[Contrails]

Your loss. You missed out on the L700 glory! It is truly an amazing headphone. The L700 is one of my top 2 favorite Stax headphones.

It is a very good headphone but it is not up to the same level as the SR007.

I have heard the L700 and SR007mk1. But 007 was a clear preference for me. More detailed and tighter especially in the Bass, bigger soundstage but imaging is the same. Both fall short of the HD800 in terms of imaging. Sr007 is more comfortable, L700 more sparkle in the treble whereas the 007 is a little laid back. The L700 has a slight U shape FR especially with the slight mid-bass hump and thus is a fun sounding headphone, SR007 is more balanced. Now, here's the best part - I have only heard the SR007 mk1 out of a KGST so you could say the SR007 isn't even playing at it's best yet.

 

[GarageBoy]

There is a dedicated place for this, with schematic, boards, discussions, and enthusiastic folks to help. However, you will need some basic electrical skills in the first place. I ventured down this road, and it isn’t horrible. You just need to keep on reading and pulling some brain stems

Yeah, I've seen that and have lurked around, but ever since Kevin retired, the links are broken and it takes some chasing looking for the correct files (especially when there are quite a few variants) (i.e. which Golden Reference HV and LV files are the correct ones?!)
Also, not everyone is as newbie friendly as you and JimL11 are (btw: thanks for the explanation - have learned a lot from reading your posts)

I already bought the issues of audioxpress pertaining to the SRX+, and that's where I may start (may do it point to point, as that's how my dad built his speaker amps, and hopefully, he'll be helping me out)

 

[SeaWo|f]

Files have been moved to his Google drive, also a few other people's drives, all links to drives in the same place. An easy short cut to see what the current files are is to keep an eye on the recent group buys. Realistically you should do this anyway unless you need a minimum of 5 boards at a relatively high cost.

 

[oneguy]

It is a very good headphone but it is not up to the same level as the SR007.

I have heard the L700 and SR007mk1. But 007 was a clear preference for me. More detailed and tighter especially in the Bass, bigger soundstage but imaging is the same. Both fall short of the HD800 in terms of imaging. Sr007 is more comfortable, L700 more sparkle in the treble whereas the 007 is a little laid back. The L700 has a slight U shape FR especially with the slight mid-bass hump and thus is a fun sounding headphone, SR007 is more balanced. Now, here's the best part - I have only heard the SR007 mk1 out of a KGST so you could say the SR007 isn't even playing at it's best yet.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. I wouldn’t trade my L700 for 007 or 009 any day of the week.

 

[Tinkerer]

Reminds me of a review of a British car in Road & Track several decades ago, where they said an owner had driven it across country and boasted that "it only caught fire once."

That's not too far off track. Except I wish it had only caught fire once. Perils of being one of the first people to build something I suppose. Reading the first few pages of the original KGSSHV thread is a similar hoot.

 

[gilency]

my first build was a CMoy, then the Xstata, then KGSSHV (2) and then a Megatron. If I can do it, anybody can.

 

[tigon_ridge]

Whitigir, I wasnt talking about dynamic headphones, I dont like their sound compared to planars and electrostates, they dont stand a chance imo. But between planars and electostates, I am very interested to keep seeing that battle unfold. Its a great time for headphones and yes, I also love Stax headphones, but that doesnt mean I think they are perfect at EVERYthing, come on.

My reply here is pretty late. I've heard many good dynamics and 2 good planars, and to me good dynamics and planars sound too similar to say that planars are categorically in a higher league. I was having trouble deciding whether I preferred the HD600 or the HE560. In the end, I decided to keep the former and sell the latter, because the HE560 felt less intimate while being much more expensive. Maybe it was due to the lack of having golden ears, but I did not detect a significant difference in detail resolution or soundstage/imaging between them out of my bifrost -> schiit mjolnir combo. I'm not crazy about sub-bass, so losing the better bass extension of the HE560 wasn't a big deal to me. My current dynamic headphones, an ATH-AD1000x, I prefer to any planar I've ever heard...and the AD1000x is powered by a very low-power amp (well, because these headphones are extremely efficient). IMHO, planar bass is overrated. They're good, but not the end all and be all. I like the clean, but powerful bass that comes out of my AD1000x which, if my audio memory serves me well, has bass just as good as that of the two planars I'd owned. I expect electrostats to be clearly in another league in terms of resolution and imaging, based on Z Reviews' demos and so many STAX owners' testimonies.

 

[SeaWo|f]

pretty sure Z-reviews is mentally handy capped. If he isn't damn IDK what his excuse is.

If you are looking for semi risque anime wallpapers he is your guy. If you are looking for audio info keep looking. The vast majority of the stuff he says is factually wrong, so for that reason I would write off is subjective opinions too.

