[mangoegiraffe]

i have a friend who carries his HD600s everywhere he goes, though im sure he annoys the pants off of everyone he sits next to. i just use a pair of earphones if im out and about, but the hd600 can be powered by a phone/player without an amp. id go for the o2/odac and either the sennheiser hd600s or the beyer dt990s.... i dont think the 650 is much different from the 600. if this will be the best setup you have used then you will be really happy with it either way.
 
another option to consider is the grado 325is. i would try to test them out before you buy if you have that option available - personally i prefer the grados, but theyre not for everyone, and they certainly arnt nearly as comfortable. they would pair well with either the beyers or sennheisers as a 1-2 combo as they are quite different, if you either hold off on the amp/dac or sell some of your other headphones to raise your budget.

 

[fiyace]

Oh wow, okay. How feasible is it to use the 250 OHM version vs. the 600 OHM without an amp, i.e. away from the Schiit setup? And with a portable amp/which? I think I have settled on the DT990's unless anyone has input on a different set. Just need to figure out which OHM version and what portable amp, if one is worth it. Based on my bass preference I think I would prefer the 600 OHM (since it has less bass, and the DT990's overall have very powerful bass) but if the 250 OHM can be powered by a portable amp and the 600 OHM cannot, I may go for the 250.

 

[mangoegiraffe]

i dont have experience with portable amps but ive always heard the fiio recommended - anyone else provide choice advice here? it should be able to power the 600 ohm headphones fine though.

 

[fiyace]

So I've done some more research and determined that because I listen to too much music other than electronic, the slightly "unnatural" sound of the DT990s will be offputting and am very interested in the HE-400's. I have read that the FiiO E9K and the E17 are a great desktop combo for the HE 400s and was wondering, is the E9K really worth it? Or would the E17 be sufficient? Also, the threads I looked through were somewhat confusing but will the E17 connect to my SGS3? If I understand it correctly I believe I'll need a FiiO E7, or E9, or some variant - (which is best?) 
 
Sorry for the flip flopping and all the questions - this will be my first "true" audiophile setup and want to make sure I get exactly the right equipment. Also, I really appreciate all the input everyone has given, you're what make head-fi truly great.Thanks all.

 

[MilesDavis2]

What is the difference in sound quality between 600 OHMs and the other variants (250, 32) aside from needing an amp to power it? And is there a decent portable amp that will work with them? I feel like no portable amp will sufficiently drive a 600 OHM set of cans, though I have actually read a decent amount about Schiit and hear great things so I may try it out.

Some portable amps will drive them but won't have the needed grunt from a desktop setup.

 

[mangoegiraffe]

if this is your first really good setup then it is all going to sound really good.... to be completely honest, for a first decent pair of audiophile headphones i would always recommend the sennheiser hd600. its just a safe bet. middle of the road, it will sound good with any music. when you spend such a large amount of money on something its natural (or sensible at least) to do the legwork, reading through the expert opinions on forums, but its a very subjective thing. peoples hearing works differently, and even if someone has the same taste in music and sound as you, they will have a different idea of what terms like "warm" and "unnatural" mean. all headphones will be unnatural to some extent. i am by no means an expert in headphones, but i have owned a pair of sennheisers, and currently own the grados i mentioned and also a modded pair of denon ah d5000s, and have tested the beyer's quite a lot. my favourite headphones are my denons, but i use my grados most frequently. i can see how they grate with a lot of peoples ears, they are quite sharp and sound almost tinny if you are used to something like the beyers or the denons or just about any other headphone for that matter, but in MY opinion they are also a lot clearer and have better seperation. to MY ears that is.
 
but i never would have developed those opinions if i hadnt started off with the sennheisers i dont think - they are just the safe option that i lot of people use as the gold standard for entry headphones. in 6 months or a year, once they hae fully burnt in and you have gotten well used to them and familiarised yourself with their sound properly, you'll decide if you want something a little more colourful or warm, or if you find the bass overwhelms the mids/highs etc, and either trade them in, or buy a second pair. the good thing about buying a pair of good headphones - look on ebay for the price of a pre-owned pair of dt990s or the hd600s. it will always hold value. at the end of the day, all of the headphones you are considering are good choices, i dont think you will be dissapointed with whatever you go with.
 
another thing to consider that i havnt seen mentioned here, but really does matter, especially if its your first good pair: comfort. in my experience the beyers are the most comfortable headphone i have ever used, followed by the sennheisers.