Not trying to be contrary, but I owned a pair of HE Audio Jade that sounded very nice, and everyone who tried them liked them.
The Jade didn't have the depth of stage and imaging that the SR-007 Mk1 had, but they also didn't have the shouty mids and bass hump of my Mk2. Their bass didn't extend as deep as the Mk1, but I really enjoyed having a smooth and sparkly treble that matched the midrange levels (where the mids seemed more recessed on the Mk1 and more forward on the Mk2). The Jade weren't perfect, but I didn't think my O2 Mk1 and Mk2 were perfect either.
I still prefer my HE-60 the most - they're so alive, energetic, and transparent sounding that they made my Mk1 sound bland in side by side comparison. Then again, I'm one of those that also likes the HE-6 and HE-1000 or HD-800. I haven't heard their new electrostatic, and I'm not defending them so much as I'm saying we should give them a fair chance before writing them off.
I am in agreement that prices in general are getting ridiculous lately, and while I was eager to jump on the bandwagon in 2009 for a new HD800 at their crazy price then, I'm not so eager to pounce on a > $2K headphone anymore.