[labrat]

Del

 

[TheAttorney]

I've stated in the past that I rate highly the quality of the 009's bass, but could do with a touch more quantity. Just a little bit more.
Also, we occasionally get posts (including from me) about bending out the arc for a lighter pad pressure.
 
Well, I've taken the latter point out a bit further than before to get a looser fit, which results in an extra touch of deep bass (where it exits in the recording), without impacting overall bass definition.
Before you try this at home kids, remember that plastic has a habit of snapping if stressed too far, so I'm doing this slowly in stages: bending the arc and holding for several seconds, then seeing how much it reverts back by the next day and then I repeat the exercise. To give an idea, when I originally suspended the 009s using finger/thumb at the top of the arc, the pads would lightly brush against each other. Now the pads are about 1cm apart.
 
There'll obviously come a tipping point where the pad seal is completely broken and the bass loses control, but I'm enjoying what I'm hearing so far. With the added bonus of a more comfortable fit.
However, listening to Status Quo albums is now out of the question, obviously.
 
I do wonder if some of the opposing reactions to the 009's is to do with how "big headed" the person is?

 

[bmichels]

  I've stated in the past that I rate highly the quality of the 009's bass, but could do with a touch more quantity. Just a little bit more...

 
Using a KGSShv Carbon  Amp might bring you that extra bass you are looking for with the SR009 

 

[TheAttorney]

Whilst playing around with the 009's pad pressure, I took some time out to try to answer a question that occasionally pops up here: Is there any SQ difference between the different Stax cables?
 
Well, I think I have the answer for the 925 and 725 2.5m extension cables (designed for 009 and 007 respectively). 
 
With each extension cable side by side into the two BHSE sockets, I could quickly swap my 009 and 007 Mk1s onto either extension.cable.
Not completely ideal, as my main test was effectively testing "2.5m 925 + 2.5m 725) against "2.5m 725 + 2.5m 725".
With such a compromise, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as it turns out I could repeatedly tell the slight difference, which was:
 
The 925 was slightly clearer and more open, with sharper transients and better image definition. The clarity/openness was 90% a good thing, but did also did show up brighter recordings sometimes.
In a way, this was like a mini-me version of the differences between the 009s and 007s themselves.
 
This was by no means a conclusive test (although it was unintentionally an informal blind test, as I couldn't tell the two cables apart in subdued lighting).
But I'm confident enough of my findings to post the following memo to self:
 
If ever I have to re cable either the 009 or 007, it's worth the extra cost to get the 925 cable (assuming the pre-cut terminations do actually fit the 007, worth checking).
But the subtle improvement is not worth the cost and faff of getting the 007 re-cabled if the original cable isn't broken.

 

[Tinkerer]

Mk I's have a different termination from the Mk II and SR-009. I know because it was a bit of a pain to find a replacement cable when I changed mine. Piece of cake to swap out though, minus getting the ear pads back on right. The pads aren't hard once you figure out the trick to it, but it took me a bit to do so the first time.

 

[vapman]

Is it possible to get nice strong bass on the 009 with EQ'ing and a STAX amp or is a KGSSHV pretty much the only way to get enough bass through these?
 
I am a basshead thru and thru so one man's bass overload is probably my not enough bass.

 

[purk]

   
Using a KGSShv Carbon  Amp might bring you that extra bass you are looking for with the SR009 

The KGSSHV Carbon is definitely your answer.  My SR-009 has plenty of bass response out of the Carbon.  It is able to match the HE-1000 bass head on and then some.  The HE-1000 bass is very impressive but it could definitely use an improvement in term of tightness.  With the Carbon, the SR009's bass is rendered with plenty of authority and come at you at greater sense of speed.  If you prefer a "bass bloom" then this may not be the amp for you.  I've been listening to my Carbon for a week now and it has been nothing but an audio nirvana.  One of the Carbon's strongest point is its ability to render huge, deep, and layered soundstage.   It is even slightly outclassed the DIY T2 in the width department and basically match the T2 in depth, but the T2 still has an upper hand in term of term of tonality and textured of the sound.  The biggest improvement going from the full-size KGSSHV amplifier to the Carbon is its resolve ability of inner musical details together with the way it renders them in the sound space.  This combination yields more air/space between each instrument, and very solid spatial cues and imaging.

 

[Tinkerer]

  Is it possible to get nice strong bass on the 009 with EQ'ing and a STAX amp or is a KGSSHV pretty much the only way to get enough bass through these?
 
I am a basshead thru and thru so one man's bass overload is probably my not enough bass.

Honestly if you want bass, the SR-007 Mk I or modded Mk II are the best in that department. Or if you want a big dose of midbass, have an unmodded Mk II. I don't really see why you'd be going after something often considered a tad bright if you want bass.

 

[ahnafakeef]

Are SRM-353X reviews out yet? How does it compare to SRM-323S?
 
Also, where can I find information pertaining to the KGSS amps? As far as my little knowledge of them goes, the same KGSS amps are available from different builders with somewhat different specs? An explanation (link or otherwise) on how the same amp - particularly the KGSShv Carbon - differs in various aspects from one builder/vendor to another would be highly appreciated.
 
