[JayKei]

Hello?
This is my first thread.
I am using SR-L700, SR-007A and SRM-727A.
Because SR-L700 and SR-007A are good headphone, I had an interest in SR-X9000.
Many reviews indicated that SR-X9000 is a masterpiece of electrostatic headphone.

But, choosing an energizer is not easy as choosing electrostatic headphone.
In facts, I asked Mjolnir audio to recommend reasonable energizer for SR-X9000 in $2k - 3k.
He recommended KGST (slightly over price), ccd moded 007t or 717.
How do you think about his recommendation? Those are better than 727A?
and BHSE or Carbon has a more potential than KGST?
or iesl could be a better option?
I hope to hear yours opinion.
Have a good day

 

[HBen]

Hello there and greetings to south korea (will be there soon too hehe),

As a fellow stax-aficionado and generally after testing tons of gear I found out the following on my headphone journey:

It all highly depends on system synergy, music taste, personal preferences, your individual listening etc. etc. etc.

An example: Everyone and their mother recommended the BHSE for the 009 ... however after I tried this combo I liked the 009 much better on my 727 (with several of my DAC's that is). I found the BHSE a good match for the 007 though.
I also had the X9000 at home for a while and didn't really like it that much on the 727 (on the DAC's I had on hand that day). Too forward sounding somehow.
In the shop where I heard the X9000 first heard them they had it on a T8000 plugged into a PS Audio Directstream DAC which sounded really good - definitely better than my memory at home. This DAC is known to be smooth sounding and I guess the tubes on the T8000 also helped a bit there.
In the end and after testing different combos, I personally still prefer my old trusted 009 on the 727 over all the other combos. It sounds just more consistent to me than the X9000 and also the 009S. The 009S and the X9000 somehow have a similarity there.
There's probably some combo apart from the one at that shop that makes the X9000 sounding great without costing 10000$+ but I haven't found that one yet.
Anyway if someone has some inputs I'd be interested too.

In the end all I can recommend you is go to a shop where they sell the X9000, test it with different gear and check if you find some combination that you like. Bring your own gear and music selection too so you can test and compare. Maybe you can even borrow the X9000 for a day or two from your shop and try it on your 727 at home to see if you like it. Unless you are prepared to be disappointed I would strongly recommend not to buy a headphone like this based on reviews and forum posts alone.

Cheers and best of luck on your headphone journey

 

[JayKei]

Hello there and greetings to south korea (will be there soon too hehe),

As a fellow stax-aficionado and generally after testing tons of gear I found out the following on my headphone journey:

It all highly depends on system synergy, music taste, personal preferences, your individual listening etc. etc. etc.

An example: Everyone and their mother recommended the BHSE for the 009 ... however after I tried this combo I liked the 009 much better on my 727 (with several of my DAC's that is). I found the BHSE a good match for the 007 though.
I also had the X9000 at home for a while and didn't really like it that much on the 727 (on the DAC's I had on hand that day). Too forward sounding somehow.
In the shop where I heard the X9000 first heard them they had it on a T8000 plugged into a PS Audio Directstream DAC which sounded really good - definitely better than my memory at home. This DAC is known to be smooth sounding and I guess the tubes on the T8000 also helped a bit there.
In the end and after testing different combos, I personally still prefer my old trusted 009 on the 727 over all the other combos. It sounds just more consistent to me than the X9000 and also the 009S. The 009S and the X9000 somehow have a similarity there.
There's probably some combo apart from the one at that shop that makes the X9000 sounding great without costing 10000$+ but I haven't found that one yet.
Anyway if someone has some inputs I'd be interested too.

In the end all I can recommend you is go to a shop where they sell the X9000, test it with different gear and check if you find some combination that you like. Bring your own gear and music selection too so you can test and compare. Maybe you can even borrow the X9000 for a day or two from your shop and try it on your 727 at home to see if you like it. Unless you are prepared to be disappointed I would strongly recommend not to buy a headphone like this based on reviews and forum posts alone.

Cheers and best of luck on your headphone journey

thanks for your warm reply.
As you said visiting shop is a best way to choose best combination for me. But it is hard to find the shop where has x9000 in Korea. It willbe better to find someone who has x9000 rather. I also want to hear your recommendation, 009+727 someday.

 

[HBen]

thanks for your warm reply.
As you said visiting shop is a best way to choose best combination for me. But it is hard to find the shop where has x9000 in Korea. It willbe better to find someone who has x9000 rather. I also want to hear your recommendation, 009+727 someday.

My pleasure. I thought maybe "Scheherazade”" in Apgujeong has them on display since they have quite a lot of stuff. Don't remember if they had stax though.

 

[JayKei]

My pleasure. I thought maybe "Scheherazade”" in Apgujeong has them on display since they have quite a lot of stuff. Don't remember if they had stax though.

Oh! amazingly, you know Scheherazade.
But as I know, there has no X9000. There has only L700mk2 and SRM-700.
Stax import company in Korea is more familiar with Hi-Fi, not head-fi, and the X9000 production quantity is not high.
Therefore, the quantity of imported X9000 is quite a few (as I know, only 3 of x9000 were imported recently).
Anyway, I have to make some time to go to Scheherazade even though there has no X9000 for hearing the others.

 

[HBen]

Yeah Scheherazade is a pretty cool shop - still remember my time there very well Lots of good stuff. Gotta visit there again soon (probably goin there in May )
Do you know any other good headphone shops in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do?

 

[JayKei]

Yeah Scheherazade is a pretty cool shop - still remember my time there very well Lots of good stuff. Gotta visit there again soon (probably goin there in May )
Do you know any other good headphone shops in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do?

As I know, Scheherazade is most big headphone shop in Korea.
But there has also other good headphone shops in Seoul.

1. Earphone shop, located in Jongro-gu, Seoul
-> Earphone shop has Focal headphone lineup and also has many other headphones and earphones.
The following link is their gears available to try at store
http://www.earphoneshop.co.kr/shop/shopbrand.html?xcode=123&type=Y
Google map link
https://goo.gl/maps/nDrSTXXbXQocYv5Q7

2. 1910c, located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul
-> This shop is familiar with custom earphones, and custom cables. Available brands are Nostalgia, Rhapsodio, PW audio, Aroma audio, Craft ears, and MMR, etc.
But not familiar with headphones. The following link is their website. They are only open Tue-Sat. 1 PM.
https://smartstore.naver.com/1910c
Google map link
https://goo.gl/maps/mQdJ2vpCPf6Z7v6w8

3. Sohgom, located in Songpa-gu, Seoul
-> This shop has flagships of Hifiman like Susvara, Shangri-ra, etc. There has also other luxury hi-fi gear. Available brands are Hifiman, Accuphase, Erzetich, Headamp audio, Pilium, Riviera audio, Rockna audio, ZMF, etc.
The following link is their webcafe and website
https://cafe.naver.com/withsohgom
https://smartstore.naver.com/sohgom
Google map link
https://goo.gl/maps/eBTgUV7ftL2Hxo886
(Rm G124, maybe reservation required, +821053088754)

 

[HBen]

Wow thanks a lot for the advice. Definitely need to check out some of those