HIFIMAN Shangri-La: The New Electrostatic Headphones From HIFIMAN
May 10, 2024 at 3:54 PM Post #1,066 of 1,100
I have a Stax SR009s powered by HeadAmp's BHSE that soon I will "upgrade" to the Grand Cayman.

I was considering getting a second electrostat headphone and I am hesitating between Stax X9000 or a shangri-la SR, but the distributor that carry booth headphones advised to get the X9000 because of " too many quality concerns with Shangri-la Sr ".

Have you experienced those "quality issues" with Shangri-la Sr ? (at $ 18.000 we expect NO quality issues at all !! )

The build of the SGL is very poor for a TOTL headphone let alone at this price point. The cable is covered in a nylon material that causes microphonics and the length of the pins for some reason were not measured correctly for stax pro so a plastic spacer has been placed on it (otherwise the pin would be exposed at the end and pose a lethal threat to someone who accidently touched it while it was still plugged in). The cable is also very prone to tangle and shorter than standard (4ft maybe?). The rest of the SGL is near identical build to the he1000 $1,400~ headphone, which was already cheaply built for that price point. A lot of it is clear money grab too, like the pads are essentially the same as the he1000's, which sell for $70~, but a replacement set for the SGL is $210 at 300% higher. Additionally there have been cases of distortion, specifically in the 16-20khz range that is human audible for younger listeners, and a case of mold growing on the driver. Its possible the mold is specific to that one person's environment being very humid, but it indicates the drivers could be exposed to the elements more so than other estats.

The X9k on the other hand, is extremely well built, but some units have developed driver imbalance - although they are less commonly reported now, so it seems Stax may have made a change to their assemblage to handle this. The first unit I got had channel imbalance show up within 24 hours, and my replacement unit never had issues after 6mo+ ownership. Stax has a similar issue with the first run of the sr-009 and then quietly corrected their manufacturing to deal with what was eventually decided was a problem with how the wires were soldered.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:08 PM Post #1,067 of 1,100
I've only owned for a few months but no quality control issues here. Look here for the mold story - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/e-s...-x9000-vs-hfm-shangri-la-junior.962759/page-6

Soundwise, I prefer the SGL SR. Either can take a bass shelf for some added low end emphasis if that's your preference.

Warranty is 5 years with HiFiMan and 1 year with Stax. There have been plenty of quality control issues with with the X9K as well.

I paid around $300 to extend my warranty to 5 years for the X9K.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:14 PM Post #1,068 of 1,100
I paid around $300 to extend my warranty to 5 years for the X9K.
Was that an offer by a specific vendor or by the manufacturer? details and links are most welcome.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:15 PM Post #1,069 of 1,100
The build of the SGL is very poor for a TOTL headphone let alone at this price point. The cable is covered in a nylon material that causes microphonics and the length of the pins for some reason were not measured correctly for stax pro so a plastic spacer has been placed on it (otherwise the pin would be exposed at the end and pose a lethal threat to someone who accidently touched it while it was still plugged in). The cable is also very prone to tangle and shorter than standard (4ft maybe?). The rest of the SGL is near identical build to the he1000 $1,400~ headphone, which was already cheaply built for that price point. A lot of it is clear money grab too, like the pads are essentially the same as the he1000's, which sell for $70~, but a replacement set for the SGL is $210 at 300% higher. Additionally there have been cases of distortion, specifically in the 16-20khz range that is human audible for younger listeners, and a case of mold growing on the driver. Its possible the mold is specific to that one person's environment being very humid, but it indicates the drivers could be exposed to the elements more so than other estats.

