THE SIGMA/404 A NEW STAX HEADPHONE?

[edstrelow]

Ideally you could find another Sigma to upgrade. I still like the old Sigma and was able to get one to replace the one which I sent to YAMASINC for moding.

The mod made sense for me in part because my low bias set needed significant repair anyway. BTW, YAMASINC returned most of the original parts, i.e. transducers, cable and even earpads.

 

[spritzer]

Regarding an O2 vs. Sigma Pro comparison the Omega is a lot better. Better soundstage, better highs, much better midrange, no midbass hump and much deeper and better controlled bass. The O2's are simply in another league as they should be.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer Regarding an O2 vs. Sigma Pro comparison the Omega is a lot better. Better soundstage, better highs, much better midrange, no midbass hump and much deeper and better controlled bass. The O2's are simply in another league as they should be.

I wonder if you have any thoughts about the forward projection of sound provided by the Sigmas versus the O2. Their driver position is pretty much unique among headphones and in my hearing, at least, gives if not a complete sense of sound located in front of me, at least a partial sense of such projection.

 

[spritzer]

That is what they were aiming to do with this rather weird design but the Omegas match them and then take it to another level. They add layers to the front soundstage. If there are instruments, one in front of the other, you hear them separated in space.

The Sigma’s are great value but I just can’t get over their midbass hump so I don’t use them a lot.

 

[edstrelow]

I am curious about the claim by many Omega II users that these phones sound "dark." This is a term I find hard to understand, I can grasp, bassy, muted etc., but dark?

At any rate it occured to me that the Sigma pro might have a similar dark sound signature as the O2. Would you agree?

I know that you have modded the OII to give you a more satisfying sound signature. Is it now not so "dark?"

 

[Duggeh]

I think that when people describe the O2 as dark then they might be coming from an electrostatic perspective originating with the lambda series, which lacks both the bass extension and the bass definition of the O2. Because the O2 still lacks blass slam compared to a dynamic headphone such as the HD650 thoguh, the additional electrostatic bass may be percieved as a darkness to the sound signiture. However I think that real darkness is more a an impression that the sound in general isnt as clearly heard as it might be. Darkness therefore is definately not a trait that the O2 has, as there aint nothing that gets hidden by them sonically.

jafomc.

 

[spritzer]

Ok this is hard to explain but here goes. Their treble is less pronounced then let’s say the He90's but at the same time they have more resolution and can be really bright when the recording calls for it. They at the same time much better bass and it calls more attention to it then the top end. You can clearly hear this in direct comparison but it is more a question of tonality then the phones ability.

 

[John Buchanan]

...maybe I should sell the Sigma/SRM1 Mk 2 and get an Omega. I think this may be the path to the light side. I would like to keep the LNS at least temporarily.
An IC has now been posted.

 

[John Buchanan]

I have been experimenting with ICs between the CD player and the SRM 1 Mk 2 - big difference. The Sigmas sound a little brighter and more in control at the bottom end with some home grown cables (Belden 142 B/U Mil C-17D teflon insulated coax, Neutrik RCA connectors). OTOH, the balanced connection (Neutrik XLRs, Canare star quad) between the CD player and the SRM717 sound much less bright than the unbalanced ICs above. Horses for courses I guess
Ed, did you retain the old original broken arc set of the Sigma , or are they all gone? If you have no need for these, I am wondering if I could please take these off your hands. OTOH, how did Yamasinc modify the connection between the case holders and the cases? Did they drill out the screw in piece (that sat between the case holder pins and the cases of the original Sigmas), or did they remove this completely and ream out the threaded insert into the case to fit the larger pins of the Lambda 404s (so the case -> case holder interface no longer has an intermediate part that was originally present in the Sigmas - the interface would then be plastic pin to hole in the plastic case as per the 404s, rather than plastic pin into metal interface part in the Sigmas)?
It was Harold Mori****a who liked the Sigmas best of all
http://www.headwize.com/ces2001.htm

 

[machead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh I think that when people describe the O2 as dark then they might be coming from an electrostatic perspective originating with the lambda series, which lacks both the bass extension and the bass definition of the O2. Because the O2 still lacks blass slam compared to a dynamic headphone such as the HD650 thoguh, the additional electrostatic bass may be percieved as a darkness to the sound signiture. However I think that real darkness is more a an impression that the sound in general isnt as clearly heard as it might be. Darkness therefore is definately not a trait that the O2 has, as there aint nothing that gets hidden by them sonically. jafomc.

darth nut had an interesting interpretation of what many perceive as the Omega II's darkness. He said it's like listening to the musicians play in a darkened auditorium. Well, that didn't make much sense to me until I spent some time with the O2; but then the penny dropped. And to reinforce the metaphore, try switching quickly from the O2s to HD600s -- the "glare" will hit you just as surely as it would if someone turned on the lights in that auditorium after your eyes had become accustomed to the dark. This is the first time for me where the visual and audible inflections of the term "dark" have so convincingly coincided.

If you listen to the Omegas in a darkened room, everything falls into place. After all, the sonic details shouldn't go away just because you can't see the performers. And oh boy, they sure don't!

 

[John Buchanan]

O2 now coming!!! OTOH, I'm keeping the Sigmas and LNS, so a comparison will be happening some time in the future.

 

[Duggeh]

Good on you John, I look forward to your thoughts on the two in a head to head showdown. Sorry about the wallet though.

 

[Jahn]

i love the idea of the new drivers in old enclosures - when my HP1000 drivers finally die, why not beg Grado to install some GS1000 drivers in there, eh?

 

[Duggeh]

Mixing drivers and enclosures. The mere words just tempt me to try and make my own Sigma housings for my SR-202.

*gets out the graph paper and a pencil*

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Buchanan O2 now coming!!! OTOH, I'm keeping the Sigmas and LNS, so a comparison will be happening some time in the future.

Excellent! Glad to see someone "taking one for the team", or in this case buying one. Looking forward very much to the head-to-head-to-head comparo.