[jaycalgary]

Sounds like the coloration has you feeling emotional.

 

[rsbrsvp]

Yeah.

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is what head fi is all about- so..... in my opinion the Sony R-10 is THE BEST HEADPHONE ever made- PERIOD.
 
Now- I know it's colored, and may not be up to the technical specs of the electrostats- but it accomplishes the MOST important thing any musical equipment needs in order to better any headphone in the world- to my tastes-   it emotionally sucks me in.  NO electrostat can do that in the same way.  And in my opinion that is what music  is all about- being emotionally sucked in- irregardless of peaks, roll offs, detail, dynamics and any other jargon there is out there to describe the accuracy of headphones.  EMOTION is the game- and the R-10 is the epitome of emotional feeling-  It stands along with Audio Aero CDP's as the only two pieces of equipment that I have ever heard that have a soul.
 
As an aside, the R-10's and the Audio Aero CDP's may not be the ultimate in accuracy-  but they are no slouches either.
 
Maybe the SR-009 is the epitome of accuracy- but I bet it can't touch the R-10 for what we are all in this game for-  emotional pleasure.

 
Which version, bass light or bass heavy?
 
 

 

[rsbrsvp]

I never heard the light..

 

[visualguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsbrsvp /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
If my hypothosis is correct and the 407/507 is a close close second place to the 009 with the same basic tonal presentation at a fraction of the price;-   head-fiers could use this information in order to make an informative decision on which way to go. 

I own the SR-507, SR-007 mk1, and SR-009. I don't have the time to write a long comparison right now, but the bottom line is that the SR-507 aren't at the same level as the other two in terms of sound quality. The SR-507 are very good, although I prefer the HE-6 to the SR-507. The SR-007 and SR-009 are in a different league. Basically:
 
SR-009 > SR-007 >> HE-6 > SR-507
 
The SR-009 are worth the extra money over the SR-007 in my opinion. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with the SR-507 since at that price level you can get the HE-6 which are better overall in my opinion.
 

 

[Currawong]

The LCD-2s draw me into some music more than the 009s do, at least with the gear I have. The instrument separation with the 009s I feel is much better, however, which is just fantastic sometimes.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

 


 In the world of DHT's, the 300B is a mediocrity. Not really a fan of the 2A3 or 211 either. But aside from the 845, this is pretty much all that's commercially available.
 
I'm not surprized that the only 300B amps you liked were DIY. Most commercial designs are handicapped by poorly implemented power supplies that are in large measure responsible for the "mushieness" that many people associate with SET amps.
 
The best NOS DHT I can think of for a direct coupled differential electrostatic amp is the 801A. With modest filament requirements, a plate dissapation of 20W, a mu of 8, and the ability to swing over 500V, it might make an interesting alternative to the traditional EL34. The 801A is unlikely to ever be reproduced, but there are plenty for DIY.

The 801A would be a good fit.  There are also some slightly crazy transmitter tubes which are good options but odd shapes and plate caps plus scary filament currents are the norm. 
 
This does bring up something I often wonder about, what makes the sound people so often associate with tubes and SET's?  Parts used or the piss poor engineering of the amp circuits? 
 

 

[OmoNemo]

Finally got mine today from Thai STAX's distributor, after hours of audition no sign of channel imbalance, these cans sounds great more than I expected, as far as I can tell SR-009 excel my O2 MkI right out of the box.
 

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is what head fi is all about- so..... in my opinion the Sony R-10 is THE BEST HEADPHONE ever made- PERIOD.
 
 
Maybe the SR-009 is the epitome of accuracy- but I bet it can't touch the R-10 for what we are all in this game for-  emotional pleasure.

I completely. 100% agree with you. Sorry I didn't have time to answer your PM. I was on a business trip in Chicago, surrounded by the big boys, 24/7/. I'll take some time out this weekend and give you my heartfelt opinions.
 

 

[kiertijai]

 
 
I just heard from Craig that he has finished the power supply part and he can have the 650V swing, he also
said hearing in believing.   He will try some rectifier now and I will send my newly acquired WE 274 B pair
and GZ34 Philips miniwatts metal base for him to try, including several 6X4's : Bendix redbank, Brimar, Mullard, tungsol
I have some quads of the russian Melz 1578, sylavania metal base, tungsol BGRP, Brimar CV1988/6SN7GTY and
Mullard ECC32 for him to try but I don't know which one he will use.

