[size=13.5pt]….Good Morning Friends who love the Headphone, [/size]
[size=13.5pt]as promised to Jack of Woo Audio last week, after receiving the Energizer Electrostatic WEE to use the STAX SR-507 Omega and MKII, arrived last month, with my 300B Driver, SE from 9 +9 Watt. Therefore I give you my first impressions of listening, before giving a final decision.
The listening system consists of:
• Source Accuphase DP-80L (Transport) and DC-81l (D/A Conv)
• Source SACD Marantz SA-15S1, Gold
• Driver Stax SRM-600 Limited
• Headphone Stax SR-507 Omega and MK2, Black
• Wee Woo Audio
• cable signal Vovox Prof. XLR (balanced)
• Power cable with Schuko plug Oyaide C-079 P-079 and IEC
• Power Cable Nordost Blue Heaven
The software used x this brief listening session:
• Antonio Forcione in "Live" (Naim Label)
• Al Di Meola in "Live in Milan, World Sinfonia" (Velten Label)
• Kramer Remar "Amentos (Velut Luna Label)
• Rachelle Ferrell "Rachelle Ferrell" (Somethin'else Label)
• Pink Floyd "Dark Side Of The Moon" (Harvest Original Master Recording Label)
• Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here (Harvest Label)
Description
The Production Stax’s are always well made and looks very attractive, a sign of good design applied to a high industrialization of the product, as can be seen on SR-507. Here we perceive the evolution and background efforts by Stax, in all these years. The structure is much more solid and rigid than in the past, and the transducers are the latest developments in the world of electrostatic, with whom Stax, wanted reduce the gap sonically with the Dynamic Top Class.[/size]
[size=13.5pt]The new SRM-600 Driver Limited, brings a fundamental change in the use of valves, new valves ECC99 used here, which have no equivalence with other valves, and then you can not do a "Tube Rolling" Driver. These valves have the characteristic of being high-power dual triode, designed to enhance the dynamism and vibrancy of sound. The output stage of the unit has adopted a high-power dual triode, offering a dynamic and a fresh sound, its dynamic systems.[/size]
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[size=13.5pt]The Omega MK2 (SR-007MK2) is the flagship model in the Stax House, which aims to reach the pinnacle of electrostatic sound to recreate the most subtle nuances with surgical precision.
The WEE is an energize electrostatic that permit to convert a normal amplifier for dynamic speaker, for use for electrostatic headphone. If You Already Have a speaker amp setup, the WEE is Probably The Most economical solution to start enjoying electrostatic headphones. The WEE is highly efficient with speaker amplifier, having a power = or > 3 of Watts, it's able to drive any Stax headphones, without effortlessly. To have this setup, basically, you will need a speaker amp, a WEE converter, and an electrostatic headphone as the Stax.
Listen
Although the Stax system would need a longer period to have a best warm up (=/>200 hours), you can immediately sense the potential that can give us the SR-507 / SRM-600Limited, unknown in the old version Lamda Signature / SRM -006T. Here the sound in addition to maintaining the beauty of detail and precision of the music instruments, there is a great dynamic, with a high speed of the response of the new transducers mounted on the SR-507, which give what until now was a bit "failure" on the headphones Stax, a bass very very nice and strong, similar to the best of Dynamic Headphones, present on world market. [/size]
[size=13.5pt]The new Stax SRM-600L Driver has been designed and constructed to help this new philosophy and image of the electrostatic Stax sound. Here too, it's very important the combination and synergy with other components of the system, if you want to reach very high peaks of listening. Certainly, that with Drivers "After Market" respect to Stax Drivers, as can to be Rudistor, Woo Audio and someone else, the limit furnished by the new SR-507 could reach an even more magical sound, but here, without having to open a mortgage, we are already at a strong and beatiful listening level.
By now the evening is past to dark night, and now the configuration is SR-007MK2/SRM-600L , listening becomes more cohesive and marble, with a frightening neutrality, sign that Omega MK2, truly represents the pinnacle of the headphones electrostatic, although apparently less engaging of the new SR-507, for dynamic presence, but winner because the Omega offer a largest scope. However, here we have the high critical connection, between Headphone and Drivers, as I mentioned above, because while the Omega want pushing hard, the SRM-600L Drive don't support the request of this major power. To obtain this target will be necessary to have other drivers "No Compromise" much more bodied, both in the dynamics that on the response, without hesitation, in order to drive a headphone so complex as the Omega MK2.[/size]
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[size=13.5pt]But in front of this big problem, we find solace in the Woo Audio, which in addition to building excellent driver for the Headphones Dynamic as so for Headphone Electrostatic Stax and Sennheiser, produces also the WEE, an Energizer Elettrostatic, which allows to use all STAX electrostatic headphones, even with a classic dynamic amplifier.[/size]
[size=13.5pt]The result obtained through my amplifier SparkCayin 300B, SE Class A, was simply amazing ... both with the Stax SR-507 that with the Omega MKII, which sounded like I had never heard, with explosive dynamics and transparency of the detail out of the ordinary and with a large 3D HeadStage .[/size]
[size=13.5pt]All CD's I heard with the first Set-up Stax, now show with this new Set-up WEE / Driver 300B, a wealth of harmonics in the medium / high and low, that with the Driver Stax SRM-600, were only slightly hinted, now instead they come out all over their wealth of detail, giving a greater sense of reality and presence. This making me perceive, that the Stax Sound, with thick valves "No Compromise" as are the 300B, they can return a musical texture creepy, especially with new headphone Lamda SR-507, which does not absolutely regret the top models of the headphones dynamic.[/size]
[size=13.5pt]Conclusions
Although the test was limited in time, it is significant that the couple SR-507/SRM-600L, has highlighted its excellent sound quality, especially with small jazz groups, such as to make you feel active participant of the event, giving us a musicality, made up of body, headstage and fine detail but always with a neutrality that allows you to listen your headphones for many hours, without any fatigue, and this aspect is for me very important. With this latest release, Stax has certainly reduced the gap between Headphones Electrostatic and Dynamic [/size]
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[size=13.5pt]A separate deserves Omega MK2, which still represents the best there is on the world market of electrostatic headphone. However if today you do not have the immediate availability of much money, that allows you to pair this headphone with Woo Audio Wes model, you can have a good results with the WEE model coupled with your traditional amplifier, better if this is Tubes model, getting it a great musical result, comparable to traditional systems with speakers by several tens of thousands of euro.....[/size] [size=13.5pt]and I think this is already a great achievement[/size]
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[size=13.5pt]Valentino (best56)[/size][size=11pt][/size]
