[paradoxper]

Let see what time I wake up tomorrow. I get some proper photo for these well deserved headphone.
It's 2am at the moment. The so call quick listening started at 10pm LOL


I could have swear I was an all out electrostatic guy. But this headphone making me re-think all the lost opportunity to acquire the OG R10.
Damn you ES Lab making me go back to the rabbit hole... Dig dig I most likely will to get my hands on a precious OG R10.

Should have just listen/following Purk and Protoss all this time. Darn it, just sank MDR-R10 worth into a ATH-L3000 & ATH-L5000. Did I make the wrong decision.
To all the newbies, best headphones ever MDR-R10, Omega, HE90, 007 Mk1 <-- pick one
On a budget I still think the HD800 series are incredible value.

No, no. You need to sink your teeth into the DIY T2 if you want to do electrostatics right.

 

[BoyNamedSue]

@Mach3, congrats on #88. You have a quite a collection, so your praise for the ES-R10's speaks volume.

Protoss has never strayed me wrong. I often consult him on my headphone purchases, and wish I had on ones I didn't and later regretted.

 

[Mach3]

No, no. You need to sink your teeth into the DIY T2 if you want to do electrostatics right.

That kind of advice leads to broken marriage LOL. Well the DIY T2 was always on the agenda, but now it F up, MDR-R10 first.
Basically I'm prioritizing stuff that are not made no more.
I'm still chasing a SR-404 LE, SR-4070 in good nick. Don't need them just want them. (Spammer don't message me with offers of $500 for your 404 or 4070)

@Mach3, congrats on #88. You have a quite a collection, so your praise for the ES-R10's speaks volume.

Protoss has never strayed me wrong. I often consult him on my headphone purchases, and wish I had on ones I didn't and later regretted.

My collection is nothing, Protoss collection is crazy 3x - 4x mine. He's got backup MDR-R10 and Omega What. When I first saw that I was like yeah either he really like that headphone or they really good or both. It like marrying twin super model, everyday is heaven.

 

[tholt]

It is a bit ridiculous, right. Seemingly closing out on production is a real shame for the rest and majority whom will miss out.

I like that these are limited editions. Just like the OG R10 that way. And ownership takes on an added dimension of pride and exclusivity. Might think twice about selling that extra one

 

[sennfan83261]

That wa6 looks beefed up. What tubes on it? And how do those two beauties compare on something like a wa6 upgraded like that?

That seems like a nice one two punch.

Rectifier is a Sophia Princess 274B mesh plate and the driver tubes are GE 13EM7's. I read that the driver tubes do not affect the sound as much as the rectifier. I don't know. It sounds pretty nice on my ears.

As for the cans, I have to get back to you with my comparisons. So far, so good. Interestingly, I like my HE-500 on the WA6, which I didn't expect.

 

[paradoxper]

I like that these are limited editions. Just like the OG R10 that way. And ownership takes on an added dimension of pride and exclusivity. Might think twice about selling that extra one

You can admit it's a shame that they won't be experienced by more.

I've already sold the two. My game is TC and I have a very expensive 300B habit.

 

[SHAMuuu]

Rectifier is a Sophia Princess 274B mesh plate and the driver tubes are GE 13EM7's. I read that the driver tubes do not affect the sound as much as the rectifier. I don't know. It sounds pretty nice on my ears.

As for the cans, I have to get back to you with my comparisons. So far, so good. Interestingly, I like my HE-500 on the WA6, which I didn't expect.

That is surprising since people have powerplants for he-6. I would have never thought.

And the 274B is a beastly looking rectifier, though some people swear by the gz34 (which is ugly as sin), but yeah looks/performance. That's a tough one since the Princess is beautiful, and visually I would imagine an Emission Lab 274B or USAF596 have more sexy appeal than ugly gz34.

Do you get a low hum on the low gain for the replica r10? I find it can be hit/miss on low impedence headphones.

 

[paradoxper]

That is surprising since people have powerplants for he-6. I would have never thought.

And the 274B is a beastly looking rectifier, though some people swear by the gz34 (which is ugly as sin), but yeah looks/performance. That's a tough one since the Princess is beautiful, and visually I would imagine an Emission Lab 274B or USAF596 have more sexy appeal than ugly gz34.

