This makes perfect sense now! Yeah the DJ100 wouldn't be my first choice for classical music, but that's like 1% of what I listen to. I still think they're quite good for that, but not great.
It's funny how you own 3 of my favorite headphones! The KRK KNS-8400 is my 2nd favorite closed headphone and I'd easily suggest this over the DJ100 for someone that listens to mostly classical music.
In fact, I would rarely suggest a closed headphone for classical due to a smaller soundstage. The 8400 gets the pass from me because it's soundstage is quite good. Not huge, but just very accurate.
As for the bolded area below about the HD-598. I found this out too when I did a K601 vs hD-598 review. The K601's sound is much more airy and it's actually much easier to pinpoint all the different instruments since they're spaced out better. On the 598 it was often hard to pinpoint where an instrument was. Not too difficult but more so than the K601.
On the DJ100, I never find the sound with classical or anything with a large soundstage in the recording to be too cluttered. Even on very complex songs with lots going on, it never becomes unclear or muddy. Sometimes I got this effect with stock pads and when unamped. I've actually found the sound more congested on my HD-600, which is just bizarre!
One interested thing i've found is that the soundstage size of the DJ100 varies with different amp and dac combinations. When I use the E9 (or Headoom Micro Amp) with my HRT Music Streamer II, the soundstage is probably as large as it's ever been. The soundstage size with the E11 is also quite large. Acoustic music with a large soundstage in the recording is impressive. I'll spare you with my cable talk
. With silver plated copper, the soundstage is even more accurate and larger. I use ALO SXC. I know people will think i'm crazy.
The HRT MSII DAC is actually very nice with the KRK KNS-8400 and DJ100. I had the DJ100 for over 2 years and thought I had gotten it to sound the best I could. With the HRT it feels like the KRK KNS-8400 and DJ100 are semi-open or almost open headphones. No joke!!
Have you heard the K501? This is one of the best classical music headphones ever, but it's a pain to drive and it's soundstage is massive! It's larger than that of the AD700 and Q701. Yet somehow nothing sounded too distant. Discontinued though and hard to find.
I'm not a fan of the K550, but it's soundstage is larger than that of the KNS-8400. 8400 sounds better, but if I listened to nothing but classical, I'd keep the K550 for sure.
K601 is also nice for classical, but doesn't have the treble of the Q701 and the k601 is much fuller sounding and warmer. A little more mid-bass and not as clear and detailed as the Q701. It has better imaging than the Q701 though. I've found it to sound like a mix between an HD-600 and K702 maybe.
I would say my preferred genre is vocal oriented music, mostly female and some older music such as Pearl Jam and Radiohead. Lately i've been obsessed with ambient electronica and for that the KRK KNS-8400 is quite amazing. Stuff like Boards of Canada and Helios.
I actually think the DJ100's best genre is anything with female vocals or specific acoustic music (I like Ali Farka Toure). I don't know why, but I really like the Pirates of the Carribbean soundtracks on the DJ100. The bassy remix versions are especially..interesting on the DJ100.