Looking for headphones, any suggestions?

Have to agree with Sufentanil that the AKG1000 is fabulous. But by the time you buy it, a Stefans Art cable and an amp (like a used Sophia Electric Baby) you are well beyond your budget... Also getting a bit bulky for the rough and tumble of the dorm...

A Pmotz points out, a lot of this comes down to what you like having on your head. The Senns are classic as are the Grados. Another really interesting one within your price point - but no tubes at your price point - is Stax. They are great big things and you will either love them or not but they sound great and the dorm can burn down around you and you won't know it.

Keep an eye here on Agon as well as the other very good sites for used gear.

I believe there are several online sources with 30 trials...headphone.com, audioadvisor.com to name two. Everyone here has given great advise...as someone who has listened to headphones for many years the truth is that many brands sound fantastic but each is good to my ears at certain things. My old faithful is Senn HD650's, but I know several people that hate them and prefer Grado or Sony...If I were to build a $700 system I would buy the hd650's (or similar) and get either a Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 or think portable...one of Ray Samuel's models...then it could double for travel.

I just purchased a pair of Ultrasone Pro 2500s. They are detailed but smooth and have a great sense of space due to the speaker configuration.

I'd consider some old Stax phones (I have the Lambdas) and you'll still have some room to be your amp (I'd consider the B&K ST202)

First of all...thanks for carrying the torch to the next generation. Our listening future is with you!

I agree with a previous poster; a visit to head-fi.org is your first stop. Lots of knowledgeable posters with varying opinions.

Here is a list of gear that regularly comes and goes here on A'gon. Every piece is either a current or former Stereophile Recommended product. There are other products, but these are a generally accepted as decent choices. You should be able to buy, try and sell anything that is not to your liking without suffering depreciation as you would if purchased new.

Amps
Creek OBH-11, OBH-11se and OBH-21, OBH-21se [newer model of OBH-11]
Headroom (several models)
Channel Islands (CI Audio) VHP-1
Musical Fidelity X-Can (v2 or 3) [tube]

...upgraded power supplies are worth pursuing.

Cans
Sennheiser 580/600/650
Grado RS and SR series
Shure E4 or E5 (in-ear...a different flavor)
Etymotic ER4 (in-ear)

...as always...a good source is critical.

Any combination of amp/can should provide hours of blissful listening and be under your budget. Use the savings to buy more music! Good luck and good listening!