anyhow, musician's friend is still not stocked on the ATH-A900 (and i've done a considerable amount of weighing whether i should just splurge a bit and shoot more for the $300-$350 mark), so... i'm holding off for a few more weeks. the sony v700 i have really are shit, and very fatiguing.
all my listening, with ehatever i end up getting, will be done at home. and a set requiring an amp is not out of the question.
edit: thanks for your input, ffolks.