[yashu]

I want to sat DT880s... BUT!
 
The rules do not state i get to have any amp or source I want for the rest of my life, so Audio Technica M50s. They are the best all rounders that I know of at this point.
 
Now, if I am misreading the rules and amp and source is not an issue (it says not to take into consideration how easy they are to drive, but it does not talk about actually owning the equipment for which to drive them, so how easy they are to drive just will not take away points. I could say RS1s, but that is great and all, no points knocked off on how easy to drive, but no mention of what i get to drive them with), I'll take the DT880s. Love em! I could be very happy with these for a very long time. (Even though I am going to buy more 'phones, I am sure, and I am sure I will end up back with my standbys for each listening situation)
 
Runner up: Porta Pro 25th anniversary ed. I can't think of when I could not have managed to use them and enjoy music.

 

[brandnewgame]

Grado GS1000 so far as the sound signature is very pleasant, though I'm sure I'll say something else in a few months 

 

[earerror]

Aside my sennheisers...The ATH-M50's are great. They isolate well, deep bass and wide soundstage. 

 

[grokit]

My most versatile headphones would have to be my HD600s, as they sound great out of almost any decent source/amp, and I can change cables easily from 1/8" to 1/4" to different balanced configurations.

 

[nickchen]

My MS Pro "Ulti". Best musical bandwidth of all existant cans, and damned musical & detailled. Havent heared the L3000, R10 and Qualia though, and also the Orthodynamic territory is untouched...

 

[Lunatique]

This type of thread gets complicated because often we desire what we don't have, and most of us are very limited in what we have actually heard and was able to have the proper time and concentration allowed to A/B compare and scrutinize.
 
Out of the ones I have actually heard and had time to really scrutinize, the Stax 007MKII is by far the most amazing headphones I've ever heard. It is responsible for me basically giving up on dynamic headphones completely. There will be no more dynamic headphones in my future from this point on, except maybe in the IEM form.
 
With that said, there are headphones I'd love to audition that I think could give the 007MKII some stiff competition, such as the Stax 4070 and Audeze LCD2. I hope I get to audition them sometime in the near future. I used to want to audition the T1 and ED8 as well, but I really don't care anymore about dynamics.
 
It's hard to pick just the 007MKII since I can't travel with it. So I must pick an IEM too. Of the ones I have heard, the Shure SE530 is the only one that gets close to a more neutral sound for me. But I really want to audition the JH16/JH3A rig.

 

[2rooi123]

you can never own just one
unless its got what iems and full size headphones offer all in one package
maybe a century from now when we acquire alien tech then we can own one forever

 

[swbf2cheater]

Im going to have to say the Senn Hd485.  Why? many reasons
 
-durable
-immensely comfortable
-easily driven
-replaceable cord
-one of THE MOST fun sounding cans ever
-great bass
-sexy
-now out of print, so to me its more exclusive and rare
-was cheap before its production was ended recently, now its impossible get get on ebay for cheap anymore, ive not seen a 485 sold on head fi here in forever, just that one guy who never replied back!!! lol
 
this is very rare to find all of the above in one

 

[grokit]

Ah yes, some of those "older" Senns are really great, and impossible to find. I really miss my old HD540 Reference II, which had all the qualities you mentioned, except the "durability" part

 

[sonance]

I really want to say HE90, even taking the chance that it would die and could not be replaced (maybe if the only headphones I could ever hear died, I'd get around to building the "serious" stereo speaker listening room that I keep meaning to get to.)
But on the off chance that the HE90 stats might die a little sooner than some other choices (The SR007 is in the same boat), I would have to say HD800. It has a replaceable cable and dynamic drivers, good support and mass production - chances are it could be easily repaired and kept in good working condition for decades. There's almost no chance that the electronics needed to drive it will go away or that replacements will become incompatible over time. Oh yeah, it doesn't sound too shabby either

 

[maggior]

My Grado SR80i's.  The sound amazing and I can wear them for hours and hours with no discomfort or listening fatigue.  I can't say that about any other headphones that I've ever owned.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

There is no one headphone that can properly do all of the different music types I listen to.  At least I haven't heard that magical headphone yet.  It seems headphones end up with a compromise somewhere.
 
The music I like covers a wide range of sonic challenges.  I like pipe organ so a headphone would need to be able to properly do the low sub-bass.  I need to be able to hear that a 32 foot pipe is playing.  I like acoustic and classical so the headphone needs to be able to do a wide, deep and open soundstage and also give the proper air and ambiance.  I also like my classical to have punch when it is needed.  Tympani and bass drums have punch even in classical music.  A big bass section in a Shostakovich symphony can really get going and you can feel the bass if you sit close enough to the orchestra.  I want that type of bass in classical cause that's where the mics are when the orchestra was recorded.  I like rock music and I want my rock music punchy and dynamic.  The kick drum in rock music needs punch.  It can't be an airy K701 type kick drum.  It needs real weight.  The music needs to drive and be aggressive when necessary.  I want all styles of vocals to sound right.  Everything including rock vocals, opera solos, folk music vocals, jazz vocals, choral, and all others.  Weighty when necessary.  Airy when necessary.  I want a midrange that swells when the music calls for it but manages to stay balanced and neutral for classical.
 
I want a chameleon of headphones.  That headphone doesn't exist.  I wouldn't be happy with just one headphone, even a flagship type headphone, at least based on headphones that I've heard.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

There is no one headphone that can properly do all of the different music types I listen to.  At least I haven't heard that magical headphone yet.  It seems headphones end up with a compromise somewhere.
 

I'd try out the T1s. They are by far the best all rounders out there. They are my favourite rock cans (and I own the RS1i/D7000s) and only second to the HD800s for jazz/classical.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Quote:

I'd try out the T1s. They are by far the best all rounders out there. They are my favourite rock cans (and I own the RS1i/D7000s) and only second to the HD800s for jazz/classical.

The T1 without the sparkly highs would be closer to what I like in a headphone sound.  The sparkle that the T1 adds just gets annoying to me, especially in cymbals in rock music.  I suppose I could EQ that out, but I don't think I ought to have to EQ away a problem in a headphone that costs over a grand.  If I had the T1 as a one headphone I'd eventually start focusing only on the sparkle and it would drive me crazy.
 
The D7000 without the recessed midrange would be a nice headphone as well.  I'd rather not have to resort to EQ to fix a sonic defect in an expensive headphone.  I suppose if I had to have the D7000 (or LA7000) as an only headphone I could get a custom hardware parametric style EQ that fixed the midrange.  The EQ would cost more than the headphones, but it would fix (to a reasonable extent) the problem.

 

[summerade]

i would like choose moto s9-hd.