Late Night Listening When Wife Wants Music OFF

Sony Discman with Denon closed headphones, waaayyy less than a thousand. Haven't tried Dakiom's headphone stabilizers but I might.

...to add portability (and the most overall flexibility), start w/ the first recomendation in my first post. I started w/ the E3s and thought them very good but the E4s were a definite improvement. The iPod will impress. If you decide that in-ears are not your choice, simply substitute traditional cans. All can be had for way less than $1000.

Very possible to get very high quality at that price. Check in at head-fi.org for all the details. Maybe Ray Samuels portable amp with Etymotic 4s which at new cost would still leave you several hundred for a source.