[donpablo]

@VRacer-111 Wow thats a lot of stuff you use I am especially interested in RME ADI-2 DAC as I am starting to wonder for what I can change my old Aune S6 (is so neutral... yet I like it but preffer solid thick timbre).
Where you bought custom estats if I may ask?

 

[VRacer-111]

@VRacer-111 Wow thats a lot of stuff you use I am especially interested in RME ADI-2 DAC as I am starting to wonder for what I can change my old Aune S6 (is so neutral... yet I like it but preffer solid thick timbre).
Where you bought custom estats if I may ask?

Like the RME ADI-2 DAC for how absolutely clean and clear with totally black background it is from USB, no different than from SPDiF. It is very neutral, slightly thin though so that's where I would be wanting the ifi iTube2 to come in. Everybody says 'why not EQ to get thicker, fuller, warmer sound...' I already have my modded L300 Limiteds EQ'd where I want it - just want fuller more organic sound from it if I can without any further EQ.

As for the custom e-stats, stumbled across this thread on r/headphones and decided to take a chance:

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/c739q2/hand_made_electrostatic_headphones_ive_been/

 

[Meanstreak242]

I found a pair of l300 Limited, and was able to borrow a 353x from my father until I decide on an energizer. Going from an Allo Digione Signature to the Chord Qutest, then out to the energizer has pretty much ruined me for all of my other headphones. It's just so beautiful sounding that most of my other gear is going up for sale. I was also lucky enough to borrow L700's and really get a chance to compare the two. (With stock configuration as well as the l300 limited with the l700 pads, and headband.) There's no doubt the L700 is better (wider and deeper soundstage, better treble extension. I've often heard setups referred to as "effortless" and never really understood what they meant until I heard the L700. As much as I like the L700, I didn't think they were as big of a jump over the L300 Limited to justify the price difference for my personal use. (I can always upgrade later down the road if I change my mind). I am certainly buying the L700 pads and headband as I find them a lot more comfortable. (In fact, it's so light that I don't even feel like I'm wearing headphones other than seeing the cable coming from my head.)

I don't really listen at high volume levels (usually between 2.5 to 4 max on the level, or 9:30 to 11 o'clock) and was wondering if I could get opinions on a good energizer. The 353x definitely sounds nice to me, and I am considering buying it for my setup. I'm looking in the 1000-2000 range max. (I'd like to spend less if possible, but if it's REALLY worth it I'm willing to skip a few lunches ). I listen to very dynamic music so whatever I get has to be able to handle the voltage swings. (I'm not sure if listening at a lower volume level means I simply should stick with the lower end energizers or treat this like a normal amp and just get as much headroom as I can afford.) Any thoughts?

 

[VRacer-111]

I found a pair of l300 Limited, and was able to borrow a 353x from my father until I decide on an energizer. Going from an Allo Digione Signature to the Chord Qutest, then out to the energizer has pretty much ruined me for all of my other headphones. It's just so beautiful sounding that most of my other gear is going up for sale. I was also lucky enough to borrow L700's and really get a chance to compare the two. (With stock configuration as well as the l300 limited with the l700 pads, and headband.) There's no doubt the L700 is better (wider and deeper soundstage, better treble extension. I've often heard setups referred to as "effortless" and never really understood what they meant until I heard the L700. As much as I like the L700, I didn't think they were as big of a jump over the L300 Limited to justify the price difference for my personal use. (I can always upgrade later down the road if I change my mind). I am certainly buying the L700 pads and headband as I find them a lot more comfortable. (In fact, it's so light that I don't even feel like I'm wearing headphones other than seeing the cable coming from my head.)

I don't really listen at high volume levels (usually between 2.5 to 4 max on the level, or 9:30 to 11 o'clock) and was wondering if I could get opinions on a good energizer. The 353x definitely sounds nice to me, and I am considering buying it for my setup. I'm looking in the 1000-2000 range max. (I'd like to spend less if possible, but if it's REALLY worth it I'm willing to skip a few lunches ). I listen to very dynamic music so whatever I get has to be able to handle the voltage swings. (I'm not sure if listening at a lower volume level means I simply should stick with the lower end energizers or treat this like a normal amp and just get as much headroom as I can afford.) Any thoughts?

