2005-07-16 - 7:54 p.m.

Both pairs of my Sony MDR-V600 headphones that I bought in 1996 have been suffering for these past few years from an advanced state of decrepitude evidenced by the drying out and splitting of the faux leather covers on the cups. I've searched the Internet to no avail to find out who can repair them. Nobody can, apparently.

So I went headphones shopping today at Spearit Sound in Northampton. WOW.

WOW.

I've never been in a pro audio store before. They had brands I've never heard of. They had components that used tubes which were made an attractive part of the design. I think I spent about an hour trying different headphones (Grado, AKS, and some others I don't remember). Unfortunately their test equipment didn't much like any sort of burned disc, so thankfully I'd brought along the manufactured copy of Handel's Messiah (John Eliot Gardiner edition) that I have for just such an eventuality.

Sitting here at home listening to my new Grado SR-225's, I can say that this is a quantum leap in my music appreciation. Everything sounds amazing. If these last as long as the Sonys did, they've prove to be an affordable luxury.