[zolkis]

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.

 
I think this is a bit subjective, and depends on the kind of music you mainly listen to. For me, a Stax SR-507 sounded preferable to the HD800, especially because the realism of wind instruments. The SR-007 Mk1, the Sigma, the SR-009, and the SR-Omega are all better than the SR-507. Yet there was a member who preferred the 507 over the 009, especially for the price... But that personal choice doesn't make the 507 better in general. Also, the 007 and the 009 can be also very positively modded (see http://www.head-fi.org/t/754839/stax-sr-009-and-sr-007-mk1-earpad-diy-mods ), and the result IMHO is better than the Anaxilus modded HD800 (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/diy-modification-sennheiser-hd-800-anaxilus-mod ). Of course, YMMV. But there are music genres on which I prefer my modded Fostex TH900 over all my Stax. So what, that alone doesn't make it a better headphone. And none of the Audeze was for me, though the LCD-3 is really fine. These are all subjective, and it's so easy to generalize.
 
It is not hard to imagine that the HE1000 has the potential to play in the league of the top Stax and even beat them in some respects, and also beat the HD800. But it is hard to imagine it will beat them on all respects. So I expect it will come down to personal preferences again. Perhaps there will be ones preferring the HE-560, especially for the price. We'll know more in a couple of months.

 

[gjc11028]

. Also, you're everywhere on headfi...you're impossible to avoid, Mr. Omnipresent Music Alchemist ~____~.

Click on the person's name, select block member.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Click on the person's name, select block member.

 
He and I are buddies. lol

 

[XVampireX]

   
I was looking for concrete specs, though. There is a limit for any headphone where it doesn't need more power, and also a limit where more power could damage the drivers.
 
 
Haha! I wouldn't be surprised if you came here because I did. XD
 
For future reference, electrostatic headphones require either a dedicated electrostatic headphone amplifier (not a conventional one) or an electrostatic converter connected to a speaker amp in order to use them at all. I'm sure all three headphones offer unique things, and I'm interested in them all, but I need to factor everything into whatever budget I have when the time comes. Ironically, it may cost me less to get an SR-009 system than the HE-1000, if it needs much more power than my current amp can provide. Imported from Japan, the SR-009 and STAX SRM-323S amp are less than $3,400. If the HE-1000 launches at $2,500 and I need a much more powerful amp, it would cost $4,199 to get it with the Schiit Ragnarok. I'm assuming the EF-1000 would be far costlier. Of course, a TOTL electrostat amp would be an extra $4K+, but it's not necessary.
 
 
In my prior research, I saw your post:
 
 
Would you be able to elaborate upon this?

 
Think for a moment, the EF-1000 ("dedicated" amp for the HE-1000) would output 8Wpc to the headphones, Class A... basically, it shouldn't be a problem like the HE-6 where you would better use a power-amp to power the headphones, although I bet you could. In planars, the impedance rating is purely resistive, but it shouldn't be a problem output a lot more power to the driver, you wouldn't be using all that power anyway. Also it's not just about the power, it's also about the quality of that power, this is why there are many different amps in different categories in the first place.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Think for a moment, the EF-1000 ("dedicated" amp for the HE-1000) would output 8Wpc to the headphones, Class A... basically, it shouldn't be a problem like the HE-6 where you would better use a power-amp to power the headphones, although I bet you could. In planars, the impedance rating is purely resistive, but it shouldn't be a problem output a lot more power to the driver, you wouldn't be using all that power anyway. Also it's not just about the power, it's also about the quality of that power, this is why there are many different amps in different categories in the first place.

 
It's not an issue of which high-end amp to get. (The Schiit Ragnarok is the only high-end conventional headphone amp I plan on getting in the foreseeable future.) It's an issue of how well my current amp can drive it. If it won't sound very good without having to get a high-end amp, its priority is lowered for me. I'm thinking it would still be driven well enough with my M2U, though.

