haha..expertester, i got the similar history like urs.
I was couldn't bear wif the Altec headphone sounds like. I even brought to the distributer shop to complaint bout headphone sounds like Sh@T.
Design looks so nice but the sound is horrible unacceptable.
After joined this forum, i bucked up my Rm100 budget and went for SR60 in the end. Happy listening until today.
[UPDATED 11/17/05]Headphone FAQ, read this, check it, before you buy one.