I actually sold my HE-500's to buy the LCD-2's, with which I'm much happier. The HE-500's were very detailed, to the point of disengaging me from the music. Most dramatic example was Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Obviously, there are several synthesized effects within the song. The HE-500's made that synthetic effect VERY obvious. Those sounds and effects felt very "apart" from the music. Heck, some of the instruments sounded "apart", like they were terribly misplaced in the sound stage and of different quality. That is probably accurate, but it wasn't what was intended to be heard by the listener.
The result was that I focused on the inconsistencies in the recording and stopped enjoying the music. The LCD-2's had all of the detail, silkiness, and musicality I wanted. I literally found myself tapping my toes to the music. I also found them to feel lighter, sit easier around my ears, and be more comfortable in the headband. All of this was with the balanced output of the BHA-1 (BDP-2 -> AES/EBU -> BDA-2 -> unbalanced -> BHA-1. I also find it an unfair comparison; the LCD-2 is several hundred dollars more expensive.
And it wasn't just pop music like Thriller; however, the better the recording, the less pronounced the effect. But the HE-500's never did get me toe-tapping. That said, what sounds pleasing to me may drive someone else nuts.
