number1sixerfan
Headphoneus Supremus
It's a really unfortunate thing, because they're excellent.
Stax SR-X9000
- Thread starter HBen
- Start date
It is very unfortunate and fingers crossed my unit remains fully balanced! I am still enjoying my honeymoon period with them and how they replay my classical playlist. I find them so difficult to take off. Bliss!
Dynamo5561
100+ Head-Fier
Hey guys,
just joined the club.
I want to share my first impressions before I get used to the headphone
Generally the X9000 sounds quite balanced but leaning towards a brighter signature. I guess that was to be expected from a Stax. Still I would say it is a darker one compared to other Stax headphones I have heard.
The timbre is quite good, but honestly I haven't heard any electrostat headphone that has a very natural timbre. And from the bunch I have heard, the X9000 has the best one. The Susvara has still the most natural timbre I personally have ever heard in a headphone.
Altough the X9000 is a bit brighter, the sound is quite smooth. My last electrostat was the Bravura, which was a bit more edgy. However I find the X9000 a bit fatiguing for longer listening sessions.
What stood out for me when listening for the first time was the resolution and the texture that the X9000 gives to the notes. It reminded me of the Odin with all the texture and visceral notes that you can nearly feel grabbing. It's really a joy listening to all the details that pop out everywhere.
The soundstage is also amazing, it's quite wide and gives every instrument space which is really needed with the resolution and separation it provides. Otherwise it would probably sound quite analytical and too intense.
I was reading in the thread that the X9000 is missing dynamics which I can't confirm. I have heard flat sounding Stax headphones, but in my oppinion the X9000 is far away from that. Contrary I would even say it is one of the standouts together with the bass that separates it from the typical electrostat headphones.
Speaking about the bass, it is quite neutral in my oppinion. It is there when called, it is not light but it is also not elevated. It can slam satisfyingly. It also works pretty good with modern music and EDM.
The star of the show is the treble in my oppinion. It's unbelievable how good the treble sounds with treble focused songs. Also accoustic music is incredbile with the X9000. Very resolving and effortless. Sounds and feels so good.
I am also fine with the mids, but the upper-mids can get a tad energetic at times. Because of that, they also heavily reveal bad recordings.
It's ability to play my diverse playlists is good but not perfect. With some tracks, it is unbelievably good, never heard songs with that much joy, but with other tracks it doesn't work very well. It's not related to the genre in my oppinion, especially as it has good bass it can also play EDM quite good. Not sure yet. I would say the X9000 is not a very good all-rounder. I would prefer the Susvara as an all-rounder. But when the X9000 hits a song, it really does.
To sum it up, the X9000 has top notch technicalities, overcomes quite some of the downsides of elec
headphones. But it is not a relaxed listen as it leans towards a brighter sound signature and with all of the resolution it brings. It is quite capable of being an all-rounder but definitely excels in some types of music better than in others.
Looking forward to gather further impressions!
just joined the club.
I want to share my first impressions before I get used to the headphone
Generally the X9000 sounds quite balanced but leaning towards a brighter signature. I guess that was to be expected from a Stax. Still I would say it is a darker one compared to other Stax headphones I have heard.
The timbre is quite good, but honestly I haven't heard any electrostat headphone that has a very natural timbre. And from the bunch I have heard, the X9000 has the best one. The Susvara has still the most natural timbre I personally have ever heard in a headphone.
Altough the X9000 is a bit brighter, the sound is quite smooth. My last electrostat was the Bravura, which was a bit more edgy. However I find the X9000 a bit fatiguing for longer listening sessions.
What stood out for me when listening for the first time was the resolution and the texture that the X9000 gives to the notes. It reminded me of the Odin with all the texture and visceral notes that you can nearly feel grabbing. It's really a joy listening to all the details that pop out everywhere.
The soundstage is also amazing, it's quite wide and gives every instrument space which is really needed with the resolution and separation it provides. Otherwise it would probably sound quite analytical and too intense.
I was reading in the thread that the X9000 is missing dynamics which I can't confirm. I have heard flat sounding Stax headphones, but in my oppinion the X9000 is far away from that. Contrary I would even say it is one of the standouts together with the bass that separates it from the typical electrostat headphones.
Speaking about the bass, it is quite neutral in my oppinion. It is there when called, it is not light but it is also not elevated. It can slam satisfyingly. It also works pretty good with modern music and EDM.
The star of the show is the treble in my oppinion. It's unbelievable how good the treble sounds with treble focused songs. Also accoustic music is incredbile with the X9000. Very resolving and effortless. Sounds and feels so good.
I am also fine with the mids, but the upper-mids can get a tad energetic at times. Because of that, they also heavily reveal bad recordings.
It's ability to play my diverse playlists is good but not perfect. With some tracks, it is unbelievably good, never heard songs with that much joy, but with other tracks it doesn't work very well. It's not related to the genre in my oppinion, especially as it has good bass it can also play EDM quite good. Not sure yet. I would say the X9000 is not a very good all-rounder. I would prefer the Susvara as an all-rounder. But when the X9000 hits a song, it really does.
