[astrostar59]

 

  If you fed an SR009 with a BHSE and Yggdrasil, of those three (source taken off the table), what would be the weakest component in the chain, the bottleneck?

 
"Of those three"... come on. Choose any two of them .
 
Joke apart, the recording would be the weakest component in your system, followed by the source (and you can't just take them off the table!).
 
Anyway, take a pill if you're not happy with that trio... But humans are unsatisfiable, they will want and want... if not better, then at least different. So, please do yourself the favor and go to acoustic concerts once a week (or in a while) in a good hall. I guarantee that will make you happier than switching equipment .
 
If it comes to that, IMHO the BHSE+009 is the stronger two to keep.
Options are many, perhaps too many.

IMO the BHSE and 009s (inc my 009s and Carbon) absolutely need a super smooth DAC to be happy long term IMO. Get the right DAC and wow, fantastic combo. Get it wrong, and you will be changing DACs like your underpants.
 
Best to take your BHSE and 009s to demos to know what is possible. Won't say which DAC as that is a personal thing.
 
I am to hear the HE-1 this summer, but IMO Senn has probably done just that, got a DAC and amp and phone combo that works to the max TOGETHER. They spend shed loads of hours tuning the system for sure.  That is a powerful thing to be able to do.
 
Yeah, amps should be wire with gain, HPs full Frequency response, DACs should sound the same Bla Bla. But I would say 99% of folk who post here on a regular basis have found that is not the truth. Some DACs that are totally superb may well not fit the BHSE / 009 combo IMO. If said DAC is a detail freak (exaggeration to make my point) it will not go well with the 009s. Like relationships, just because 2 folk have the same interests doesn't mean they will get married!
 
Anyway, if all products dovetailed perfectly we would have nothing to talk about!!!

 

[rgs9200m]

   
 (Why buy music? IMHO my CDs and LPs still sound better than lossless streaming, so it's subjective.) Or if you want to explore different, and don't have many high-res files, try the BHSE+009 with a really good implementation of the TDA1541 or PCM56/63. Options are many, perhaps too many.

Yeah, I thought I was the last holdout who think my CDs sound better than streaming. I thought I was imagining things. It's a pain dealing with discs, but I like the sound.

 

[astrostar59]

 

   
 (Why buy music? IMHO my CDs and LPs still sound better than lossless streaming, so it's subjective.) Or if you want to explore different, and don't have many high-res files, try the BHSE+009 with a really good implementation of the TDA1541 or PCM56/63. Options are many, perhaps too many.

Yeah, I thought I was the last holdout who think my CDs sound better than streaming. I thought I was imagining things. It's a pain dealing with discs, but I like the sound.

I dunno. I depends. The server used, how optimised, the software and transfer protocol. I am beyond my CD transport now, but that was a 3K CEC transport unit (no DAC), so not top top drawer. And my CD rips as AIFFs on my server can be beaten by 'some' Tidal material. It seems a bit inconsistent. For example some Tidal of the same tracks and mix sound better, others a bit flat and cold, less 3D.
 
I have no idea why that is. But quite possibly the streaming services will continue to improve, MQA is looming (in Audirvana). It is now (for me) impossible to go back to spinning CDs, and even more impossible to go back to Vinyl, and before that tape.
 
MQA from what I understand, is a lifeline to us audio fans, it has the artist and studio involvement in signing off the masters (according to a recent Darko review). I am convinced some Redbook and even HQ files have been messed with post studio release. Maybe that is why there is the inconsistent quality going on?

 

[zolkis]

.off
The difference I hear between my CD player and all the digital transport systems I have tried (including various USB including the latest XMOS, Ethernet/RedNet, optical, SD/DAP etc solutions) is the same and the same:
 
the CD player has smoother/fleshier sound with better bass dynamics, plays in a tiny bit lower register (like more calm and more effortless), in a more relaxed way, and has more realistic sound/stage (evident when piano or saxophone starts to play).
 
There are differences among the other digital transports, but the CD is consistently different (and IMHO better) in a similar way, and it is not a small difference. That might say that all streaming digital transports share a similar, or common bottleneck.
 
I have yet to try the new EC Designs DAC with a music server via Ethernet, that is not based on USB or even I2S input, but a proprietary bus, allegedly that one sounds closest to the analog (not CD) since it has the least measured noise spectrum (compared to I2S and SPDIF). It's not available yet. Pair it with a Theta transport, or even an Ethernet streamer, and might save the day. 
 
There are so many claims and theories that looks like digital sources are not any easier to do well than analog sources, and streaming is not easier to do right than optical pickups/CDs. It's just a different complexity distribution. We can agree there are many solutions that sound very close to each other, but for me a CD player is still the best digital source.
 
However, streaming is easier to consume and fits better the contemporary lifestyle (sharing, discovering etc). So I expect that better (e.g. Ethernet/IP based) audio interfaces and standards will emerge. However, that is only part of the equation.
 
