i was doing some looking into the Alessandro's and i think i might go for those   @Welly - although i dont doubt your hands-on opinion, i have a hard time believing a cheaper product would be better than a more expensive model (for anything, not just headphones)

great answer, just what i was looking for!   anyone else have opinions on the matter?

I'm looking for a new pair of headphones and I've read about the Grado SR60i's and SR80i's on Headroom and have heard some good things (not to mention the killer styling).  According to Headroom, the 60's sound really good without an amp, and don't improve much with one, while the 80's don't...