[Piotr Ryka]

So we can say, that 009 is a kind of flagship headphone, but not from the Stax school, yes?

 

[wiktor]

IMO - yes.

 

[visualguy]

Quote:

How big of an improvement one can expect b/w 007T and BHSE are we talking about for SR009 and is the SROII out of favor now since the SR009 arrived.

I don't have the SR-009 (yet), but the SR-007 has flabby bass with the 007t. The SR-507 suffers less from this problem with the 007t, but the problem is still noticeable. I wouldn't expect the SR-009 to sound great on the 007t, but it would be nice to hear from someone who tried this combination.
 
I'm personally more curious about how good solid-state amps (KGSS, 323S, modded 727) compare to the BHSE in terms of sound quality with either the SR-007 or the SR-009. I haven't seen anyone comparing the BHSE to these other amps directly with the same source. It's strange because the KGSS and BHSE have been around for a long time, so I would have expected to see a detailed comparison by now...
 

 

[edstrelow]

I am trying to figure out what Stax did with the external ear cup behind the drivers.  Am I wrong or is it somewhat more open and shallow than the 007's which seem to be recessed about 3/8 inch and have something almost like a chamber running around the edge of the driver.
 
Quote:

Ohhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyy.... Back home with the SR009 in hand, going through the first HD Tracks / Head-fi collaboration mix. This is just GOOD!!! It really feels like I am standing in front of the drums, the cymbals have a texture like I've never heard, the drum kick is closest to what I hear live, there's absolutely no hint of harshness so far, I did not pick the worst recordings to start though . Soundstage is deep, layered, precise just like I heard originally at Fujiya Avic, YES!
 
arnaud
 
Edit: now at track 11. First time I hear the 20Hz, ughh!
 
Edit 2: it's an experience in itself to unwrap this thing, amazing attention to details, typically Japanese. This reminds me of Rudistor's packaging ... not ;o). This pictures have very low depth of field toward the end as I was using natural light but sky turned to rain at that time. Hopefully it still gives an idea of the headphone finish...
 

 
 
 

 

 

[googleli]

Congratulations, Arnaud, Gu Sensei, Wiktor and others! If only I knew it was on sale on Saturday I would have flied to Tokyo on Friday to get it. Now I will have to wait - but meanwhile, would be grateful if I can read more impressions first - especially regarding the "brightness" some mentioned.
 
Gu Sensei, that is a very nice setup! What model of Accupahse is that? I still remember audtioning the Esoteric K-01 with Accupahse C-3800 a month ago with my LCD2 - it was a perfect listening experience to me.  

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Congratulations, Arnaud, Gu Sensei, Wiktor and others! If only I knew it was on sale on Saturday I would have flied to Tokyo on Friday to get it. Now I will have to wait - but meanwhile, would be grateful if I can read more impressions first - especially regarding the "brightness" some mentioned.
 
Gu Sensei, that is a very nice setup! What model of Accupahse is that? I still remember audtioning the Esoteric K-01 with Accupahse C-3800 a month ago with my LCD2 - it was a perfect listening experience to me.  

I have not yet had the privilege of auditioning the SR-009, but...once you get yours you may very well find that high-end sources and matched interconnects tend to tone down and smooth them out nicely.  That's what I've been thru recently with my HE90s and the P-03/D-03/G-0x->MIT V1.1 Oracle RCA IC->Rolled Aristaeus chain.  I'm hoping the SR-009 will behave similarly either with the now revised RSA A-10 (new caps) and/or the Mullard xf1 rolled BHSE, when it ships.

 

[googleli]

The MIT Oracle - amazing. I think on Planet Earth as we know it, only the Nordost Odin cable could put up a fight with your interconnect. I am using Taralabs The One interconnect at the moment. Have you upgraded your power cords yet? They make a very big difference too. I am currently using the Siltech Ruby Hill II (this cable is of the same price as my Leben) and it is worth every penny of it.

 

[pachku]

 
Quote:

Seeing that you have both the stax amp and BSHE, would you mind elaborating the SR009 performance out of the two amps.  How big of an improvement one can expect b/w 007T and BHSE are we talking about for SR009?  Is the SROII out of favor now since the SR009 arrived?

 
Haven't used the 007t for a while. With the O2, it lost so bad against the BHSE, I see no real value in re-doing the comparison with the SR-009. The O2 is still a good headphone, and with a very few recordings (especially where soundstage is not an issue) on a par with the SR-009, but overall the new one is the winner. I'll try some other tubes with the BHSE, that might increase the margin even further...

 

[purk]

Quote:

 
 
Haven't used the 007t for a while. With the O2, it lost so bad against the BHSE, I see no real value in re-doing the comparison with the SR-009. The O2 is still a good headphone, and with a very few recordings (especially where soundstage is not an issue) on a par with the SR-009, but overall the new one is the winner. I'll try some other tubes with the BHSE, that might increase the margin even further...

 
Thanks.  How about the overall improvement going from the 007T to BHSE using the SR009?  Many earlier impressions indicated that the SR009 is easier to drive; how good is the SR009 out of the 007T?  Is it in the same playing field as the BHSE + OII?  Thanks again. 
 
