Kelly, I feel your pain. There are a lot of great headphones out there. Unfortunately, in order to sound their best, they all seem to have individual preferences in regards to matching source and amplifier matches.
I own the HD 600s and think they truly are a world class headphone. Sometimes, I think they don't garner the same amount of respect as the really expensive phones (STAX, Sony MDR R-10, etc), simply because of their (much) lower cost.
I've never heard the Etymotics and would really like to, someday.
The K1000's are good, but I actually preferred the HD 600s, and subsequently returned them to Headroom (sorry, Todd). Of course, I never tried them with a tube amp, which is (according to some, at least) the way to go. I'm kind of intrigued, again. And they're on sale at Headroom. Must be strong; must resist temptation.
Besides, I've already spent WAY too much money, lately. I've been a STAX convert for over a year now and just recently purchased the Omega II's from EIFL. I will write up a review as soon as I have a really good (objective) feel for its sound characteristics (and also as soon as I get some time).
Oh, and I promise I will respond to your e-mail!