Two more reviews added - Stax 009 and 007MK2
Added Audeze LCD-3 (old and fazors), Mr. Speakers Mad Dog, Ultrasone Signature DJ, Focal Spirit Pro to spreadsheet.
Started revision of "The Best" marks for top level headphones.
"The Best" = "A"
"Very Best" = "A+"
"Gods" = "A+++"
Stax 009
We welcome one more headphones which talents lie outside metal genres. Alas, Stax SR-009 for me are among "great, but non-metal headphones". It's rather sad for the person spoiled by a bass volume of many of top contemporary dynamic and isodynamic cans to find such a problem, actually the only problem, in a supertop headphones. 009 just don't provide enough of bass pressure for metal. Other technical parameters of 009 surely bypass most of competitors.
Couple of words about technical performance. I listened 009 with Wooaudio WES (tubes used - Tesla EL34, Sylvania 6SL7GT). Also tried 009 on Headamp KGSS, but its powerful and brawny character, considerably concealed pluses of 009, but but could not cope to conceal the only minus (bass performance). With WES 009 possess the stunning, huge scene. Exciting, detailed, with no trace of fatiguing brightness. Natural, stunningly realistic mids, originally - dead neutral, with tubes used - slightly warm. A bass - fast, detailed, extended, but compared to many top cans, not too large in volume.
That was pleasant on metal:
Progressive: Slightly pale, but nevertheless extremely impressive reflection of abilities 009 to play a prog-rock (The genre created for headphones, the headphones created for a genre. Behind each turn, the new line - an invariable new portion of endorphins. Wide, airy. Ideal contact of 009 signature with music material.) …
Heavy Metal: The vocal hypnotizes and moves you far beyond. Instrumental parts flow like clouds in the sky. Above than "simply perfect". But shoot me at my foot - it seems that it's is possible to perform Hard Rock even better.
Symphonic: Symphonic and vocal fragments are at such a level… The endorphin volume quite replaces the easiest failure of the drive (compared to 007). Better than many of the best, but not absolute top perhaps.
Goth: And this is perhaps not "simply the best", but "the best of the best". The abundance of voice parts allows to clear up, reveal in the full grew key pluses, generally slow tempo with no need in bass shock doesn't allow minus to creep out.
That was pleasant less:
Industrial: Pressure of a metal wall has to smear you methodically on a floor. Doesn't smear. There is no massage of liver on the infra-bass.
Sludge, Stoner: Where power and light-hearted enthusiasm are necessary - 009 give in, alas. Lack of bass pressure and lack of crazy energy.
Power: Technically perhaps quite okay - soundstage is wide, the vocal is great, a lack of a bass isn't too bad. But atmosphere... 009 play too serious and even for Power metal.
Black: Very precise and accurate. But bomehow toy-like... On a bass - as if you you look at the tiny dwarfs through magnifying glass. But it supposed to be a terrible giant, arousing fear.
Death: Impressions on Black repeated. The little man behaves violently representing the titan.
Grindcore: Accurately, but not impactful enough. Filigree, but not brutal. Seemingly razor-sharp, but razor doesn't cut a throat.
Doom: Not so bad as could follow from abstract bass volume shortage analysis. The bass after all has excellent extent, the infra-bass is present. But the level of low frequency fat is really low to recreate impressive Doom atmosphere.
Alternative: Technically everything is almost okay, but for top top level cans - not ideal. Not enough of slam, not so desperate as in other metal subgenres, but nevertheless. Lack of "spark", 009 play too even and true.
Grand total. If the considerable part of music preferences of yours consusts of nonmetallic genres, with a highest probability minuses noted in the review can be irrelevant for you. It is possible to ignore them safely and to considet 009 best cans for metal also. If there is no wish or it is impossible for you to ignore more bass-heavy dynamic/orthodynamic cans, alas, in my opinion - 009 on metal are niche players, one of the of the best however for these niches.
Stax 007MK2
On non-metal genres I listened 007 on WES, on a meatal - KGSS. Alas, on both amplifiers there was a feeling that 007 are under-amplified. On non-metal genres with WES such a feeling perhaps even makes the certain flavour, that a right for existence. KGSS plays fast and powerful metal better, than WES, but... Impression that 007 can play better, much better does not leave me.
KGSS + 007 have well controlled, dense bass. Euphoric electrostatic air on mids and highs is blown off a bit - welcome to solidstate amplification. Mids of 007 are a little more flat compared to 009. The soundstage is much less, than 009's scene. But, the most amusing - 007's minuses manage to turn to pluses on some genres.
Joy:
Heavy Metal: If 009 were made as lethal weapon for progressive rock, 007 MK2 were created as hard rock lethal weapon. Add some more of "meat", "brutality" and even reduced soundstage (in comparison with 009) - everything in 007 sound signature develops in pluses on a genre, realizing outstanding result.
Doom: Somewhat unexpected. Strangely enough, even on going to an overload (hello, Monolord) 007 don't give in neither on density nor on power. The pure mids gives special, fauvorable for Doom flavour.
Sludge, Stoner: Genre is a mix of Doom and Heavy metal and so are results.
Alternative: Well. The vocal fascinates in an ordinary electrostatic manner. PRAT drives. The bass slam is more than enough for the genre. Above than "an average excellent".
Thrash: If cans are magnificent on vigorous rock, is it the reason to give them top marks for every rock-ish genre? On Thrash - definitely. Energy whips, speed impresses, detail level id striking, but not straining.
Grieve:
Black, Death, Grindcore: I listened 007 on Black for a long, I was thinking, I was looking for an answer on forum threads. What's the problem?, It seems like everything is accurate and balanced, technical abilities of 007 fit Black metal very well. But. Anyway. On Black, Death and Grindcore after couple of minutes of listening subconscious message doesn't allow to take full pleasure from music. A bass. Drums sound as if at peaks of signals sinusoidal tops are cut off plainly. Or in poles between "humps" of peaks of signals sand is filled up. Terribly unpleasant. The most probable reason for this - KGSS (not hv version) under-amplifies 007 MK2. At least on on fast extreme genres.
Power: No. Not enough of space for power-metal soul to take off. Too seriously it thumps, too heavy for a flight.
Progressive, Symphonic: Excessively heavy, especially on contrast with 009, there is no the wide and ringing emptiness, magical "nowhere" from which sounds of music appears. A closet - not a soundstage for Progressive and Symphonic metal.
Goth: Typically mediocre for vigorous cans. It is not a right time for and joyful run. It is better to sit and grieve in a cold of the night.
With a regret I has to note that if 009 on nonmetallic genres unambiguously make absolutely indelible impression, 007 on metal don't make such radical impression. Certainly 007 are among top of the top headphones, but they're not top of the top of the top )) I had no time for adaptation to 007 sound signature, couple of weeks is not enough? Perhaps. Not my sound? Possibly. But feelings from 009 listening were like "Wow...", from 007 it was more loke "Hmm, somehow something isn't perfect, it seems like cans XXX play it better". And even thus that as a rule XXX played at the similar level, but in a different way, 007 were by default considered as catching up...
Planning to try 007 later on more appropriate amplification.
