[Sonic Defender]

   
As far as I know, without an electrostatic headphone amplifier, an electrostatic headphone would require an electrostatic converter like the Woo WEE in order to be driven by a speaker amp. I can get the STAX amp for less than the WEE costs, much less buying a speaker amp. Not sure how your solution would be saving money.

My apology, my bad, I got caught up in speaker tap enthusiasm! You are correct.

 

[paradoxper]

   
Unless I see conclusive proof that the HE-1000 is objectively superior to the SR-009 (in the context of high-fidelity audio reproduction, not merely personal preference), I will just get the SR-009 along with the STAX SRM-323S amp (which can drive it well enough), saving a high-end amp for later.

Makes no sense. Merely flying blind to whichever measures moar better.
You simply need to use your own ears and decide which is best to you.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Makes no sense. Merely flying blind to whichever measures moar better.
You simply need to use your own ears and decide which is best to you.

 
For all I know, I may end up collecting them all eventually anyway, but my current strategy is to go for the overall best sound quality I can get for my money and just focus on one ultra-high-end headphone at first. I've been able to collect low-end and mid-range headphones without much trouble, but that's only because of how affordable they are. I have little interest in meets and the like. Hearing everything in advance is far too much hassle for me. The better the measurements are, the closer it gets to reproducing the recording accurately, and that is what I want, even if that isn't all there is to it. I can just use the JVC HA-SZ2000 for when I want heavy bass.

 

[paradoxper]

   
For all I know, I may end up collecting them all eventually anyway, but my current strategy is to go for the overall best sound quality I can get for my money and just focus on one ultra-high-end headphone at first. I've been able to collect low-end and mid-range headphones without much trouble, but that's only because of how affordable they are. I have little interest in meets and the like. Hearing everything in advance is far too much hassle for me. The better the measurements are, the closer it gets to reproducing the recording accurately, and that is what I want, even if that isn't all there is to it. I can just use the JVC HA-SZ2000 for when I want heavy bass.

You don't have a real frame of reference though. Relying on measurements that don't tell the whole story is silly. More than that,
banking it all on a whim just isn't smart. Unless you have all the monies available, live within your means.
 
And even more than that, solely relying on measurements, which have their own variances is flawed. You're free to make your own choices,
of course, I am just bewildered why you wouldn't pursue getting to a meet. Just the same way I'm bewildered you live 5 min from an Abyss dealer and refuse to go listen.. Weird decisions, dude.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  You don't have a real frame of reference though. Relying on measurements that don't tell the whole story is silly. More than that,
banking it all on a whim just isn't smart. Unless you have all the monies available, live within your means.
 
And even more than that, solely relying on measurements, which have their own variances is flawed. You're free to make your own choices,
of course, I am just bewildered why you wouldn't pursue getting to a meet. Just the same way I'm bewildered you live 5 min from an Abyss dealer and refuse to go listen.. Weird decisions, dude.

 
My approach is quite logical for my own purposes.
 
By the time I can afford any of this stuff, I will have plenty of money. It would actually be less trouble for me to buy something and hear it on my own system with my own music in the privacy of my own home than it would be for me to go to noisy meets that rarely take place near me and may not have the gear I want to compare anyway. Hearing a headphone that I cannot currently afford will accomplish nothing unless I am able to compare it side by side with others I am considering.
 
Also, I do not rely solely on measurements. I talk to experienced audiophiles all the time.
 
I'm not recommending that anyone else adopt my strategy; I just have my own way of doing things.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
My approach is quite logical for my own purposes.
 
By the time I can afford any of this stuff, I will have plenty of money. It would actually be less trouble for me to buy something and hear it on my own system with my own music in the privacy of my own home than it would be for me to go to noisy meets that rarely take place near me and may not have the gear I want to compare anyway. Hearing a headphone that I cannot currently afford will accomplish nothing unless I am able to compare it side by side with others I am considering.
 
Also, I do not rely solely on measurements. I talk to experienced audiophiles all the time.
 
I'm not recommending that anyone else adopt my strategy; I just have my own way of doing things.

But meets are social and fun, you get to hang out with people you never knew you would like so much!

 

[Music Alchemist]

  But meets are social and fun, you get to hang out with people you never knew you would like so much!

 
Cat girl will remain in the shadows.

 

[paradoxper]

   
My approach is quite logical for my own purposes.
 
By the time I can afford any of this stuff, I will have plenty of money. It would actually be less trouble for me to buy something and hear it on my own system with my own music in the privacy of my own home than it would be for me to go to noisy meets that rarely take place near me and may not have the gear I want to compare anyway. Hearing a headphone that I cannot currently afford will accomplish nothing unless I am able to compare it side by side with others I am considering.
 
