[Sasaki]

 I got a chance to try STAX new SR009. I was invited to try SR009 at Ikuo Tsunoda's home who is a professional audio reviewer.
He has a good relationship to STAX as he is also a sound engineer.
 

 
His system is based on LINN Klimax DS.
This is his new gear, Ripping server with SSD.
 
　　　　
 
The server is based on hush quiet PC with RipNAS Essentials software to rip and store CDs automatically. You will see heat pipes to cool down CPU.
 
http://www.linn.jp/products/new/rms.html
 
　　　
 
His STAX drivers are SRM727A and SRM007tA. He made a good rack by himself. He told me the original case of SR009 is wooden box ( made of Paulownia). We also used SR007(OII) as a comparison.
 
Here you can find a PDF of SR009. Have a look to get idea.
http://www.stax.co.jp/index-E.html
 

 
The most important improvement is an Electrodes. You see six braces on the Electrode and there is some more technique to enhance stiffness of the Electrodes. This greatly reduce unnecessary color in sounding.
 

 
I used my own iPhone as a DLNA controller with Plug Player app. BTW I am a owner of SR007 for your interest. (I also has a sigma and a lamda)
 
First I hooked SR009 up to SRM727.  Wearing SR009 is much comfortable. SR009 employs a nice adjustment knob and easier to fit.
On the first listen, I was amazed by its clarity. SR009 sounded remarkably transparent and Crystal clear.
Comparing to SR007, I feel much less colored (almost none) , flat and neutral especially on bass. The characteristic is different and highly transparent than SR007.
I was almost stunned when I hear hi-res soprano voice of [size=small]Anna Netrebko [/size]with SR009.
I actually tried A/B hearing with SR009 and SR007. SR007 is considerably warmer, darker and have a veil to my ears. I'd say SR009 is a step further than SR007 for every aspects.
Though personal preference may differ, I believe SR009 is superior to listen to Classical music but some may prefer SR007 for Rock and Pops.
 
I was not so impressed by the first listen in the Tokyo headphone show. I think SR009 requires a good upstream source gears to bring out the true performance.
In addition, I noticed SR009 is a little more sensitive than SR007. So SR009 would be a bit easier for stats amps.
Speaking about driver difference, I prefer more with 727. I think SR009 truly shines with 727.
For SR007 I prefer SRM007tA to enjoy warm music experience.
 

 
I also enjoyed his Quad ESL speakers. Quad sounded natural and highly realistic. I also experienced the speakers vanishing out. The stats have its own good virtue for sure.

 

[Currawong]

I am almost tempted to forgo getting a new car and get a Blue Hawaii SE and these instead.  

 

[arnaud]

Quote:

I am almost tempted to forgo getting a new car and get a Blue Hawaii SE and these instead.  

I know what you mean . I feel this is not a reasonable time to spend money on this with the expenses occured in Fukuoka recently but it's going to be really hard to resist!
 

 

[purk]

Thanks for the impression.  How much of an improvement in performance between SR007 to SR009?  10 or 15%  Is the improvement immediate upon the first listening?

 

[complin]

Thanks for this
 
Interested in why you say SR-009 for classical and SR-007 for pop?
 
Just a little worried its gone the same way as the  Sennheiser HD800 as IMHO these sound much better on classical than they do on Pop or Jazz 

 

[visualguy]

 
Strange how the SR-007 is suddently veiled, warm, dark and lacking in transparency and clarity. I bet the same will be said about the SR-009 when the SR-011 is released...
 

 

[warp08]

Even compared to the SR-007 (mk1), I always found the SR-007A (mk2) dark in comparison and preferred the previous (which I own) by a wide margin.  So I'm not surprised, and definitely welcome that Stax had tuned its new flagship in that direction.
 
Oh, and thanks for your impressions, Sasaki!

 

[n3rdling]

Cool pics and thanks for the impressions.  Mmmm Quads

 

[manaox2]

Thanks for the quick impressions, great pics btw.

 

[jgazal]

Thanks for bringing us details. Great pics indeed.

 

[svyr]

mmm, so from the comparison thread - if you want detailed uncolored sound you should get a C32 and not 007 and a 5k amp ? vs Omegas being darker and warmer HP/more suitable for horrible music enjoyment ... wonder how many people it will sway from the 'picking an ES driver unit to make my omegas sound perfect camp'

 

[arnaud]

Quote:

 
Strange how the SR-007 is suddently veiled, warm, dark and lacking in transparency and clarity. I bet the same will be said about the SR-009 when the SR-011 is released...
 

 
SR-007mkII being warm / even dark sounding with Stax amps is not news. I am 100% in agreement with Sasaki on this: the SR-009 clearly outshines the SR-007mkII in the transparency / clarity department and the tonal balance is clearly more neutral than Omega 2 mkII (out of 727A). I had very similar impressions to him during my time with the SR009.
 
Before dismissing this, wait for your chance to listen to these headphones. As I said before, these news Stax redefine what can be done achieved with headphones in my experience. It does not turn the omega 2 into a bad headphone. To be noted also, the gap between omega2 and sr-009 may be less pronounced out of an amp like the BHSE. 
 
 

 

[hentai]

Quote:

 
SR-007mkII being warm / even dark sounding with Stax amps is not news. I am 100% in agreement with Sasaki on this: the SR-009 clearly outshines the SR-007mkII in the transparency / clarity department and the tonal balance is clearly more neutral than Omega 2 mkII (out of 727A). I had very similar impressions to him during my time with the SR009.
 
Before dismissing this, wait for your chance to listen to these headphones. As I said before, these news Stax redefine what can be done achieved with headphones in my experience. It does not turn the omega 2 into a bad headphone. To be noted also, the gap between omega2 and sr-009 may be less pronounced out of an amp like the BHSE. 
 
 

I agree that the omega mkII sounded warm/dark out of the 727 amp , however after some intensive modification, it become very clear, neutral and detailed. I wouldn't recommend stock 727 for 007 mkII based on experience.
 Still, i am tempted to getting the 009 as well.
 
 

 

[svyr]

I agree that the omega mkII sounded warm/dark out of the 727 amp , however after some intensive modification, it become very clear, neutral and detailed. I wouldn't recommend stock 727 for 007 mkII based on experience.
 Still, i am tempted to getting the 009 as well.
 
 

Are you sure the unit used above is stock? Or since there's no mention of it being altered, ala-spritzer... ?

 

[hentai]

 
Quote:

Quote:

I agree that the omega mkII sounded warm/dark out of the 727 amp , however after some intensive modification, it become very clear, neutral and detailed. I wouldn't recommend stock 727 for 007 mkII based on experience.
 Still, i am tempted to getting the 009 as well.
 
 

Are you sure the unit used above is stock? Or since there's no mention of it being altered, ala-spritzer... ?

Since the post contains nothing regarding the spritzer's mod, i assume its stock.  I believe the main weakness of 727 amp is not what spritzer has emphasized. the "non feedback loop"  but the power supply is puny. You can achieve major improvement by getting a very well experienced amp builder to build a outboard power supply and get rid of the stock transformer. The mod is so good that it completely made my line buffer redundant.

Now i am tempted to either upgrade my interconnect ( ecosse nu diva to ecosse the myth?) or get the 009
 
On side note , i wonder how the 009 works on my setup.