Headphone question

Thanks, atmasphere.  The two signal paths are completely different.  The recording chain is:  Turntable (Thorens TD-166 MkII, with either Ortofon OM-30 or Denon TD-160 cartridges) > McIntosh C220 preamp w/MM phono section > Kenwood graphic/parametric EQ > Marantz CDR-630 CD recorder, which does the A/D conversion.  The Grados are connected to the headphone jack on the Marantz.

The listening chain, ultimately, is FLAC files on a Vortexbox Appliance > Wifi router (via ethernet) > Squeezebox Touch > Superberry DAC (highly modified Beresford DAC) > McIntosh C220 preamp > Odyssey Audio HT3 amplifier > Ohm Walsh 2000 speakers, each with its own Vandersteen 2Wq subwoofers with HP-M5 battery-biased crossovers.

However, based on listening to my digitized LPs on my own system and other systems known to be pretty neutral, my recordings definitely sound brighter and more bass-shy than they did when I was doing the recording.  Hence the post.  Unfortunately, the high-end Grados and Sennheisers are beyond my budget.

cleeds - Thanks.  I tried doing straight, non-EQ'd digitizing, and I was very unhappy with the results.  I am not dumping the LPs, so I can always listen to them au naturelle, but I want CDs for the car, and to rip onto my server.  I was finding that the digitized LPs were noticeably brighter and thinner sounding than most of the CDs ripped to my server.  Whether that's the recorder, the cartridges, the phono preamp, or whatever, I just didn't like the results.

The age-old EQ vs. non-EQ debate will not be resolved here.  Suffice it to say that EVERY recording you own has been run through an equalizer in the mastering process.  As far as I am concerned, using the EQ to get results that sound natural and neutral to my ears, on my system, is okay, provided I don't overdo it.  I can't afford to step up to a pricey cartridge, better A/D converter, or phono preamp.  So, what I do want, and can afford, is a pair of cans that will enable me to hear what the recording really sounds like without adding any sweetening, so that I can apply, or not apply, EQ to each recording as needed.  Heck, I would need that even if I wasn't using an equalizer at all.  Hence the post.

mapman:  Thanks, I tried no EQ, and the results were generally too bright, and with enemic bass.  That is partly due to many of the typical rock records I am digitizing, as well as the cartridge, and perhaps even the quality of the CD recorder.  I don't use excessive EQ, just a little gundry dip and a nudge of accentuation in the bottom two actaves.

Noted about the Sennheisers.  My first cans were the 424's, purchased in 1976, which I used for almost 30 years (!) before they failed.  The Sennheisers in my price range would be strong contenders.  I have heard they are on the bright side of neutral, which I would prefer if dead flat isn't available in my price range.  What I really need to avoid are the many headphones engineered to boost the bass and/or warm up the treble, like the Momentum.

loomisjohnson:  Thanks, but the Momentums are disqualified specifically because of that bass boost, which, IMO, the Grado SR-60 shares.  I will look into the Philips, but that is not on my brand list in the original post, so no deep discount for me on that brand.

extravaganza - In your experience, do the MDR 7506 'phones make your ears hot & sweaty?

Thanks, everyone.  I can get a pretty good discount from this one retailer because I have family that work there.  I would not rule out used cans, provided I can easily and affordably replace the earpads (used earpads gross me out).

But based on these posts, I will focus on the best Sennheiser's I can afford (factoring in my discount) as well as the Sony MDR-7506.  The retailer offers these at $100, and I expect a substantial discount, although with Sony, you never know.  (Many years ago, when I worked in retail, Sony was notorious for not allowing retailers to make any profit on Sony products.  Sony's attitude was that Sony products bring so much traffic into a retailer that there is no reason to allow them to make a profit off of selling their products.  Perhaps that has changed.)

I have a birthday coming up, and this will be my gift to myself.

I totally agree with the posts that point out that Grados, while beautiful sounding cans, are not the best choice for monitoring.  Horses for courses.

accurus - that graph is impressive, and reflects a very desireable response curve.

Mapman - Kal Rubinson at Stereophile did a multi-part review of Dirac Live - in short, he loves it.