Good Headphones...What should I Get?...

Thanks for all the responses, gentlemen ( and ladies, if any). It seems that Musical Fidelity/Sennheiser 600/650 combo would be a plausible solution and not that extravagant price-wise either($700.00 or so). While it's probably not the state of the art, yet it should serve my needs well. My main rig is a tube/SS combo, I catch myself constantly falling asleep while listening to music...I think I could also use the cans for those nite-time sleep inducing listening sessions and spare my main-rig tubes.
Cheers!

I have two setups both driven by the Musical Fidelity V3 after owning several other amps. Great for the money. HD 600 and Grado Reference one's Are two top sets of cans!

Wellen,

If found myself in your postion, I would choose exactly the same equipment!

I'm just in the process of "converting" to headphones now, actually. I'll be in a dorm or studio apartment for the next couple years, it looks like. I'm going pretty all out: Stax Omega II driven by a HeadAmp Kevin Gilmore "Blue Hawaii" hybrid balanced tube amp with outboard PSU. But then, this will be my dominant, or even sole, form of serious listening for a while. I imagine you can do very well for a lot less with some of the other suggestions here - I almost went with the Sennheiser 650 myself. But I listen mostly to Early Music, and I want the transparancy, neutrality and detail of really good electrostatics.

GRADO. Don't forget the headphone amp. Spend as much as you're willing because IME they get better as you spend more. I super dig my SR225s.

I drive my Senn HD650's with a SI T-Amp via an ASL UHC with spectacular results. Prior to installing the T-Amp, I had planned to purchase a Singlepower MPX. I found a local headphone nut who happened to have a Supra on hand and invited me over to give it a listen. It's a great amp, no question. However, the following week, I picked up the T-Amp on a whim, and well, it comes frighteningly close to the Supra.

While I don't love the T-Amp with my speakers (4ohm, 96db), it really seems to shine as a headphone amp. The T-Amp drives the 650's easily, and they have great synergy. I highly recommend this combo. Of course, you need a way to connect the headphones to the T-Amp, this is where the ASL UHC (universal headphone connector) enters into the picture. It's passive, inexpensive and effective. However, I had much less success with the ASL when using my Korneff 45. The ASL seems to not infringe on the music at all with the T-Amp.

I'm quite pleased with this setup. Unfortunately, I don't think I've played it for more than ten hours tops. I have so much invested in my big rig, I feel guilty listening to the headphones. Plus, I just don't find much time to listen to cd's, and I have my vinyl set up connected to the Korneff.

Anyway, if you plan to spend a good amount of your time listening to headphones, don't settle, a great system can be had inexpensively. When I was shopping for headphones, I was able to audition side by side Senn 580, 600,650 and Grado 225, and 325's. The sales folks were really busy that day, and I think they just forgot about me, as I was upstairs in an alcove. I was able to listen uninterupted for about 3 hours. The 650's seemed to be the most dynamic, detailed, and open, with great image and outstanding (for headphones) soundstaging.

Good luck and have fun

There are ways to compensate for the lack of spatial orientation when you use headphones. There are times when they are useful. They will not replace the effect of listening in a room with speakers. If you don't plan on using them alot, you may not want to budget much. A $150 set of headphones with a built in amp from your receiver may be all you want. That will buy alot of headphones these days. If you want a dedicated rig that will be used frequently, budget a minimum of $400-$500 ($200+ for the amp and $200+ for the headphones). I have heard $99 headphones that sound really good, especially if you are not going to listen to them for an extended time. Good luck!

Of course, the headphones would not replace my main rig. The idea is to use them as a reference in regards to the source material played. Short of a dedicated listening room, I think acoustically I've done all I could to my listening area - I've learned to live with and enjoy the imperfections of my environment.

Hmmm .. you remove room resonances for sure, but you also destroy the spatial information ... the music all ends up in your head.

I use headphones when I must be quiet, but otherwise I always listen with speakers.

For the $500+ that you'd spend on good cans and an amp I'd take this money and improve my main rig if I were in your position.

There are so many on the market, it will depend on how much moneyyouo have to spend, what headphone amplifier you will use, and what style you like (around the ear, in the ear, on the ear). I recommend that you check out the following websites for more information:

http://www.headfi.com/
http://www.headwize.com/
http://www.headphone.com/
http://www.goodcans.com/

Some are commercial and sell products, including their own, and others are forums.

I own the Sennheiser 600, an Antique Sound Lab amp, and nice cables. I like around the ear phones for longer listening. The Senns are detailed without being fatiguing. The ASL amp is tube and to my ears is very melodic. Once you have done some investigating, come back. I'm sure the folks here will be quite helpful. Happy hunting!