[Zblarg]

I don't think it's a matter of better source and dac. The SR-009 is indeed a quite bright headphone and it needs to receive some little warmish/soft sound... In this case it doesn't matter if this comes from a very high end source and dac or from an entry-level gear. You can find some very high end gear that provides bright sound, and it won't work with the SR-009. And you can find entry-level gear which provide a very dark sound and will be ok with the SR-009, even if they don't give you the same refinement than high end stuff.
So I agree that it needs to be tamed, but only in the upper-midrange (the area where you get electric guitars, some violins, etc), not the extreme high frequencies, for which I think the SR-009 is one of the best headphones I've ever heard, is very soft and well balanced.
Unlike what is often told, the Carbon is not a warm amplifier. When I use it with my Pass Labs preamp, which is a very neutral preamp, the sound has the same characteristics and doesn't become brighter. The Carbon provides a neutral sound, with maybe a little touch of warmth, but hard to notice.
It appears like a warm amplifier when compared to the SRM-727 or the SRM-T8000 which are bright amplifiers...

Tube is not absolutely necessary, you can find very bright amps with tubes, and dark sounding solid state amps. When I use my Carbon with dark sounding power and xlr cables, I tend to get this kind of sound and to bring the SR-009 to what I'd call a neutral sound with no agressiveness, but it will never become warm, organic or lush. To get this, I have to use my SR-007 MK2.
On the other side, tubes will help the SR-009 to sound less lean, and to get more meat on the bone (which is another characteristic of the SR-009, not exactly the same thing than its brightness, because I can use an equalizer to make the 009 sound darker, it will stay a bit lean). Unfortunately, the T8000 doesn't either offer it.

But well, what sounds bright to some people like me, can sound just neutral and realistic to others.

 

[formyears]

just received my t8000. breaking it in now with my 009s and the sony ta as the preamp. — until i receive dac with balanced ouput.
also trying my dvdsudio player 24 bit 192k and my tascam w/ bal output hires recorder/dsd/pcm files. amp smoothes out the 009s from the srm d10 i was using

 

[formyears]

my serial number says > 1300, similar to my 009s. where are those opinions?
absent or obscured in head fi? —-> rhetorically asked.

ps 13 hrs later, my first dislike is the volume control. hard to see where it at, and hard to feel that indent.
... now connected to MAC PRO using 32b 384k USB and ITUNES.

pps 20 hrs later it seems to be operating cooler playing more music. classy i mean A

ppps 26 hrs later using the xlr balanced inputs - the 009s sounds much darker indeed

 

[SONYES]

The input tubes are barely turned on and so should last a long, long time. Remember that if you listen for an average of 2 hours every single day without exception, 10,000 hours is over 13 years. How many people even keep a component for that long?

I DO EVERY DAY MORE THEN +-5-6 H

AT LIST
IHAVE
009+006ST

I WHANT T-8000

MY BE I WELL HAVE IT IN FEW DAYS HER IN ISRAEL

 

[astrostar59]

I DO EVERY DAY MORE THEN +-5-6 H

AT LIST
IHAVE
009+006ST

I WHANT T-8000

MY BE I WELL HAVE IT IN FEW DAYS HER IN ISRAEL

I would go for the BHSE from Head Amp instead. If T8000 is 5, the BHSE is 10, not kidding. SRMXXX would be 4 or less.

 

[SONYES]

I would go for the
Thank you
But 009 I bought with the distributor's warranty coverage
My country only
Except SRMXXXX
And I have no warranty coverage with use with another amplifier
Thank you
But 009 +006/0007/8000.......
Except SRMXXXX
And I have no warranty coverage with use with another amplifier
And we do not have these amplifiers here in Israel
As you mentioned

But to order dance will cost me with taxation and transportation
7000 $

 

[SONYES]

I would go for the BHSE from Head Amp instead. If T8000 is 5, the BHSE is 10, not kidding. SRMXXX would be 4 or less.

