[HemiSam]

Sure looks like you need to do some reading of your own and likely some trial listening.
 
HS

 

[theconquerer]

[[/S] also some folks have clearly preferred 009s after my question, if 007mk1 is a better choice then i will buy it instead.

 

[astrostar59]

[[/S] also some folks have clearly preferred 009s after my question, if 007mk1 is a better choice then i will buy it instead.

Get a new 007A if you have decided, sounds so close to the revered Mk1 and anyway, a MK1 would be 13 yeas old by now roughly. Cable entry can be weak, pads are better IMO on the current 007A. All IMO. Besides, it's nice to buy new, and lets face it, the price of most Mk1s is not far off new TBH in many cases.
 
Back to the infamous 007 v 009 debate. Massively covered already, go read some more.
 
But I would add my own findings. I have the Carbon and 007As 2015 and the 009s. I prefer the 009s. Why? Because it is faster, wider, more transparent, bass has better texture. It just suits my taste and gets me closer to the music, what is going on in the recording.
 
Massive caviet
You need a super smooth DAC to pull it off IMO. The 007 is super forgiving, will fit many more front ends. But get the combo right, and wow, the 009 is a killer headphone IMO. I use my 007As maybe 10% max of the time, so tells you something.
 
Total respect to the others who dig the 007s, and I love them too, just don't join the 009 bashing, and believe it can be the answer with careful system matching.

 

[theconquerer]

Thanks astrostar59 you helped me in the other thread too, but 009s are too costly and l these bashings on 009s have left me confused about buying one especially because if suddenly they got damaged then you are pretty much ****ed.

 

[AxelCloris]

I've gone through and cleaned up the recent conversation in the thread. Please keep the discussion on topic about let's avoid getting personal in our posts. Thank you.

 

[theconquerer]

Alright after a lot of hearing/reading opinions, i will sell my kidney and buy both 009 and 007s with carbon and gungnir multibit.Will do review too if you guys are interested and images and video will be included so that no one calls me a liar without a reason.

 

[VandyMan]

I think it is unwise to stretch yourself financially to buy more headphone than you can really afford. Expensive products=expensive repairs/upgrades. To then spend money you don't have on a system you have never heard... Well, it is not how I would do it, but to each their own. Kidneys are overrated.

 

[astrostar59]

Alright after a lot of hearing/reading opinions, i will sell my kidney and buy both 009 and 007s with carbon and gungnir multibit.Will do review too if you guys are interested and images and video will be included so that no one calls me a liar without a reason.

You must have some personal demos with music you are familiar with. Opinions on here will give you paths to take, but the decision in the end is a personal thing.
 
Also remember there are those that claim the 007 is best, others the 009, others the Abyss or HE-2K. It is not about fact, it is about your own trails and your own ears ultimately.
 
It is INSANE to buy a BHSE/Carbon/009 without hearing it at a buddies house, a dealers or a hifi show at the very least. 
 
It is also INSANE to state forever some person said the 007 is better than the 009 (won't say who in that case). those quotes are that persons opinion, with their DAC and their personal idea of what they prefer. Even the type of music comes into this as well.
 
So, get out there, listen to some gear, the ones you have been told about. Then after some soul searching, buy something. Music is like a love affair, just because person A is like person B doesn't mean they will get go together perfectly and get married or even be happy.....
 
My advice unless you can afford a 2K DAC at least (huge generalisation but you get my point) you need to get the 007s. It is easier to system match and will not create as many 'issues' The 009 is the best IMO but it needs work to get there.

 

[theconquerer]

. I will do a vs comparison.So it may help others too, i had a hd 800S like i said before, and 009s should be much warmer and smoother in comparison while 800S were harsh and too thin, .I am generally into bright headphones and i listen to classical music a lot, so don't worry.

 

[Energy]

You must have some personal demos with music you are familiar with. Opinions on here will give you paths to take, but the decision in the end is a personal thing.

Also remember there are those that claim the 007 is best, others the 009, others the Abyss or HE-2K. It is not about fact, it is about your own trails and your own ears ultimately.

It is INSANE to buy a BHSE/Carbon/009 without hearing it at a buddies house, a dealers or a hifi show at the very least. 

It is also INSANE to state forever some person said the 007 is better than the 009 (won't say who in that case). those quotes are that persons opinion, with their DAC and their personal idea of what they prefer. Even the type of music comes into this as well.

So, get out there, listen to some gear, the ones you have been told about. Then after some soul searching, buy something. Music is like a love affair, just because person A is like person B doesn't mean they will get go together perfectly and get married or even be happy.....

My advice unless you can afford a 2K DAC at least (huge generalisation but you get my point) you need to get the 007s. It is easier to system match and will not create as many 'issues' The 009 is the best IMO but it needs work to get there.

I agree with everything this man says. The 009 may be too bright for you, 007 may be too dark, it really depends on the rest of your system, perhaps even down to cabling. One this is for sure though is that I would not recommend 009/007/Carbon/BSHE with anyone who would not spend at least $2000 on DAC, and even then, the DAC will still be the weakest link in the system. You'll easily hear it too as the 009 (or even 007) will easily reveal how not on par your source is.