Also, I do not rely solely on measurements. I talk to experienced audiophiles all the time.
 
I'm not recommending that anyone else adopt my strategy; I just have my own way of doing things.

So far you do everything but use your own ears. Strokes for folks, I guess. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  So far you do everything but use your own ears. Strokes for folks, I guess. 

I listen to headphones I buy. If I don't like them, I return them.

 

[money4me247]

  You don't have a real frame of reference though. Relying on measurements that don't tell the whole story is silly. More than that,
banking it all on a whim just isn't smart. Unless you have all the monies available, live within your means.
 
And even more than that, solely relying on measurements, which have their own variances is flawed. You're free to make your own choices,
of course, I am just bewildered why you wouldn't pursue getting to a meet. Just the same way I'm bewildered you live 5 min from an Abyss dealer and refuse to go listen.. Weird decisions, dude.

honestly, demoing outside in meet conditions without your own gear, source tracks, and your other reference headphones doesn't tell you much besides the overall sound signature of the headphones, which can be easily found here by good reviewers whose opinions of other headphones match yours or via good measurements.
 
I don't think relying on solely on measurements or quick demos at meets/stores or online reviews is very ideal. I think they all basically tell you the same general information about the overall sound signature of the headphones, but beyond that... not really much else. The best is to be able to have the headphones at home for a few weeks. That definitely gives you the best and most accurate personal impressions of the headphones. ...aka getting headphones via tours or from a store with a good return policy.
 
I have auditioned headphones and found my impressions of them can change after actually owning them. Really need to own them for a little while to get an accurate judge of headphones IMO.

 

[paradoxper]

  honestly, demoing outside in meet conditions without your own gear, source tracks, and your other reference headphones doesn't tell you much besides the overall sound signature of the headphones, which can be easily found here by good reviewers whose opinions of other headphones match yours or via good measurements.
 
I don't think relying on solely on measurements or quick demos at meets/stores or online reviews is very ideal. I think they all basically tell you the same general information about the overall sound signature of the headphones, but beyond that... not really much else. The best is to be able to have the headphones at home for a few weeks. That definitely gives you the best and most accurate personal impressions of the headphones. ...aka getting headphones via tours or from a store with a good return policy.
 
I have auditioned headphones and found my impressions of them can change after actually owning them. Really need to own them for a little while to get an accurate judge of headphones IMO.

I am not saying base any purchase decision off of meet, short demo or graphs. I am just saying try to use a little of all of the above to at the very least
get a sense of different gears. Rather than outright avoiding actual personal experience altogether.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  honestly, demoing outside in meet conditions without your own gear, source tracks, and your other reference headphones doesn't tell you much besides the overall sound signature of the headphones, which can be easily found here by good reviewers whose opinions of other headphones match yours or via good measurements.
 
I don't think relying on solely on measurements or quick demos at meets/stores or online reviews is very ideal. I think they all basically tell you the same general information about the overall sound signature of the headphones, but beyond that... not really much else. The best is to be able to have the headphones at home for a few weeks. That definitely gives you the best and most accurate personal impressions of the headphones. ...aka getting headphones via tours or from a store with a good return policy.
 
I have auditioned headphones and found my impressions of them can change after actually owning them. Really need to own them for a little while to get an accurate judge of headphones IMO.

Which is exactly why I have no problem with buying headphones and spending a good amount of private time with them.

 
(I do at least research the models I'm interested in before that, though.)

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I thought the hd800 sounded better than a sr009 from 2 different totl amps. This is an hd800 running on a bottlehead crack..

So if this he1000 is league(s) above the hd800, which according to many it is, then in my scale the stax is a bad buy. Just my thoughts of course.

 

[preproman]

I thought the hd800 sounded better than a sr009 from 2 different totl amps. This is an hd800 running on a bottlehead crack..

So if this he1000 is league(s) above the hd800, which according to many it is, then in my scale the stax is a bad buy. Just my thoughts of course.

What 2 different TOTL amps? 

 

[Music Alchemist]

I thought the hd800 sounded better than a sr009 from 2 different totl amps. This is an hd800 running on a bottlehead crack..

So if this he1000 is league(s) above the hd800, which according to many it is, then in my scale the stax is a bad buy. Just my thoughts of course.

 
Heyyy there, buddy!

 
What did you like about the HD 800 more than the SR-009? Which TOTL amps were they?