HD700 is not bad for classical. It has decent soundstaging, and a lot of older classical music are poorly recorded or have background noise, so perfect transparency is not necessary. Another headphone within this price range you should consider is the Koss ESP950 or Lambda Stax. I have the Koss and got it on sale for $600 on Cyber Monday. It comes with an electrostatic amp so you don't need an amp, though it's not a great amp. Still the speed and airiness is unmatched, and it really shines in classical. With the Koss, it's normally priced at $1000, but you can get it are around $600 if you wait for sales. It's pretty much the only other headphones I will put down my HE-500 for at times.