[loligagger]

It would be nice to hear the T2 with 009s someday. Though spritzers one comment about the KGSSHV convinced me that once my 009s ship from pricejapan that it'll be my end game rig. Something like "ruthlessly revealing and enough power to drive the 009s into oblivion". It would be too expensive for me to end up preferring the T2.

 

[MacedonianHero]

It would be nice to hear the T2 with 009s someday. Though spritzers one comment about the KGSSHV convinced me that once my 009s ship from pricejapan that it'll be my end game rig. Something like "ruthlessly revealing and enough power to drive the 009s into oblivion". It would be too expensive for me to end up preferring the T2.

Nothing wrong with the KGSSHV/SR009 as an end game rig. It happens to be mine.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Nothing wrong with the KGSSHV/SR009 as an end game rig. It happens to be mine.

+1 

 

[nk77]

Quote:

Nothing wrong with the KGSSHV/SR009 as an end game rig. It happens to be mine.

Until the T2 right?

 

[johnwmclean]

The 009 is so much easier to drive, I suspect the gains from the T2 possibly even the BH suit the 007 demands much better.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

 
I had the SRM-727II and the SR-009s were the best headphones I had heard. I don't think anyone means to say that the SR-009s sound bad with the top Stax amps, because to my ears they best the HD800s and LCD-3s on my GS-X MKII. But after hearing them with the Liquid Lightning, KGSS and especially the KGSSHV (best by a good margin IMO), I came to realize that there was a lot more greatness in them that I was missing. 

 
A local friend (and builder of my KGSSHV) recently built himself a T-2, and I'm hoping to hear it just to see how much more greatness is in the SR-009s.

 
That's my point exactly.  Something like the 007t could only be judged in the context of other Stax amps and not in comparison with dynamics.  It only shows its shortcomings when compared against better designs but it never sounds bad if you haven't done said comparison. 
 
Quote:

The 009 is so much easier to drive, I suspect the gains from the T2 possibly even the BH suit the 007 demands much better.

 
The 007 is certainly the more demanding of the two but the 009 does scale quite nicely with a better amp.  They are more sensitive but have their own needs when it comes to amplification.  Even the SR-1 benefits greatly from better amplification. 

 

[ctemkin]

Quote:

Any tube you put in the BHSE is subject to malfunction. Doesn't matter if it's NEW or NOS. Hopefully, nothing would happen to the BHSE, but this is why you should never leave your amp unattended. If you have any doubts about purchasing tubes, you should make sure you get them from a reliable source.
 
The guide pin is only a piece of plastic in the middle of the tube and has no affect on sound or failure of the BHSE.
 
I've used both the SED and Treasures in my BHSE. The Treasures are the nicer of the two, but are almost twice as much.
 
If you're looking for the best possible match for the BHSE (of the 3 you mentioned), unquestionably it's the EL34PH.
 
I think Johnwmclean is using Mullard xf2 or xf3, which I've never used and hope he can add comments about how they fit with the BHSE.

 
Golfnutz,
 
Thanks for the info on how you rank these tubes. 
 
Since all tubes eventually fail, I, too, would hope that this event would not damage the amp; my concern is that a QA failure could do some unusual type of damage, and while I might not have left the amp unattended, I am not sure that my presence would provide much more than a lot of profanity if this happened.  Regarding the guide pin, I was concerned that it might actually get lodged somehow in the tube socket.
 
If I go the Psvane route, I will probably use the vendor you and others have recommended, Grant Fidelity.
 
And by the way, congrats on hitting 500+ status.  I feel as if I rate an assist, since your post to me apparently was your 501st.

 

[rgs9200m]

OK, point taken. Nonetheless, saying that the Stax 727+009 bests the LCD3 + GS-X2 is high praise indeed for the lowly stax amp (one without tubes, even),
because, the LCD3 is one glorious headphone, a breakthrough phone I'd say.
(I'd probably pick up a Liquid Lightning if it had some tubes in it. I'm just prejudiced here... Give me valves or give me death.)

