I just wanted to give these phones a shout out, I've been loving them the past few months.
My first phones are a pair of Denon D2000s which serve me well. They are super comfy and great for most things, but don't do all my music justice. I tried the AKG 702 Annis looking for magic, they were very good but didn't quite fit right. Before a flight in October I bought a pair of Beyer DT-1350 to entertain me at altitude but I also picked up these Sony MDR-MA900. I expected to like the 1350s better and waited a long time to get a hold of them, but they have hardly been touched compared to the Sony's.
I found the MA900s to be sort of dull and unremarkable at first. I really didn't think I would keep them and figured I would settle onto the 1350. I was wrong. The MA900s are great for several reasons. They are lightweight and comfortable, I don't like wearing uncomfortable headphones, hence getting rid of the AKGs. They are easy to drive, these things sound great with Pandora out of my iphone. I sort of like the idea of headphones being portable. I have the Channel Islands dac and headphone amp, and its a big step up from my ipod or iphone, but I have headphones for when I'm away from my stereo anyway. Also, these are great for tv, movies, games besides music.
Best of all, I find the sound to be really musical. Not the most exciting sound, but when the eyes close the music presents itself in a very nicely layered presentation. I listen to a lot of bass oriented music, and while the bass isn't slamming, for open phones I really enjoy the texture and depth. Lots of good reviews on these over at head-fi, some compare it well to the HD650, just easier to drive but with less body. I think maybe the greatest fault is that the top end is a bit polite, but I don't notice as much when I listen amped.
Anyway, just a heads up for anyone looking - I think this would be my first recommendation to a non-audiophile looking for great sound.
