The reason why I can't recommend YouTube music is that it uses audio from videos instead of playing the studio versions of the tracks. The fact that it makes me listen to those silly audio parts in music videos while I'm trying to listen to a studio release is terrible in my opinion, and I couldn't figure out a way to hide those results from search entirely. Does anybody know if they've fixed this?

I have a pair of Senheiser HD6xx from Drop.com. It's basically a pair of HD600s with slightly cheaper plastic and bare bones packaging. They have the exact same drivers as the 600s. These cans have been famous for decades with good reason, as they give the perfect balance of low, mid, and high end.

They're a bit pricey at around $230, and you'll also need a great amplifier to power it. You can always go with a decent $99 desktop amp or you can shell out $300 on a high quality DAC+AMP. I have the Audient ID14, and everything sounds FANTASTIC. I can turn up the music super loud and still have head room.

TLDR; Drop.com Senheiser HD6xx with an Audient i14 to power them. Overkill for casual listening, perfect value for audiophiles.

I would say this: If it's just you accessing your server and nobody else, self-hosting is fine.

When it comes to giving other people access to your server, no matter how close of friends you may be, I would recommend renting a cheap VPS online. The security benefits are just that much better.