IMHO -- and we go into philosophy a.k.a. mambo-jambo -- a good sounding system will always be designed end-to-end, from music to music (if not from brain to brain , involving the least amount of (acoustic) information processing, or better said, the total source-to-brain loss coming from it. I believe that is the key, and we haven't really cracked that yet with a sum-of-parts approach.
 
Sorry for the OT. It's my private opinion. It might be wrong .

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

 
 
I have yet to try the new EC Designs DAC with a music server via Ethernet, that is not based on USB or even I2S input, but a proprietary bus, allegedly that one sounds closest to the analog (not CD) since it has the least measured noise spectrum (compared to I2S and SPDIF). It's not available yet. Pair it with a Theta transport, or even an Ethernet streamer, and might save the day. 
 

 
I've been reading their webpage today, some people I know and trust heard the Mosaic T and was blown away, this new DAC should be even better.
But it's a shame it only has RCA connectors...they should release a version without the headphone amp and the volume control, and with black chassis option and XLR connectors...that thing could be a winner.

 

[RAFA]

Is there an alternative to the small SRM-252s?
 
I was thinking of buying an L300 alone and the amp I would buy second hand from an European platform. Is this advisable? Or should I just buy the 3100 set?
 
EDIT: I have a Fostex HP A8 DAC.

 

[Michgelsen]

  Is there an alternative to the small SRM-252s?
 
I was thinking of buying an L300 alone and the amp I would buy second hand from an European platform. Is this advisable? Or should I just buy the 3100 set?
 
EDIT: I have a Fostex HP A8 DAC.

​Sure, good idea, why not? There is a whole family of small Stax amps, of which the 252s is the latest one. The previous ones where SRM-X, SRM-Xh, SRM-Xs, SRM-212, and these should work as well. There's also the headphone-stand-shaped SRM-310. If size isn't a concern you can pick any second-hand Stax amp with pro bias of course.

 

[findthomas]

Thx rhenom-- I will ping them.

 

[Pokemonn]

My 009 arrived my home today from stax factory. been repaired.
wow weird my 009 sound much much darker than before lol. maybe due to i changed my setups everyday...

 

[maximal112]

Officially ordered my 007s today from smart imports, fingers crossed all goes well and now I begin the waiting game. 

 

[deuter]

Where do i get the silicon tips from for the baby Stax.

 

[RAFA]

​Sure, good idea, why not? There is a whole family of small Stax amps, of which the 252s is the latest one. The previous ones where SRM-X, SRM-Xh, SRM-Xs, SRM-212, and these should work as well. There's also the headphone-stand-shaped SRM-310. If size isn't a concern you can pick any second-hand Stax amp with pro bias of course.

Thank you for the response. I take it for granted, that the latest is also the best sounding.

I may take this step now.

 

[maddin]

Since Saturday, I have these two at home and I am very delighted. With all other headphones I bought I needed some time to get at home used to their signature but with the SR-507 I have the feeling it fits right away. Such a transparency and bass and mids fit just right. The highs depend a bit on the recording. An example are the Radio 1 recordings of elastica. In some songs the drum can be a bit too much and I need to turn the volume down, others (later recordings) are fine.
 
I have connected my CD player a Marantz 6005 via a RCA cable to the in of the SRM 353X a second RCA cable connects the SRM 353 X to the amplifier of my stereo. When I turn off the Stax amplifier, I first turn the volume to zero and than turn off the Satx amplifier and than the CD player with the headphone connected. However, I have a pop sound in the headphones when I turn of the SRM 353 X. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
Thank you for your help.

 

[Pokemonn]

 

Since Saturday, I have these two at home and I am very delighted. With all other headphones I bought I needed some time to get at home used to their signature but with the SR-507 I have the feeling it fits right away. Such a transparency and bass and mids fit just right. The highs depend a bit on the recording. An example are the Radio 1 recordings of elastica. In some songs the drum can be a bit too much and I need to turn the volume down, others (later recordings) are fine.
 
I have connected my CD player a Marantz 6005 via a RCA cable to the in of the SRM 353X a second RCA cable connects the SRM 353 X to the amplifier of my stereo. When I turn off the Stax amplifier, I first turn the volume to zero and than turn off the Satx amplifier and than the CD player with the headphone connected. However, I have a pop sound in the headphones when I turn of the SRM 353 X. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
Thank you for your help.

I also own two Marantz CD6005 units, they sound slightly bright side with Staxes and have edginess/glare. I personally recommend smooth sounding CDP/DAC(Denon CDPs, Chord DACs etc). but it depends on your preferences. so YMMV IMO.

 

[zolkis]

  My 009 arrived my home today from stax factory. been repaired.
wow weird my 009 sound much much darker than before lol. maybe due to i changed my setups everyday...

 
Wow. That deserves some follow-up... could you ask Stax about that?