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STAX SR-009 or wait for the Audeze LCD-3

post #1 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 

Hello guys, what do you recommend as my next purchase?

 

I share the love for a very balanced neutral and un-coloured  set true to the source.

 

What do you guys recommend?

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post #2 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by reelraw View Postset true to the source.

 

 


What if the source was meant to be gritty and slam so hard that it made hear race and vibrated your guts?

 

Very best,

 

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post #3 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:34pm

woah there slow down, you're talking about thousands of dollars there.

 

are you willing to pay for proper amplification?

 

are you willing to also pay for an expensive source?

 

are you going to go to a meet first.

 

 

these are all things you have to consider.

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post #4 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:47pm

balanced neutral uncoloured sounds more like STAX than LCD to me... to be fair, the LCD-3 may be completely different from the LCD-2, but I doubt it'll excel the SR-009. Just be prepared to drop another 8Gs for your set up.

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post #5 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:55pm

There are NO neutral and uncolored cans.  No can is perfect as is no speaker.  You buy the flavor you like.  Live with it.

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post #6 of 17
11/14/11 at 5:56pm

You may want to check out googleli's impressions. Start here.

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post #7 of 17
11/14/11 at 6:05pm

Going from little to the best headphones in the world...wow.

 

That's an interesting train of thought, though. I guess the poor man pays twice.

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post #8 of 17
11/14/11 at 6:13pm

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either of these. You're talking about the best of the best currently being offered.

 

That being said, you may find one is more "right" for your preferences. The best way to discern this is to go to some meets or a store with a unit you can demo and listen for yourself. This is important especially when talking about Stax, as most of the time these are imported and can't be returned!

 

Also consider the cost of making sure the rest of your system is up-to-snuff. You can have the finest headphones around, but if your source and amp suck, well, they're not going to sound very nice. Both of these headphones are going to be pretty close to neutral sounding to most ears, but often times your setup will greatly influence how they sound overall.

 

An electrostatic amp that will do any remote justice to the SR-009 is going to run you, minimum, around $1000 bucks used. A new one will be closer to $2000+. If you're going to go with Stax's drivers, then be aware that reviews are pretty mixed concerning their current lineup. Some feel the SRM-727 is too colored, while others find it fits the SR-009 well. You may be better off looking for a used SRM-717. Or you can try third-party, looking into a KGSS, BHSE, or upcoming Liquid Lightning. These will run you more money (upwards of $3000 to $5000) but are generally considered to be "better" sounding. If you want the absolute most cost effective solution you could perhaps get a used SRM-323A, which is surprisingly competent for what it is.

 

As for the LCD-3, well, not many folks have them yet, so you may want to wait for more impressions to come (though I have a feeling they're all going to be pretty glowing). You'll also have the benefit of seeing which amp combos people like. One early favorite is the Liquid Fire, which will also run you over $3000 bucks. However there are certainly less costly options like the Lyr (which some people swear by) or the Violectric V200.

 

So yeah... costly investments, as I'm sure you are aware. My advice would be to take it slowly and don't rush. Definitely listen to one or both if you can, and weight the additional costs of equipment. Pretty standard advice.


Edited by MuppetFace - 11/14/11 at 6:17pm
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post #9 of 17
11/14/11 at 6:30pm
Thread Starter 

 

 

When money isn't put into perspective (destroy my bank), I see really really awesome replies guys, However I wanted opinions which i will discern and make the choice from there later on down the track. I understand source and amplification needs to be meticulous, I hope to achieve a musical nirvana one day, and every one who has helped me or brought upon new opinions and perspectives, I cannot thank you enough.


For now I shall be looking into the best IEM's as a next purchase, I want to take a trip on the best moving portable set of custom IEM's

are there any recommendations, like I said money is not an issue. I shall be looking into IEM's as I am on the move a lot more rather and then  will look into full sized headphones.


True there aren't any completely neutral sounding headphones or IEM's however that can sometimes be a personal idea.

Favouring enveloping mid-range and spectacular high's, not to forget a well extended low punchy bass, is there an custom IEM that will suit me. I speak amid the pros, audiophiles and experienced, 

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post #10 of 17
11/14/11 at 6:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by reelraw View Post

 

 

When money isn't put into perspective (destroy my bank), I see really really awesome replies guys, However I wanted opinions which i will discern and make the choice from there later on down the track. I understand source and amplification needs to be meticulous, I hope to achieve a musical nirvana one day, and every one who has helped me or brought upon new opinions and perspectives, I cannot thank you enough.

 


 

Well, you've come to the right place for that. Just lurk on the LCD-3 and Stax threads for a while, and you'll find impressions for both there. Since these are the two "endgame" headphones right now, I'm sure there will be comparisons. You'll have better luck looking in those threads than starting your own I think.

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post #11 of 17
11/14/11 at 7:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by reelraw View Post


For now I shall be looking into the best IEM's as a next purchase, I want to take a trip on the best moving portable set of custom IEM's

are there any recommendations, like I said money is not an issue. I shall be looking into IEM's as I am on the move a lot more rather and then  will look into full sized headphones.


 



You want to start your IEM search here :-

 

http://www.jhaudio.com/collection/jha-pro-music-products

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post #12 of 17
11/14/11 at 7:18pm

Stax SR-009

 

I heard both at the OC meet recently and there was nothing there that sounded better. For me, it's my end all be all for headphones.

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post #13 of 17
11/14/11 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 

very true MuppetFace , I've spent heaps of time searching through the forums for quite some time,

I guess a new thread like this really enforces certain key ideas when it comes to hi-fi searching and specifics.

I appreciate all opinions, it refreshes my mind and the mind of others on peoples opinions on the two flagship models.

 

I have checked the Jh audio, Gwarmi  especially the jh-13 pro however I'm just a little concerned of the overall build fitment and specific sound quality as I have been looking into the UM Miracles and Westone ES5 which are slightly cheaper(not that it matters) but ultimately have slightly better build and quality sound can be compared.

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post #14 of 17
11/14/11 at 8:08pm

Heard both the LCD-3 and the 009 at CanJam in Denver.  Better bass on the LCD-3.  Maybe slightly more transparency on the Stax.

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post #15 of 17
11/14/11 at 8:14pm
Thread Starter 

Amazing perspective TwoTrack, you got in there early. such a lucky one to have pleasure in witnessing both.

see this is the beauty of venturing into these forums :)

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