[BobFiggins]

Usually when I read reviews, I see a lot of comparisons to similar gear. For instance, comparing the HD700 to the LCD-2, and people mentioning how the HD700 is "similar in some ways" to the HD800. I usually don't see reviews (professional or not) where people made a giant leap like I am doing. What should I be expecting?
 
I have an HD700 on the way, and a Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Valhalla 2 coming the following week (or two, backordered). Will this blow my mind, or do people make it seem more extreme than I am expecting it to be? Will the details be so overwhelming my ears play stupid and think it sounds bad at first? 
 
Sure I could wait and find out for myself, but I'd rather have a conversation to help pass the time.

 

[KG Jag]

They'll be different.  The controversial HD 700 is closer to neutral and is a couple tiers above the M50 in class.  Your time will be well spent reading this:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13#user_HD700

 

[BobFiggins]

Thanks for the response. That was a good read! Whenever I read about the Hifiman He-400 and the Sennheiser HD650 I want them!
 
I think what I was looking for was more of a, well, not entirely sure how to describe it. Maybe just the feeling?
 
For instance, Soundstage, Imaging. The best I've had is the M50. The soundstage sounds inverted half the time or just at my ears. This likely affects the imaging because sounds come from, well, my ears or the back of my head. I can understand what people mean when they write them though. I just have no proper frame of reference for what that will be like. I still think the idea of an expanded soundstage in a headphone is magical.
 
Is going from the M50 to the HD700 like going from a Toyota Tercel that's rusted with bald tires, squeaky belts, takes 5 minutes to start up, and leaks a quart of oil a day to a brand new fully-loaded Toyota Camry? Or is it better than that? 
 
Sorry if my post is at all confusing. I've probably sank in at least 100 hours now into reading headphone reviews of all types. I get the idea of what they are capable of, though I still get the feeling when I first try one it will either still seem like decently improved headphones, or I will travel to a new dimension of music for the first time ever.

 

[KG Jag]

Assuming that you like the very different sound signatures of each, expect going from a quite old but still very reliable Camry to a new one.
 
As you go up the headphone tiers from good $150 cans, don't expect performance or wow factor multiples.  At least when talking about quality cans, returns are real but become more incremental as you near the flagships.

 

[tanner116]

KG Jag is totally right about deminishing returns. That being said, you're moving from the M50 to Modi -> Valhalla -> HD700? I mean, the M50 is a good value headphone, but your mind will be sufficiently blown, I think. If not at first, let burn in happen and your ears become used to the new sound signature.