To sum it up, the X9000 has top notch technicalities, overcomes quite some of the downsides of elec
headphones. But it is not a relaxed listen as it leans towards a brighter sound signature and with all of the resolution it brings. It is quite capable of being an all-rounder but definitely excels in some types of music better than in others.
Looking forward to gather further impressions!
number1sixerfan
Headphoneus Supremus
Fingers crossed for you, and I still may take the chance, as I do miss them.
Hey guys,
just joined the club.
I want to share my first impressions before I get used to the headphone
Generally the X9000 sounds quite balanced but leaning towards a brighter signature. I guess that was to be expected from a Stax. Still I would say it is a darker one compared to other Stax headphones I have heard.
The timbre is quite good, but honestly I haven't heard any electrostat headphone that has a very natural timbre. And from the bunch I have heard, the X9000 has the best one. The Susvara has still the most natural timbre I personally have ever heard in a headphone.
Altough the X9000 is a bit brighter, the sound is quite smooth. My last electrostat was the Bravura, which was a bit more edgy. However I find the X9000 a bit fatiguing for longer listening sessions.
What stood out for me when listening for the first time was the resolution and the texture that the X9000 gives to the notes. It reminded me of the Odin with all the texture and visceral notes that you can nearly feel grabbing. It's really a joy listening to all the details that pop out everywhere.
The soundstage is also amazing, it's quite wide and gives every instrument space which is really needed with the resolution and separation it provides. Otherwise it would probably sound quite analytical and too intense.
I was reading in the thread that the X9000 is missing dynamics which I can't confirm. I have heard flat sounding Stax headphones, but in my oppinion the X9000 is far away from that. Contrary I would even say it is one of the standouts together with the bass that separates it from the typical electrostat headphones.
Speaking about the bass, it is quite neutral in my oppinion. It is there when called, it is not light but it is also not elevated. It can slam satisfyingly. It also works pretty good with modern music and EDM.
The star of the show is the treble in my oppinion. It's unbelievable how good the treble sounds with treble focused songs. Also accoustic music is incredbile with the X9000. Very resolving and effortless. Sounds and feels so good.
I am also fine with the mids, but the upper-mids can get a tad energetic at times. Because of that, they also heavily reveal bad recordings.
It's ability to play my diverse playlists is good but not perfect. With some tracks, it is unbelievably good, never heard songs with that much joy, but with other tracks it doesn't work very well. It's not related to the genre in my oppinion, especially as it has good bass it can also play EDM quite good. Not sure yet. I would say the X9000 is not a very good all-rounder. I would prefer the Susvara as an all-rounder. But when the X9000 hits a song, it really does.
To sum it up, the X9000 has top notch technicalities, overcomes quite some of the downsides of elec
headphones. But it is not a relaxed listen as it leans towards a brighter sound signature and with all of the resolution it brings. It is quite capable of being an all-rounder but definitely excels in some types of music better than in others.
Looking forward to gather further impressions!
Enjoyed reading. Nearly mirrors my original thoughts on them. I think the bass/impact piece is pretty important. For a stat it has much better bass and impact across the entire spectrum than most. The 007 (the right model) has ime the most and the CRBN has a touch more impact.
The interesting thing is how people the brightness lol, which again imo is extremely dependent on the person so I get it. I didn't hear any brightness but I know others have, but like you mention they are absolutely darker and less bright than most stats, similar to the Omega, although I found the Omega darker, closer to 007 levels but with more transparency and refinement. Happy listening.
Dynamo5561
100+ Head-Fier
Speaking in absolute terms, I would really classify the bass of the X9000 as a neutral. Maybe a tad behind Susvara but I am really not missing out anything when listening to EDM or similar genres. The quality is really good, textured and the impact is also very satisfying. I think the bass is more similar to a planar bass than to a DD.
I had the 007 with the blutak mod, but it was quite some time ago. So I don't remember it anymore.
They really sound bright to me (not sibilant or shouty though). I was a bit dissapointed as I was expecting a more relaxed listening experience reading through the thread. But it fits the headphone and the Stax identity. And it is high quality treble. I am playing around with EQ a litte and having a fall of by 4db from the bass to the treble works quite well for me.The interesting thing is how people the brightness lol, which again imo is extremely dependent on the person so I get it. I didn't hear any brightness but I know others have, but like you mention they are absolutely darker and less bright than most stats, similar to the Omega, although I found the Omega darker, closer to 007 levels but with more transparency and refinement. Happy listening.
number1sixerfan
Headphoneus Supremus
They really sound bright to me (not sibilant or shouty though). I was a bit dissapointed as I was expecting a more relaxed listening experience reading through the thread. But it fits the headphone and the Stax identity. And it is high quality treble. I am playing around with EQ a litte and having a fall of by 4db from the bass to the treble works quite well for me.
