cel4145
Headphoneus Supremus
So for Open cans under $300, any suggestions that would fall into the realm of large soundstage and broad tonal versatility?
I'm leaning toward the DT 990 or DT 880 (if I can find the right price), the HD598 (how does it compare to the 600?), the K701/K702, and the SR325is.
I've also considered getting multiple special-purpose cans, i.e. the ATH-AD900 for classical/instrumental.
[EDIT - I learned of a place nearby (thanks to the Head-fi Meets forum) where I could give some of these phones a listen. I checked out the DT 880 and DT 770. I liked the sound, based on limited listening, of course. And they were oh so comfy. Also, I saw there's a Meet coming soon to my area that I'm going to try to get to. So I guess this is more of a "what should I focus on learning there at this early stage?" post.]
You've picked a good set of headphones to try out, and they all have different sound signatures that really your personal preference will probably make the biggest difference. I would recommend giving the Grado SR225i a listen (in addition to the SR325i) as those are often considered the sweet spot in the Grado line up in your price range.