It really, really all depends on what kind of sonic signature you like. I think that's one of the most overlooked things from a newbie's perspective (I made the same mistake. My first headphone had a sonic signature i didnt care much for, and i almost gave audiophilia up). People who are buying their first real headphone are too overly concerned with "which is better?" Don't worry... all 3 of these headphones are certainly of good quality... otherwise they wouldnt be recommended so much, for so long. It's more about: which sound am i gonna like more? And while listing genres helps a little bit, I still feel it doesnt necessarily tell the whole tale (myself: i listen mostly to rock music, but i'm NOT a Grado guy.)
With that in mind, here are my impressions (based on my SR60s and Sony MDR-V6. Not the headphones discussed here, but very very similar headphones, really):
SR60s - mids are highly detailed: vocals and guitars are sharp and clean and forward. More focus is placed on the mids/treble. Bass is not impactful, but it's lean and detailed and blends very well together with the music. Very "musical" - everything blends together to create a bright sonic mix. Its been described as "feels like you're on the stage with the band," and thats very accurate, imo.
V6 - A more neutral headphone, more balanced across the frequency spectrum. Great at separation of instruments: if you wanted to listen to what the bass guitar is doing, its easy to single him out and listen. Very "analytical" -you can see how the single parts are creating a whole (as opposed to the "blended" feeling of the SR60s.) Mids are not as detailed as the SR60s, but i personally dont notice until I switch off between the 2 headphones. Feels less like a live performance (relative to SR60s), feels more like you're in a recording studio (they are studio monitors, after all)
I cant write about the HD555 because i've never heard, but i really think you should be choosing based on what description sounds more appealing to you (rather than going by genre). You also need to make your own adjustments based on form factor, portability, open/closed, etc, but of course, sound quality is the most important thing here.
(also, im sure people would dispute my descriptions of the headphones, but that's what my ears hear.)
(Full disclosure: I personally prefer my V6s to my SR60s, and the SR60s are the sonic signature that almost made me go: "hey, i just might not be an audiophile." BUT i can completely understand someone who would prefer the SR60s to the V6... heck, i expect my preference is in the minority.)
Therefore, i didnt even bother to vote in the poll. This isnt about which headphones are better, this is about which headphones YOU WOULD LIKE better. It's like a poll of ice cream colors: there really isnt a correct choice, just a collection of different preferences.
