[Sorrodje]

Received a SR-507 yesterday and thus far I'm really happy with what I hear. Besides usual Stat qualities I really appeciate that this 507 provides deep and clean basse, a very good overall impact and slam , no midrange forwardness. Even the treble sizzle does not bother me that much ( my SRM-T1 and my Theta DS pro Gen Va probably help) . The plan was to discover how this SR-507 sounds while I'm saving money for the L700 but right now I wonder if the L700 would fit better my tastes than the  507.   Seems the SR-507's slightly U shaped Sound sig matches my tastes. 
Did anyone hear both in direct A/B comparison and could provide impressions ?  Thks 

 

 

[bearFNF]

Wow,  another example of someone speaking out without first hand experience.
Just to put this to rest here is what it says on the back of mine:


Guess what amp I own...

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Solid State
And wonder of wonders it says its a Liquid Lightening 2T

 

[Jodet]

  Received a SR-507 yesterday and thus far I'm really happy with what I hear. Besides usual Stat qualities I really appeciate that this 507 provides deep and clean basse, a very good overall impact and slam , no midrange forwardness. Even the treble sizzle does not bother me that much ( my SRM-T1 and my Theta DS pro Gen Va probably help) . The plan was to discover how this SR-507 sounds while I'm saving money for the L700 but right now I wonder if the L700 would fit better my tastes than the  507.   Seems the SR-507's slightly U shaped Sound sig matches my tastes. 
Did anyone hear both in direct A/B comparison and could provide impressions ?  Thks 

 

 
Yeah, I'd be very interested in 700 507 comparisons as well. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
Nope.  Both are LLMK2T  
 
One is Solid State and one is tube.  I talked to Alex in depth about this.

 
Gents...just for clarification, the differences between the LL2 and LL2T solid state versions are very, very small. A different volume setup as the LL2 wouldn't allow for the tubes as the shaft runs front to back right through were the tubes would be...and the PCBs have been changed to allow for a quick swap out for either the tubes or ss PCBs. Sonically I really like both the solid state version and tube version FWIW. But as I have the SR007Mk1s here as well as my SR009s, I preferred the solid state version and it was better suited for the 007s. And the LL2/LL2T is a big step up from the LL (also used to own).

 

[wink]

 
 
Such selective reading, eh.

This really defies logic.....   

 
I can't see why someone would have to go to all this trouble to determine what is what.
 
It seems that there has been a modicum of shooting from the hip in naming the amps, rather than a bit of thought being injected into the process.
 
It really makes things confusing to the average punter.

 

[edstrelow]

 
I would be careful. The 007 is a complex animal, I have heard about 4 versions so far, and they ALL sound very different i.e. all crap except the latest 007A I got this year. A MK1 I heard was better, probably just below my 007A? I can't understand it, but the whole phone seems very different in my later version. maybe Stax changed the diaphragms. I read Birgir has noted a recent change to the current 007s as well, as he got hold of a later unit. Before that, he only like the Mk1.
 
It is odd, but the MK2.5s I had, and the other 2.5s I heard the frame seemed to be energised as well, it was somehow muddling the sound. It defiantly has a bass hump and a tailed of treble, almost like an EQ'd source, and didn't sound right. I am very happy with the latest 007A (I got them from PJ). 
 
This 'may' explain some of the issues folk have noticed with their particular version. Dunno. It seems to me no matter how powerful an amp is, some versions of the 007 will never be right, not by my ears anyway. Totally confusing situation, and I sympathise with folk who have bought a version that seems to them not right.... My advice, sell it and get the current 007A.

 
It doesn't take much in the way of mechanical damping to change the sound of most headphones as I and others have noted.  
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/744839/damping-mechanical-energy-distortion-of-stax-and-other-phones-with-sorbothane-and-other-materials
 
Even minor changes in the structure of the phones, the earpads and the like are probably going to give you sonic differences at least in part because they will change the mechanical damping characteristics of phones. I have heard the claim, mostly from Spritzer, that Stax may have changed the drivers of the 007 but I have yet to see any evidence, i.e. do the drivers look different or has Stax told someone about a re-tensioning of the diaphragms. 
 
BTW if you want my best attempt at damping the 007A it looks like this:

 except now I cut the ring of sorb seen here into 8 sections, since smaller  pieces seem to be more effective that large ones.
 
The 007 also has a problematic headband which because it is rigidly fastened to the earcups seems to pass vibrations between the two earcups. I use additional damping on the band just to deal with this problem. I believe the 4070 is the only other Stax phone to use this type of band.  I guess that Stax chose it for its rigidty. My solution to that problem looks like this  where there are sorbothan pads under the plastic clamps.:
 

 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/671314/stax-sr007-resonance-problems

 

[astrostar59]

   
It doesn't take much in the way of mechanical damping to change the sound of most headphones as I and others have noted.  
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/744839/damping-mechanical-energy-distortion-of-stax-and-other-phones-with-sorbothane-and-other-materials
 
Even minor changes in the structure of the phones, the earpads and the like are probably going to give you sonic differences at least in part because they will change the mechanical damping characteristics of phones. I have heard the claim, mostly from Spritzer, that Stax may have changed the drivers of the 007 but I have yet to see any evidence, i.e. do the drivers look different or has Stax told someone about a re-tensioning of the diaphragms. 
 