Thank you
But 009 I bought with the distributor's warranty coverage
My country only
Except SRMXXXX
And I have no warranty coverage with use with another amplifier
And we do not have these amplifiers here in Israel
As you mentioned

But to order dance will cost me with taxation and transportation
7000 $

 

[astrostar59]

Thank you
But 009 I bought with the distributor's warranty coverage
My country only
Except SRMXXXX
And I have no warranty coverage with use with another amplifier
And we do not have these amplifiers here in Israel
As you mentioned

But to order dance will cost me with taxation and transportation
7000 $

The import into Israel is 18% I think? You have return to base warranty with Head-Amp and their reputation is first class. I have not heard of any issues with the BHSE, and many have been sold. It has been in production for 5+ years.
The performance over the T8000 is huge. The T8000 is microscopically better than the rest of the Stax amps.

Can you fly to London for Can-Jam? You could buy one at the show and take it back on the plane, no problem.

Anyway, end game amp v also ran amp. Worth the extra mile IMO.

BTW head-amp has a 3 year warranty, Stax has 1 year outside of EU, 2 years inside if EU (EU law).

I don't work for head-amp or distribute head-amp. I am saying based on my own listening experiences and talking to buddies who own the BHSE.

 

[SONYES]

The import into Israel is 18% I think? You have return to base warranty with Head-Amp and their reputation is first class. I have not heard of any issues with the BHSE, and many have been sold. It has been in production for 5+ years.
The performance over the T8000 is huge. The T8000 is microscopically better than the rest of the Stax amps.

Can you fly to London for Can-Jam? You could buy one at the show and take it back on the plane, no problem.

Anyway, end game amp v also ran amp. Worth the extra mile IMO.

BTW head-amp has a 3 year warranty, Stax has 1 year outside of EU, 2 years inside if EU (EU law).

I don't work for head-amp or distribute head-amp. I am saying based on my own listening experiences and talking to buddies who own the BHSE.

THANK YOU
IT IS 17% VAT +22% TAX

FLY TO LONDON
FOR ME IS NOT GOOD
SO I LAFT SRM-006ST OT 007II OR T-8000

THANK YOU VERY MACH FOR YOUES SUPERB ANSWER

SONYES

 

[plinth]

If I were you I would import a used one from the EU. BHSE units with 220V do appear, but also consider the Mjölnir KGSSHV Carbon. The sound is very similar to the BHSE, is no where near as pretty but has a little more impact in the bass register. Importing from EU as you know is usually tax free due to bilateral agreements. I tested the SRM007 II and the T8000 and actually preferred the 007 as I found the T8000 uninvolving and rolled off the top end. Both amps merely hinted at what the 007 and 009 could deliver. The Mjölnir Carbon rocked my world. I think you will find many people who would say any of the Kevin Gilmore designed amps are better than any of the Stax amps (eg KGSS, KGST, KGSSHV and KGSSHV Carbon and others).

I doubt a supplier could legally deny any warranty claim based on use with a non-Stax driver as long as it was fit for purpose.

I had never heard Stax before and I left with an 007MK2 but continued my search for an amp that would drive them properly. I now listen to my Carbon several hours a day and it astonishes me every time I switch it on. I was so disappointed with the T8000.

Good luck Sonyes

 

[SONYES]

If I were you I would import a used one from the EU. BHSE units with 220V do appear, but also consider the Mjölnir KGSSHV Carbon. The sound is very similar to the BHSE, is no where near as pretty but has a little more impact in the bass register. Importing from EU as you know is usually tax free due to bilateral agreements. I tested the SRM007 II and the T8000 and actually preferred the 007 as I found the T8000 uninvolving and rolled off the top end. Both amps merely hinted at what the 007 and 009 could deliver. The Mjölnir Carbon rocked my world. I think you will find many people who would say any of the Kevin Gilmore designed amps are better than any of the Stax amps (eg KGSS, KGST, KGSSHV and KGSSHV Carbon and others).

I doubt a supplier could legally deny any warranty claim based on use with a non-Stax driver as long as it was fit for purpose.

