The Stax Thread III

[wink]

Quote:3X0

  Am I daft for not really digging either SR-007 that much? They sound too much like the JH13 (non-FP) I have and don't confer enough of the qualities I've come to appreciate from other electrostats (namely a level of astonishingly high resolution).
 
I have heard them from the likes of formidable energizers such as the modified SRM-727, KGSSHV and Liquid Silk. They pleased me but didn't really knock my socks off.
 
Is it one of those headphones that you need to spend more time to appreciate how little they do wrong, or am I justified in thinking they're overrated?

The biggest problem in comparing headphones is this habit of swapping from one straight to the next.
Comparing the Senn HE60 to the Stax SR007 Mk1 on a KGSS, I find the HE60 totally addictive and put the Stax to the sice when comparing one straight after the other.
 
After listening to the HE60, I need at least 3 songs with just the Mk1 to realise how much more musical and overall superior they are to the HE60.
 
This also works for other headphone comparisons.
 
The takeaway line here is to listen to one for a good while before swapping to the next.

 

[3X0]

 
The biggest problem in comparing headphones is this habit of swapping from one straight to the next.
Comparing the Senn HE60 to the Stax SR007 Mk1 on a KGSS, I find the HE60 totally addictive and put the Stax to the sice when comparing one straight after the other.

After listening to the HE60, I need at least 3 songs with just the Mk1 to realise how much more musical and overall superior they are to the HE60.

This also works for other headphone comparisons.

The takeaway line here is to listen to one for a good while before swapping to the next.

While I can sympathize with this sentiment, it took me all of fifteen seconds to realize that the SR-007 was glossing over a finer nuance of a track I am very familiar with that both the SR-Omega and SR-009 rendered distinctly.

I am not saying that the detail was made more forward on the latter two, but rather that the SR-007 just missed it. My JH13s are unable to audibly reproduce the same tick, though I can't remember whether HD 800s could. I'm not sure if meet conditions could have played a factor as I was able to compare in the same environment to confirm the suspicion.

In this case I am not just talking about flavors but rather technical merits. I heard the SR-007Mk1 several years prior with the SRM-717 and had mixed impressions, but extensive reading since then has certainly hyped up the unit for me perhaps to unrealistic levels. Relative to at least its circular SR brethren, resolution did not seem to be the SR-007's strong suit.

 

[TheAttorney]

  The biggest problem in comparing headphones is this habit of swapping from one straight to the next.

+1
 
However perfect a particular headphone may be, it will always appear be be lacking in something or other when directly compared to another headphone that has a hyped up something or other.   

 

[mangler]

+1

However perfect a particular headphone may be, it will always appear be be lacking in something or other when directly compared to another headphone that has a hyped up something or other.   

I think this is especially true if your comparing it to a headphone you've been living with for a long time

 

[DefQon]

   
What genres?  It's good to see someone actually likes the MK2s for something.

Mainly fun genres such as oldschool Rap and some sub genres of EDM, I do like mid-bass but only on genres and tracks that I like it on. The same applies to the MK1 which are more superior if you listen to neutral or natural oriented genres such as jazz, vocal oriented, classical and certain rock.
 

  Am I daft for not really digging either SR-007 that much? They sound too much like the JH13 (non-FP) I have and don't confer enough of the qualities I've come to appreciate from other electrostats (namely a level of astonishingly high resolution).
 
I have heard them from the likes of formidable energizers such as the modified SRM-727, KGSSHV and Liquid Silk. They pleased me but didn't really knock my socks off.
 
Is it one of those headphones that you need to spend more time to appreciate how little they do wrong, or am I justified in thinking they're overrated?

Maybe you just like tilt towards brighter sound signature headphones. No hyperbole's involved but the O2 transforms once powered by a good amp. Your 323S would be 1/2 decent with driving the O2's should you ever consider it.
 

  Recently picked up a very minty set of SR-404 Limited Editions ...
 
......
 
Really surprised at how smooth, fun and resolving the 404LE's are, though. Worth every penny. Glad to say that the can search is over for now ... at least in the Lambda dept. 
 

 
The 404 LE are the last modern Lambda's to carry some traits of the old vintage Lambda lineup so they are half decent at least compared to the better Lambda's out there. 
 
Do note that your search and journey has just started, no where near ending it, a good percentage of Stax user's usually find there end game with the O2 or 009's. Just saying. 

 

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Pete,
 
In your estimate, how much better is the 009 versus the 007 mk1 ? Making budget plans 

 and that must include a KGSSHV 

If you're asking me are the SR-009s worth the price increase over the 007Mk1s, I'm gonna have to say yes. 

 

   
MacedonianHero, on an imaginary scale, from 0 to 100, how close do you think the LCD-X is to the SR-009 as a headphone. I know this is kind of a silly question 

 (I guess I could mean in whatever qualities to you make an ideal headphone).