Very interesting and again I know that was the case for some others so I totally hear you and am not at all invalidating how you find them to be. I also talk to a lot of people on the side about potential purchases, helpful to be able to share that some people do so I can mention it. Just interesting how these things differ person to person.
Schelp san
100+ Head-Fier
Hello dynamo, congrats to your X9000! Some comments from my side
Bright, dark, balanced, lean, smooth, fatiguing. If I would not have a X9000, I would have my doubts about these contradictorily adjectives decribing the sound signature of just one headphone. But I can follow you, and X9000 is really difficult to grab.
In comparison to frequency response curves of speakers, I never cared a lot about the curves measured of headphones. Too big were the differences between the graphs and my listening experience. In case of X9000 my guess (!) is, that there is an emphasis at about 2 - 3 kHz, which is responsible for the brightness. I'm not (yet) equalizing at headphones, but reducing few db in this area and playing with the bandwith is what I would try.
I had my issues with the wide soundstage for some time, now I enjoy it much more, but it works not on all recording for me.
I miss dynamics and bite in the treble. As perfect micro dynamics and resolution is, macro dynamic is lacking for my taste. In this regard I prefer my other Staxes.
Agree mostly, but sometimes I feel the bass is bleeding a bit into very low mids. Even if 009 bass is less precise and less deep, I sometimes prefer how it is presented. X9000 bass can be really really good and much more complete compared to 009, but it also feels light sometimes. But in this regard I would not want to miss the well driven 007, despite its lower precision.
In conclusion yes and no, haha
See above 2 - 3 kHz guess. When e.g. playing Creep from Radiohead at a healthy level, at about min 2:04 ff, not only the guitar sounds ear piercing. Listening to the same with 009 sounds almost relaxed. 009 is brighter in 1 kHz region though.
100 % agreeing on everything here, just that I do not have the comparison to Susvaras.
micon
Head-Fier
after a month of work, the headphones will change a little, become a little darker. you need to change the stax amplifier, it just does not swing х9000Hey guys,
just joined the club.
I want to share my first impressions before I get used to the headphone
Generally the X9000 sounds quite balanced but leaning towards a brighter signature. I guess that was to be expected from a Stax. Still I would say it is a darker one compared to other Stax headphones I have heard........
Looking forward to gather further impressions!
Are you really driving the Susvara from the Topping DX5 or is your signature missing gear? Asking so I can understand the comparisons you make betterHey guys,
just joined the club.
I want to share my first impressions before I get used to the headphone
Generally the X9000 sounds quite balanced but leaning towards a brighter signature. I guess that was to be expected from a Stax. Still I would say it is a darker one compared to other Stax headphones I have heard.
The timbre is quite good, but honestly I haven't heard any electrostat headphone that has a very natural timbre. And from the bunch I have heard, the X9000 has the best one. The Susvara has still the most natural timbre I personally have ever heard in a headphone.
Altough the X9000 is a bit brighter, the sound is quite smooth. My last electrostat was the Bravura, which was a bit more edgy. However I find the X9000 a bit fatiguing for longer listening sessions.
What stood out for me when listening for the first time was the resolution and the texture that the X9000 gives to the notes. It reminded me of the Odin with all the texture and visceral notes that you can nearly feel grabbing. It's really a joy listening to all the details that pop out everywhere.
The soundstage is also amazing, it's quite wide and gives every instrument space which is really needed with the resolution and separation it provides. Otherwise it would probably sound quite analytical and too intense.
I was reading in the thread that the X9000 is missing dynamics which I can't confirm. I have heard flat sounding Stax headphones, but in my oppinion the X9000 is far away from that. Contrary I would even say it is one of the standouts together with the bass that separates it from the typical electrostat headphones.
Speaking about the bass, it is quite neutral in my oppinion. It is there when called, it is not light but it is also not elevated. It can slam satisfyingly. It also works pretty good with modern music and EDM.
The star of the show is the treble in my oppinion. It's unbelievable how good the treble sounds with treble focused songs. Also accoustic music is incredbile with the X9000. Very resolving and effortless. Sounds and feels so good.
I am also fine with the mids, but the upper-mids can get a tad energetic at times. Because of that, they also heavily reveal bad recordings.
It's ability to play my diverse playlists is good but not perfect. With some tracks, it is unbelievably good, never heard songs with that much joy, but with other tracks it doesn't work very well. It's not related to the genre in my oppinion, especially as it has good bass it can also play EDM quite good. Not sure yet. I would say the X9000 is not a very good all-rounder. I would prefer the Susvara as an all-rounder. But when the X9000 hits a song, it really does.
To sum it up, the X9000 has top notch technicalities, overcomes quite some of the downsides of elec
headphones. But it is not a relaxed listen as it leans towards a brighter sound signature and with all of the resolution it brings. It is quite capable of being an all-rounder but definitely excels in some types of music better than in others.
Looking forward to gather further impressions!
Agree. For me this is the one thing that stands between these wonderful headphones being great vs outstanding. I suspect that’s also why they sound excellent on some tracks but less on others