In terms of noise cancelling, able planet clear harmony is only comparable to QC1. I don't think there is any phone can beat QC15 in noise cancelling ability.   All NC phones suffer in audio quality due to the NC no matter which technology they are using. To me, the most important part...

My current phone is GS-1000, so that is my answer. (Of course you can get PS-1000 if you have the budget). It is not until the GS-1000 that Grado phones finally can do the large scale works better than the others. PS500 is also a good pick if you want a broader fit of classical music. The...

Because they have to do it for survival. Most of early single layer SACDs did not fare well in the market, due to the slow development of SACD player market.   Now even Sony stops making new SACD player, single layer SACDs make no sense if the publisher wants to increase the customer base...

You could try KRK KNS8400. The memory foam pads is very comfortable, almost as good as QC15's pads. It's isolation is pretty good as a pair of closed back phones.   The only complaint I have is that the pads are so comfortable that I sometimes forget I am listening to a pair of...

Since you mention using on flights, I would say Bose QC15. It is one of the most comfortable headphone and the noise cancelling is right on the air travel. Whenever there is a consistent background noise (bus, subway, or even just wind blowing), it is really a bless. The potential problem...

For the system, I would recommend Grace Design M902 if usb is not an option for you or Grace Design M903 to utilize its asynchronous usb. This is perhaps the most cost and hassle efficient best for low-impedance phones system.   As for GS-1000 and PS500, I maybe bias toward GS-1000 since I...

PS-1000 sounds great. The issue for you is that a system best for HD800, T1 may not be best for PS-1000. A pair of low impedance phone being overdrived could sound much worse than a pair of high impedance phones being underdrived. You may need to build another system for PS-1000, so it...

GS-1000 without cable: 270g with cable: 347g Thanks for the jumbo pad, you cannot even feel it.   Not to mention it fits your music preference very well. If you do not want to spend too much, Try AKG K702 or GMP 435/400/450   FYI Senn HD800: official weight: 330g, actual weighting...

PSK sounds more robust. That is, GSK could sound bad in unsuitable system. Also, PSK sounds more controlled in some occasions like the climax of large scale orchestral work.   The overall sound signature is similar while using suitable system. PSK is slightly better, but the problem is...

You may overpower the low impedance phones when using the amps are designed for high impedance phones. As a result, the low impedance phones would sound more harsh than it should be.   Quote:

The newer QC15 come with cable which is a little bit more sturdy than the old one. There is also someone on Amazon who's selling replacement cable which is comparable to the new cable. I know these because I bought a replacement cable from the guy on Amazon for my old QC15 and I bought a new...

His nocturnes is god send. This is a recording you will keep complain about the recording sound. The play is such a beauty that you will wish the recording engineer do a better job (not that he/she did a bad job). Moravec's touch is very delicate, you will crave for better sound quality...

Rubinstein is great music wise, but not so much sound wise. El Bacha and Ohlsson are two complete set with modern sound. But they are just good in terms of recording quality as 1990-2000 standard.   For the Nocturnes, try Pollini's recent recording in DG...

Forget ATH if you care about classical music. I guess you have a general amplifier with headphone out on hand. If you do not want to spend extra money on high-end headphone amp, I will not consider Senn. HD800 is great, but you have to build a system around it.   For your listening...

http://www.amazon.com/Popular-Classics-Spanish-Guitar-Hybrid/dp/B000KP7LZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336961270&sr=8-1   Popular Classics for Spanish Guitar by Julian Bream   Note: this one only has two-channel, yet a great SACD.