For years, we used the Beyerdynamic DT-100s, which sounded absolutely awful but suited a professional environment well. They were ultra-rugged, provided good isolation from outside noise, were completely rebuildable with 100% parts availability, had a modular cable and provided a good reference in the mid-range frequencies which are most critical for broadcast. You'd never mix a record using them, but they were excellent for musicians or cameramen to monitor with. Similar logic applies to speakers like the Yamaha NS-10 or the Auratone 5C - horrible to listen to, but they provided a useful reference for specific tasks.
The MDR-7506/7509 headphones are very popular for similar reasons to the DT-100s, although they sound much better. Here in the UK they're not especially popular in music, though they are used extensively in broadcast. Open-backed headphones like the AKG K701 or the Sennheiser HD650 sound very much better, but they're bulky, fragile, don't block out noise and leak sound out, which is a critical failure if you're sat in front of an open microphone.
The Sennheiser DT-25s are another example - probably >50% of DJs use them, but they'd be a terrible choice for most users. They sound good, are very rugged and provide superlative isolation from noise, but they're miserably uncomfortable. DJs are quite happy to trade comfort for isolation as they only use their headphones intermittently, but for users who aren't trying to monitor in a noisy nightclub it's a bad call.
There's little point in spending more than a few hundred dollars on headphones, but they're very specialised tools and you should select carefully based on your personal requirements.
My biggest complaint with the Sony's/Sens', aside from lack of detail, is that they have a lot of sibilance, which becomes fatiguing after an hour or two. I wear my Grados whenever I can (but can't when other people are around due to sound leakage).
That said, after using both for months and months, I can tell you that I prefer the Senn.'s. The MDR's are good, and in good per dollar they certainly win. But, I find the Senn.'s more comfortable over long periods, and less fatiguing to my ears.
This is, I believe, because the open 'phones let my ears breath, and because the sound on the Senn.'s is clearer/crisper. I wind up turning the volume up more with the MDR's, subconsciously seeking the clarity of the Senn.'s, which is more fatiguing for my eardrums.
But as others have pointed out, you're optimizing for a different variable in the studio. First of all, you'd never mix or master on headphones unless you're testing to see how your mix sounds on headphones. So at that point, you probably want cans that translate well to "average" headphones, and it may well be that the Sonys do. Think about NS-10's, or even Auratones - they're not great speakers, they're just a common reference point that everyone knows.
And for tracking, you really don't want flat response; you want cans that'll reinforce the musician's ability to hear themselves, the headphone equivalent of a presence peak. Isolation is critical - no headphone bleeding. But the most important quality for tracking headphones is ruggedness; they are going to get abused, and they need to be easily repairable but rarely need repairing.
All of which is to say: being universal doesn't imply being the best-sounding or the most-comfortable; it implies being optimal for the needs of a recording studio.
Wikipedia on the MDR-V6, MDR-V600, MDR-7506, MDR-7509HD, and MDR-CD900ST: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_MDR-V6
From what I understand, the V600 is not in the same league, but you should check that at Head-Fi.
Since I didn't find a product number to give you, here's an amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-Velour-Earcushions-MDR750... that lists them currently unavailable though, but just to give you easier time finding them from some other retailer.
bayerdynamic DT-770 is another popular choice in pro-use (just anecdotal evidence). My experience is that they are slightly more bass-heavy than Sony MDR-7506, but the sound is very equal otherwise. Also their round shape did not fit my head as well and caused pain on long sessions. Overall I see that some might prefer them over MDR-7506.
I've done various things as a musician over the last 15 years, and the cans you see EVERYWHERE are the Sony MDR-7506. Period.
If it is good enough to mix and master, if it is good enough to monitor professional vocalists in the studio, it is good enough for you! These cans represent the music as it was intended to be heard. (And, subjectively, they sound fantastic.)
There seem to sometime be arguments about "reference" vs. enjoyment, and things being "too neutral" in studio cans, but I dunno. The cynical side of it seems (to me) to be a sort of hobby-justification for spending more than $99 on a pair of headphones.
Granted, taste matters and comfort matters. But arguments appealing to some kind of vague "quality"--I just don't buy it. The studio spent $50,000 on their mixing board. If they needed to spent $500 (vs. $100) on their cans, they'd do it. But they often don't.