Great comparative discussion over the last two pages with a lot of valuable divergent opinions.
I'm currently evaluating three different rigs. Each uses my Grace m903 and Clearaudio Concept table as sources.
SRM-727ii > SR009
EC Super 7 > HD800
Bryston BHA-1 > LCD-3
There's a lot of similarities here. Each rig pairs a top-level transducer with an excellent-but-not-endgame amplifier. Each has distinct strengths and weaknesses. And most importantly, each is getting about the same amount of head time at the moment. I prefer the LCD-3's visceral bass above the refined Stax and polite Sennheiser bass. I actually prefer the Senns for treble -- the LCD-3 sometimes sounds overly shelved, while the SR009 is often too pointed for my preference. The SR009 is easily preferable for soundstage -- the Audez'e is too limited, while the HD800 sometimes feels exaggerated and unreal.
Right now, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the LCD-3. It won last night's Court of the Crimson King remix shootout with just the right combination of detail and aggression. The SR009 is a close 2nd, but I'm not finding enough value in it at the moment. An upgraded source and amp would probably help, though I'm not much in the mood for chasing holy grails at every level of the signal chain right now. And for all their imperfections relative to the Stax, the Sennheisers hit a sweet spot where sound quality and value intersect.
This is a fun (if occasionally frustrating) ride. Stay tuned!