The Stax Thread III

[tjlindle]

I am going for Gungnir + KGSSHV(or KGST?) + 007, which should be pretty great, from what people are saying. I found XS quite excellent technically, but I'd like something a little warmer and smoother/relaxed. Too much treble emphasis/fatigue for me.

That's an awesome setup and it will deliver exactly what you want by the sounds of it!

And yea the XS is a great headphone. It is my go-to recommendation for the $500 and under budget range nowadays.

For $500 you can barely scrape together a really awesome 'stat setup (SR-5 or SR-X Mk 3, SRD-7 transformer, ~$150 Class D speaker amp to power the SRD-7 from) but that is a tough ask for most people when they can just get a XS and power it from their phone.

I have been listening a lot to the SR-5 recently - at its current street price of $150-200, it is one of the best deals you can get with estats. Yea its bass extension leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm not sure you can do better than an SR-5 in the sub-$200 range when it comes to resolution, transparency, and timbre. A bass shelf EQ also helps with the low-end.

How do the kaldas compare to the 007s and 009s ?

It is outclassed in basically every technical metric like resolution and soundstage/headstage by both, but to my ear it has more organic tonality and timbre than the 009 and it delivers a comparable lush, thick sound to the 007.

So I would not put it in the Omega-tier, but they are very respectable and have a unique sound, and they cost a fraction of the price. It is in the same tier as the best Stax that aren't Omegas (e.g. L700, Lambda Sig, 404LE).

For me it also has a lot of added value specifically because it sounds unique - the majority of Stax's historical lineup are Lambdas and at the end of the day, they all deliver a certain "Lambda sound" even if there are notable variations. The RR1 on the other hand doesn't sound anything like a Lambda, in fact if it wasn't for the 007 it wouldn't sound like any Stax period. It is dark, thick, and euphonic, if anything it is sort of like an HD 650 except turned into an estat and given better technical qualities.

The RR1 and NectarSound Hive are both very underrated in my opinion especially at their price points of $500 and $600 respectively. At this point I have heard most estats in the sub $1000 range, vintage or otherwise - the RR1 and Hive really outclass their price points, and you can buy them brand new with warranty/customer service to boot.

The next non-Stax estat I want to try is the ES-1A which @bigjako has told me about and sounds really excellent. I have high hopes for that, my only concern is the weight since Audeze in the past have been non-starters for me due to weight discomfort.

Right now I have an ES-Sigma with L700 drivers on the way. I am excited to try that and compare it to the stock L700 I owned until recently, I feel like the Sigma enclosure will actually alleviate some of the issues I had with the L700 and could potentially turn it into my favorite non-Omega Stax. I will report back once I've put it through its paces

 

[lostrockets]

That's an awesome setup and it will deliver exactly what you want by the sounds of it!

And yea the XS is a great headphone. It is my go-to recommendation for the $500 and under budget range nowadays.

For $500 you can barely scrape together a really awesome 'stat setup (SR-5 or SR-X Mk 3, SRD-7 transformer, ~$150 Class D speaker amp to power the SRD-7 from) but that is a tough ask for most people when they can just get a XS and power it from their phone.

I have been listening a lot to the SR-5 recently - at its current street price of $150-200, it is one of the best deals you can get with estats. Yea its bass extension leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm not sure you can do better than an SR-5 in the sub-$200 range when it comes to resolution, transparency, and timbre. A bass shelf EQ also helps with the low-end.

It is outclassed in basically every technical metric like resolution and soundstage/headstage by both, but to my ear it has more organic tonality and timbre than the 009 and it delivers a comparable lush, thick sound to the 007.

So I would not put it in the Omega-tier, but they are very respectable and have a unique sound, and they cost a fraction of the price. It is in the same tier as the best Stax that aren't Omegas (e.g. L700, Lambda Sig, 404LE).

