While I have yet to cross into the hi-fi range, I do believe I won't be going any higher than the price of the JM Audio XTC Open Backs ever again. I've only owned headphones such as the M50X, DT 900 Pro X, DT880, and Harmonicdyne Poseidon and your headphones COMPLETELY blow out the competition by a large margin. Thank you for tuning them to the way I wanted them to be -- essentially my dream headphone. An absolute imaging monster with a great soundstage. For music I'm able to discern each and every detail of every song I listen to with great accuracy enough to the point where I can even hear the small intricacies and flaws of each song. The sound quality is beautiful, with each instrument being faithfully recreated in great detail. Every genre from orchestra to jazz to EDM, on the first day I already found myself rummaging through my musical library to find details I have never heard before -- and believe me I thought I heard it all with the DT 900 Pro X! For gaming these are just overall fantastic too. I play FPS games competitively and these are a GODSEND. The wide soundstage and pinpoint precision of the audio is superb and almost feels like cheating in multiplayer games. At any given point, I am able to discern the location of an enemy player. The sound feels SO accurate. At very far distances, the "muffled" sound is very accurate to the point where I can gauge the distance of players easily. Most headphones I've used lacked in vertical imaging however, with your headphones I'm able to discern if the enemy is above or below me, something I've never had the pleasure of in ANY headphone I've tried to date. The sheer immersion of single player games from the scenery and sounds is so wonderfully created on these headphones. And for movies, I feel the exact same way. From big bassy effects such as sound effects to subtle whispers in the distance, these headphones bring out the detail of cinema in way that's so engaging and helps keep that suspension of disbelief. The physical quality of the headphone also stands out. The physical construction of the headphone feels sturdy while also remaining very lightweight. Comfort of the headphone gets an A+ from me. The looks of the headphone are also great, with an amazing coating on the wood and a beautiful black grill. Overall, it stands out while not looking obnoxious and flashy like some other headphones. - Ray