For headphones that sound extremely organic and lifelike like with what electrostatics provide, I would recommend an R2R Ladder/NOS DAC.

Either a Holo Audio Spring for $1500, or a used Metrum Menuet for $1800-2000. For around that much you can also obtain a used Yggdrasil. But to be real honest, for a setup like the 009/Carbon, I would at least spend $5000 equilvalent for a DAC to really let it shine. Like a Metrum Pavane or MSB Analog DAC.

. I will do a vs comparison. So it may help others too, i had a hd 800S like i said before, and 009s should be much warmer and smoother in comparison while 800S were harsh and too thin, .I am generally into bright headphones and i listen to classical music a lot, so don't worry.

Smoother yes, but not warmer. I abandoned my HD800S/GS-X MKII setup for a 009/Carbon a month ago.. If the 009 had more bass than the HD800S, I would have been done with this hobby. Even the darker 007, no matter what revision still is not as warm as the HD800S.. While I agree the HD800S to be somewhat thin sounding compared to other dynamic headphones, it still has more body and bass impact than the 009. The 009 may be fuller sounding due to its better tonality, but electrostatic bass just isn't on the same level as planar magnetic or dynamic drivers, I hope you know that.

It becomes subjective at this point. You say you like bright headphones but deem the HD800S harsh and thin. While I do agree that it can be somewhat thin and harsh in the treble, comparing to the 009, some would find the STAX to be thin.

 

[theconquerer]

I agree with everything this man says. The 009 may be too bright for you, 007 may be too dark, it really depends on the rest of your system, perhaps even down to cabling. One this is for sure though is that I would not recommend 009/007/Carbon/BSHE with anyone who would not spend at least $2000 on DAC, and even then, the DAC will still be the weakest link in the system. You'll easily hear it too as the 009 (or even 007) will easily reveal how not on par your source is.

For headphones that sound extremely organic and lifelike like with what electrostatics provide, I would recommend an R2R Ladder/NOS DAC.

Either a Holo Audio Spring for $1500, or a used Metrum Menuet for $1800-2000. For around that much you can also obtain a used Yggdrasil. But to be real honest, for a setup like the 009/Carbon, I would at least spend $5000 equilvalent for a DAC to really let it shine. Like a Metrum Pavane or MSB Analog DAC.
Smoother yes, but not warmer. I abandoned my HD800S/GS-X MKII setup for a 009/Carbon a month ago.. If the 009 had more bass than the HD800S, I would have been done with this hobby. Even the darker 007, no matter what revision still is not as warm as the HD800S.. While I agree the HD800S to be somewhat thin sounding compared to other dynamic headphones, it still has more body and bass impact than the 009. The 009 may be fuller sounding due to its better tonality, but electrostatic bass just isn't on the same level as planar magnetic or dynamic drivers, I hope you know that.

It becomes subjective at this point. You say you like bright headphones but deem the HD800S harsh and thin. While I do agree that it can be somewhat thin and harsh in the treble, comparing to the 009, some would find the STAX to be thin.

While i do agree with what you said, the fact is i generally don't like the thumping bass or bloated bass.I more on the neutral side, so i like tight and extended bass more that is why i bought hd 800S in the first place, but the thing was too harsh, it had great vocals but again the treble was harsh and the sound itself was too sharp and fatiguing.Not to mention the soundstage felt too artificial.Also it is certainly impossible to audition them in india, i heard them at London for a brief moment.You cannot even hear audio technica's in india let alone stax or hd 800S.Some of my friends who are audio enthusiasts also bought their headphones at risk.I will sell them or return them if i didnt like them, Amazon has 15 days return policy i guess?My only concern for now is saving money and i have heard a lot about their driver failures.Still i have got a lot of time to think about it. After all i bought hd 800s on risk too.

 

[joseph69]

I bought every single headphone/piece of equipment I own/owned without ever hearing any of them, including 3 different amps/DACs for my Stax rig.

 

[greggf]

I've always bought unheard, like theconquerer and joseph69.  Google a map of New York State.  I'm at one end of the state, dealers at the other.  And the nearest dealers do not even sell headphones, and do not have headphone listening stations.
 
The U.S. is a lot like India and Russia and Canada, in that "audio friends" are nonexistent or else a continent or a state away.  Audio shows are useless environments and are a continent or a state away.  It's amazing how provincial city dwellers or folks from small countries can be when it comes to the realities of an India or a U.S.  It's all Amazon and mail order and risk buying, baby!

 

[VandyMan]

If buying unheard works for you, great. If I were in the market for a new 5-10K headphone system and I lived in upstate NY (for example), I'd have gotten my ass on an Amtrak train and gone to CanJam in NYC. Even with hotel, you would spend a small fraction of your headphone budget. Again, if you want to buy without listening, it is your money, go ahead. However, with CanJams and meets all over the US now, it is easier than ever to go and hear a ToTL system. For a guy who has to sell a kidney (metaphorically) to afford a STAX system, it is an unwise decision, in my opinion. If the money does not mean much to you, it is a different story. I have purchased sub-1K headphones without listening, but if I lost a few hundred bucks on the resale, I would not be crying into my beer.

 

[Whitigir]

Nice! So Carbon and 009 is good together