[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

 
I'd even say just get the LCD-2s if you're a big metal fan.  What I find engaging about the 007s and 009s is how when listening to a concert you can hear the waves of sound reverberation off the walls of the hall and pick out the individual instruments.
 
I almost think we need to have "Music preferences" as prominently or more so than "Location" on all our posts.

 
But the Sr-009s are so much better than the LCD-2s...
 
Quote:

I agree, but LCD-2 rev. 2, not 1, IMO.
 
Some material just sounds better more enjoyable through the LCD. I myself could not listen to Tool on my SR-009; while accurate in reproduction it lacks the in-your-face, impolite punch.
 

 
Haha tool is actually one of the bands i used to demo the Sr-009s, i listened to Aenima for like 30 minutes, and i loved every second of it. That was probably the most polite music i listened to though, i started taking Tool with me as well, since its about as audiophile as metal records get, but is so much less intense, so its less of a torture test for the equipment.

 

[rgs9200m]

I listen to all manner of 60s,70s,80s rock, from British Invasion, progressive rock, hair bands/arena rock, grunge, and modern stuff (Katy Perry, Ke$ha) with my 009s and they sound superb,
nice warm friendly and impactful bass, sweet liquid highs, and actually better with glare than the LCD3s or 2s.
This is with my friendly-sounding Stax 007t/ii amp (nice tube overtones too here).

 

[Magick Man]

I agree, but LCD-2 rev. 2, not 1, IMO.

Some material just sounds better more enjoyable through the LCD. I myself could not listen to Tool on my SR-009; while accurate in reproduction it lacks the in-your-face, impolite punch.

Tool is what made me keep my HE-6s, now I listen to all metal with them. Helps to have a brutal amp, to push them to the ragged edge.

 

[Hoax]

Quote:

 
IME, pretty much none of the headphones you mention do this (haven't heard the TH900 or ESP-950 though, but not likely that they do).  In fact, no headphone does this except maybe K1000s.  The only thing that will do this is a Smyth Realizer or Isone (to a lesser degree?).  But if you're going that route you can even use IEMs with the Realizer.

 
Hmm I read a few posts in stax threads where people say its the character of electrostatics to make it feel like the sound is all around and out of your head ..
 
Im starting to wonder if this effect might be overrated by the people saying that or maybe my idea of sounding out of your head might be off ..

 

[Elysian]

Well, electrostatics definitely give a sense that the music is just materializing out of the air.  If you're looking for soundstage and 3Dness, get a Realiser.  The Realiser is possibly the best price-performance device I've ever encountered in headphoneland.  It's not really better, just different, if you want something that sounds very close to speakers.  Pairs amazingly with Stax, possibly partially due to the 'music from nothingness' sensation.
 
To my ears, the Isone doesn't remotely come close to the Realiser.  The Realiser really is worth over 30 times more than the Isone.

 

[Hoax]

I already have a Realiser, but I want headphones as well that would expand the out of your head feeling even more

 

[Elysian]

I've heard the SR007 and SR009 with the Realiser, and both pair really nicely with the Realiser.  Other posters have said the lesser Stax also do really well with the Realiser.
 
On a discrete scale to my ears, for the out of the head sensation, I'd say:
 
<Normal dynamic gear> --------- <Stax> ---- <Good 300B gear> ---------------------------------------------- <Realiser>
 
YMMV.  Personally I find all these elements surprisingly additive.
 
I'd be curious on hearing how the HD800 pairs with the Realiser, but based on my experience with that headphone, my gut tells me the Stax are a better match.  I'll be trying a HE-6 with the Realiser soon.

 

[Hoax]

Quote:

I've heard the SR007 and SR009 with the Realiser, and both pair really nicely with the Realiser. 

 
What would you say was the big difference between the both?

 

[Elysian]

Take my comments with a grain of salt, as the listening sessions were not A/Bed, were done on separate days, and both headphones went through different sources and amps.  I am using the same speaker measurements on both headphones.
 
The SR009 had very good resolution through the analog outputs.  The Realiser also toned down the SR009 brightness.  I find the SR009 bright and fatiguing to listen to on virtually every chain I've heard it through, but I actually liked it with the Realiser.  It's probably psychological, but I felt like the only bottleneck with the SR009 and Realiser was the micing and quality of measurements.
 
I really like the SR007 through the Realiser (HDMI output).  It could be my imagination, but the low-end feels a bit more accentuated and palpable, but that could be due to the different chain.  It feels like there's slightly less resolution than the SR009, but I'm willing to sacrifice that for a better low-end, as that's what I wanted to get from a good speaker virtualization.  It also sounds a tiny bit darker than I remember the SR009 being.
 
I'll probably do a real A/B later this year between the SR007 and SR009 once the BHSE arrives.  No idea how the LCD2 or 3 will perform with your Realiser.

 

[rgs9200m]

I had to get warm power cables and ICs to tame some upper-mid analytical peaks in the 009s.

 

[Hoax]

Hmm the more I hear about the SR - 009 the less impressed I get lol. I do think the LCD-3 or 007 would probably sound better in my ears / setup .. And yeah the good thing about the Realiser is that it can fix some flaws on headphones (soundwise) . I probably never really heard the true LCD-2 apart from a few minutes that I plugged it into my mix panel (Midas Venice) which is connected to my pc. During this time I only listenend to some MP3's so I cant really judge its true sound. As someone mentioned earlier, having just 1 headphone is silly (allthough I still got my beyerdynamic DT-990's which i dont like so much anymore since I got the LCD-2.. I really do love the LCD-2 and regret I didnt go for the LCD-3  Going to try out he Stax middle models just to get a taste electrostatics
 

 

[Elysian]

Given your tastes, I think that's the right way to go (LCD2.2, LCD3, or SR007; you may prefer the SR007 MK2 if you like the LCD signature).  Just don't get turned off of electrostats if the SR007 doesn't immediately knock your socks off.
 
Electrostats have a very different presentation than dynamics.  You need to live with them for a few weeks to adjust your hearing and appreciate the differences.  They can also be extremely sensitive to your chain.  I hear source differences on stats easier than I hear on high-end dynamics.
 
Try to go to a meet to check out the SR007 on a BH/BHSE, and the SR009 on the LL.

 

[Magick Man]

There is cynicism from many of the Head-Fi stat old timers about the SR-009s, but make no mistake they really are mind-blowing headphones. If you get a chance to spend a little time with them you'll understand. My jaw literally dropped and my eyes almost bugged out when I heard them, it's a bit like seeing in 2D your whole life and then encountering visual depth for the first time. No doubt I'd have some if I hadn't encountered my 007 Mk1s, which I personally prefer slightly more. However, if I had the cash laying around, I'd still get the 009s. They're a technological marvel.

 

[preproman]

Sub.

 

[Loevhagen]

Magick Man: Looking at your signature; What headphone (HE-6 or TH900) would you say is closest to the SR-009 - and on what parameter(s)? Thanks.