Meets are a great way to compare one headphone, DAC, amp, or player to another. Unlike many major purchases, the purchase of audiophile headphones is risky, as the ability to try before you buy is rare.
I agree. Being able to try them on is essential in selecting something that works for you.
And by the way, thanks for the other comparison info that you posted. I'll have to look at it in more detail.
Before I chose my headphones, I went to a meet and took notes. My two main considerations for comparison at the meet was Sound Quality, and Fit/Comfort. I ranked my top 5 favorites (regardless of price), and jotted down what I liked and didn't like about each. A lot of the head fi members were very knowledgeable about gear, and quite helpful answering questions.
At home, I did some homework on 2 websites -- Headphones.com and InnerFidelity.com. I found 10 or 12 headphones that were within my budget, and then compared their measurements to my "favorite" from the meet (HiFi Man HE500). That narrowed the field down to 5 or 6 to pick from.
That summer, I was planning a trip to Montana, and figured I could swing by the Headphones.com store in Bozeman with a compilation cd with my choices of test tracks. After trying out my picks and a couple of others, I ended up taking the HD600's home, because it ranked first in all of my criteria of comfort, sound quality, and budget. The AKG550 was in the running for SQ and budget, but the round ear pieces slid all over on my head. What was important was that I was able to try them out in person.
I realize a trip to Bozeman might be out of the way for most people, but it was like a candy store, after all! With a little luck, one meet may have just what you're looking for. Or with a little patience, someone could find something that meets their own criteria by attending a couple of meets or more.
One thing I didn't really consider at the time was the impedance. A lot of amps can deal with 300 ohm headphones. I know now that only certain amps can do justice for lower impedance phones. I have a custom tube amp designed by a friend specifically for my HD600's and with the output tubes that I wanted to use. We tried a pair of 50 ohm Fostex phones, which still sounded pretty decent. My amp should handle impedance down to a short circuit, so if anyone wants to try a low impedance phone on my diy amp, you can.
Looking forward to the meet next Saturday. I'm still learning.