Best Headphone system under $1000???

@ mzkmxcv 
thanks a lot!

Actually I got the Q701 so they have the same rating as the Dt990 but I can assure you they are very different! Didn't know there's so much fuzz with the upper registers in phones.

Headphones just like speakers all sound very different from each other. 

IMO I would tell you headphones are better than speakers for all things other than visceral impact and sound stage. Do I enjoy headphones more? No I value sound stage too and impact too much. 

But some of these new headphones really are special. Keep in mind that a pair of headphones is pretty much a microphone in revirse. One drive, no crossover, controlled environment, crazy efficient, less box/housing noise, etc. 

some headphones are a total mess though (very colored) and I think just now in the last few years with all the portable music craze we are starting to see real improvements in the highend headphone market. I would argue high-end headphones are just now starting to be made. 

For years you bought sennhisers or grados for the most part. Now you have startups pushing limits and big power houses like Focal pushing the state of the art. 

Focal’s first try pretty much equaled or bettered (IMO) what was out in the passed. It will be interesting to see how they push forward over the next few years. 

@gosta 
 
For Rtings, never look at category ratings, look at each specific test. The AKG’s have much better soundstage, but they also have less bass, so their combined rating is similar.

I use phones for late night reading mostly, and after wearing out some very old Grado SR60s (I like the Grado "house sound") I replaced them with SR80s...improvement for sure...running an old iPhone that still connects with the net as a source. I recently bought a couple of Schiit Magni 3 amps (for bedroom and main system) and Grado SR325e aluminum body phones...amazing SQ that surprised me really, and they sounded great immediately with a world of difference over the el cheapo 60s and 80s. Found some "G" (large over-ear pads with hole in the middle, sold with top of Grado line phones, and 50 bucks from Grado) ear pad clones for around 12 bucks shipped from China...very comfy at least compared to stock ear pads.