Should I buy headphones?

Ever since my daughter was born, I found myself listening more to headphones than speakers. While I still prefer listening to speakers, I have adapted to headphones. You can find much info on headphones at headfi.org and headwize.com. Search their forums for reviews and comparisons. While I like the Sennheisers, my personal preference is for the Grado RS-2. That said, there is no absolute here, just preference. You will find endless debates in various forums on Grado vs Sennheiser, with no clear winner. If your preamp has tubes, it might match up well with the Sennheisers, as they seem to do well with tubes. Grado's tend to have a richer sound. Sennheiser's have a little more detail. ymmv.

The Headroom gives a fair amount of information at www.headphone.com as well as selling headphone amps (which I use in combination with tubes). As with speakers, it's a matter of taste. I liked the HD600s but sold them, preferring Grado RS-2s (which have great sound but can be a bit uncomfortable) and AKG 501s (very open sound but less bass than the Sennheisers). -- You can look at frequency response curves for these and other headphones at www.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=10. Good Luck.

The senns are great. Headphones really don't get much better. See the headroom site as mentioned above.
I use the 580's. Two slightly bad things about them: 1. They project noise to the outside environment too - so you might still disturb others. 2. They are open backed, so outside noise will come to you.

The headroom site actaully has a headphone searcher that lets you input some parameters.

Yes. I use Senn. 600s driven by Sonic Frontiers Line 2 tube pre-amp-- it has Headroom circuitry. The 600s are very comfortable, and with open air construction your ears don't sweat during long listening sessions-- don't want sweaty ears! My listening room is right next to our guest room, and as I often listen to music late at night, when we have guests, headphones are my only option. I still prefer speaker listening, but don't feel deprived when I have to use headphones. Cheers. Craig

I'll cast another vote with the crowd (great to be a follower, no?). I've got the Sennheiser 600's with a Headroom Home amp making them go and I really do like the sound (the processor on the Headroom is switchable, for those times it subtracts from resolution). That said, I usually really do prefer the sound through the speakers, even a low levels. It's only late at night when I really feel the need for volume that I find myself firing up the headphones (or when I am trying to isolate the latest funny sound in the system and need one more point of reference). (Though, I have to admit, when it is late at night and I feel the need for volume, I am often, ah-hem, we'll call it too "distracted," to remember to be considerate to the neighbors...).