For me it also has a lot of added value specifically because it sounds unique - the majority of Stax's historical lineup are Lambdas and at the end of the day, they all deliver a certain "Lambda sound" even if there are notable variations. The RR1 on the other hand doesn't sound anything like a Lambda, in fact if it wasn't for the 007 it wouldn't sound like any Stax period. It is dark, thick, and euphonic, if anything it is sort of like an HD 650 except turned into an estat and given better technical qualities.

The RR1 and NectarSound Hive are both very underrated in my opinion especially at their price points of $500 and $600 respectively. At this point I have heard most estats in the sub $1000 range, vintage or otherwise - the RR1 and Hive really outclass their price points, and you can buy them brand new with warranty/customer service to boot.

The next non-Stax estat I want to try is the ES-1A which @bigjako has told me about and sounds really excellent. I have high hopes for that, my only concern is the weight since Audeze in the past have been non-starters for me due to weight discomfort.

Right now I have an ES-Sigma with L700 drivers on the way. I am excited to try that and compare it to the stock L700 I owned until recently, I feel like the Sigma enclosure will actually alleviate some of the issues I had with the L700 and could potentially turn it into my favorite non-Omega Stax. I will report back once I've put it through its paces

Good to hear, im curious now that you say the kaldas are like the nectars. Are they pretty much neck in neck? If not how are they different?

Ive heard nectars before and agree the sound is excellent at that price point. Same with the xs, just a little uncomfortable with unreliability of hifiman products so let them go.

I recently got the es1a and may put them up for sale. If you know the sound signature you prefer you might find them your end game. And regarding weight, they do feel lighter and more comfortable than the audeze i tried (lcd x, and 2)

In my limited listening, I like them for certain types of music like jazz and classical most and as i listen more have begun to realize i really like the 007s relaxed listening for all types of music.

 

[zomkung]

That's an awesome setup and it will deliver exactly what you want by the sounds of it!

And yea the XS is a great headphone. It is my go-to recommendation for the $500 and under budget range nowadays.

For $500 you can barely scrape together a really awesome 'stat setup (SR-5 or SR-X Mk 3, SRD-7 transformer, ~$150 Class D speaker amp to power the SRD-7 from) but that is a tough ask for most people when they can just get a XS and power it from their phone.

I have been listening a lot to the SR-5 recently - at its current street price of $150-200, it is one of the best deals you can get with estats. Yea its bass extension leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm not sure you can do better than an SR-5 in the sub-$200 range when it comes to resolution, transparency, and timbre. A bass shelf EQ also helps with the low-end.

It is outclassed in basically every technical metric like resolution and soundstage/headstage by both, but to my ear it has more organic tonality and timbre than the 009 and it delivers a comparable lush, thick sound to the 007.

So I would not put it in the Omega-tier, but they are very respectable and have a unique sound, and they cost a fraction of the price. It is in the same tier as the best Stax that aren't Omegas (e.g. L700, Lambda Sig, 404LE).

For me it also has a lot of added value specifically because it sounds unique - the majority of Stax's historical lineup are Lambdas and at the end of the day, they all deliver a certain "Lambda sound" even if there are notable variations. The RR1 on the other hand doesn't sound anything like a Lambda, in fact if it wasn't for the 007 it wouldn't sound like any Stax period. It is dark, thick, and euphonic, if anything it is sort of like an HD 650 except turned into an estat and given better technical qualities.

The RR1 and NectarSound Hive are both very underrated in my opinion especially at their price points of $500 and $600 respectively. At this point I have heard most estats in the sub $1000 range, vintage or otherwise - the RR1 and Hive really outclass their price points, and you can buy them brand new with warranty/customer service to boot.

The next non-Stax estat I want to try is the ES-1A which @bigjako has told me about and sounds really excellent. I have high hopes for that, my only concern is the weight since Audeze in the past have been non-starters for me due to weight discomfort.

Right now I have an ES-Sigma with L700 drivers on the way. I am excited to try that and compare it to the stock L700 I owned until recently, I feel like the Sigma enclosure will actually alleviate some of the issues I had with the L700 and could potentially turn it into my favorite non-Omega Stax. I will report back once I've put it through its paces

The ES-Sigma with L700 drivers looks pretty nice.

