The Stax Thread III

[spritzer]

Same method to attach any Lambda pad since 1979.  The new ones are no different. 

 

[negura]

A short trip to the local depot today ... yes I couldn't wait one more day and collected the below to join my 007MKIs. My KGSSHV is still being built, but I am very satisfied with the Taboo MK3 and Wee converter at this stage.
 
A few notes from initial impressions today:
- just as heard at a recent meet, I am very impressed with the bass capabilities of the 009s. There is nothing missing in quantity and the quality is amazing: attack, impact & bottomless response.
- brightness. I must say I am very sensitive to bright treble, which was one of the reasons I sold my HD800s eventually. I don't even want to mention the shipwreck that was my sample of T1s (I also blame QC/sample variance on those). It may be the fact I am using a tube amplifier or not, but in my current setup the SR009s are not bright sounding in a HD800s way, yet yes they are very revealing. There is no harsness to the treble and I hear them as very neutral. Even with bright recordings and I know well which ones those are in my collection, the SR009s are doing a very reasonble job. I am well relieved they are VERY enjoyable.
- the transparency is nothing short of outstanding. While they don't put the SR007 MKIs to shame and I am still very much enjoying the latter, I am positively impressed by the transparency and musical connection enabled by the SR009s.
 
I am a bit concerned how things will pan out with a SS amplifier in terms of brightness, but hoping for the best.
 
P.S.: How come there's no appreciation thread for the SR-009s? Or at least I couldn't find one. Surely, enough people enjoy these and yes as with everything I expect some don't.
 
 

 

[Argybargy]

Very jealous
Is your 007mk1 the first version in the carbon fiber flight case?
How long was the wait for your 009?

 

[negura]

Almost 4 months wait. It was a painful wait, but 100% worth it. PJ got my shipment method wrong which pissed me right off as I did make sure to *again* confirm that with them the day before. But they were delivered well and unharmed in the end.
 
My 007s are a SZ1, but by how they sound a good sample I think. They did come with a carbon fiber box.

 

[davidsh]

Woah, not jelly at all..

 

[Argybargy]

Like me, it looks like you sampled a good variety of phones, then went to Stax and never looked back. I'm getting set to build a KGSSHV.
The 007mk1 is the only phone where I feel like the music is live and right in front of me. Everything else sounds like.... listening to headphones.
Even the "lowly" srx-mk3 is IMHO better than all of the orthos and dynamics I've listened to and also better than the modern 507.
Please post your impressions of the 009 kgsshv match when you get the amp.

 

[negura]

Like me, it looks like you sampled a good variety of phones, then went to Stax and never looked back. I'm getting set to build a KGSSHV.
The 007mk1 is the only phone where I feel like the music is live and right in front of me. Everything else sounds like.... listening to headphones.
Even the "lowly" srx-mk3 is IMHO better than all of the orthos and dynamics I've listened to and also better than the modern 507.
Please post your impressions of the 009 kgsshv match when you get the amp.

 
I was in a somewhat fortunate position to be able to compare the HD800s, LCD-3s and SR007s MKIs over many weeks and voiced by the same amplifier and downstream, obviously volume matched (I learnt to appreciate the digital preamp volume control of the PWD2 that after measurements makes that easy). It's perhaps as good of a levelled ground for comparison as there is, except with a better speaker/headphones amplifier hybrid and converter.
 
I am not the collector type so headphones that get very limited or no head time go. Simple as that. After the arrival of the MKIs the first ones to go were the HD800s. One of the reasons is that they require special treatment to give me some sweet love back. I could get the HD800s to sound "easy living" and to my liking but at the price of modding & a downstream setup/match that is an "ideal" match with no other headphones. I consider that a flaw and they ultimately are not as transparent as they *could* be out of the box. Once the MKIs were in they could match or outdo the HD800s in what's important. To get out of the way and let the music flow. Surprisingly to me, even some classical music which is a strong ground of the HD800s actually sounded better on the MKIs. The HD800s won a couple of battles: better imaging & a wider soundstage, but they lost the war.
 
With the LCD-3s I had a special relation, because they were my chillout headphones. The SR007s matched them at being forgiving/relaxed/euphonic, but better them at almost everything else. I said almost but I can't think of much where the LCD-3s are better. It was hard to justify keeping the LCD-3s.
 
