thought they were very detailed and airy sounding. I like the Sony's better because of their relatively small size. Has anybody out there heard the sony nc-20 noise cancelling models ? ( the msrp 200 one )