[rgs9200m]

Thanks Purk. Yeah, I tried but could never get my hands on a bass heavy R10 and finally gave up and cut my losses and embraced 800s, LCD3s, and TH900s...
Do you think I could have fun with Qualias? ('never heard them).

 

[purk]

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Did you get a chance to listen to the Qualia on the GS-X mkII?

 
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Thanks Purk. Yeah, I tried but could never get my hands on a bass heavy R10 and finally gave up and cut my losses and embraced 800s, LCD3s, and TH900s...
Do you think I could have fun with Qualias? ('never heard them).

 
Yup, with the right fit the Qualia is a match made in heaven with the GS-X MKII.  If I don't already have the Qualia & R10, the HD800 will be my main dynamics headphones.

 

[Asr]

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The GS-X MKII is pretty darn nice man..just that the BHSE is in another league.  I think KGSSHV is probably in the same league as the GSX-MKII.

 
I don't know how you can compare the GS-X to the BHSE, since one is dynamic and the other is electrostatic. I agree with you in a sense though - having previously owned the GS-X MK1 and BHSE simultaneously for a fair amount of time, I'd say that my set of dynamic headphones which included the HD800, LCD-3, & HP2, as good as they sounded, couldn't even come close to the level provided by the OII MKI on the BHSE. If there was anything that ever deserved the proverbial "night and day" comparison, it was those dynamic headphones vs the OII/BHSE. The dynamic setup always sounded like it was just playing back pre-recorded music. The stat setup always sounded real and live - so incredibly detailed & immersive, it actually sounded surreal that the music was coming off a pre-recorded CD.
 
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The HD-600 / GS-X is connected to my Source via XLR interconnects, and the SR-009 / BHSE by RCA's, all that needs to be done is change the setting on the Source.
Obviously both headphones can't be used with both amps, but because of the short time in changing from one headphone combo to the other, it's very easy to hear any difference.

 
How come you're not using the XLR loop output on either the BHSE or the GS-X? Assuming your source is properly balanced (dual-differential), that would level out your comparison.
 
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I would have to agree. I wonder how far apart is the BHSE with 009 from GSX with HD800 though. I have heard both at a meet and the e-stat sounded better to me overall. However, HD800 with GSX had the e-stat beat on the size of sound stage, euphony (I hate that word, but since I have not better one.....), and bass impact.

 
I heard the BHSE & SR-009 and GS-X (MK1) & HD800 (not at a meet, had them both in my home at different times), and I'd give the edge to the SR-009 by quite a wide margin. However, unlike you I wouldn't say that the HD800 beat anything about the SR-009. I thought the SR-009 was better in every way compared to the HD800. I think I mentioned that in my SR-009 mini-review too.
 
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The trouble is, the HD800 driven correctly is more amazing.....

 
I for one was never amazed by the HD800 that much and I'm pretty sure the GS-X MK1 (and Luxman P-1u) drove it correctly. Well I wasn't really amazed by the SR-009 either, so there's that too. I was way more a fan of the OII MKI. The HD800 to me was at best "yeah this sounds good", the SR-009 was "this definitely sounds better but still not impressed", and the OII was "HOLY CRAP ON A STICK, I'VE GOTTA BE DREAMING! SOMEBODY PINCH ME, THIS CAN'T BE REAL!"

 
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Yup, with the right fit the Qualia is a match made in heaven with the GS-X MKII.  If I don't already have the Qualia & R10, the HD800 will be my main dynamics headphones.

 
I had the Qualia and GS-X MK1 at the same time for a short period and definitely thought the same with the GS-X MK1. The GS-X made the Qualia's treble sounded absolutely perfect. The treble on the Qualia/GS-X made me go "THIS TREBLE CAN'T BE REAL! HOLY CRAP! NO WAIT IT ACTUALLY DOES SOUND REAL! 99% OF OTHER HEADPHONES JUST DON'T HAVE REALISTIC TREBLE!" The 100% clarity was also completely mindblowing: "...... %#$#! ......... %^*^#%%#! ........................."
 
In fact, it's since become obvious to me what the HeadAmp sound is: transparency, speed, & extreme clarity. Nothing else to obstruct that goal. With almost any HeadAmp amp, you will hear your source and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
And I'd daresay to anyone who doesn't like how a HeadAmp amp sounds: it's almost definitely because of the source. The HeadAmp amp is just showing you the source's sonic warts! Try another source to make the warts go away.

 

[Solude]

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 the SR-009 was "this definitely sounds better but still not impressed", and the OII was "HOLY CRAP ON A STICK, I'VE GOTTA BE DREAMING! SOMEBODY PINCH ME, THIS CAN'T BE REAL!"

 
If only the 007 wasn't built to punish big heads and broken in it's Mk2.5 version  I more than once thought about taking a hole punch to the elastic band to reduce it's pull down pressure.  But didn't want to kill resale.

