[neilvg]

Honestly it doesn't matter too much.  Others may disagree.  Use a few different headphones powered correctly and a few different monitors.  The most important thing is to be familiar with the sound of your headphones, so when you hear a mix, you have a reference for where you want the end to be.  I personally use headphones for micro-panning details, subtle noise, fine tuning transients, and some EQ.  Also of course during the recording process as well.  Again, the most important thing is to be aware of the signature of your headphones so you don't end up overcompensating.  Use multiple sources.  If you are just using headphones for mixing late at night etc... you are probably not committing any final mixes in that state anyway.
 
Neil

 

[krmathis]

 
Quote:

<snip>  
You guys were right about Stax. F-cking A. Unbelievable.

The O2 is incredible indeed. And the 4070 is no slough either, especially for monitoring...

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Honestly it doesn't matter too much.  Others may disagree.  Use a few different headphones powered correctly and a few different monitors.  The most important thing is to be familiar with the sound of your headphones, so when you hear a mix, you have a reference for where you want the end to be.  I personally use headphones for micro-panning details, subtle noise, fine tuning transients, and some EQ.  Also of course during the recording process as well.  Again, the most important thing is to be aware of the signature of your headphones so you don't end up overcompensating.  Use multiple sources.  If you are just using headphones for mixing late at night etc... you are probably not committing any final mixes in that state anyway.
 
Neil

You are quite correct.  The nice thing about using the LCD-2 is that they are so neutral that your mix will be neutral even if you're not aware of the character of the LCD-2.
 

 

[Lunatique]

In a perfect world I would buy the 007MKII, 4070, LCD2, and the Edition 8 and compare them extensively and then decide which one(s) to keep, but I'm really far from being that rich, so I must rely on other people's experiences.
 
As much as I loved the 007MKII, there was just one or two tiny little things I noticed that while didn't diminish my love for it, did register as possible weaknesses. The first is how it almost sounds too pleasant. Even on really bright material that I know is mixed too bright, the 007MKII made it much more pleasant--all the fatiguing brightness is smoothed out. This makes me think the 007MKII is making things sound smoother/prettier than they really are. Second is that at about 30Hz or so the bass starts to roll-off, and although that didn't take away the fullness of the authoritative bass from the music I listened to (some are very bass heavy), it does make me want to take a look at the frequency response chart, but I have never seen one for the Stax headphones. Anyone have access to Stax frequency charts?
 
I've read around here that the 4070, despite being closed-back, actually has less bass extension than the 007MKII? What about the rest--the mids, the treble, the soundstage...etc?
 
Anyone here thinks the Edition 8 is a contender? Also now that the LCD2 is out, how does it compare to the Stax models?

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

In a perfect world I would buy the 007MKII, 4070, LCD2, and the Edition 8 and compare them extensively and then decide which one(s) to keep, but I'm really far from being that rich, so I must rely on other people's experiences.
 
As much as I loved the 007MKII, there was just one or two tiny little things I noticed that while didn't diminish my love for it, did register as possible weaknesses. The first is how it almost sounds too pleasant. Even on really bright material that I know is mixed too bright, the 007MKII made it much more pleasant--all the fatiguing brightness is smoothed out. This makes me think the 007MKII is making things sound smoother/prettier than they really are. Second is that at about 30Hz or so the bass starts to roll-off, and although that didn't take away the fullness of the authoritative bass from the music I listened to (some are very bass heavy), it does make me want to take a look at the frequency response chart, but I have never seen one for the Stax headphones. Anyone have access to Stax frequency charts?
 
I've read around here that the 4070, despite being closed-back, actually has less bass extension than the 007MKII? What about the rest--the mids, the treble, the soundstage...etc?
 
Anyone here thinks the Edition 8 is a contender? Also now that the LCD2 is out, how does it compare to the Stax models?

The ED8 is a fun to listen to headphone with punchy bass and bright highs.  They are fun, but not neutral.  Their FR is not as extended on either end of the spectrum as the LCD-2.

 

 

[neilvg]

Ahh yes the LCD-2.  It intrigues me.   I heard a prototype some time back.
 
Neil

 

[Erik Garci]

Quote:

Anyone have access to Stax frequency charts?

Here's a chart.

 

[Lunatique]

Quote:

Here's a chart.

Thanks!
 
LCD2's frequency response if freakishly flat. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
 
Anyone have the chart for the Stax flagship models (4070, 007MKII)? I'm pretty sure their sub-bass aren't as rolled-off?
 

 

[n3rdling]

I've only seen the FR of the SR Omega

 

[GuyDebord]

The 4070's are designed to be Monitors, they will not make all music sound pretty. In my limited experience with electrostatics they are the flattest and most revealing Stax I have heard. Their bass is neutrally superb, same as the other freqs. Their soundstage is also impressive,they don't sound like closed cans, but the O2's get the plus here.

 

[Lunatique]

Quote:

The 4070's are designed to be Monitors, they will not make all music sound pretty. In my limited experience with electrostatics they are the flattest and most revealing Stax I have heard. Their bass is neutrally superb, same as the other freqs. Their soundstage is also impressive,they don't sound like closed cans, but the O2's get the plus here.

In what ways are the O2's preferred? It seems most say it has more mid-bass warmth while the 4070's bass is more neutral, but both are extended in the sub-bass region about the same? Is that the only significant difference? What about soundstage? Mids? Treble? Detail and texture? Are they mostly the same between the two?

 

[Lunatique]

I just wanted to update this thread by saying that I have found the cans I'd use for serious mixing/mastering--the Audez'e LCD2. After testing it extensively, I think it is the first headphone I have heard that is neutral enough and doesn't have obvious problems in the frequency range (although on some material the 2KHZ~3KHZ region can sound a bit recessed, lacking the bite for distorted guitars and the snap for some snare drums), and renders details well enough that I could trust it to do audio work (and I'll always have Isone Pro turned on when using headphones so they sound like speakers in an ideal listening room).
 
I'll still be getting the Stax 007MKII, but that's for a very different reason--it's for purely enjoyment, because it is just so amazingly musical. I have never heard anything like it before and I was blown away when I tested it a few months ago. I have no idea if the 007MKII is accurate enough to do serious audio work on, and when I do get it in my studio, I'll be running tests on it to see how it holds up while doing production work.