About 10-15 years ago, Senn 600s/650s were considered the reference dynamic headphones except for exotics like the R10s. Everybody had 600s/650s. They were top of the line.
There were some similarly priced Grados, Beyers, AKGs, etc, but nothing that really stood out by consensus above the 650s.
Back then, I used to ask why there was so little choice in phones, as opposed to a universe of speakers at all levels (since the 1960s).
It was kind of a headphone wasteland.
It was only in the last 6-7 years that we got higher quality phones like the HD800s, T1s, GS/PS1000s, D7000s, Audezes, HiFiMans, and more to choose from, and the prices reflect that.
So I am grateful the high end headphone market has really gotten traction now, and of course it needs support so that the providers can do the R&D to produce these gems.
A similar phenomenon is happening with headphone amplifiers.
So I think we should celebrate, because at least phones are a bargain compared to speakers.
(And some of us enjoy headphonia more than speakerdom. Now we get some respect.)