I would like to get one. Would you mind giving some review?

Thank you!

 

[martin778]

Anyone tried tube rolling the T8000? Will it take E88CC's?

 

[kevin gilmore]

do not roll tubes in t8000 unless they are matched section to section to 1%. and then you need to carefully set all the dc and servo pots. you will need 2 voltmeters to do this.

 

[Zoide]

I have owned the Hifimans you mention - "fatigue" is hard to discuss since it is specific to each person, but for me the 007 is less fatiguing than either of those, especially the Arya.

If you don't want to invest kilobucks into a 007 system but want a non-fatiguing 'stat, try the Kaldas Research RR1 Conquest which can be bought for $500 brand new and is a lot easier to amp.

If you stay with Hifiman then I recommend stretching past the Arya to the HE1000se, it is not far from the Susvara's sound quality while being significantly less of a prima donna in terms of amping it.

EDIT: And yea in general terms the best of those four headphones (3 above + the L700) is the 007 but it needs to be amped appropriately, if you don't want to do that then save your money and just get the Edition XS which is great and also the cheapest. L700 is also very good but if you're concerned about treble fatigue and don't EQ, it could be an issue.

What about the Nectar Hive X?

EDIT: Oops, just realized you already mentioned it a few posts above: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-stax-thread-iii.677809/post-16932248

Ive heard nectars before and agree the sound is excellent at that price point

How do they compare to the other cans you have tried? Thanks

 

[bigjako]

Good to hear, im curious now that you say the kaldas are like the nectars. Are they pretty much neck in neck? If not how are they different?

Ive heard nectars before and agree the sound is excellent at that price point. Same with the xs, just a little uncomfortable with unreliability of hifiman products so let them go.

I recently got the es1a and may put them up for sale. If you know the sound signature you prefer you might find them your end game. And regarding weight, they do feel lighter and more comfortable than the audeze i tried (lcd x, and 2)

In my limited listening, I like them for certain types of music like jazz and classical most and as i listen more have begun to realize i really like the 007s relaxed listening for all types of music.

I have had 2 pairs of Kaldas and one Nectar, but haven't had them side by side and in both cases it was more than a year ago. I think the Nectars sound to me, like how tjlindle describes the Kaldas - like mid-centric 6XX's, whereas the Kaldas sounded to me more like LCD-2s. They really rumble. I just found I preferred the Lambda sound, and felt with both the Nectar and Kaldas like they were electrostatic in technology, but sounded more dynamic (or planar). If I ONLY had an electrostatic setup, then they would be great counterpoints to both the Lambdas and the ES-1a, but I have a nice dynamic setup and felt like I'd rather get that sound from that setup while optimizing my estat setup for the Staxen and ES-1a.

 

[lostrockets]

I have had 2 pairs of Kaldas and one Nectar, but haven't had them side by side and in both cases it was more than a year ago. I think the Nectars sound to me, like how tjlindle describes the Kaldas - like mid-centric 6XX's, whereas the Kaldas sounded to me more like LCD-2s. They really rumble. I just found I preferred the Lambda sound, and felt with both the Nectar and Kaldas like they were electrostatic in technology, but sounded more dynamic (or planar). If I ONLY had an electrostatic setup, then they would be great counterpoints to both the Lambdas and the ES-1a, but I have a nice dynamic setup and felt like I'd rather get that sound from that setup while optimizing my estat setup for the Staxen and ES-1a.

good points you make! curious what led to you having two pairs of the kaldas?

 

[bigjako]

good points you make! curious what led to you having two pairs of the kaldas?

I had one early on, off an old portable Stax amp and didn't love it and sold it.

Then after I got a better amp, I wanted to hear it again, and found a good deal. But even after the second round I just stuck to the Lambdas. I thought maybe they would scale with a better amp, but ultimately I just moved on from it. I don't think they're bad at all, I just kept exploring.

