You don't sound like a hater at all. I think so many people suffer from expectation bias it's hard to really get a good idea once the first batch of positive reviews drop.

I'm glad you are being honest. I don't think the midrange would be as good as the HD650's response allows it to have a deeper focus on the mids. I was hoping the R70x could close that gap a little but with some extension. I think the HD650 is so underrated in it's refinement. It's completely free of grain and any rough edges. I'll try them soon for sure.