BTW if you want my best attempt at damping the 007A it looks like this:

 except now I cut the ring of sorb seen here into 8 sections, since smaller  pieces seem to be more effective that large ones.
 
The 007 also has a problematic headband which because it is rigidly fastened to the earcups seems to pass vibrations between the two earcups. I use additional damping on the band just to deal with this problem. I believe the 4070 is the only other Stax phone to use this type of band.  I guess that Stax chose it for its rigidty. My solution to that problem looks like this  where there are sorbothan pads under the plastic clamps.:
 

 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/671314/stax-sr007-resonance-problems

I agree, I noticed (heard / felt) the resonance transfer from the panels to the frame. I think it is why the 009s have the central swivel point, to reduce that. Also the 009s don't vibrate as much even at the circular frame edges when touch by your fingers even on a bass heavy track. Another aspect with the 007A's is they feel a bit more claustrophobic wearing them, even without music, dunno why. Maybe the cups of the way they don't swivel like the 009s. With all the issues though, I still have a soft spot for my 007A's, they were the first 'high end' Stax phones I bought after the years with the Lambda units. And IMO the current (improved again) 007A 2015 units sound really damb good, not so far behind the 009 making them IMO a bargain.

 

[soren_brix]

   
I have heard the claim, mostly from Spritzer, that Stax may have changed the drivers of the 007 but I have yet to see any evidence, i.e. do the drivers look different or has Stax told someone about a re-tensioning of the diaphragms. 

I have 70xxx and SZ1 - 1xxx ... the drivers are different .... they do sound a bit different like Spritzer has noticed and said: "but these are small differences"

  Mk1 early version:  Super smooth sound with the best midrange and bass of any headphone, top end a bit dark unless you drive it properly. 

Mk1 later version:  Not quite a smooth and the bass is a bit uneven but these are small differences.  Better materials all around so these will last longer. 
Mk2 SZ2 version:  Same basic sound signature but with a slight upper midrange/lower treble coloration and the bass is all over the place depending on how the earpads are placed.  Once you plug the port and lower the earpad height they are very close to the later Mk1 but a bit more forward. 
Mk2 SZ3 version:  Stax never told anybody about the design change but these have the port design changed a bit and the spring height inside the earpads has also been tweaked.  The main change is the new diaphragm material though and the difference is huge (just check out the measurements).  The smooth sound is gone and it its place is a etched midrange, uneven topend and a bass that while is tighter then an unmodded SZ2, is also much less linear. 
 
Not even remotely the first time Stax have released a major blunder and going by the track record, it will take years until they own up and release a new model. 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/223263/the-stax-thread-new/19875

 

[astrostar59]

  I have 70xxx and SZ1 - 1xxx ... the drivers are different .... they do sound a bit different like Spritzer has noticed and said: "but these are small differences"

Hmm, I think it is a bigger change myself. I had the MK2.5 Black 007s mid 2013 model, thought they were ok sounding, then got the 009 2014 model and realised they were quite bad actually, boxy, dark, slow, bass hump. Later I bought the 007As from PJ 2015 model and they sounded MUCH better, like a lot closer to the 009 sound i.e more efficient, more alive, more transparent, less mid bass bump, less boxy. Just plain better. If I rated the difference I would say the 007A is 10 and the 007 2.5 2013 model is 7, then the 009 would be about 12. That is how I heard it on the same source and same KGSShv amp. TBH the 007A is not so far behind the 009 now IMO, making it a real steal.

 

[soren_brix]

 
Hmm, I think it is a bigger change myself. I had the MK2.5 Black 007s mid 2013 model, thought they were ok sounding, then got the 009 2014 model and realised they were quite bad actually, boxy, dark, slow, bass hump. Later I bought the 007As from PJ 2015 model and they sounded MUCH better, like a lot closer to the 009 sound i.e more efficient, more alive, more transparent, less mid bass bump, less boxy. Just plain better. If I rated the difference I would say the 007A is 10 and the 007 2.5 2013 model is 7, then the 009 would be about 12. That is how I heard it on the same source and same KGSShv amp. TBH the 007A is not so far behind the 009 now IMO, making it a real steal.

I don't know about the later 007's ....I've heard the 2.5 but only on 323/006t so I wouldn't parrot anything about that ....but the 70xxx or SZ1-1xxx, on a scale from 1 - 10, where 10 is the absolut best, I'd say they are really good! ;o)

 

[RAZRr1275]

Would a Srd-7 and Parasound Zamp power amp be sufficient to drive the 007?

 

[soren_brix]

  Would a Srd-7 and Parasound Zamp power amp be sufficient to drive the 007?

don't know about the amp, but driving the SRD-7 from my amp sure sounded a lot better in comparison to 323 ...you won't get the full potential from the 007 though

 

[astrostar59]

  Now I'm all %#@*&^-up!
I just retracted my bid.

Don't panic. Now contact PJ and get that 007A. It is a great phone. My Black 2.5 sounded way behind, it is like another model (lower SQ) just plain slow and bloomy.
 
Keep us posted.
 
On warranty,. obviously no guarantee, but the 007 has been manufactured for years, so it has less risk factor. I would not worry too much.

 

[astrostar59]

  Now I'm all %#@*&^-up!
I just retracted my bid.

Congrats. Now get the 007A from PJ.

 

[wink]

Get the 007A from PJ.... Time's a wasting.......