 

[Golfnutz]

Quote:

OK, point taken. Nonetheless, saying that the Stax 727+009 bests the LCD3 + GS-X2 is high praise indeed for the lowly stax amp (one without tubes, even),
because, the LCD3 is one glorious headphone, a breakthrough phone I'd say.
(I'd probably pick up a Liquid Lightning if it had some tubes in it. I'm just prejudiced here... Give me valves or give me death.)

The BHSE has tubes...

 

[audiosceptic]

Quote:

Any tube you put in the BHSE is subject to malfunction. Doesn't matter if it's NEW or NOS. Hopefully, nothing would happen to the BHSE, but this is why you should never leave your amp unattended. If you have any doubts about purchasing tubes, you should make sure you get them from a reliable source.
 
The guide pin is only a piece of plastic in the middle of the tube and has no affect on sound or failure of the BHSE.
 
I've used both the SED and Treasures in my BHSE. The Treasures are the nicer of the two, but are almost twice as much.
 
If you're looking for the best possible match for the BHSE (of the 3 you mentioned), unquestionably it's the EL34PH.
 
I think Johnwmclean is using Mullard xf2 or xf3, which I've never used and hope he can add comments about how they fit with the BHSE.

 
Just to offer another opinion I think the SED's are a great match with the BHSE. I currently use the Psvane EL34PH in my BHSE but I don't hear a big difference as others claim. If I hadn't already purchased the Psvane's I would be perfectly happy with the SED's or a NOS quad of Amperex XF4 I got for $200.00.

 

[statfi]

Quote:

Here's what sounds superb to me with the 009s:
All Beatles.
...

Thanks for this post.  Very informative and in terms that I really feel I understand.  I feel your biases are similar to mine.  I am primarily a classical buff, but listen to a lot of the things on your list.  Jack Woo let me listen to 009s and 007s extensively on his stock and maxed-out (at least sort of) WES amp's at T.H.E. Show in New York in 2011.  I decided there was no contest at that time, but did not notice what version of 007s it was.  Maybe the date tells you.  I like to hear, e.g., that the violin section is really a group of individual violins playing, or all the "stuff" going on in Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand (8th), and the 009s really shine there.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

OK, point taken. Nonetheless, saying that the Stax 727+009 bests the LCD3 + GS-X2 is high praise indeed for the lowly stax amp (one without tubes, even),
because, the LCD3 is one glorious headphone, a breakthrough phone I'd say.
(I'd probably pick up a Liquid Lightning if it had some tubes in it. I'm just prejudiced here... Give me valves or give me death.)

Just goes to show I guess that the SR-009's transducers are so spectacular. 

 But that said, the SR-009s do get a whole lot better from what the current line up of Stax amps have to offer IMO. Funny the SR-007 MKIs finally "opened" up for me when I heard them on my (now sold) KGSS. I might see about picking up a pair one day.

 

[rgs9200m]

They were the current (Mk2) SR007s at the T.H.E. show. I was there. Thanks. (I felt the 009s there were a league up from the 007s. I liked'em so much I bought a pair, never having heard anything like it from headphones,
even my memory from several years earlier listening to an Orpheus.)

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

They were the current (Mk2) SR007s at the T.H.E. show. I was there. Thanks. (I felt the 009s there were a league up from the 007s.)

I still agree with your last statement, but the SR007MKIs are still very impressive headphones with the proper upstream amp. I find the SR009s pickier of the source actually. With a KGSSHV now in house (and a LL), I've been thinking of picking up a pair of 007MKIs to add to the stable.

 

[Phil95]

Hello Spritzer The 009's are so bad you sold them... Your previous posts left me with a positive opinion about the SR009. So I'm wondering whether your latest assertion (009 so bad) is first or second degree... Anyway, what headphones/amp combo are you currently using? TYMV