The Stax thread - Page 69  

Thanks Tachi, good to know.

Oh, the waiting thing... I won my Gamma auction, they were posted out and arrived here in Seattle just past midnight Thursday. Because of thanksgiving I have to wait until Monday when I'm back at work

Don't tubes add warmth/musicality, which is just a nicer name for distortion (How else do you create warmth than by adding distortions to take away from the raw, cold sound?)?

Not all distortion is created equal. This page goes into quite a bit of detail.

Who says raw sound is cold?

Last thoughts before I pull the trigger?

I hope to be ordering a new pair of Omega 2s with the new 727 amp within a few days. I have decided to go with a Stax amp initially, and can always change for another make at a later date. I mostly listen to classical, full orchestral music, but like most genres. If anyone wants to give me any information, or has strong feelings about the Stax 007t MK2 vs. the 727, please let me know?

simple, money is the problem. Im thinking about the 001 in ear system for an upgrade from my er6i.

how would it sound in comparison to my etys or the 501 and LDII+ for anyone who has heard the in ear system.

or do you think that its not worth it and should i just save for the 2020 system?

I wouldn't dare to say that the 001MkII system isn't worth the money. It's very cheap indeed and offers IMHO E500 rivalling performance. However, I'm not too sure it's an upgrade to your AKGs. Just comparing the 003/006tMk1 to the K701/Headfive, the Stax in ears have a smoother sound and the highs are not as shrill (read slightly rolled off). The bass has more presence. Rolled off highs give me the impression that they're very slightly muddy in the lower midrange. However, the Stax in ears are actually very detailed upon more careful listening.

001MkII vs ER6i: They have different sound signatures, but the 001MkII is definitely better from a purely technical standpoint. The biggest difference is the additional detail and the more substantial bass (well controlled too). IMHO, the difference is night and day and the 001MkII should sound more refined than the ER6i.

Remember, I'm basing my comments on my experience with the 003/006tMk1 and not from actual experience of the 001MkII. The SR-001 is a solid state energiser and might make the 001 sound completely different. Also, the 001 uses a more compact cable/connector, which might also have an effect on the sound.

The 2020 system is great, but I feel there are people who are more qualified than I am to comment on it eg people who have actually owned it like Duggeh. I listened to the 202 earspeakers driven out of the SRM-717 (top of the line solid state Stax energiser bar its successor, the 727), which isn't indicative of the SR-202's performance with the SRM-252II. What I can say is the 202/717 was definitely better than the K701/Hornet M. However, I don't feel the Hornet M does the K701 justice at all.

So many choices, but so little money! This is a common problem that I face too Whichever you choose to buy, I hope you like it!

So it has been a whole week since I first joined team Stax and I have to say they're very good! The 404/006tMk1 is a breathtaking experience and brought a whole new dimension to my listening that I never thought existed. The only problem I have has to do with the slightly dry midrange (similar to what you get with the Portapros, but to a much lesser extent) with certain recordings, eg I violini di Cremona: Omaggio a Kreisler - Accardo. The result is an extraordinary amount of detail at the expense of warmth. Hence, I'm thinking a bit about the X-10 V3 Tube Buffer, warmer source/interconnects, etc...

If my parents hadn't bought me the Omega 2 system, I would still be using the Stax 2020 as my primary system, and it would have remained so in spite of all the other headphones I have owned since its departure. The HD650, K340, HF-1, Ergo 2, Jecklin Float 1&2 are all far inferior to my Stax loving ears. The SR-202 in unquestionably my favourite headphone which I no longer own. The 2020 setup IMHO offers the best value at its price range (second hand) that I have heard, the only reason that I sold mine was to aid funding my Ergo AMT purchase.

I love the AMT, but I do often wonder if I would be better off with an SR-404 instead. I'm sure I'll eventually get a shot of Jonathans and be able to make that choice. ;D

The little Lambda does a lot right, and scales very well with a bigger amp, its also much more attractive than the 303 and 404 imho.

i think il get the 2020 (one day...)

ive heard it but not for long. its got really nice everything:P bass, mids and treble sound so organic but so musical as well. i havent heard anything better than the stax classic system to me. i havent hear THE best dynamic headphones but i find electrostatic to be superior.

One more thing.. what is a cheap, bright source for the earspeakers?

what about the 005a system? is that even portable?? does it also have that treble roll off like the 001 has?

The 005 and the 001 are the same headphone, the difference is the connector, the 001 has the portable stax connector and the 005 a pro-bias 5 pin plug. I should imagine that if everything else about them is the same then they wil share the same sonic characteristics, including the treble roll off that some have reported.

so is the 005 system portable or not?

It's not portable but it is small enough to be transportable. You need to plug it into a wall socket. It is driven by a DC powerpack so potentially you could drive it off a battery pack of some sort if you really wanted to.