Do you get a low hum on the low gain for the replica r10? I find it can be hit/miss on low impedence headphones.

It's just important to note GZ34 has slow start protection -- where as the 274B is not slow start and could impact the lifespan -- this of consideration if you feel the rectifier is of minimal sonic impact,

 

[Mach3]

Nice number! Show us the awesome rings on your zelkova~

 

[mulveling]

@Mach3
Let me just double down that you haven't actually heard any Omega-type Stax headphones, until you've heard them on a T2. You'd think diminishing returns would kick in from the excellent ~$7K amps to ~14K, but this is the one time in audio that they don't

I'm not sure on the OG MDR-R10. I get the pursuit, but it's a substantial investment into a single headphone with a question of condition & driver longevity. I think the OG R10 sucked for rock. The ES-R10 is definitely better much tuned for that. Purk tells me his OG R10 with the ES foam replacement is now much better for rock, and a lot better than ES-R10 for other music, but I need to get over there to actually hear them again. I honestly was content to forget about the MDR-R10 until the ES-R10 came out and wow'd me.

Anyways, the T2 will magically make every top electrostatic headphone perform at a class or 2 higher. It makes as much difference as swapping headphones, and more. It especially fixes the 009 tonal issues, and somehow does this without screwing up other headphones like 007 - I can't even guess how that works. I qualify this with "top electrostatic headphones" only because the magic doesn't seem to happen with L700 - but this is outside its lane anyways.

Your ES-R10's wood is very beautiful!

 

[protoss]

@Mach3

Maybe you should contact @Kerry and see if he can commission a speical T2 for you? One with a HE90 socket so you can use all your Estats in one box.

If you are going down the rabbit hole
Remember, the Sony R10 s/n #1 to 200 (bass light) are the best units. #200-1000 varies.
And #1000 to 1350 are awful.
Any R10s that has been tamper with. Such as cable mods, earpad change and foam replacement. The driver will have a 99% death rate soon. You technically need a 100% NOS pair....

Good luck

 

[mulveling]

Any R10s that has been tamper with. Such as cable mods, earpad change and foam replacement. The driver will have a 99% death rate soon. You technically need a 100% NOS pair....

Why would an earpad & foam replacement affect the driver failure rate?

 

[protoss]

Why would an earpad & foam replacement affect the driver failure rate?

After investigating and thinking about it alot. I realized the failure rate of the drivers was not the drivers themselves but on the incompetence of the owners and modders. You must be careful removing the earpads and not yank other components while doing so. I personally think the suction also plays a role. I seen this with Audeze. Squeezing the earpads can literally break (driver) a Audeze back in the day.

The melted foam can actually seal the drivers in place and keep it intact, removing it is effy. Melted foam can have some benefits in a strange way.

Cable mods are an obvious one.

The drivers are extremely fragile too, just playing around with them is a no-no.

At one point I blamed all R10s dead drivers on modders. I secretly still do, but let's give at least 5% to natural causes to be fair

 

[kiling92]

How much I would like you to listen to my MDR R10.
For all those who think they suck at rock or metal I can assure you that ....
they are not wrong at all.
the original R10 has a great soundstage but I think it's too distracting for the hardest genres.
besides, I doubt that many of you have heard an R10 OG without the disintegrated sponges.
You know..because without good sponges,the r10 from sound divinely,it become literally unlistenable.
for me this is a fundamental point, because anyone who sees an R10 if they can ditch it immediately without taking into account any unexpected events, such as disintegrated sponges.
after that, the R10 following some modifications (risky enough to be crazy
or arrogant, like my case) the R10 shows a lot of potential for improvement, especially in the bass.
I had ways of listening to two R10s in the same room, and on the same day
one original, and one with the appropriate modifications.
The differences were concretely perceptible.
and both within the first 200 lots;
mine the n.0133, the other seems to me the number n.0128

 

[protoss]

Yes, Sony R10 is strictly design for classical, jazz and acoustic music. Sony engineer himself, the creator of the R10 was a professional musician.

Rock lovers would love the L3000!!!