Hi I compared the Beyerdynamic T1.2 with the schiit Valhalla2 and the Stax sr-L700 mk1 with the SRM T1-S amp. The T1.2 was too woolly, and the L700 was too bright. So I need a better energizer, I agree. Still the T1.2 was lovely. I like it, and I will enjoy the Valhalla 2 a lot till I can afford a Woo WA2.

My sister brought me some Stax SR-L700 mk1 from Japan. I combine it with a SRM T1-S energizer, and an Ayre QB-9 24/96 for the nice records of Qobuz-Studio. I quit the Gumby for a better Dac. The old Ayre is better than new Schiit it seems. It is a good thing that Stax produced the aluminum yokes of the L700 mk 2. I once broke the plastic yokes of the mk 1. Even without letting them fall from a height. With the L700 I am able to enjoy the better recording quality of modern record studios. But, like the SR- 009, the L700 needs a too expensive energizer. I don't like spending 3000 euro to Mjolnir Audio. My solution for the future upgrade is eBay. For 1100 euro you can buy a 100 Volt SRM 007tA, taxes excluded. Then I can use a stepdown adaptor since I start with 230 Volt. Energizers can easily be more expensive than a budget is large. But I can enjoy some music with the T1-S.


I compared the Stax with the Hifiman Ananda. In a shop. I liked the Ananda with hires new recordings, but I disliked the old remastered hires Ella & Louis. The treble was too sharp. No fun. At home with Stax, Ella & Louis hires sounded nice to my ears. The Ananda is a cheaper headphone; perhaps I can hear it is too cheap. The Stax does not play the deepest bass very well. Maybe with a better energizer, I could hear more low.

At Qobuz-Studio there is a lot of hires, not only Diana Krall. I don’t mind Diana Krall though.

Today the Beyerdynamic T1 gen. 2 was in the mail. (Second hand, no breaking in). Not to begin with buying a Woo WA2 or a Feliks Audio Elise or Euforia, I had bought the Schiit Valhalla 2. And I had to warm up the tubes a bit before the T1 sounded any good. The L700 sounds more transparent in the treble, more informative, but the bass of the T1 is more there. Still although the T1 is lovely, the music is farther away from the listener. Is the L700 too bright? It is a bit brighter than the T1. The amp situation is also a point, how much am I judging the amps? Nice cans, I guess I like them both.


Best wishes Yoram