It's kind of funny that one of my friends just posted about the need for new headphones and an mp3 player, as I am currently looking to replace my portable headphones. Of course, I would have to recommend getting an iPod, although I'm not sure if he's on a Mac. While I do recognize that they function under Windows, I'm not sure how well they work.

So far, my primary source of information (and probably the headphones) has been HeadRoom, which is a company that specializes in headphones and makes their own audiophile headphone amps. Right now I'm leaning toward replacing my Koss KSC-35 clip-on headphones (I use them exclusively with my iPod, as the first-generation iPod earbuds sucked ass) with the Etymotic ER4P, and possibly upgrading those to the ER4S along with a Total BitHead. It's a big step up from the Koss cans, but I think it'll be worth it. I should probably be able to use the Etymotics as DJ headphones as well, since they are actually earplugs and actually have better sonic isolation than most traditionally styled cans. My friend mentioned in an earlier post of his the ubiquitous Sony MDR-Vn00 series that lots of DJs own. They blow. They're not very durable - I had a pair completely ruined because a 10 cent piece of plastic broke - and frankly, they sound like ass. They're too muddy. You don't realize it, however, until you switch to a better pair. For cheap DJ cans, I recommend the Sennheiser HD-25SP or the big brother HD-25. The 25SP is what I have, and the sound is tighter, crisper, and generally more faithful to the music. They take a bit more power to drive, but that's ok. The clarity makes up for the lack of volume. Disadvantages of the 25SP which are corrected in the 25 include: non-coiled cable and split cable (as opposed to single cable).