I just got my 1K's an hour ago, and I thought it would take a while until I could give a fair opinion. The couple of times I had heard 1K's they didn't seem all that special... at CanJam and our local head-fi meet. I really was convinced that I would be happy with only the 500's. However, I have enough head-fi exposure and viral symptoms, so I never stopped reading reviews and opinions. Finally I bit the bullet! The 500's are wonderful as you know. If a person with reasonable needs and a lack or control of audiophile compulsions has 500's they can be justifiably proud and happy that they are enjoying superb performance at a good price... The 1000's feature a much larger space around my ears that allows more depth and detail... When I say more I don't mean a little more, I mean I never imagined it was possible to make that happen... The detail seems almost microscopic without being at all exaggerated or contrived- just there in perfect balance. I prefer these to STAX SR-009, Audeze LCD-3, or HiFiMan HE-6. Are they worth the price? In my downright cheapskate opinion, yes. I am grateful to have them! If they break in further I will let you know, if my heart survives that...