With their somewhat objective point of view they are still quite engaging…..what I continually find interesting is the portrayal of space, depending on the recording it’s not so much the width of the soundscape but the depth behind the layering.
For example…as good as the HD650s are swapping over to the 800S I have the sensation of stepping out of the recording booth with a direct feed to actually standing in the hall or venue. Yes the sound source is less intimate and distant but the presentation IMHO is more true to the space, not everyone’s cup of tea as singer X is not whispering in your ear, the staging of the 800s is much closer to that of a speaker set-up unless you like your speakers next to your ears (actually did that quite often in the 60slol)
This is just my personal experience. With my Valhalla2 (which for me doesn't hold a candle to my Elise) the S can sound a little analytic as opposed to musical. With the Elise it is truly magical, and seems very true in most instances to the particular recording venue of what I'm listening to.
I know what you mean about near-field listening from the 60s