 

[arnaud]

Quote:

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is what head fi is all about- so..... in my opinion the Sony R-10 is THE BEST HEADPHONE ever made- PERIOD.
 
Now- I know it's colored, and may not be up to the technical specs of the electrostats- but it accomplishes the MOST important thing any musical equipment needs in order to better any headphone in the world- to my tastes-   it emotionally sucks me in.  NO electrostat can do that in the same way.  And in my opinion that is what music  is all about- being emotionally sucked in- irregardless of peaks, roll offs, detail, dynamics and any other jargon there is out there to describe the accuracy of headphones.  EMOTION is the game- and the R-10 is the epitome of emotional feeling-  It stands along with Audio Aero CDP's as the only two pieces of equipment that I have ever heard that have a soul.
 
As an aside, the R-10's and the Audio Aero CDP's may not be the ultimate in accuracy-  but they are no slouches either.
 
Maybe the SR-009 is the epitome of accuracy- but I bet it can't touch the R-10 for what we are all in this game for-  emotional pleasure.

 
[size=medium]

When I read such nice comments about the R10 it really makes me want to listen to them. But wait... I did listen to them in the past!! At least twice, but at meets. I wasn't particularly "wowed" at the time, especially not in the "emotional connection to the music" department (mind you, the sources which I forgot by now were not Audio Aero though). That probably highlights how useless meet experiences are .
 
But isn't there also some kind of emotional attachment to the headphone itself which makes you so sure that nothing out there will be better it? In particular, the R10 is pretty much unobtainium at of today so doesn't it also influence opinions (of the owners)?
 
I would usually recommend to listen to 009 before making judgement but actually, in this situation, whatever the Stax excels at, it's probably not going to float your boat because of your mindset. So in the end, I absolutely agree with you . 
​

[/size]

 

[FrankCooter]

Quote:

The best NOS DHT I can think of for a direct coupled differential electrostatic amp is the 801A. With modest filament requirements, a plate dissapation of 20W, a mu of 8, and the ability to swing over 500V, 
 
I just heard from Craig that he has finished the power supply part and he can have the 650V swing, he also
said hearing in believing.   He will try some rectifier now and I will send my newly acquired WE 274 B pair
and GZ34 Philips miniwatts metal base for him to try, including several 6X4's : Bendix redbank, Brimar, Mullard, tungsol
I have some quads of the russian Melz 1578, sylavania metal base, tungsol BGRP, Brimar CV1988/6SN7GTY and
Mullard ECC32 for him to try but I don't know which one he will use.

I'm irritated that you've quoted me without attribution, but I'm more irritated that you post without really understanding what you're talking about. Whatever your intentions, you are not doing Craig any service, Throwing a bunch of high dollar exotic tubes at a design problem is no substitute for basic electrical understanding. I know Craig well enough to know that he would agree and would not do such a thing.
 
If you would bother to look up the relevant tube data, you would see that the maximum plate voltage of an 801A is 600V, which means that a differential pair can swing about 1.1kV before clipping. By comparison,without some sort of transformer based step-up, a 300B pair can only reach about 700V, essentially, as Spritzer pointed out, no more than a pair of 6SN7GTB. While Stax factory amps have an output in this range, the general consensus is that a high-end electrostatic amplifier should be able to swing 800 to 1,000 V. It is easy to hear a 600V electrostatic amp clip. I have a hard time believing Craig would produce such an amp.
 
I'm also curious about what role a little 6X4 rectifier would play in an amp using four 300B's. With a maximum output of about 50mA and 400V, it certainly isn't going to power the output tubes . 
 
I really think something is twisted here.

 

[Gu Sensei]

'Best Ever' is a pretty tough argument to make for any pair of headphones outside of identifying the one pair that you personally like better than all the others you have heard. Too much subjective reaction and interpretation of relative merits of various aspects of a sound signature. While there will never be agreement, it seems like the the R10s, Omega I, HE90s, Qualias are often cited in an elite group. Of course, it goes without saying that certain owners of the LCD2s, Omega IIs, and HD800s will argue for their inclusion in the elite category. I have never heard any of the former group and cannot compare, but I do personally feel the 009s are a significant, easily recognizable technical step above the latter group and all of the other flagships currently offered (with the HE6s the only ones I have not heard). I am sure that 009s will not be selected by many as a best ever due to preferences for different sound signatures, but I will struggle to understand any sort of argument dismissing them on technical grounds. Resolution, imaging, transparency are stunning with these phones and I cannot identify find any noticeable weakness not associated with the quality of the recording being played or personal preference.
 