 

[purk]

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I don't know how you can compare the GS-X to the BHSE, since one is dynamic and the other is electrostatic. I agree with you in a sense though - having previously owned the GS-X MK1 and BHSE simultaneously for a fair amount of time, I'd say that my set of dynamic headphones which included the HD800, LCD-3, & HP2, as good as they sounded, couldn't even come close to the level provided by the OII MKI on the BHSE. If there was anything that ever deserved the proverbial "night and day" comparison, it was those dynamic headphones vs the OII/BHSE. The dynamic setup always sounded like it was just playing back pre-recorded music. The stat setup always sounded real and live - so incredibly detailed & immersive, it actually sounded surreal that the music was coming off a pre-recorded CD.
 
 

 
Yup it is impossible to compare the dynamics & stats amps, but we can probably gauge the performance using top class headphones.  I also have the SRM-717 (KGSS with less exotics parts & PSU) near by as a reference and the SRM-717+SR009 was good but maybe not as good as the GS-X MKII + R10 & Qualia.  Hence the reason why I mentioned the KGSSHV.
 
 
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I heard the BHSE & SR-009 and GS-X (MK1) & HD800 (not at a meet, had them both in my home at different times), and I'd give the edge to the SR-009 by quite a wide margin. However, unlike you I wouldn't say that the HD800 beat anything about the SR-009. I thought the SR-009 was better in every way compared to the HD800. I think I mentioned that in my SR-009 mini-review too.
 
I for one was never amazed by the HD800 that much and I'm pretty sure the GS-X MK1 (and Luxman P-1u) drove it correctly. Well I wasn't really amazed by the SR-009 either, so there's that too. I was way more a fan of the OII MKI. The HD800 to me was at best "yeah this sounds good", the SR-009 was "this definitely sounds better but still not impressed", and the OII was "HOLY CRAP ON A STICK, I'VE GOTTA BE DREAMING! SOMEBODY PINCH ME, THIS CAN'T BE REAL!" 

 

 
Did you listen to the HD800 in balanced form?  I don't care much for the HD800 either out of my Gilmore Reference Balanced in SE, but balanced the HD800 really did transform.
 
 
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I had the Qualia and GS-X MK1 at the same time for a short period and definitely thought the same with the GS-X MK1. The GS-X made the Qualia's treble sounded absolutely perfect. The treble on the Qualia/GS-X made me go "THIS TREBLE CAN'T BE REAL! HOLY CRAP! NO WAIT IT ACTUALLY DOES SOUND REAL! 99% OF OTHER HEADPHONES JUST DON'T HAVE REALISTIC TREBLE!" The 100% clarity was also completely mindblowing: "...... %#$#! ......... %^*^#%%#! ........................."
 
In fact, it's since become obvious to me what the HeadAmp sound is: transparency, speed, & extreme clarity. Nothing else to obstruct that goal. With almost any HeadAmp amp, you will hear your source and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 
Sounds like you miss the Qualia Steve.  It really is a really special headphones.  Thanks for selling me your Qualia Black Dragon upgraded cable.

 

[Maxvla]

The presentation of most stats ruins any feeling of it being real, so HD800 wins easily over any of them. I heard the HE-90 and SR-009 last weekend at the Dallas meet and after several swaps I ended up being really unsatisfied with the SR-009 to the point where I wouldn't listen to them anymore. The vocals sounded tight, almost strangled and they were coming from above my line of sight. Swap to the HE-90 and the vocals come back to eye level and open up naturally. Swap to GS-X2 and HD800 and the vocals are now perfectly centered but still open and despite a slight bit of grain, much more realistic than either HE-90 or SR-009.

Give me an HE-90 with HD800 presentation and I will be completely satisfied. Give me HE-90 with UERM presentation (holographic soundstage and imaging) and I would be hard pressed to tell a difference from real life.

 

[purk]

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The presentation of most stats ruins any feeling of it being real, so HD800 wins easily over any of them. I heard the HE-90 and SR-009 last weekend at the Dallas meet and after several swaps I ended up being really unsatisfied with the SR-009 to the point where I wouldn't listen to them anymore. The vocals sounded tight, almost strangled and they were coming from above my line of sight. Swap to the HE-90 and the vocals come back to eye level and open up naturally. Swap to GS-X2 and HD800 and the vocals are now perfectly centered but still open and despite a slight bit of grain, much more realistic than either HE-90 or SR-009.

Give me an HE-90 with HD800 presentation and I will be completely satisfied. Give me HE-90 with UERM presentation (holographic soundstage and imaging) and I would be hard pressed to tell a difference from real life.

Can't please everybody.  

