My first post here,so I should start by saying a little about me.
I have been interested in good sound since 1983 when I got my first set-up;Luxman front-end,amp,Tape-deck & Celestion Ditton 3ways.This system spun many records and played at good levels and in a very listenable manner(Not a really big fan of the gear itself,only the sound it makes so I could not accurately give all the product codes with-out ringing my family in Sydney to have a look.Something like PD210.L-240,K2?? and the Dittons were 240s ,I am pretty sure).
Have had many different bits and pieces since then, which leads me to headphones,the purpose of this thread,so this is my humble opinion;
Having used Senn's,AKG'S and Grados I can say I have never been more happy than I am with my current pair.A pair of Denon(removing them from my head to read the numbers)Denon AH-G500(back on now ,and Richard Thompson is again picking in a very nice manner).Not sure of that product code anywhere but here in Tokyo.The point is, I think you would be well served by listening to a set of Denons.Don't have the same credo as the Grado or Senn's and probably don't get much column space in Hi-Fi rags, but they do make some pretty bloody good sounds.
Timbre is conveyed very well and if its in the signal you get to hear it,providing you don't push them to hard.Bass is sharp and tuneful without being over emphasized.Mid-range is a little forward but stays well balanced and has great bite for acoustic stuff particularly guitar. The male voice is fine as is female.I can feel the emotion in Thompson's tracks"Bees wing" and "Vincent Black lightning"".Listening to Ben Harper I can tell if he's just had a toke.I can easily pick that stoned sound(perhaps that says more about me than the phones?).Treble has a nice crash and ring to it,not to sharp and I listen for long periods with out fatigue in or outside the ears.In the treble, as in the rest of the band,I can pick subtle differences in timbre.The headpiece is a little to large for my head but I guess they weren't designed specifically for me.
On the whole I have never been so happy with a headphone.To be honest, I only bought them to listen to CD players in different stores,here in Tokyo, with some type of consistency ,before I bought one.If I was in the market for a Headphone alone ,I probably would have missed them.Would have been a great shame because I had come to the conclusion that phones weren't much good after being disappointed by most of the pairs I had sourced via Hi-Fi rags. I spent much more on those I can tell you.
The denon's cost me about 5000yen.Thats about $5o US,I think.
Check em out.Would like to hear somebody else's thinking on them.