[negura]

I am going to keep my 007MKIs very close, as well as the 009s. One of the reasons being the 007s are the best metal music headphones I heard. Now if one is lucky enough to have one or two good metal recordings (LOL), the 009s are really something too. With a ton of other genres the 009s really shine. Actually both of them do.

 

[dukeskd]

  I am going to keep my 007MKIs very close, as well as the 009s. One of the reasons being the 007s are the best metal music headphones I heard. Now if one is lucky enough to have one or two good metal recordings (LOL), the 009s are really something too. With a ton of other genres the 009s really shine. Actually both of them do.

In my experience, the 009s excelled with acoustic guitar and male vocals.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I would like to share my experience about what matters more between amps or cans.

Some months ago I bought a Stax SR-009 and I compared it with my SR-007A and the two amps I had at the time: Stax SRM-007tII and BHSE. I compared them four ways, i.e. each can with each amp. It helped that I was alone in the house for a few weeks as my family was away on holidays.

In short, my conclusion was that, at least for those Stax cans, the headphones matter more for the sound signature than the amplifier. The intrinsic properties of the 009 sound were there with whichever of the two amplifiers I plugged. And the same for the 007A. Also the 009 is easier to drive and it did not improve as much by the BHSE from the SRM-007tII as the 007A did.

To be clear, I think the 009 is better than the 007 and the BHSE is better than the SRM-007tII. But my point is that the buying decision in the headphone is more important. So in that comparison the headphones mattered more than the amp. "Matter more" in the sense of putting more money on them or to build a system around them, i.e. buying them first. Of course you can only know which one you like best (009 or 007) if you have tried both.

But it is not so easy because there is another factor: the sound signature of your preference. I asked myself: the combo 009+SRM007 costs more or less the same as the combo 007A+BHSE. If I had to choose one, which one should I keep? If I had to start again, I would tend to think 009+SRM007 is better spent money, but the sound signatures of the 009 and 007 are so different that personal preference on this matter would be the starting point.

If I had to start again and If I only wanted 1 headphone and 1 amplifier this is what I would do. However I enjoy the differences between headphones and amps, that's why I have several. I am lucky enough that I can afford that.

My experience with dynamic headphones is also that the sound signature is intrinsic to the cans and amps will only adjust, correct or tame it, so "cans matter more", but some cans really really scale up much more with a better amplifier than the electrostats, for instance Sennheisers HD-800 or HD-600.

So it all depends I guess.

Great write up on these two great headphones...and not just because I happen to agree with you. 

 

[barid]

so which one of you outbid me for that 717 on ebay

 

[ALSO]

(Where was the 717 listed on eBay?  Am I missing listings?)

 

[rgs9200m]

I did have the Lambda Nova sigs back in 1998-9 with both the T1W amp and the 007t amp, if that puts my earlier comment in perspective. 
I can't say I ever found the phone's sound to be fatiguing at all. It wasn't dark, just not what I would describe as a grandiose sound, but more mid-centric,
very delicate. 
I found the SR007/mark 1 I owned a little later to be similar, but with more rounded images, more detail, but still with an emphasis on delicacy and speed,
with a little more profound bass and and a bit more extension in the highs as the Lambda Novas, but still the 2 phones seemed cut from the same cloth.
 
For the record, these phones were my main phones for several years with various CD players and cables.
 
I do understand the Stax amps were probably holding them back from their full potential.
I did hear the SR007 mark 2s on a Woo Wes and did hear a more grand sound, but for some reason I did not hear the nice detail and sweetness and delicate sound of my old mark 1s
as I remember them.
There was lots of bass in the mark 2s, but it was more cloudy/opaque than I remember the mark 1's bass. It reminded me of more of a dynamic phone.
 
The mark 2s were quite comfy though, and I wish the 009s were as comfortable.
(Not that the 009s are uncomfortable, it's just that I find the 007 mark 2s feel really good and soothing with those just-firm-enough pads with just the
right shape for me. They feel exquisite on the ears and on the top of my head.)

 

[barid]

(Where was the 717 listed on eBay?  Am I missing listings?)

Yeah was on ebay. Looks like it went for 1200. I went to 1105 but i get the feeling i was going to be 1 upped even if i went higher.

 

[DefQon]

  In my experience, the 009s excelled with acoustic guitar and male vocals.

 
What this!!!??? You've gone back to the LCD3's? 

 

[dukeskd]

   
What this!!!??? You've gone back to the LCD3's? 

As I currently do not have a high-end stat amp, it's temporarily back to LCD3 and HE6. However, I'll never abandon the Stax mafia 

  (I am too afraid of what spritzer will do if I do).

 

[wink]

Wise decision.
 
Disregard your wallet, and order a BHSE.       You know you want to.

 

[arnaud]

Lets get ready for the 009 fan boys to chime in

No worries, I am a vocal advocate of the 009, do not share your or spritzer's dislike of the same, but likewize also appreciate the differing sound sig of my 007mk1 and can't wait to hear the pairing with the BHSE .

Arturo71, thank you for the informative feedback!

 

[dukeskd]

No worries, I am a vocal advocate of the 009, do not share your or spritzer's dislike of the same, but likewize also appreciate the differing sound sig of my 007mk1 and can't wait to hear the pairing with the BHSE

.

Arturo71, thank you for the informative feedback!

If all I listened to was jazz, acoustic guitar and acoustic vocals, the SR009 would be end-game for me. Did you order a BHSE ?

 

[MacedonianHero]

I happen to love the SR009/KGSSHV combo with rock, hard rock, prog rock, and metal (the majority of my music). Simply outstanding for pretty much every genre I've thrown at them.

 

[johnwmclean]

No worries, I am a vocal advocate of the 009, do not share your or spritzer's dislike of the same, but likewize also appreciate the differing sound sig of my 007mk1 and can't wait to hear the pairing with the BHSE

.

Arturo71, thank you for the informative feedback!

 
The 007MK1s are a bitch load, the BHSE and T2 are the only amps I’ve heard that wake them up.

 

[DefQon]

   
The 007MK1s are a bitch load, the BHSE and T2 are the only amps I’ve heard that wake them up.

Is this from nattonrice (Tom's) builds?