Excellent seller. Polite, responsive, and extraordinarily well packaged. Thanks!

Massdrop username: Brianth   How about a Pono player or USB DAC.

I have owned my Ear+ Purist HD for a month now. In that time, I’ve played no music through my Plinius/Magnepan QR 1.6 combination. Considering how nice that combination sounds, it feels like a big compliment to Lloyd and my Mapletree! I originally had a Canamp on order (not through...

Gilmore Lite. Cover your bases first before upgrading bases.

I'd go with the SR60 as well, unless you use them outdoors (in which case, you won't be able to hear them).

I have Magneplanars. Therefore, a cat would scratch them and a dog would knock them over. Otherwise, I'd have a dog.

I have a music only system and a home theater system. I don't have the room to create a computer audio system.

Another lefty confirming that a watch on the right feels wrong.

I just ordered a Mapletree Ear+ Purist HD. With Black Gate upgrades, it would still fall just in your budget. I can't comment on the sound yet, but it has been very well received.

I have a Marantz SR-7000 in my home theater system. It sounds mellow when listening to music, but has plenty of punch for demanding action scenes in movies. The subwoofer helps, of course. Marantz, which once seemed dead, has been putting out nice products for quite awhile now. I believe they're...

The PSB Image 2B, if you can find one used, has decent bass and clear highs. It has a metal dome tweeter, but I never found it too bright.

It depends on who I'm talking to. Probably $350, dear, or probably $1,000 head-fiers.

I'm with Emon. The ATH-ES7 gets a lot of looks when I'm out in public.

The HD25s make marvelous earmuffs. Trust me. I live in Wisconsin.

Another budget cartridge that sounded nice when I had a Pro-Ject turntable was the Sumiko Oyster.

I'll go with a tie between the Koss KSC35 and the Grado SR60s. Great price advantage on the Koss (if you can still find them), but the Grados are nicer at home if you want a bit more flexibility in moving around.

For sound, I like both the ATH-ES7 and the Sennheiser HD25-1. The Senns are right at $200, while the ATH-ES7s are more like $140-150.

It's been awhile since I had these, so I apologize if they're no longer available. The Etymotic E6 (not the i) were very easy to get into my ears to make a good seal. That done, the bass was deep but even. I did get rid of them because I spent too much money replacing the filters.

Depending on your speakers, bring them out from the back wall a couple feet and toe them in slightly. I remember one day messing with my PSB Silver i's and suddenly feeling like they were perfectly locked in. Cool feeling!

I can also second the Maggie MMG recommendation above. New and at list, the PSB Image towers are priced above your range, but used they fall under $500. I just saw a pair of PSB Silver i's on Audiogon for $600. That would have been an incredible deal (they were sold, of course).

I have the Maggie 1.6QRs and love them. From a WAF perspective, it's nice that they're so easy to slide in and out of position. I move them well out away from the wall when I'm listening, but right up against the wall when I'm not.

Has anyone heard the headphone out on the 8001? It's supposed to be much higher quality than most others.

I started with a Project turntable. Very nice for very little money. I replaced the Sumiko Oyster cartridge it came with (to a Grado Silver) and was satisfied. In particular, my Project seemed to have very accurate speed and a nice tonearm for a budget-level table.

If you look in the used market, several integrated amplifiers might fit your budget. NAD, Rotel, and Marantz make very nice, moderately powered (40-50 wpc) integrated amps. You'll have to live without a built-in tuner.

I love the sound of the ATH-ES7, but living in Wisconsin, I've found that either 1) the Sennheiser HD25-1 or the KSC35 with 180s make a much better earmuff for cold weather walking. I'd like to trade or sell my ATH-ES7 because that leaves no good purpose for them in my life. The cord is too...