Get as much power as you can afford for low volume listening. I started off with an SRM-323S (equivalent to the SRM-353X) then went with speaker stereo amp & estat transformer combo (NAD C275BEE amp & Mjolnir SRD-7)... would never want to go back to STAX SS drivers. Gain better low end presence and midbass punch along with fuller sound. In your price range you might want to check out the Mjolnir Audio Octave II Special Edition.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hi guys, that's interesting the Modi multibit DAC is good enough for a resolving Stax setup. I have one also and it's a super price-to-performance ratio DAC, especially the way I have mine with the Singxer SU-1 USB interface between the PC and the DAC to feed an even better processed signal into the DAC. Though it's not an end-game DAC either.

RE tube buffering. Perhaps the above iFi is a good candidate, I haven't tried it. Being a tube amp owner for quite some years, I can recommend the Project Ember if you want a basic affordable tube buffer with easy tube rolling options (you just need to change 1 tube), and it also drives headphones modestly good. My current amp is the Euforia from Feliks Audio and with this I have literally 100's of possible tube combinations; and I plan to use this as a tube buffer with the L300 system. This is a much higher amp, one of the best headphone outputs for the money (around $2k) and these both also have a line-out. I have learned that basically without exception, a tube buffer or tube amp as a buffer is a must for most electrostat amps to give a much more rich, full, warm sound and with better soundstage, and usually with no loss of fidelity or dynamics.

Also I mentioned before that HeadAmp still has L300 Limited Edition headphones both new and used, plus a good e-stat amp for it. I don't want to sound like I'm selling it so you can find it by just Googling HeadAmp; they are a US based mainstay vendor at many of the Head-Fi meets and Can Jams.

 

[AudioThief]

Hi guys, that's interesting the Modi multibit DAC is good enough for a resolving Stax setup. I have one also and it's a super price-to-performance ratio DAC, especially the way I have mine with the Singxer SU-1 USB interface between the PC and the DAC to feed an even better processed signal into the DAC. Though it's not an end-game DAC either.

RE tube buffering. Perhaps the above iFi is a good candidate, I haven't tried it. Being a tube amp owner for quite some years, I can recommend the Project Ember if you want a basic affordable tube buffer with easy tube rolling options (you just need to change 1 tube), and it also drives headphones modestly good. My current amp is the Euforia from Feliks Audio and with this I have literally 100's of possible tube combinations; and I plan to use this as a tube buffer with the L300 system. This is a much higher amp, one of the best headphone outputs for the money (around $2k) and these both also have a line-out. I have learned that basically without exception, a tube buffer or tube amp as a buffer is a must for most electrostat amps to give a much more rich, full, warm sound and with better soundstage, and usually with no loss of fidelity or dynamics.

Also I mentioned before that HeadAmp still has L300 Limited Edition headphones both new and used, plus a good e-stat amp for it. I don't want to sound like I'm selling it so you can find it by just Googling HeadAmp; they are a US based mainstay vendor at many of the Head-Fi meets and Can Jams.

Do you have the Schiit Eitr? That made a massive difference in my modi mb setup. I was shocked. I highly recommend getting the schiit eitr to any modi mb owners. I have no idea if other DACs with usb would gain as much as the MB did, but for that DAC in specific its a must have.

 

[DecentLevi]

AudioTheif thanks but I have the Singxer SU-1 which does the same functions as a USB component / reclocker as the Eitr and is much larger or more sophisticated costing almost 4x more and does make a huge improvement for the Modi MB DAC. It's also chained with the iFi iPurifier which makes it sound super detailed, robust and resolving going into the Modi MD. I have a Wyrd too but that was overkill when all 3 were chained together on my current system. I plan to upgrade DACs when possible anyway so the Singxer will do with my future DAC. Already now there's a Singxer SU-6 which is amazing they could have already upgraded models 6x in just the past few years, not sure if anything could do the job better than the SU-1 is already doing.
'Thief', you didn't steal the Eitr did you?

 

[AudioThief]

AudioTheif thanks but I have the Singxer SU-1 which does the same functions as a USB component / reclocker as the Eitr and is much larger or more sophisticated costing almost 4x more and does make a huge improvement for the Modi MB DAC. It's also chained with the iFi iPurifier which makes it sound super detailed, robust and resolving going into the Modi MD. I have a Wyrd too but that was overkill when all 3 were chained together on my current system. I plan to upgrade DACs when possible anyway so the Singxer will do with my future DAC. Already now there's a Singxer SU-6 which is amazing they could have already upgraded models 6x in just the past few years, not sure if anything could do the job better than the SU-1 is already doing.
'Thief', you didn't steal the Eitr did you?

