[biscottino]

I have been 009s for a month but not many hours of sound, I had already sold the 009 smooth but I had not had a direct comparison.
He uses it with Carbon Kgss and a Merging Nadac, to have more consistency in the low range and to have a more refined high range I used ebony wood Yamamoto it seems to me that the improvement is widely recognized.
I remember that the combo 009 and Carbon gave me a fatigue of listening, now I do not feel it.
Who has listened well to a direct comparison 009 vs 009s could enlighten me?

 

[Velomane]

Who has listened well to a direct comparison 009 vs 009s could enlighten me?

I am sure there are many of us waiting to know how these compare. I'm jumping on the Stax wagon having just purchased, but not received, a KGSSHV Carbon and a pair of SR-007 mk2's with an eye on which 009 to get.

 

[biscottino]

Good kgss Carbon, but maybe I will sell it to get a Stax t8000, the 007 mk2 has a sound a little muddy with a low bass but probably can better reproduce modern music, if you pay attention to detail , jazz e classic music, your way is sure 009/009s .

 

[JimL11]

Good kgss Carbon, but maybe I will sell it to get a Stax t8000, the 007 mk2 has a sound a little muddy with a low bass but probably can better reproduce modern music, if you pay attention to detail , jazz e classic music, your way is sure 009/009s .

I recommend you audition the T8000 before changing from a Carbon - the consensus of opinion about the T8000 on Head-Fi and elsewhere seems to be that it is a step or two down, or backwards, from the Carbon. Certainly, the T8000 does not have nearly the amount of power and current drive that the Carbon has, which can be seen by the simple fact that the Carbon draws over twice the power from the AC line as the T8000.

 

[astrostar59]

Good kgss Carbon, but maybe I will sell it to get a Stax t8000, the 007 mk2 has a sound a little muddy with a low bass but probably can better reproduce modern music, if you pay attention to detail , jazz e classic music, your way is sure 009/009s .

A dilemma indeed. I found the KGSShv Carbon and 009 was too bright for my ears and emphasised the micro detail and plankton too much. Very entertaining but not realistic I decided.

The 009s is reported to be a bit calmer in the treble, so might sound slightly waker as well. But it is subtle I believe.

I sold my rig and got the LCD4 and use a Violectric V281. I am very happy now. But you have the Viva amplifier and the Susvara, isn't that end game?

I heard the T8000 at Can-Jam last year with my 3 favourite test track on a USB stick. I was a poor sound IMO. The BHSE on the next stand was way ahead. I would estimate the T8000 is incrementally better than my old SRM-717, which was behind (a lot) my KGSShv, which was itself behind the Carbon I got after it.

If you like some of the 007's sound, I would say the Susvara, LCD4 or Abyss do it better in that direction.

 

[Rhamnetin]

A dilemma indeed. I found the KGSShv Carbon and 009 was too bright for my ears and emphasised the micro detail and plankton too much. Very entertaining but not realistic I decided.

The 009s is reported to be a bit calmer in the treble, so might sound slightly waker as well. But it is subtle I believe.

I sold my rig and got the LCD4 and use a Violectric V281. I am very happy now. But you have the Viva amplifier and the Susvara, isn't that end game?

I heard the T8000 at Can-Jam last year with my 3 favourite test track on a USB stick. I was a poor sound IMO. The BHSE on the next stand was way ahead. I would estimate the T8000 is incrementally better than my old SRM-717, which was behind (a lot) my KGSShv, which was itself behind the Carbon I got after it.

If you like some of the 007's sound, I would say the Susvara, LCD4 or Abyss do it better in that direction.

T8000 is underwhelming indeed:
https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/13002-stax-srm-t8000/

Though I find the SR-007 to easily outclass any HiFiMan (haven't yet tried the Susvara though) and especially Audeze, so really one just needs to decide for themselves here with first hand experience.

