[Mossback]

.. and we’re about to ask you to take off the top and share the pictures of the internals.

you can ask......

the Select Headphone Amplifier comes with a 10 year warranty. so violating that warranty is just not going to happen. top will remain in place.

 

[PointyFox]

you can ask......

the Select Headphone Amplifier comes with a 10 year warranty. so violating that warranty is just not going to happen. top will remain in place.

X-rays then.

 

[Tugbars]

so how good is MSB Select amp compared to Carbon or BHSE?

 

[Mossback]

so how good is MSB Select amp compared to Carbon or BHSE?

not heard the Carbon. back in 2011-2012 i did own the BHSE and 009's for a while. i enjoyed the BHSE and the Aristaeus too. it's not fair for me to use my now 9 year old memory for a compare. but if i had to say, i think that the MSB Select is far ahead of the BHSE. more transparent, more dynamic, more clarity in the mids, unlimited sense of power, serves the music and never a false step. this is more comparing my speaker system (link to my audiogon system below) to the MSB Select compared to how i thought the BHSE compared to my speaker system back then.

the MSB Select has a list price x6 of the BHSE; so it better be better. although that does not always really figure into things.

that said; the BHSE/009 combo was sweet and an end game set-up. one to aspire to. i will always recall it in a very positive light.

 

[elton7033]

not heard the Carbon. back in 2011-2012 i did own the BHSE and 009's for a while. i enjoyed the BHSE and the Aristaeus too. it's not fair for me to use my now 9 year old memory for a compare. but if i had to say, i think that the MSB Select is far ahead of the BHSE. more transparent, more dynamic, more clarity in the mids, unlimited sense of power, serves the music and never a false step. this is more comparing my speaker system (link to my audiogon system below) to the MSB Select compared to how i thought the BHSE compared to my speaker system back then.

the MSB Select has a list price x6 of the BHSE; so it better be better. although that does not always really figure into things.

that said; the BHSE/009 combo was sweet and an end game set-up. one to aspire to. i will always recall it in a very positive light.

Maybe something I will look in to but with that price I might just go buy a set of senn he-1

 

[AnakChan]

not heard the Carbon. back in 2011-2012 i did own the BHSE and 009's for a while. i enjoyed the BHSE and the Aristaeus too. it's not fair for me to use my now 9 year old memory for a compare.

So you’re 18-19 now?
.
.
.
[My sad attempt to make it to @Currawong’s Funny Comments from the Forums thread]

 

[Mossback]

So you’re 18-19 now?
.
.
.
[My sad attempt to make it to @Currawong’s Funny Comments from the Forums thread]

i showed that to my wife (we've been married 48 years) and she was amused.

messing with headphones does make me feel younger, but not quite 18-19. not sure i exactly recall how that feels anymore.

 

[wrathofkhan]

I am just waiting to receive my new SR009S which I plan on using with my old Stax SRM-T1W which at the time was reckoned to be a really good amp.
Does anyone know how that stacks up with todays Amps?.
I am looking at the BHSE which from what I have read lately should be a perfect match for the 009S, gorgeous looking but a wow price and no chance of comparing my SRM-T1W with it as not a stock item where I live.

Thanks all for your input

 

[Chefguru]

I am just waiting to receive my new SR009S which I plan on using with my old Stax SRM-T1W which at the time was reckoned to be a really good amp.
Does anyone know how that stacks up with todays Amps?.
I am looking at the BHSE which from what I have read lately should be a perfect match for the 009S, gorgeous looking but a wow price and no chance of comparing my SRM-T1W with it as not a stock item where I live.

Thanks all for your input

It will run them but without getting into the technicals of it, the sound will not fully resemble what the better amps offer. Unlike with dynamic headphones there is a much bigger impact from the amp.

 

[playmusic]

In what way do the earpads of SR-009, SR-009BK and SR-009s differ?

The first post in this thread states that the protective fabric (mesh?) of the 009s is thinner.
But then I read other reviews that the pad itself has changed between 009 and 009BK.
And staxaudio.com lists the same replacement earpad for 009 and 009s.
This looks like conflicting info to me.

I am in particular interested whether thickness and geometry of the pads (not mesh) changed between the three versions, i.e. whether one version is thinner and has therefore a higher likeliness to touch the ear.

Other observations on differences in comfort among the versions would be also appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[roofus]

so how good is MSB Select amp compared to Carbon or BHSE?

It doesn't have tubes; so it can't be any good!

 

[Deolum]

It doesn't have tubes; so it can't be any good!

If it has tubes it can't be any good imo.

 

[Mossback]

It doesn't have tubes; so it can't be any good!

If it has tubes it can't be any good imo.

3 years ago i bought a pair of tube amplifiers, the Lamm ML3 Reference's, and borrowed a set of tube amps, the VAC 450SE mono's, to compare to my solid state amplifiers, the darTZeel 458 mono's for my speaker system (link below to my 2 channel system description). i had all three of these amplifier sets in my system for 4 months. what i found was that on some music the tubes added something that i liked, but ultimately even at that level of quality, that mostly i had to listen to the music 'through' the tubes. they imparted a 'sameness' over everything which was a distraction from the music. and as i love large scale music, even though the big VAC's had plenty of power, they were relatively soft and lacked precision when things got really going.......the darts stayed linear. and my solid state dart monos were more pure and true to my sources. so i sold the Lamm's and gave back the VAC's.

now; i have really top level sources, a great power grid, and a dedicated custom built room; so i don't need tubes to 'sweeten' the musical viewpoint. the system is right.

and my perspective is that even with headphones, if you have sufficiently sorted out power and sources, then solid state is a less intrusive approach to musical truth. OTOH some people just like tubes. i really enjoyed my time with the BHSE and the Aristaeus, and also with the Lamm's and VAC's. but i choose the solid state Select Electrostatic amplifier for my 009S's.

 

[roofus]

I have never owned or listened to the MSB Select. At an eye-watering $38,000 I never will. I hope it is as good as people say it is.

I like tubed equipment very much having owned Conrad-Johnson, and Audio Research and other gear in the past. Currently am using a Ray Samuels A-10 Thunderbolt II (tubes) as a headlamp for my Stax 009s. I am very pleased with it. It's the only tubed component in my system.

I am not against solid-state gear. My comment was made in jest. The rest of my system is a Linn Klimax Digital Streamer, Linn Tuner, and 2 Linn Klimax Solo Mono amps. This solid-state gear is first class.

 

[h1f1add1cted]

Hi guys,

I joined the SR-009S club very late, after many years of joy with my Stax Lambda Professional, but yes it's huge step up and I'm very happy with this decision.