So, how important is the quality of music to you? Are your ears trained to pick out every instrument in a song or are you generally indifferent and prefer a mish mash of sounds?
Myself, a couple years back, I decided that I'd had enough of $20 headphones and wanted a truly enhanced musical environment. I haven't looked back since.
First, I started with the headphones.
Denon AHD2000's:
http://hillos.info/wp-content/upload...on-ahd2000.JPG
Cost: $220
Then, I built a headphone amplifier.
Cost: $450 in parts
However, it turns out the headphones I bought weren't as sturdy as I'd hoped, and I was ready for an upgrade. So, now I topped it off with:
Creative X-FI Titanium HD Sound Card:
http://www.pcmag-mideast.com/wp-cont...anium_HD_2.jpg
Cost: $169
And, lastly...
Fischer FA 002 WT Headphones:
http://www.gd-audiobase.com/componen...41bc3eaeb9.jpg
Cost: $319
Hand crafted wooden ear cups, made to order, and shipped directly from Russia.
Why headphones? I work on my PC and I love the closeness of them. Plus, they're portable. I can't take a surround sound system with me, but all of this stuff I can pack up into a regular laptop case and carry with me wherever I go.
So, how much do you love your music?