 

[biscottino]

A dilemma indeed. I found the KGSShv Carbon and 009 was too bright for my ears and emphasised the micro detail and plankton too much. Very entertaining but not realistic I decided.

The 009s is reported to be a bit calmer in the treble, so might sound slightly waker as well. But it is subtle I believe.

I sold my rig and got the LCD4 and use a Violectric V281. I am very happy now. But you have the Viva amplifier and the Susvara, isn't that end game?

I heard the T8000 at Can-Jam last year with my 3 favourite test track on a USB stick. I was a poor sound IMO. The BHSE on the next stand was way ahead. I would estimate the T8000 is incrementally better than my old SRM-717, which was behind (a lot) my KGSShv, which was itself behind the Carbon I got after it.

If you like some of the 007's sound, I would say the Susvara, LCD4 or Abyss do it better in that direction.

Viva and Susvara is best sound, for me, yes, of course.
The great problem of the Carbon, is the case, best project but case poor, just now i use Yamamoto wood under and the sound is better, high extensive but not aggressive.

 

[biscottino]

T8000 is underwhelming indeed:
https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/13002-stax-srm-t8000/

Though I find the SR-007 to easily outclass any HiFiMan (haven't yet tried the Susvara though) and especially Audeze, so really one just needs to decide for themselves here with first hand experience.

I prefer listen it in my house, a friend of mine tell to me that t8000 sounds great with 009s!
You play 009s?

 

[astrostar59]

Viva and Susvara is best sound, for me, yes, of course.
The great problem of the Carbon, is the case, best project but case poor, just now i use Yamamoto wood under and the sound is better, high extensive but not aggressive.

Well I could comment on the guy who built that amp, but I won't. Just to say there are better builds of a Carbon, both chassis and parts. He uses his own PS design (scaled back version for size). His Carbon CC was almost an empty case LOL. I have a photo somewhere. But he has a 'cult' following him around.

Changing subject, why Stax didn't nail it and just build a best of the best electrostatic amp and have done with it. No idea.....

 

[PointyFox]

I went from a LCD-4 + Violectric V281 + Violectric V800 to a SR-007A (unmodded) + SRM-D50.
I prefer the Stax setup a little more. More comfortable and higher build quality and transparency, but I lose some treble smoothness and sub-bass impact. It has very good mid-bass impact though. It seems to be especially good for pop music, acoustic guitar, and jazz.

 

[Rhamnetin]

Well I could comment on the guy who built that amp, but I won't. Just to say there are better builds of a Carbon, both chassis and parts. He uses his own PS design (scaled back version for size). His Carbon CC was almost an empty case LOL. I have a photo somewhere. But he has a 'cult' following him around.

Changing subject, why Stax didn't nail it and just build a best of the best electrostatic amp and have done with it. No idea.....

Stax tried and screwed up with the T2.

As for spritzer's Carbon, the CC doesn't used a scaled down power supply but still "only" uses one. It goes more all out on parts with the silver wire and volume control but the price hurts.

 

[astrostar59]

He designed his own smaller PS board, see pics. The other full spec Carbon has the 'standard' GR boards and the full PS boards with 15v boards. No problem with space in the amp, so can't see why he did that?

 

[Rhamnetin]

He designed his own smaller PS board, see pics. The other full spec Carbon has the 'standard' GR boards and the full PS boards with 15v boards. No problem with space in the amp, so can't see why he did that?

Hmm I see. Who built that other Carbon?

 

[astrostar59]

Hmm I see. Who built that other Carbon?

It was John W Mclean I believe, it looks like his builds. I found it in Google images. He has built a few. Mine was not built by him but the boards were the same. BGer designed a smaller PS for his KGSShv minis, I believer that is where it started. I have read owners of his Mini versions sound different to the full size units. I would buy a full size Carbon if I was on the market for one.

 

[biscottino]

the Carbon sounds great great great with the new 009s, while it could be a little tiring with the old 009, it is perfectly in line with the new version 009s ... even I would still like a little more detail.