For those interested in the outcome...
For me, the winner was the Sony MDR-V500DJ's ($63).
I'd narrowed the field down to the Sony's and a pair of Grado SR-60's ($69). In the end, the Sony's won out simply because they're sealed and I needed that for my office listening environment. Unfortunately, all of the headphones targeted at the audiophile are open air design (those darn acoustic principles). If that hadn't been a concern, the Grado's would have won out. The SR-60's had a much crisper sound, highs and lows, and were extremely comfortable and simplistic in design. I wanted so bad to keep them but my cube-mate across the wall was already complaining.
The other thing I liked about the Sony's over the Grado's was the cord. The MDR-V500DJ's had a single cord coming from the left side with a coiled section. The coiled cord is an obvious advantage for those cubicle excursions when you've forgotten that you're wearing phones. The SR-60's had a Y cord coming from the phones into a single straight cord to the plug (very cumbersome). Generally speaking, I liked the coiled cord and flexibility of swiveling earcups on the "DJ-type" headphones.
Sound of the Sony's is good, especially for the price. Highs aren't as clear and bass isn't as powerful as I'd like but this is the price I have to pay for the sealed design. Also, the V500DJ's are comfortable enough for those extended, all day listening sessions.
Some others that I checked out:
Sony MDR-V700DJ ($120) The good - great sound, powerful bass (50mm drivers), coiled cord, cool storage bag.
The bad - too heavy and uncomfortable for extended listening,$$$.
Pioneer SE-DJ5000 ($99)
The good - great sound, powerful bass (50mm drivers), coiled cord, shoulder cushion, cord clip with plug adapter holder.
The bad - too heavy, earcups uncomfortable for extended listening. Cord exit on right earcup.
Sennheiser HD500 ($130)
The good - sound was good but seemed a bit "muddier" than I expected from Sennheiser, great look (won some design awards).
The bad - $$$, open design, over-the-ear design was neat concept but seemed too big. Even with my bigg hedd, I felt like these things were swallowing me up.
Yamaha RH5M ($60) limited in-store listening only The good - clean sound, $$, very comfortable.
The bad - open design.
The ugly - obviously, this is all my personal opinion and observation. Afterall, they are MY ears that I'm trying to please. There are many other headphones that I coulda/shoulda checked out, but didn't for whatever reason. For the ones I did evaluate, I spent at least a day or two listening in my "environment" to a variety of musical styles and sources (CD, cassette, radio). For anyone really serious about their next headphone purchase I'd highly recommend doing the same.
Thanks to everyone on the list that made suggestions, offered comments, and contributed to my quest. Lots of positive comments about Sennheisers. Actually, my old headphones were Sennheiser's (HD 490?). They served me well for 5+ years and I was never displeased with them. They just finally succumbed to my abuse. I really wanted to replace them with another pair of Sennheisers, but didn't feel I could get into the price range of the ones I would want.
Later,
Devon
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Hamilton Beach Proctor Silex
The Big Name In Small Appliances
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