Similar story for the Nectars (I listened to them on the BH Stat, which was almost designed for the Nectars, I believe) but was worried that, without dust protection, they were ticking time bombs for me.

 

[lostrockets]

so do you think itd be a backwards step going from a 007 and es1a to kaldas or just a different flavor?

 

[hewlett168]

Do the 009/009s pads fit directly on the 007mk2?

 

[number1sixerfan]

I recently got the es1a and may put them up for sale. If you know the sound signature you prefer you might find them your end game. And regarding weight, they do feel lighter and more comfortable than the audeze i tried (lcd x, and 2)

In my limited listening, I like them for certain types of music like jazz and classical most and as i listen more have begun to realize i really like the 007s relaxed listening for all types of music.

What was it that you liked and disliked about them? Sound like they may sound more traditionally stat like than say the 007? I have a pair on order, just had to try it given the really attractive price.

 

[bigjako]

so do you think itd be a backwards step going from a 007 and es1a to kaldas or just a different flavor?

I have to qualify this statement by saying that I love my Lambdas, first the L300 LE and second the NB. It is the prototypical airy, shimmery electrostatic Stax sound that I love and can find no other earspeaker that captures that.

I most often listen to the ES1a on the Carbon and the L300 LE on the Electra and I wouldn’t sell the LE even if the ES1a is ‘better’. They’re just quite different experiences but both awesome in their own way.

So my point is that yes, the ES1a and 007 are better than the Kaldas. Actually in that specific case I think the 007 reminded me more of the Kaldas, just with more detail and more mid bass. But I would encourage you to get a counterpoint to either the 007 or the Kaldas, which are warmer than the Lambdas, so getting an L300 for $3-400 will give you a different flavor, but in my opinion it’s not really about better or worse, just different. And I get that the 007s are “better” than the Lambdas in every measurable way.

But I love my Lambdas and I think I have 5 of them in use or stored away.

 

[Zoide]

Good to hear, im curious now that you say the kaldas are like the nectars. Are they pretty much neck in neck? If not how are they different?

Ive heard nectars before and agree the sound is excellent at that price point. Same with the xs, just a little uncomfortable with unreliability of hifiman products so let them go.

I recently got the es1a and may put them up for sale. If you know the sound signature you prefer you might find them your end game. And regarding weight, they do feel lighter and more comfortable than the audeze i tried (lcd x, and 2)

In my limited listening, I like them for certain types of music like jazz and classical most and as i listen more have begun to realize i really like the 007s relaxed listening for all types of music.

I have to qualify this statement by saying that I love my Lambdas, first the L300 LE and second the NB. It is the prototypical airy, shimmery electrostatic Stax sound that I love and can find no other earspeaker that captures that.

I most often listen to the ES1a on the Carbon and the L300 LE on the Electra and I wouldn’t sell the LE even if the ES1a is ‘better’. They’re just quite different experiences but both awesome in their own way.

So my point is that yes, the ES1a and 007 are better than the Kaldas. Actually in that specific case I think the 007 reminded me more of the Kaldas, just with more detail and more mid bass. But I would encourage you to get a counterpoint to either the 007 or the Kaldas, which are warmer than the Lambdas, so getting an L300 for $3-400 will give you a different flavor, but in my opinion it’s not really about better or worse, just different. And I get that the 007s are “better” than the Lambdas in every measurable way.

But I love my Lambdas and I think I have 5 of them in use or stored away.

How did the Nectar Hive compare, other than the dust problem? Thanks

 

[bigjako]

To be clear, I never had any problems with my Hive, dust or otherwise, and Sajeev is a great guy. But yeah, the fact that they didn’t have dust covers and I live in a smoggy dusty city worried me. The Nectars were much more mid centric, less air and shimmer, but they didn’t have the Kaldas’ sub bass. That’s why I think of them as the estat 6XX.

I’d say the L300, the Kaldas and the Hive are near equals technically - one has air and shimmer and the extra detail that that brings, the next has sub bass and warmth and the third had ‘sweet’ mids but rolled off on the bottom and the top. Pick your flavor.