Bernie...I tried a few headphones in one of the stores. The Sennheiser HD280 was one of them. They sounded a bit rough compared to the others. But we all hear differently...based on your recommendation, I could try them again.

Diki.....Weren't you an Ultrasone fan at one time? So...for what reasons are you now recommending the Sony?

Donny...I will never buy another pair of Pioneers again. They were just OK for DJ-ing. I wouldn't listen to quality music at home with them. They're industrial strength phones. To top it off, the audio line between the cups snapped and I had to throw them away. Up to that point I considered them rugged.

Frank V...you're link sends me to the main site where they demand I enable my cookies to view their precious headphones! I'll not be told what to do! So....which model are you recommending?

Fran...I heard they're the best on the market. But....when I went to the store to listen to them, I was advised they had to be "burned in" to hear them at their best. They would not "burn them in" if I wasn't going to purchase them. Catch 22 situation.

I'm not saying any of the above headphones are "no good." I am just relating my own experiences that I had.

The problem with buying headphones is that no store (that I know of) has more than 1 or 2 on hand to compare them. So what's the point of knowing what the "best" is, if you can't get to hear it against the others?

I taught myself a lesson having just purchased a high end portable radio ($150). Same situation.....no store carries high end portable radios for you to hear. I went bonkers researching them on the Net and in the end, I took an educated guess on a brand and ordered it by mail order sight un-heard. We live in a world now where comparison shopping with knowledgeable salespeople is a thing of the past.

So I think that's how I'll probably end up buying my headphones (after about a year of off and on shopping). A few referrals from club members here and, at this point, if it just LOOKS sexy, I'll buy it.

Lucky