The X9k on the other hand, is extremely well built, but some units have developed driver imbalance - although they are less commonly reported now, so it seems Stax may have made a change to their assemblage to handle this. The first unit I got had channel imbalance show up within 24 hours, and my replacement unit never had issues after 6mo+ ownership. Stax has a similar issue with the first run of the sr-009 and then quietly corrected their manufacturing to deal with what was eventually decided was a problem with how the wires were soldered.
Fully agree the X9k are a nicer build and they sound great.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:23 PM Post #1,070 of 1,100
QUOTE="genefruit, post: 18117466, member: 522618"]
Was that an offer by a specific vendor or by the manufacturer? details and links are most welcome.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t recall. I’ll have to check the paperwork when I get home. I bought that particular through e-earphone when I lived in Japan.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:26 PM Post #1,071 of 1,100
NO STAX headphone is "extremely well-built", IMO. I owned the X9000, and would give its construction about a B+ grade. The sliders are plastic, and I had to install some backing material on one side to keep the detent from slipping during normal use. The clamp force was too light for my taste, and the metal headband doesn't have the most solid feel. I do agree that the SGL should look and feel more premium for its asking price, but slagging HifiMan construction quality runs rampant on Head-Fi, and it's not commensurate with reality. The SGL cable is 6', and I didn't find it particularly microphonic. I do agree that it should be detachable, as is the X9000's cable.

In terms of warranty and support, STAX loses. The X9000 has a 1-year, non-transferable warranty. I believe all service must be handled through a dealer. HifiMan has some of the best customer support in the industry, which is directly accessible to anyone via email. I'd rather deal with HifiMan vs. STAX every day of the week.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:28 PM Post #1,072 of 1,100
May 10, 2024 at 4:31 PM Post #1,073 of 1,100
I paid around $300 to extend my warranty to 5 years for the X9K.
Money well spent...
Lots of channel imbalance out there.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:44 PM Post #1,074 of 1,100
I can't agree that the Hifiman estat cables are microphonic. I have not had issues with the Jr's cable in the over 2 years that I've owned it. Sure, the construction isn't the best, but I have no ergonomic issues with the cable. It is also 6 feet long, and actually a better length than the excessively long 10-ft Stax cables (the 4.5ft one included with the X9000 is much better in that regard).
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:51 PM Post #1,075 of 1,100
I have a Stax SR009s powered by HeadAmp's BHSE that soon I will "upgrade" to the Grand Cayman.

I was considering getting a second electrostat headphone and I am hesitating between Stax X9000 or a shangri-la SR, but the distributor that carry booth headphones advised to get the X9000 because of " too many quality concerns with Shangri-la Sr ".

Have you experienced those "quality issues" with Shangri-la Sr ? (at $ 18.000 we expect NO quality issues at all !! )

The actual build quality is the same as the Susvara, with two exceptions: 1) the wood looks/feels a bit nicer and 2) the cable doesn't feel well made, although this is kind of consistent. Outside of that, it's the same build. I'm on the record multiple times saying that I expected a more "luxurious" feel from the Sr. at it's price. I think that's a pretty fair criticism. Neither the Susvara or SGL Sr. feel cheap and both are built pretty well imo, rather they both could have a bit more "luxurious" feel, and particularly the Sr.

Where I have to fully disagree with anyone, is that there are quality concerns with it. I haven't had a single one, nor the 3-4 people I know that have bought them that I've talked to personally, plus the countless others on forums. As mentioned I know of one person that had a mold issue, but given everyone else's experience I'm pretty sure that's due to the conditions of where they were used. Now given its price point, there's a much lower sample size, but still.

In comparison, the x9k has had a heap of channel imbalance issues as mentioned (hell this is the reason I didn't buy them a second time), and I've had several issues with other Stax cans and a prior HE60. So based on my experience and what I've seen from others, the Sr. seems actually quite a bit more reliable than other stats.
 
May 10, 2024 at 4:55 PM Post #1,076 of 1,100
The actual build quality is the same as the Susvara, with two exceptions: 1) the wood looks/feels a bit nicer and 2) the cable doesn't feel well made, although this is kind of consistent. Outside of that, it's the same build. I'm on the record multiple times saying that I expected a more "luxurious" feel from the Sr. at it's price. I think that's a pretty fair criticism. Neither the Susvara or SGL Sr. feel cheap and both are built pretty well imo, rather they both could have a bit more "luxurious" feel, and particularly the Sr.

