Been outta the loop for awhile.  Any recommendations on a mid-centric pair with great vocals?  Had the KC06 before and loved them before they died.

Never A/B'd them but heard both and the 668b is several tiers above in terms of clarity and detail. It is a little sibilant and not for those who are treble sensitive though.

I haven't tried the 225e but owned the Q701 and 225i at the same time awhile back.  FWIR, I adored the 225i's tone/timbre but the Q701's had a wider soundstage, were less grainy and a touch more refined. I think I'd give the nod to the Q701's in overall SQ but the 225i's were definitely around...

  I suspect you'll be satisfied with the E17.  It has enough juice to power the HE-400's adequately and adds a touch of warmth to take the edge off the occasionally hot treble.

  Good point.  Seems like most people find them amp/source-dependent.  I've only heard them un-amped myself but still liked them quite a bit.   Oh, a couple others to consider are the CAL! and ATH M30, both of which also have updated models (though I haven't heard the newer ones).  IIRC the...

+2 to the Sony MDR V-6.  My dad uses them for the same purposes.  There's also the Koss Pro DJ100, which I believe comes with Koss' lifetime warranty.  Both are highly functional/durable, relatively neutral, and pretty subdued designs.

What's the return policy on David Luiz's transfer?

  Sounds like the DT880 is right up your alley if you can find it for the right price.  Look for the 250ohm Pro version. Although not amazing, the E10's are alright with the 250ohm.

  Pretty much this.  If you haven't tried it already, and you don't mind EQing, just bump up the upper mid-range and it should make quite a difference.

I think you probably made a good choice with the HD598's.  Definitely one of the more comfortable sets I've tried and its a pretty easy headphone to listen to IMO.  In the off-chance you don't like them, the Beyer line of DT770/880/990 are also extremely comfortable with roughly comparable sound...

Grats on your T1, pretty jealous haha.  I actually have a set of HD600's heading my way right now so I'm glad to see it holds up well.  Even then, it's tempting to just sell everything and go all in for the T1 at that price.   On a side note, and it might just be me, but re-reading your...

Excellent write-up! Really like the overall presentation as well with a very well thought-out layout. Haven't heard either yet but kinda surprised you find the HD600 cleaner sounding, even with the treble spike and quicker bass decay in the HD700's.  Either way, sounds like the HD700 could be a...

  The 60i or 80i are typically considered good entry points if unfamiliar with the Grado signature - thus, they're usually the first Grados most people end up with.  To get a worthwhile jump in detail, most find it necessary to go for the 225i at that point. Plus it comes with bowl pads which...

  Hahaha that's awesome.  Really curious about those now, especially for such a wallet-friendly price.  Does the top fold sit flush with the rest of the stitching though? From the pic, it looks slightly 'off' (still awesome though, especially since it's all hand woven).

Haha okay buddy. Will do