WTH do I go for now?

Bit bored of O2.

And the 701 does give me a headache after all.

Don't really fancy another CEO's Mother's Cat's 15th Birthday Anniversary limited edition A-T's either.

Kinda actually hating the 'rituals' that come with higher-end phones in general, be it care in handling, audio / placing juju, comfort issues, etc.

Thinking about going back to the HD650.

Anything else on the horizon I can get interested about?

K1000

Seriously though the 650's are nice all-around headphones. Not the most aggressive, engaging phones around but they are pretty well rounded. I can't really think of any new headphones that are horizon, though there was talk of some new Sony phones in the $500 range coming out in the first half of '07.

You need to recable your headphones and mod your sources, along with addressing the issues of power conditioning and vibration control. Then, and only then will your headphones sound good.

Ok, seriously now. I'd say get K340's, but that opens up a huge can of worms in terms of headphone variability and amp requirements. K1000, same but not quite as bad. Senns ain't my thing but they may work for you, and they go well with the Headroom amp you already have. On a less serious note, I'd advise drinking your favourite alcoholic beverage until everything sounds right.

At the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Sennheiser confirmed the existence of the HD-700. About all they would say is that it's a new headphone, and not another member of the HD-580, 600, 650 series. It may be another year or more before they bring it to market, though.

Yeah thats always been my understanding about the HD-700 as well, that it's a completely new design. Who knows if/when we'll actually see it though.

I would not be at all shocked if one of the headphone manufacturers launched a new headphone at the National Meet this year. I think most of them in attendance last year were a bit taken aback by the amount of $$ that even the low-end users like myself have tied up in a headphone rig.

For what it's worth, I'll give a second nod to the HD650s. If you look you can probably find a new pair including delivery for around $300. I?ve heard most of the headphones discussed here and on Head-Fi and the HD650s are one of my favorites when properly amplified.

The K-1000s took a bit getting use to and are usually around a grand, but I feel like I am hanging tiny speakers on either side of my head instead of wearing headphones and the K340s sound really nice, but both require amply power to be driven properly.

Another headphone I?ve heard recently which has sparked my interest is the beyerdynamic DT 990 because it sounded great in my rig, but I don?t know if it would replace my HD650s.

[lambdafanboymode] You might think about some Lambda Pros. They've got a little more punch. Definitely a fun can to listen to and help shake you out of a funk[/lambdafanboymode]

If you're bored with the music you listen to, listen to less boring music. Don't blame the headphones.

I don't think you could go wrong with going back to the HD650's. I've had mine for quite a while and still love em to death.

I'd say it's mostly down to the ritual involved with the O2, the babying the W5K requires (and it's character which I'm not as willing to futz with as the W2002) and the headaches the K701 gives me. Headaches due to the phone design, not the sound which I find very decent.

The HD650 is pretty close to the O2. Tonality is not that different and it's generally all-music-friendly. I can probably get over the clamp if I carefully straighten out the metal strips and I know it doesn't give me a headache. I'm willing to take a slight hit in SQ for far greater throwaroundability and practicality at this point. Any others worth looking at?

Ampwise I'm happy enough to have standardised on the Max, although the real-world difference / improvement between them and the Fireface headphone out (and yes I have taken a hearing test) is a debatable matter. My inner audionerd is happy with it and in practical terms it doesn't compromise everyday usability unlike many other headphone amps I've had. I don't plan to change.

Oh yeah, and I don't need that holier-than-thou music lecture oo!o

Oh yeah, and I don't need that holier-than-thou music lecture oo!o

Yes, you did.

I mean, let me rephrase...

Don't think of it as a holier-than-thou-music-lecture, think of it as my take on things -- I been there, myself, man, I was getting bored with my listening system, I thought it was too austere...then I said, "fuck it, I feel like listening to some headbanging music", and I was in bliss again. I was just trying to help out -- perhaps point out something you hadn't realized. Don't get all hoighty-toity on me.

No need to rephrase... you got it right the first time. Hoity-toity? Talk about pot kettle black eh