Thanks for the info, $275 is a bit out of my range at the moment.   i ended up impulse buying regular Monster Turbines since i think i should clean up my destructive habits before getting higher-end stuff.   Anyway, i'm off to buy a cheap fiio amp to see how far i can take my portable...

~$200 sounds even better, lol   Anyway, the two things that i am really looking for:   1. Durability i have a closet full of broken phones / only one ear working / ripped cables / etc. The fault is entirely mine, but please, i just want something that will maybe last a few extra months...