Where I have to fully disagree with anyone, is that there are quality concerns with it. I haven't had a single one, nor the 3-4 people I know that have bought them that I've talked to personally, plus the countless others on forums. As mentioned I know of one person that had a mold issue, but given everyone else's experience I'm pretty sure that's due to the conditions of where they were used. Now given its price point, there's a much lower sample size, but still.

In comparison, the x9k has had a heap of channel imbalance issues as mentioned (hell this is the reason I didn't buy them a second time), and I've had several issues with other Stax cans and a prior HE60. So based on my experience and what I've seen from others, the Sr. seems actually quite a bit more reliable than other stats.
Can you run a hz sweep between 16.000-21,000 and perhaps use something other than your ear (an iPhone recording could work)
I thought I was hearing this on the SGL I heard. I have asked another SGL owner to do the same and they found distortion at 18,000 on only one channel.

This wouldn't be the first TOTL that had problems with distortion, Abyss ab1266 has been shown to have bad harmonic distortion.
 
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May 10, 2024 at 5:05 PM Post #1,077 of 1,100
May 10, 2024 at 5:06 PM Post #1,078 of 1,100
@genefruit

$225 with the conversion rate of the time. Would be $185 with current conversion rate. Definitely a no brainer to opt in.

It was through the store.
 
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May 10, 2024 at 5:09 PM Post #1,079 of 1,100
Can you run a hz sweep between 16.000-21,000 and perhaps use something other than your ear (an iPhone recording could work)
I thought I was hearing this on the SGL I heard. I have asked another SGL owner to do the same and they found distortion at 18,000 on only one channel.

This wouldn't be the first TOTL that had problems with distortion, Abyss ab1266 has been shown to have bad harmonic distortion.

Actually, this the one issue I did have previously that I mentioned in I think this thread or another. Very low level intermittent noise, that has pretty much gone away. I believe @BassicScience detected it a few times as well when I loaned them to him. Every now and then it comes back shortly, but it's very rare, which is why it just slipped my mind.

This is still, a far cry from the farting issues of the CRBN or the non-starter imbalance issues of the x9k (this is also what plagued a prior 007 and HE60). So still, imo, I'd have greater reliability concerns with others than the SGL Sr.
 
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May 10, 2024 at 5:17 PM Post #1,080 of 1,100
The actual build quality is the same as the Susvara, with two exceptions: 1) the wood looks/feels a bit nicer and 2) the cable doesn't feel well made, although this is kind of consistent. Outside of that, it's the same build. I'm on the record multiple times saying that I expected a more "luxurious" feel from the Sr. at it's price. I think that's a pretty fair criticism. Neither the Susvara or SGL Sr. feel cheap and both are built pretty well imo, rather they both could have a bit more "luxurious" feel, and particularly the Sr.

Where I have to fully disagree with anyone, is that there are quality concerns with it. I haven't had a single one, nor the 3-4 people I know that have bought them that I've talked to personally, plus the countless others on forums. As mentioned I know of one person that had a mold issue, but given everyone else's experience I'm pretty sure that's due to the conditions of where they were used. Now given its price point, there's a much lower sample size, but still.

In comparison, the x9k has had a heap of channel imbalance issues as mentioned (hell this is the reason I didn't buy them a second time), and I've had several issues with other Stax cans and a prior HE60. So based on my experience and what I've seen from others, the Sr. seems actually quite a bit more reliable than other stats.
I feel very similarly and said as such in my reviews of both the headphones. The build of the X9000 feels more premium than the Shangri-La.

However, all the reports of channel imbalance with the X9000, 1 year warranty, and wait times for replacements (meaning sending the headphones to your dealer, them sending to japan, then waiting three months or more, then back to your dealer, then back to you) even within the warranty period have kept me away from buying a pair. However, the pair of X9000 I had on loan for review did work as advertised for the month that I had it, which is worth mentioning.

Sound wise I would prefer the Shangri-La over the X9000 but the X9000 is also a very good pair of headphones. Some might prefer it over the Shangri-la, depending on their personal preferences.
 

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