 

[Rhamnetin]

My reply here is pretty late. I've heard many good dynamics and 2 good planars, and to me good dynamics and planars sound too similar to say that planars are categorically in a higher league. I was having trouble deciding whether I preferred the HD600 or the HE560. In the end, I decided to keep the former and sell the latter, because the HE560 felt less intimate while being much more expensive. Maybe it was due to the lack of having golden ears, but I did not detect a significant difference in detail resolution or soundstage/imaging between them out of my bifrost -> schiit mjolnir combo. I'm not crazy about sub-bass, so losing the better bass extension of the HE560 wasn't a big deal to me. My current dynamic headphones, an ATH-AD1000x, I prefer to any planar I've ever heard...and the AD1000x is powered by a very low-power amp (well, because these headphones are extremely efficient). IMHO, planar bass is overrated. They're good, but not the end all and be all. I like the clean, but powerful bass that comes out of my AD1000x which, if my audio memory serves me well, has bass just as good as that of the two planars I'd owned. I expect electrostats to be clearly in another league in terms of resolution and imaging, based on Z Reviews' demos and so many STAX owners' testimonies.

Like SeaWo|f indicated, Zeos is both unstable and unreliable, but yeah high end Stax is unlike anything else.

I used to be convinced that planars were in a clearly higher category than dynamics (I still think they are for bass, hard to deny that), the Focal Utopia made me question that again. I would need to own a Utopia and an HE1000 v2 or Susvara and A/B test them with top tier amplification, but I lost all interest thanks to Stax. I don't care anymore since any dynamic and planar gets obliterated by Stax to my ears.

 

[JimL11]

Yeah, I've seen that and have lurked around, but ever since Kevin retired, the links are broken and it takes some chasing looking for the correct files (especially when there are quite a few variants) (i.e. which Golden Reference HV and LV files are the correct ones?!)
Also, not everyone is as newbie friendly as you and JimL11 are (btw: thanks for the explanation - have learned a lot from reading your posts)

I already bought the issues of audioxpress pertaining to the SRX+, and that's where I may start (may do it point to point, as that's how my dad built his speaker amps, and hopefully, he'll be helping me out)

One thing is, I have upgraded the power supply that was in the AUdioXpress articles, and no longer recommend the original, as line noise and crap can enter the amp via the negative supply line. Schematic of the upgraded supply is on another website, which also has a thread on building the amp and some comments on the sound quality. A number of builders have used one of the Gilmore power supplies, which should also work.

 

[tigon_ridge]

Like SeaWo|f indicated, Zeos is both unstable and unreliable, but yeah high end Stax is unlike anything else.

I used to be convinced that planars were in a clearly higher category than dynamics (I still think they are for bass, hard to deny that), the Focal Utopia made me question that again. I would need to own a Utopia and an HE1000 v2 or Susvara and A/B test them with top tier amplification, but I lost all interest thanks to Stax. I don't care anymore since any dynamic and planar gets obliterated by Stax to my ears.

pretty sure Z-reviews is mentally handy capped. If he isn't damn IDK what his excuse is.

If you are looking for semi risque anime wallpapers he is your guy. If you are looking for audio info keep looking. The vast majority of the stuff he says is factually wrong, so for that reason I would write off is subjective opinions too.

Wow, I can understand the dissenting opinions, but the character assassination?? I've only seen a few reviews of his, so maybe it's some of the ones I haven't seen that are the cause for all this hate. He has a very high opinion of electrostats and Stax, going so far as to say the highest-end dynamics aren't quite in the same league as even entry-level Stax, so I'm not sure why some Stax fans would hate him. Is it just because he hasn't heard high end Stax through wallet-destroying KG amps to give the SR-007/9 fair reviews? Is it because of the unsubstantiated claim that he single-handedly doubled the market price of the SR-207? Even so, all this hate is still a big mystery to me. He introduced a lot of people to Stax, at least.

 

[Whitigir]

Wow, I can understand the dissenting opinions, but the character assassination?? I've only seen a few reviews of his, so maybe it's some of the ones I haven't seen that are the cause for all this hate. He has a very high opinion of electrostats and Stax, going so far as to say the highest-end dynamics aren't quite in the same league as even entry-level Stax, so I'm not sure why some Stax fans would hate him. Is it just because he hasn't heard high end Stax through wallet-destroying KG amps to give the SR-007/9 fair reviews? Is it because of the unsubstantiated claim that he single-handedly doubled the market price of the SR-207? Even so, all this hate is still a big mystery to me. He introduced a lot of people to Stax, at least.

Corrections! KG Amps are not wallet destroying, even if you buy BHSE. To put them all together this nicely and all the dumb stuff people do......it is still too cheap for the price

KG amps are actually the best price/performances ratio, if you are willing to tackles up challenges. Also great price/performances ratio that can not be find anywhere else if you buy or commissions it built

 

[weasel1979]

Z is hilarious. Have you seen his mods? Oh man, what a character, I dig him. And dont forget, its POV camera and its all done in one take. Dont take him so seriously, it is supposed to be different.

Plus, yeah, he loves Stax more than anything.

 

[yakaway]

This discussion of z review offers nothing to this thread

 

[weasel1979]

To me it does.