[henrygb]

I am looking to spend around $200-300 for an open pair of headphones that I can drive, unamped, through my iphone 4 or macbook.
 
Music preferences: I listen to a lot of acoustic music (folk, bluegrass, classical, jazz), but also a good deal of indie rock and punk.  
 
Sound preference: Natural, balanced sound with good depth and a wide soundstage would be nice. Not a bass head, but I also don't want the bass to be lacking! 
 
I will be using these headphones at home and on the go, so they need to be somewhat portable but I don't mind having a slightly bulky headphone if the sound quality merits the bulk and they are still comfortable and able to move with me.
 
 
At this point I'm looking at... 
 
DT880 or 990 32 Ohms
HD600
AD900
AKG 550 (not open, but I've heard great things about these)
 
Please help me decide and share any other recommendations. Thanks!

 

[AHorseNamedJeff]

HD600's will need an amp, but spending an extra 20-30$ on a FiiO E6 isn't that painful, and will boost the sound of most any can above $100

 

[Hibuckhobby]

The Senn HD598 can easily be driven by your MacBook and with the slightest
EQ in the bass, really sound quite good.
Hibuck....

 

[AHorseNamedJeff]

598's are golden, and prob the best in their tier, but for the money he's willing to spend, I'D go for the 600's, and get a FiiO amp to power them.

 

[henrygb]

Thanks for the input Hibuckhobby and AhorseNamedJeff. I am pretty certain that is the first time those words have ever been written.
I'm not crazy about the look of the 598s, but I have read great things about them. What's the difference in sound quality between the 598 and 600?
 
Also, any thoughts and/or experience with DT880 or 990 32 Ohms, AD900, or AKG 550? How would these models compare to the Senn HD 598 or 600? So many questions...

 

[AHorseNamedJeff]

I've only had a little experience with comparing the HD600 and the HD598's, when I went to friends house a couple months back, he has almost everything form the HD558-HD700, so I listened to all of them for about an hour or two. The sub-bass on both 598 and 600 didn't was THERE on some songs, but thats about it. Bass in general was very nice, controlled, although I think the 598's did a better job at controlling it. (All these cans were hooked up to a Bifrost/Lyr combo BTW). Midrange on both was quite well, although the 600's seemed to come through clearer, and had a bit more "zazz" to them. Highs on the 598's were VERY bright, I almost didn't like it, but the 600's seemed to know how to handle them. I don't know how they'd stack up completely unamped, but its generally a good idea to have some sort of amp with your headphones. To me, the 600's sounded more alive than the 598's. Looks wise (and this is COMPLETELY uncalled for on HeadFi, because its all about sound), in an urban environment, they'd both turn heads, but the 598's would looks prettier.