I owned or heard most TOTL dynamics. Many are great & fun sounding headphones, but indeed as a gradual process after getting the 007MKIs, I lost interest in my dynamics. I personally think the MKIs are a bit underrated in the community. They more than favorably compare with TOTL dynamics.

 

[Argybargy]

  I owned or heard most TOTL dynamics. Many are great & fun sounding headphones, but indeed as a gradual process after getting the 007MKIs, I lost interest in my dynamics. I personally think the MKIs are a bit underrated in the community. They more than favorably compare with TOTL dynamics.

 
I agree, they are underrated. I think this is partially due to more than the usual amount of sample variation and also SQ differences between versions.  Given this, IMO if you are in the market for a MK1, you should look for a one owner unit or a unit that you can audition in person.  The ones that have passed through 4-5 owners should obviously be avoided.

 

[n3rdling]

Good ears negura.  I agree with almost everything you said.
 
4 best headphones ever: HE90, SR-009, SR-007, SR-Omega
 
The rest are a tier or more below.

 

[bearFNF]

I liked the "fit" of the 009's on my large head better than the MKI's or MkII's, they just felt better. (poor wallet, some day, anyway)...
The sound was also slightly better, to me, with the 009's.
 
Do you have any fit issues with the MKI's?

 

[negura]

Not me. I am very happy with the fit of both 007s and 009s. But again I am easy with most headphones. My very average head poses no challenges I guess.
 

  Good ears negura.  I agree with almost everything you said.
 
4 best headphones ever: HE90, SR-009, SR-007, SR-Omega
 
The rest are a tier or more below.

 
Thx. What are your preferred amplifiers with the 009s and respectively 007s (MKI of course)? I am happy where I am with these two headphones, so further spend will now go into the downstream. Unless I come accross a nice SR-Omega that will screw my plans over... but that's a different subject.

 

[n3rdling]

Best I've ever heard was the DIYT2.  Best attainable amp is the Blue Hawaii.

 

[s1rrah]

 
My suggestions: get vintage Lambdas and a SRM-T1 (or T1 S). That should make you happy!

 
I ended up getting a SRM-T1W amp (the larger one with pre amp function built in) and a pair of SR-307 ear speakers.
 
I will post some impressions once I get things set up next week; I'm hoping this satisfies my need for the GS1000 speed and detail while dialing back some of the nit picky quibbles those cans have with recordings mixed hot in the treble (certain rock stuff is just not good with them at all while most all jazz/chamber stuff is).
 
Also, re: the SRM-T1W amplifier and going out to any of you who know about passive pre amps (like the SRM-T1W includes...
 
Would it be possible to use that amps passive pre amp and output to another, dynamic  desktop amp such as my existing Raptor tube amp or even a cheaper, decent solid state headphone amp and still get decent volume/sound via the 32ohm Grado GS1000's? Or would I just be better off using RCA splitters at the DAC?
 
The reason I ask is that I was reading that passive pre amps were picky about the sorts of amplifiers they worked well with and also the output voltage of the source (in my case, an MHDT Labs Stockholm which is a bit low at 2.4v) ... 
 
Ultimately, it'd be nice to keep the GS1000's for occasional use and was hoping the pre amp output of the T1W might function in that regard and it'd be a bit neater/tidy'r than splitters.
 
Thanks for any comments...
 
.joel

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Welp, my life is finally settling down a bit, and Ive gotten to do some longer/more serious listening with the KGSSHV and 009s. Been listening to the new Lady Gaga cd ARTPOP all evening since it just came out. And like I knew these things had bass, but holy cow, can they pound some bass when they are called upon to do so.

 

[mechgamer123]

  I have a question...  I own new-ish Stax 407's.  I would like to replace the pads with ones for the 507's.  On my old Lambda's, it was a simple matter of peeling off the old perished cushions, cleaning the slight adhesive residue off the plastic housing, and pressing on the replacement cushions.  Is the process the same for the 407's and the 507 cushions?  I find several mentions of the 507 cushions also fitting the 404's, but I don't find anything about them fitting the 407's.  Will they work, size-wise and as to the method of attaching them?
 
Thanks for any tips!
 
Happy listening
Mark

I'm no Stax expert, but I was able to replace the pads on my SR-202 with 507 pads. I haven't directly compared the size of the 407 to any other Stax models, but I believe they are all the same size. My friend's SR-207s are the same size as my 202s. 
Sorry, I know that's not really helpful, but that's the best I've got.