 

[XVampireX]

   
It's not an issue of which high-end amp to get. (The Schiit Ragnarok is the only high-end conventional headphone amp I plan on getting in the foreseeable future.) It's an issue of how well my current amp can drive it. If it won't sound very good without having to get a high-end amp, its priority is lowered for me. I'm thinking it would still be driven well enough with my M2U, though.

It might be driven fine with the Magni 2 Uber, but you would be far from driving it to its potential.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  It might be driven fine with the Magni 2 Uber, but you would be far from driving it to its potential.

 
Very true. I suppose getting the most out of both the SR-009 and HE-1000 won't be cheap. I was going to get the Ragnarok eventually anyway.

 

[figaro69]

   
Very true. I suppose getting the most out of both the SR-009 and HE-1000 won't be cheap. I was going to get the Ragnarok eventually anyway.

Have you tried the Schiit products before?  The products I've tried from this company - the latest one being the Mjolnir - have been kind of disappointing (the Mjolnir is bright as hell, by the way, and the tube one - I forget the name, but it used two 6922 tubes, sold for about $400, and I sold it like a year ago - was as noisy as hell).  I'm not buying anything else from this company, by the way.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Have you tried the Schiit products before?  The products I've tried from this company - the latest one being the Mjolnir - have been kind of disappointing (the Mjolnir is bright as hell, by the way, and the tube one - I forget the name, but it used two 6922 tubes, sold for about $400, and I sold it like a year ago - was as noisy as hell).  I'm not buying anything else from this company, by the way.

 
Look at my signature. I own some and enjoy them quite a bit. Most other owners love them as well. Sorry you had a bad experience.

 

[XVampireX]

 
Have you tried the Schiit products before?  The products I've tried from this company - the latest one being the Mjolnir - have been kind of disappointing (the Mjolnir is bright as hell, by the way, and the tube one - I forget the name, but it used two 6922 tubes, sold for about $400, and I sold it like a year ago - was as noisy as hell).  I'm not buying anything else from this company, by the way.

 
The Lyr, I have it, works fine, not noisy.

 

[figaro69]

   
The Lyr, I have it, works fine, not noisy.

maybe a ground loop I was never able to resolve.  But the Lyr was noisy with Siemens CCa, Telefunken, Amperex, Mullards...you name it and it hummed along like nobody's business.  I know that Schiit has a big fan club...maybe their sound signature just doesn't suit me. 

 

[figaro69]

   
Look at my signature. I own some and enjoy them quite a bit. Most other owners love them as well. Sorry you had a bad experience.

You have neither the Lyr nor the Mjolnir...maybe if you had owned those two, you wouldn't think too highly of Schitt.  Maybe their other products are better and I've just been unlucky.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  You have neither the Lyr nor the Mjolnir...maybe if you had owned those two, you wouldn't think too highly of Schitt.  Maybe their other products are better and I've just been unlucky.

 
All I know is that every single one of their products has countless fans who love them.
 
I suggest sharing your experiences on this thread in order to get the best insights: http://www.head-fi.org/t/601151/schiit-owners-unite/

 

[reddog]

maybe a ground loop I was never able to resolve.  But the Lyr was noisy with Siemens CCa, Telefunken, Amperex, Mullards...you name it and it hummed along like nobody's business.  I know that Schiit has a big fan club...maybe their sound signature just doesn't suit me. 

My lyr2 sounds great, no ground noise, no hum at all. I have, three of Schiit Audio's amps ( Asgard 2, Lyr2, and the Ragnarok) and they all sound fantastic. If your lyr, is making a hum or ground noise, contact the folk, at Schiit Audio, I am sure they can help you out. Oops I saw you sold the lyr sorry please disregard what I have said. Although Schiit Audio makes great equipment.

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
You have neither the Lyr nor the Mjolnir...maybe if you had owned those two, you wouldn't think too highly of Schitt.  Maybe their other products are better and I've just been unlucky.

You are extremely in the minority there. I have read hundreds, if not thousands of posts from Schiit owners, owners of those products and while not thousands or hundreds of unique owners, there is rarely anything but positive sentiment expressed. At least you know not to buy Schiit gear as you don't like it.