 One of the HE-90's shortcoming is the depth of soundstage in my opinion.  Everything is rendered big and grand on it.  Glad you enjoyed the HE90 though.  One of the thing I like the best about the SR009 is its ability to convey depth and the extra resolution that is slightly missing on the HE90.

 

[Cante Ista]

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I heard the BHSE & SR-009 and GS-X (MK1) & HD800 (not at a meet, had them both in my home at different times), and I'd give the edge to the SR-009 by quite a wide margin. However, unlike you I wouldn't say that the HD800 beat anything about the SR-009. I thought the SR-009 was better in every way compared to the HD800. I think I mentioned that in my SR-009 mini-review too.
 
 

I could see that. Like i said, my listening was in meet environment. However, I like wide expansive sound stage so that's way I give the HD800 a leg up on that dimension. I do think it has a wider sound stage. However, my jaw literally dropped first time I heard BHSE with 009. no doubt about that. It does image amazingly.

 

[MacedonianHero]

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I would say that SR-009 vs HD600 is unfair

Bingo!!!!
 
As is SR-009 vs. HD800 (as much as the HD800s trump the HD600s, I feel the SR009s are that much more above the HD800s).

 

[s4s4s4]

Never heard the SR-009's but if they are that much better than the HD800's why even bother with the rolled off, dynamically compressed LCD-3's.

 

[Greed]

Never heard the SR-009's but if they are that much better than the HD800's why even bother with the rolled off, dynamically compressed LCD-3's.

Woah... schiit just got real.

 

[s4s4s4]

Schiit for sure,
 
Yes they sound nice and cuddly but less face it they sound like you used a compressor, an equalizer on the bass and stuffed some dirty socks between the drivers and your ears compared to HD800's. 

 

[Asr]

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Did you listen to the HD800 in balanced form?  I don't care much for the HD800 either out of my Gilmore Reference Balanced in SE, but balanced the HD800 really did transform.
 
Sounds like you miss the Qualia Steve.  It really is a really special headphones.

 
Yup, I did have the HD800 balanced on the GS-X MK1 at the time, but even balanced the HD800 still just wasn't that amazing to me, and it had very limited practicality.
 
I do miss the Qualia's sound but can do without it. Unfortunately, I found the Qualia to have limited practicality for me as well. That combined with its OOP status led me to sell it.
 
Mentioning the Qualia reminded me that my top favorite headphones are all Japanese, which is kinda weird - the Audio-Technica AD2K (#1), Stax OII MKI (#2), Sony Qualia 010 (#3), and Fostex TH900 (#4). I have to wonder, is there something about these Japanese headphones?

If Audio-Technica, Sony, & Fostex got together they could probably make my ultimate dynamic headphones!
 
But back to the topic of the GS-X MK2: it really is an amazing amp. Not only does it have enough spare power for planar magnetics, but as usual for the HeadAmp amps, it really drives low-impedance high-sensitivity headphones really well too. I think HeadAmp amps are some of the best amps for low-impedance high-sensitivity types! They're the only amps that I can reliably use my Audio-Technica AD2K with and not have anything detracted. The Fostex TH900 is awesome with it too.

 

[David1961]

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I would say that SR-009 vs HD600 is unfair

 
I've only got the SR-009 + HD-600, [ + the Shure se535's ]  but I wasn't so much doing a comparison between those two headphones, or with the GS-Xmk2 & BHSE. 
I was just saying the way I've got my HD-600 / GS-X setup, does give me very good SQ.
 
Obviously we will agree the HD-600 isn't in the same class as the SR-009, just like IMO the GS-Xmk2 isn't as good as the BHSE.
What I am saying though, is I do think my Source brings the two combo's SQ closer to each other.
 
Although I'd never buy the HD-800, I wouldn't mind trying it with my GS-X setup just to see how that combo compared to the 009 / BHSE.

 

[rgs9200m]

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If only the 007 wasn't built to punish big heads and broken in it's Mk2.5 version  I more than once thought about taking a hole punch to the elastic band to reduce it's pull down pressure.  But didn't want to kill resale.

I unfortunately agree. I owned the SR007 Mk1s for many years and the comfort drove me crazy. They seemed very underpadded and my ears were clipped on the top an bottom of the ear cavity.
I did like the sound though, but I like my SR009's sound much better (and the comfort is fine). 
I approached the 009s like I would brighter/revealing speakers, carefully picking cables and sometimes warmer versions of recordings (like DCC CDs) to control them.
A really good power conditioner (I like Shunyatas) is also important. A headphone system benefits just as much from (unfortunately sometimes expensive) upstream tweaks 
as much as a speaker-based system does, and this is especially true with a revealing one like an 009 system.
On audiogon, there is are whole very active forums just for cables and power management, but that seems to get ignored somewhat on head-fi or considered as nuts or not worthy or unimportant.
But to my ears it really can improve things (or hurt things if done wrong).