I have never concerned myself with accuracy too much and have generally preferred euphonic phones over those dubbed 'neutral' even if that meant giving ground in some technical categories. I would take the D7000s over the HD800s, LCD2s, O2s, and any other currently offered phones just because their euphonic colorations fit so well for me and the unique sonic contributions of those others do not. I simply enjoy them much more despite the technical improvements the others offer.
 
While I might also enjoy a little color like that described for the R10s added to the 009s, I thoroughly enjoy and feel engaged in all of my music without it. I would not at all describe the 009s as dry, analytical or distant. To me, they are not warm or cold and neither musical nor analytical. I think they are slighly forward in terms of the upper mids and treble and as a result, I would like a little more relative bass presence. However, I love the quality of the bass and feel it is extremely versatile with the ability to provide taught textured acoustic, driving thumping electric, and phat bouncy synthesized when called upon with equal aplomb. Again, with these phones, resolution, clarity, and imaging are just amazing relative to everything else I have heard. I like 'musical' colorations but also feel that these have redefined the term 'neutral' for me.
 
I am finding that their neutrality is completely engaging! For me personally, these are the Best Ever.
 

 

[kiertijai]

(I'm irritated that you've quoted me without attribution, but I'm more irritated that you post without really understanding what you're talking about. Whatever your intentions, you are not doing Craig any service, Throwing a bunch of high dollar exotic tubes at a design problem is no substitute for basic electrical understanding. I know Craig well enough to know that he would agree and would not do such a thing.)
 
I agree that I don't know much about the tubes.   However I am expressing the information that I get from Craig.  I don't
by any means want to boast about my collection and if you look at my profile and my career I don't need to do that.
I apologized that that might irritate you or offend you.  Being in my profession I am not supposed to know what you
mentioned.   I was excited that Craig is doing an electrostatic amplifier so I would like to know that it can compete
with the BHSE or not so I am trying to supply what I think may be the best in my opinion.  That's all.  Before I wrote
this I have asked Craig and Craig was reluctant for a while but when he finished his power supply part , he mentioned
to me that he would like to do the rectifier things.   He is also interested in my tubes so I propose that I can provide him
that 6SN7's because I also purchased the new Balancing Act from him and I would like mine to have the best set up
and Craig has done that for me  that he suggested the KR PX4 + Tungsol BGRP.
Just to let you know,  I have paste your post about the 801s that you mentioned to Craig but he did not comment anything
but he answered back that his power supply now can have the 650V swing and he would like to try new rectifier.
You can contact Craig directly because you also know Craig very well.  I also don't understand why this will not do
Craig any good, I think it's neutral and we are discussing about the progress of one new electrostatic amplifier, that 's all
It's not a commercial, I am not a shill and I don't think Craig allow anyone to do that. 
     For the 6X4 part,  Craig does not use that in the new Balancing act circuit that will affect the SQ but it may be different
this time for the electrostatic amplifier.  This is not from Craig but from one DIY , he explained to me that it will not increase
much of the gain but will make the sound more silky.  You may have to take your thought away from all the power stuff and
think what is the idea that leads to the use of 6X4.  That's the reason why I offer Craig the Mullard and Genelex 6X4.
     I understand that you may be upset when someone don't know about the 801
and may seem not to respond to your proposed idea.   However I think you need to more than mentioning about the
theory but you need to show the result of your work  or your amplifier and people accepts that as those of Craig's.
I don't like you last sentence that said ( "I really think something is twisted here"  ) and I think you really offended me
wiithout considering all the other possibilities.
     I have been in the field of science for many years.  I have seen several innovations and creative ideas all these years,
some excellent theoretical background why it should work or not.  Some are successful, some does not work and some
are harmful.   I think I need more than the theory of the tube specification here to convince me.  I am not totally convinced
on Craig's product but I know that he's a good amplifier builder so I have given this a try.  That's why I am happy that
there is some discussion on this in  a creative way.   Compairing the new one with the proved one on A/B test is the
way to know .

 

[Deadneddz]

What's irritating the lack of proper quoting imo. Please use the quote button when replying so that we can differentiate your words with the quoted statement.