I had never heard Stax before and I left with an 007MK2 but continued my search for an amp that would drive them properly. I now listen to my Carbon several hours a day and it astonishes me every time I switch it on. I was so disappointed with the T8000.

Good luck Sonyes

I doubt a supplier could legally deny any warranty claim based on use with a non-Stax driver

IT IS STAX POLICY

https://stax-international.com/products/

 

[plinth]

Actually their policy is ambiguous, it does not actually say that they would deny a claim were you to have used a non-stop driver. Nor would they ever know, of course. I doubt that they deny claims, judging by the large number of reputable suppliers providing top end drivers for Stax. Frankly, if I was restricted to Stax drivers I would not have even bought Stax.

 

[JimL11]

If you do a search for T8000 impressions, I think the general consensus is that the T8000 is only slightly better than the SRM007 or SRM727 for three times the price. Unfortunately, the SRM007 is held back by its use of plate resistors, which burn up the majority of the tube output signal current in the resistors, thus leaving a relatively small proportion of signal current to drive the headphones, while the SRM727 lacks linearity due to its lack of negative feedback, which requires a small modification to correct. IMHO the best sounding Stax amp is an SRM-T1/006 with constant current modification, which replaces that unit's plate resistors with constant current loads. This more than doubles the effective power of the relatively weak output tubes, significantly tightens and improves the bass and extends the highs, and in direct comparison sounds better to me than the SRM727 with global feedback mod, as well as costing less. However, it does void the warranty, and requires some DIY ability to implement.

The Gilmore design amps (KGST, KGSS Carbon, BHSE) do cost more but have the advantage of regulated power supplies. The KGST amp circuit is similar to the Stax T1/006/007 series but using a more powerful tube (6S4A vs 6CG7/6FQ7) which can take higher voltages, as well as using current loads instead of plate resistors. The Carbon and BHSE also use the most linear output circuit topology using either tubes (EL34 for the BHSE) or Silicon Carbide FETS (Carbon) or more linearity compared to a KGST output topology.

 

[SONYES]

If you do a search for T8000 impressions, I think the general consensus is that the T8000 is only slightly better than the SRM007 or SRM727 for three times the price. Unfortunately, the SRM007 is held back by its use of plate resistors, which burn up the majority of the tube output signal current in the resistors, thus leaving a relatively small proportion of signal current to drive the headphones, while the SRM727 lacks linearity due to its lack of negative feedback, which requires a small modification to correct. IMHO the best sounding Stax amp is an SRM-T1/006 with constant current modification, which replaces that unit's plate resistors with constant current loads. This more than doubles the effective power of the relatively weak output tubes, significantly tightens and improves the bass and extends the highs, and in direct comparison sounds better to me than the SRM727 with global feedback mod, as well as costing less. However, it does void the warranty, and requires some DIY ability to implement.

The Gilmore design amps (KGST, KGSS Carbon, BHSE) do cost more but have the advantage of regulated power supplies. The KGST amp circuit is similar to the Stax T1/006/007 series but using a more powerful tube (6S4A vs 6CG7/6FQ7) which can take higher voltages, as well as using current loads instead of plate resistors. The Carbon and BHSE also use the most linear output circuit topology using either tubes (EL34 for the BHSE) or Silicon Carbide FETS (Carbon) or more linearity compared to a KGST output topology.

THANK THANK YOU

DO YOU MEAN

IMHO the best sounding Stax amp is an SRM-T1/006

THE SRM-006TS IS BETER AS I HAVE ??.

I HAVE A NEW 009+006 NO OHTER AMP AVELBEL HER ALL SOLLD ALSO T-8000 I WHANTED
A NEW ONE WELL BE HER IN 3 WEEKS

SO YOU SAY I WELL BETER STAY TO MY 006TS
NAW I HAVE VERY GOOD SOUND

THANK YOU

 

[plinth]

If you were to make the modification then your 006 will be much more powerful and a better match to your 009. You could either try and find someone to make the modification for you or buy one already done and sell yours. Spritzer is selling one already modded here https://mjolnir-audio.com/used-amplifiers/

Frankly, anything he sells will sound better than anything that Stax sells.