I think the LCD-X / GS-X Mk2 and SR-007Mk1 / KGSSHV are very competitive actually...but the SR-009s are a cut above both to my ears.
 
Just my 2 cents...

 

[nick n]

Can someone confirm the SR404 cable is in fact a brown one. I am in need of a replacement brown one that won't break the bank for a project.( yep has to be brown ) I'll do some more image searches.
Electromod UK has them described as both black and brown same listing, and one of those ambiguous pics. Now the obvious question: why not email them. Will do so now.
 Thanks a bunch.

 

[s1rrah]

  Do note that your search and journey has just started, no where near ending it, a good percentage of Stax user's usually find there end game with the O2 or 009's. Just saying. 

 

 
Oh, well aware. Therefore my qualification: "at least in the Lambda dept..."
 

 

[FrankCooter]

It's nice to hear some positive things about the Mk2. Usually you hear something like "Mk1 or go home", which can give the impression that the Mk2 are no good, and seemingly dismissed as garbage. But they're actually wonderful, IMHO of course.

 
Because of the cult status of the Mk1's, the differences between the two models tend to be exaggerated. From a purely personal perspective,  the Mk1's to be a little darker and more recessed than the Mk2's. The Mk2's seem to be tuned to a little more forward and dynamic , if slightly less linear presentation. The Mk1's seem to work best with solid-state (or solid-state sounding) amps. Using tubes,  I'm not so sure which I would prefer.
 
I currently own a 507, and will eventually upgrade to an 007. If I have a chance to buy a Mk1 I probably will, but I will not be disappointed with a Mk2.
 
Most of the Mk1's I see at meets are beginning to show their age. Often the headband is loose and sloppy, and there is a weakness at the strain relief where the cable enters the cup. If you ever need new drivers from Stax, they will be Mk2's.

 

[dude_500]

Odds are this has been brought up at some point, but I've never found a good answer to this online. Is an SR007 Omega II Mk 2 the same as the plain old SR007 Mk 2? Is the same true for SR007 Omega II Mk 1 and SR007 Mk 1?
 
If so, then is there an Omega I and what is it? And what does just "O2" refer to?

 

[cucera]

Odds are this has been brought up at some point, but I've never found a good answer to this online. Is an SR007 Omega II Mk 2 the same as the plain old SR007 Mk 2? Is the same true for SR007 Omega II Mk 1 and SR007 Mk 1?

If so, then is there an Omega I and what is it? And what does just "O2" refer to?

correkt they go by all these names.

 

[3X0]

If so, then is there an Omega I and what is it? And what does just "O2" refer to?

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=SR-%CE%A9
 
http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=SR-007
 
http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Stax_SR-007MkII
 
N.B. The SR-009 is not officially an "Omega" family product AFAIK, not sure why.

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

Dude500 these are the basic changes to my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong on any of these

There are two versions of the o2mk1 the early ones serial starts with 70xxx
Later construction changed slightly and the serial was changed to start with sz1
A port was added to the construction and serial changed to sz2 (o2mk2), the port can be modded to give a sz1 freq response
Diaphragm and housing material change, sz3(nicknamed o2mk2.5)

The original omega is it's own entity and separate to the omega 2

3x0 your fast, tnx for the links

 

[DefQon]

  Can someone confirm the SR404 cable is in fact a brown one. I am in need of a replacement brown one that won't break the bank for a project.( yep has to be brown ) I'll do some more image searches.
Electromod UK has them described as both black and brown same listing, and one of those ambiguous pics. Now the obvious question: why not email them. Will do so now.
 Thanks a bunch.

SR-404 cables are the more premium PC-OCC based "fatter" cables that are used interchangebly between the 404 and 407 Lambda's. Yes they are in brown not black, I'd think Stax would have to be absolutely schitfaced drunk to mix black cables with brown housing/headband/arc assembly. 

 

[Lan647]

What do you guys think of the SR-407 and specifically the SRS-4170 system (407 + 006t)? I'm in the consideration department but I want to make sure I make the right call. 
 
I have listened to STAX - lots of em - but not extensively. Most experience I have had with the SR-009, enough so to conclude that its signature is not quite to my liking (slightly sterile) and I prefer some of the Lambdas and SR-007 overall. I did listen to (and compared to the 009) one Lambda in this color and it sounded fantastic, perhaps slightly less refined and less solid in the bass than the 009 but also slightly more sweet and organic. Quite similar otherwise, sonically. I can't say if that was the 407 as they all look basically the same. May have been the Nova classic. 
 
SR-007 mk1 with an amp to match would be my choice if I had the budget, but I feel I want to play it a bit safe and jump on the "entry-level" wagon first.