Hehe, I should know better than to assume someone in this thread hasn't already acquired something 10x as good (and expensive ) than my recommendation

I snag all my high end equipment from the local audio shop. Couldn't have afforded it otherwise 8) hehe.

What DAC is it you are eyeing?

 

[DecentLevi]

Hehe, I should know better than to assume someone in this thread hasn't already acquired something 10x as good (and expensive ) than my recommendation

I snag all my high end equipment from the local audio shop. Couldn't have afforded it otherwise 8) hehe.

What DAC is it you are eyeing?

My main DAC of interest would be the Chord Hugo 2. It already came out 2 years ago but seems to be quite future-proof, and I confirmed with the folks at Chord present at a recent CanJam SoCal 2019 that it will still be relevant indefinitely in terms of future revisions. I mean let's be straight - if it already sounds at least as good as the real thing, how are you ever gonna get 'closer to the truth' than this?! The reason for such question of obsoletion relates to the price, ensuring a good investment in sound. And this little silver box with beautiful lighted buttons is absolutely otherworldly in terms of sound; though I haven't done a direct A/B I do recall being equally if not even more impressed with it than another DAC at equal price but around 20x larger; the Holo Audio Spring level 3 which is an R2R DAC. And the Chord Hugo 2 was said to be their own proprietary DAC chip which is "better than R2R", something I still can't comprehend. But listening is believing! Testing it on at least 10+ systems (at 2 Can Jams and one local meet) I've never heard it do wrong or sound any less than the absolute best DAC I've heard, including the Yggy v. 1 & 2. Though they did say the Hugo TT2 is more advanced I didn't get to compare the two. Nevertheless the Chord Hugo 2 is also appealing because aside from being a great desktop solution it's also transportable and can be a single DAC/amp solution for traveling too, sounding fantastic even when plugging a headphone directly to it. Though for me being able to afford this right now is just like dreaming of a sports car. And although barely even comparable, the Modi multibit DAC absolutely yields some great listening times - detailed, transparent, etc. but just not nearly as organic / smooth, etc. And for anyone looking to upgrade their desktop DAC, I would absolutely without reservation recommend the Chord Qutest (< review link), which is like a more affordable version of the Hugo 2, just without the headphone amp+battery and sounding just the same.

 

[VRacer-111]

Just got in the ESP95X energizer with STAX adapter that I bought off Spritzer - will be combining it with an L300 to make a complete e-stat starter system for sale. Testing it out on my bedroom system with my L300 Limited and really digging it...remember why I really like the Gustard X20U and Schiit Loki with e-stats...the fullness of the sound and dat BASS! VERY satisfying bass impact... the overall notes are rolled off compared to the RME ADI-2 DAC though and not quite as clean/clear sounding. REALLY Nice presentation though.... great DAC + Loki/EQ makes the ESP95X sound pretty good! For $120 this ESP95X was a great deal and should make someone happy starting off if they have good DAC and a way to EQ!

 

[DecentLevi]

Wow so you're saying that just the small lowly portable optionally battery operated energiser unit that comes with the Koss ESP 950 is good enough to drive the L300 limited well?

 

[VRacer-111]

The level knobs absolutely suck (getting flashbacks from when I had the ESP950..LOL), but the L300 Limited is driven well from the ESP95X energizer with the EITR feeding my Gustard X20U DAC and Loki 20Hz @ ~3oclock and 400 Hz @ ~11oclock. Gustard X20U has GREAT body and smoothness, and VERY nice low end presence....just not the cleaness and precision of the RME ADI-2 DAC.

I also tried the ESP95X with my cheap Samsung phone via the 3.5mm input and it wasn't too pleasant an experience... TOO harsh and compressed sounding, and lacking in finese. Give the ESP95X a good source chain and it will give really GOOD sound. Excellent starter amp that's almost as good sound wise as the STAX SS driver units for a fraction of their price (assuming you can find someone selling one). Build is another thing entirely... looks and feels cheap: way too light and plasticky.

 

[catscratch]

Doesn't the ESP950 have a higher bias voltage than Stax? I know it's not much higher, but I probably wouldn't use it without doing something to account for that.

 

[VRacer-111]

Doesn't the ESP950 have a higher bias voltage than Stax? I know it's not much higher, but I probably wouldn't use it without doing something to account for that.

Theoretically yes, 600 vs 580, but measurement attempts by others have shown it seems to show less than STAX SS drivers and it has much less current capability.

 

[Jffrsg]

Guys would a 240v to 110v transformer be suitable for use in Malaysia for the Srs252s?