The Stax thread (New) - Page 1380

The T1 has a peculiar set of colorations, including a treble tilt that gives you a kind of metallic clarity but while obscuring detail with resonances and distortion. The HD800 is much better behaved except around the 6khz region, otherwise notably better soundstage and detail. The jump to 009 is also an improvement however it is subject to diminishing returns. Over the HD800 the 009 scores a more even sound, slightly better detail extraction and a more closed in (though nonetheless still precise) soundstage.

"Slightly better detail extraction". You must have heard the HD800 on a pretty good rig anetode else the 009 rig wasn't at its best . Mind you I went through the 007A in between my HD800 and my 009 so I don't have direct comparison between the two.

Being the geek that I am I did a volume-matched comparison with the 800 and 009 when I acquired the latter. There's a difference there but it's not vast, besides people tend to exaggerate that sort of thing to help delineate different types of phones (after all, stats are clearly superior in every way, right? ).

 

Then again most opinions I've read don't hold my type of 009 rig in very high regard. I'm afraid we're in the same 727-powered boat as far as that's concerned, Arnaud

Edited by anetode - 1/17/13 at 5:23pm

 

 

 

I owned the T1s for more than 2 years (I no longer have them) and really enjoyed them. But that said, I gotta agree with anetode and dukeskd...not even close and no comparison whatsoever. 

 

That said, the HD800s are right in between these two great cans IMO.

Edited by MacedonianHero - 1/17/13 at 5:40pm

 

To my ears, the SR-009's (driven by a KGSSHV) had better detail extraction than the HD800 (driven by a dynahi).  It didn't take even a minute to reach that conclusion, and the more I listened, the more I was sure this was the case.  Later compared SR-009 from the KGSSHV and the 727-II.  The KGSSHV had a slight edge according to everyone present, but it was a close thing.  I am pretty sure that if I hadn't been listening really carefully to music I knew that I would have noticed a difference.

 

--Mark

I can easily say that the SR-009 driven by a SRM-727II is head above shoulders better than the HD-800 driven by the GS-X, Liquid Fire, WA22, or B22.

The T1 can be aquired for $1100 down under and less, I like the SQ of the T1 but its bass is over powering,

 

The HD800 with the SLP phonitor can be impressively live, via a CD, possible IMO best the 407 via a 006.  But the recording has to be top notch, with the average recording, the HD800 is not worth the dosh, its unlistenable!

 

The 407 with the 006t is better overall in terms of speed and clarity for the average recording.

Dont take this the wrong way but I take it that you have done the comparision and not assumed or have said it just for the heck of it????

You're kidding right? 

 

As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words...here's a few photos:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/g/a/23503/my-setup/

Edited by MacedonianHero - 1/17/13 at 8:48pm

I laughed. MH is (arguably) one of those most experienced (gear wise) Head-fiers ever. 

 

 

That being said I agree with him. 

 

Having done the comparison myself between HD800 powered by a Liquid Fire (and Liquid Glass, my favorite amp with them) in my own home for an extended period I can agree completely with MH.

 

I went into it expecting the HD800 to win out because of value vs improvement but man was I wrong. I'm a huge advocate of not overstating differences here because it misleads people...but the HD800 compared to the 009 is not a subtle difference. 

 

Oh, and I've said it many time before but I'll say it as needed I suppose. I feel that while the HD800s soundstage is bigger it is not more realistic. It makes things sound too big and blurs the edges because of this. The 009 is absolutely precise when it comes to staging. 

@MH: Do you ever get bored with having that amount of gear? Or a hard time picking one to suit your listening sessions?

I have to agree with this also, and I doubt that MH would be giving out opinions on things he hasn't experienced himself.

 

My venture with the SR009 definitely mirrors yours Morbid. I didn't think that more detail would come out of the music since I assumed the HD800 + Phonitor would be the pinnacle for exactly that. I was wrong, and even with the 727ii (it's not a BHSE) and the SR009, I found stuff I never heard before on recordings I've listened to regularly on many setups. Another thing, I don't think any headphone sound stage can be natural, by that I mean real-life like. All headphones have different presentations for sound stage, but all are unnatural in my opinion. That said, I am very satisfied with the sound stage and especially the separation the SR009 offers. The HD800 on the other hand has a lot of airy/space between instruments that might be disconcerting in some cases or beneficial in others.

Musicality and natural sound is what my new speakers are for. :D

 

009s really couldn't touch 'em.

 

HD800 w/Pinnacle vs. 009 w/Stax 007t/ii amp is a close call.

The Stax is slightly more analytical, a little more glassy and more liquid and smooth, but with more defined bass and a little more detail in vocals and instruments.

 

The HD800 also has great bass, very satisfying and deep, with clear sweet highs that are extended to what seems infinity and still not painful, actually very satisfying highs, and they do not sound bright, just clear.

Any reticence in the HD800 bass I used to detect has been put to rest in recent extended listening. I now love the bass in these.

 

It's hard to say, and maybe I'll think about elaborating when I get some sleep, but the Sennheisers are a pure conventional driver cones-and-domes sound, a more

point-source direct sound, while the Stax is definitely a planar sound, like a wall of sound, just like with, say, Martin Logan or Quad speakers vs. conventional speakers.

 

Both setups are absolutely great and musical and thrilling with minimal to zero fatigue and make me feel (subjectively of course) that the musical experience is just as satisfying in its own way as a top notch speaker setup,

but in a totally different way, of course...

 

(My HD800s use an Apex Enigma balanced cable.)

Main reason for headphones is, my wife doesn't have to keep telling me to lower the volume.

As a matter of fact, I enjoy headphones more than speakers. Strange, I know :)

Even with the lowly SRD7 Mk2, the 009 sounds great.

My current build (KGSSHV) is slowly but surely being built.