Any idea which headphones I’d like?

All, thank you for your input.

I do have a budget, $12k.  I could slide it to $13k.  I have owned the Focal Clear’s and ran them on a Moon product.  I only really used it when I was sitting at my desk working, never for serious listening.  If there were a Can Jam coming soon, I would.  But, I’m trying to make some ill-advised spending decisions…#dadlife.  I can’t let this money sit, it’ll get re-budgeted to a Disney trip.  So yeah, I’m looking to ya’ll to help me make some poor financial choices.

This is what I’ve researched and am sort of sitting at:
Violectric V280
HiFiman HE1000 v2
DenaFips Pontus

I kept my Shunyata power cabling and my Nordost QX4/Qbase setup.  I still need a USB cable, was thinking the Curious cable and I also need a set of interconnects…open to suggestions on those as well.

As a dedicated music streamer, I’m using an Aurender.

Also, do any of you use power conditioning for your rigs?  I did research, heavily, the Woo Audio stuff, I just can’t commit to a tube system.  I’ve got kids, and lets face it, I’m here because I will justify spending $1200 on tubes, just as easily as spending $50 on them.

@ghdprentice is that a Woo Audio tube setup, by chance?  I was looking at the WA22, and WA5LE.  I’ve owned tube pres, and it takes some time and coin to get the right tubes.  Those 300B’s, everyone says you really need to have the WE’s as a baseline and reference, because they’re the gold standard.

How have you approached getting your tubes dialed into your preferences?

@soix I’ve generally leaned towards “warm.”  I don’t prefer bass heavy vs. detail.  I’d say the one thing I’ve always really liked is a large soundstage.  I prefer a warmer midrange, with accurate bass vs analytical with some bass bloat.  I do not like mushy, I sold all my McIntosh gear because I felt it sounded “mushy.”  

I’ve always really liked Dynaudio speakers.  I hear a neutrality in them, that I didn’t really hear anywhere, until I heard the Harbeth’s.  I just prefer that the gear not color anything, that’s all.  The Pass Labs + Harbeth was a winning combo to my ears.  

@master92, do you use them for Mastering?  

@james633 Thank you for the info!  Ahhhh, the beautiful last 5% that makes us spend our discretionary income…and sometimes then some on audio gear!  

Don’t get me wrong, I really did like the sound.  But I have the opportunity to focus on that last 5%.

Per the Sennheisers, I’ve read that they really need tubes and become almost magical with the Western Electric 300B tubes.  And I actually may have listened to a set, being driven by one of the McIntosh HA’s.  I didn’t come away thinking anything other than, “jeesh, McIntosh is ripping people off with this thing.”  

I’ve read some very positive reviews on them, out of curiosity, what is that you do not like about them?  

So, Clear MG’s over Utopia’s?

@ghdprentice Thank you.  Did you do the audiophile-grade upgrade?

All, thanks for the comments and input.  Tons of info and thoughts to pour over.  

@devilboy thanks for the input.  My budget was in the $10 - $13k range.   I’m a little paralyzed over which direction to head and really want to listen to some of these setups.  Hence, I’m plopping my money in my eTrade account and waiting to attend a CanJam, or possibly RMAF.  I didn’t want to, thought I’d move forward easily with a purchase.  But, as many pointed out, you just really need to hear them as there’s not a comparison.  It’s a different listening environment, elements, space…everything is different about the hearing process vs a loudspeaker.  So, rather than forge ahead, I’m waiting.  I’ll likely wait until the 2022 CanJam in Chicago, or the RMAF…global pandemic aside.