 

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

 
I'm personally more curious about how good solid-state amps (KGSS, 323S, modded 727) compare to the BHSE in terms of sound quality with either the SR-007 or the SR-009. I haven't seen anyone comparing the BHSE to these other amps directly with the same source. It's strange because the KGSS and BHSE have been around for a long time, so I would have expected to see a detailed comparison by now...
 

I've done this comparison dozens of times, the last one was on Sunday before I shipped out the 727A I was modding for Kiertijai.  My KGSS isn't a Headamp unit though but built by me using the same PCB's and similar parts so it should be close.  There is a Headamp unit here that a friend owns but I've never bothered to compare them. 
 
The BHSE is clear winner in any comparisons like this, by far the most control, depth of soundstage, detail retrieval etc.  The difference is truly astounding (and easy to understand once you know why the BH was designed this way) but as with everything great, it doesn't wow you.  I've been using Blue Hawaii's for the better part of a decade (got my first one in 2004) and how great they are sneaks up on you in a way.  The amp simply ceases to be a factor in how the transducers are behaving, what ever they need from the amp, they get.  I'm a firm believer that amps should be nothing more than a wire with gain and an ample current supply and that's exactly what the BHSE is. 
 
As for the 727 vs. KGSS, that one is closer but the KGSS is better to these ears.  I most regards they are pretty similar, in line with the brutally neutral POW, ample control over the Omega drivers but the 727 just doesn't grab me as the KGSS does.  The 727 is a  brilliant amp and I would happily have one on my desktop if I hadn't built my KGSS specially for that role. 
 

 

[visualguy]

Quote:

 
 
The BHSE is clear winner in any comparisons like this, by far the most control, depth of soundstage, detail retrieval etc.  The difference is truly astounding (and easy to understand once you know why the BH was designed this way) but as with everything great, it doesn't wow you.  I've been using Blue Hawaii's for the better part of a decade (got my first one in 2004) and how great they are sneaks up on you in a way.  The amp simply ceases to be a factor in how the transducers are behaving, what ever they need from the amp, they get.  I'm a firm believer that amps should be nothing more than a wire with gain and an ample current supply and that's exactly what the BHSE is. 
 
 

Thanks - this helps... You're saying that the soundstage and detail retrieval on the SR-007 are better with the BHSE than the KGSS.
 
I guess I'll have to look for an opportunity to listen to the BHSE. The main thing I'm wondering about is whether the difference is very subtle or not. Not sure what to conclude from your description because you say that the difference truly astounds, yet it sneaks up on you and doesn't wow. My experience so far is that if there's a significant difference in sound then it's apparent within a few minutes in a side-by-side comparison, and not something that you realize only after many hours of listening. Basically, I'm still somewhat confused about the KGSS vs. BHSE sound difference topic. Listening is probably the only way to figure it out.
 

 

[TheAttorney]

Quote:

Thanks.  How about the overall improvement going from the 007T to BHSE using the SR009?  Many earlier impressions indicated that the SR009 is easier to drive; how good is the SR009 out of the 007T?  Is it in the same playing field as the BHSE + OII?  Thanks again.
 

pachku, I'd also like this exact question answered please. Seeing as I currently have an SRM-007t +O2 mk1 and am debating whether my next step should be an SR009 or a BHSE. And no, I can't afford both at the moment.
 
 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

The MIT Oracle - amazing. I think on Planet Earth as we know it, only the Nordost Odin cable could put up a fight with your interconnect. I am using Taralabs The One interconnect at the moment. Have you upgraded your power cords yet? They make a very big difference too. I am currently using the Siltech Ruby Hill II (this cable is of the same price as my Leben) and it is worth every penny of it.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Oracle is very good, but honestly I think Valhalla is very overrated (and overpriced), and Odin is just that much more so. I'd put Kubala Sosna Elation against Odin any day. Stealth Indra and Sakra are also incredible, but they aren't a system like Oracle or Elation, just interconnects. Stealth's power cords are great though, as are the K-S Elation cords.
 

 

[googleli]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Oracle is very good, but honestly I think Valhalla is very overrated (and overpriced), and Odin is just that much more so. I'd put Kubala Sosna Elation against Odin any day. Stealth Indra and Sakra are also incredible, but they aren't a system like Oracle or Elation, just interconnects. Stealth's power cords are great though, as are the K-S Elation cords.
 

Thanks for the info Dave. Right now on the other side of the globe these are the more popular high end interconnect cables - how would you rate these against those you mentioned?

Tara Labs The Zero, The 0.8 and The One LE
Kharma Enigma Signature
Siltech Empress or Princess
Audio Note Sogon II
Kondo LPZ

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

Thanks - this helps... You're saying that the soundstage and detail retrieval on the SR-007 are better with the BHSE than the KGSS.
 
I guess I'll have to look for an opportunity to listen to the BHSE. The main thing I'm wondering about is whether the difference is very subtle or not. Not sure what to conclude from your description because you say that the difference truly astounds, yet it sneaks up on you and doesn't wow. My experience so far is that if there's a significant difference in sound then it's apparent within a few minutes in a side-by-side comparison, and not something that you realize only after many hours of listening. Basically, I'm still somewhat confused about the KGSS vs. BHSE sound difference topic. Listening is probably the only way to figure it out.
 

 
It's probably something like upgrading from a good DAC to a great one.