Thank you.

 

[Michgelsen]

  Are SRM-353X reviews out yet? How does it compare to SRM-323S?
 
Also, where can I find information pertaining to the KGSS amps? As far as my little knowledge of them goes, the same KGSS amps are available from different builders with somewhat different specs? An explanation (link or otherwise) on how the same amp - particularly the KGSShv Carbon - differs in various aspects from one builder/vendor to another would be highly appreciated.
 
Thank you.

 
 
Because these are DIY amps, there can be some variation between them, because of the ongoing improvements to the design or the need to substitute parts that have become obsolete. This is why you see some KGSS(HV)s with different transistors used, in which case there have been reports of differences in sound. There is, as far as I know, no log kept or centralized documentation available. Information is scattered across various builder threads, or it's in the heads of the Stax Mafia.
This being said, very few builders design their own PCBs (AFAIK, this only very rarely happens), meaning that almost all of the amps use the 'standard' PCB designs and hence there is a certain unity you can expect between the amps of different builders, provided they use the same board version of course.
Personally I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[bmichels]

  The KGSSHV Carbon is definitely your answer.  My SR-009 has plenty of bass response out of the Carbon.  It is able to match the HE-1000 bass head on and then some.  The HE-1000 bass is very impressive but it could definitely use an improvement in term of tightness.  With the Carbon, the SR009's bass is rendered with plenty of authority and come at you at greater sense of speed.  If you prefer a "bass bloom" then this may not be the amp for you.  I've been listening to my Carbon for a week now and it has been nothing but an audio nirvana.  One of the Carbon's strongest point is its ability to render huge, deep, and layered soundstage.   It is even slightly outclassed the DIY T2 in the width department and basically match the T2 in depth, but the T2 still has an upper hand in term of term of tonality and textured of the sound.  The biggest improvement going from the full-size KGSSHV amplifier to the Carbon is its resolve ability of inner musical details together with the way it renders them in the sound space.  This combination yields more air/space between each instrument, and very solid spatial cues and imaging.

 
Will you say that the Carbon is (In your opinion better than the BHSE for the SR009 ? 

 

[vapman]

 
Honestly if you want bass, the SR-007 Mk I or modded Mk II are the best in that department. Or if you want a big dose of midbass, have an unmodded Mk II. I don't really see why you'd be going after something often considered a tad bright if you want bass.

I had the opportunity to hear both generation 007's but not the 009's yet. I was curious if the 009's were bass anemic compared to the 007's either way.
 If it simply isn't capable of reproducing the same amount or greater bass I'll stick with one of the 007's and skip the 009's.
 
My KGSSHV is almost done building. I am using my SR-X to hold me over but increasingly going towards IEMs in the meantime. When the KGSSHV is done I will get either the 007 or 009. Hopefully I will have the chance to hear an 009 before I buy one or the other.
 
I will likely try and integrate a bass boost circuit in it somewhere before it's done. i might steal some cues from the Project Polaris design as well to modify a few parts of the design. the KGSSHV is coming along very nicely but slowly. very very little free time with work... part of the reason i'm increasingly focusing on IEMs. but i must have an electrostatic setup.

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
I had the opportunity to hear both generation 007's but not the 009's yet. I was curious if the 009's were bass anemic compared to the 007's either way.
 If it simply isn't capable of reproducing the same amount or greater bass I'll stick with one of the 007's and skip the 009's.
 
My KGSSHV is almost done building. I am using my SR-X to hold me over but increasingly going towards IEMs in the meantime. When the KGSSHV is done I will get either the 007 or 009. Hopefully I will have the chance to hear an 009 before I buy one or the other.
 
I will likely try and integrate a bass boost circuit in it somewhere before it's done. i might steal some cues from the Project Polaris design as well to modify a few parts of the design. the KGSSHV is coming along very nicely but slowly. very very little free time with work... part of the reason i'm increasingly focusing on IEMs. but i must have an electrostatic setup.

 
Both my SR-007Mk1 and SR-009s have the same amount of bass. It's just that the treble is a bit pushed back on the 007s that makes them sound warmer. But when you focus on the bass, both headphones can bring it equally in terms of thump. But the quality goes to the 009s.

 

[vapman]

 
Both my SR-007Mk1 and SR-009s have the same amount of bass. It's just that the treble is a bit pushed back on the 007s that makes them sound warmer. But when you focus on the bass, both headphones can bring it equally in terms of thump. But the quality goes to the 009s.

 


Wonderful! this is just what i was hoping for. now i can spring for the 009's feeling confident
whats your amp of choice if you don't mind me asking?

 

[MacedonianHero]

 

   
Both my SR-007Mk1 and SR-009s have the same amount of bass. It's just that the treble is a bit pushed back on the 007s that makes them sound warmer. But when you focus on the bass, both headphones can bring it equally in terms of thump. But the quality goes to the 009s.

 


Wonderful! this is just what i was hoping for. now i can spring for the 009's feeling confident

whats your amp of choice if you don't mind me asking?

 
For which the 007s or 009s? What's your budget? Are you adverse to tubes?