Well, since this thread got bumped, I finally got my HE-500's a few days ago and still trying to figure out if it's for me. I'm getting a little bit more used to them now, but there is one big issue so far: music just sounds fake and unnatural on them. They have detail in spades and the soundstage, bass and imaging is pleasant enough, but the mids are not convincing (vocals sound hollow and raspy) and the highs can be a little shrill. I'm guessing my Gilmore Lite and using the coax out of a Squeezebox has something to do with this, but then again, I'm not sure I can see a better amp changing them enough that I can live with them (unless I explore the megabucks stuff, which I can't). Sucks, because I bought these thinking they would be a permanent fixture on my head for at least several months. Oh well. The Parasound will stay though since I don't think it's at fault here. 

 

I know this isn't the headphone section, but I didn't want to bump the HE-500 thread which is a decade old. 

So just for the heck of it I plugged my HE-500's into my 10+ year old Denon receiver which I never thought to do since it's a freaking receiver, but shit... peaky treble is all but gone and everything is toned down a notch. Detail is not the same but the headphones are way more listenable to now. Looks like it is the Gilmore Lite that's not gelling with these phones. I'm honestly pretty shocked since I like the Lite with a lot of other headphones, both high and low impedance. But it really does not play well with the Hifimans for some reason.  So there might be a chance I can be happy with these afterall... just need to try something else in the way of amps. Oh well, end of rambling 

I am still trying to figure out how the Parasound, your Denon and the He-500 fit together in this thread.

Me too, me too