[catscratch]

Just buy the current 007 MK2. My 2015 issue is great, much improved over the older Mk2 I had, and IMO very close to the old much rated MK1, which by now is so old. Buy new, much better IMO. And don't forget the weak lead supports on the Mk1s....

This. The latest version is a bit brighter than the Mk1 and isn't as fluid but it's also more dynamic, and maybe even a touch more detailed. The only issue is that I don't know if US or local market ones are the same as the Japanese version, and I would definitely recommend buying with a warranty.

Chasing used bargains is fun... until you get burned. Then you learn to buy the real thing.

 

[Pokemonn]

darn... I noticed my 009 setup rig placements have been wrong!
I just placed my 009 setup rig(DAC/amp(SRM-727 modified)/power conditioner) on very soft cork-made room floor then they started to sound completely smooth and dark and bass is fuller.. Vibration controls make diffrences. I thought its a myth. but i was wrong! as you know, power transformers of each gears are vibrating. simply you just need to kill those vibrations to sound just right.
I have been using very cheap metal-made wire rack for last 3 years. But I just noticed it sound super bright and metallic and harsh and screechy.
Also I changed stock power cables to heavily gauged Luxman JPA-10000 power cables for DAC and amp. They also sound bold and rich and dark.
Surprise surprise surprise.....My 009 setups have been completely wrong. 009 can sound dark and smooth. surprise suprise surprise....!!
And I am completely shocked. Lol (does anyone have same experience?)

addendum: simply I coundnt realize this simple facts until few days ago. very sad Lol

 

[BenF]

Stax friends

I am a bit confused right now. I only trust you Stax experts.

I am a happy owner of the SRS 3100. I love the sound so much, I want to put all my chips in the stacks pot. I either want to:

a) Upgrade my current DAC (Dragonfly RED) to a Modi multibit (+Eitr), Chord 2Qute or Chord Mojo
b) Upgrade my Stax AMP to get more out of the lovely L300 (I am confined to the current line of STAX AMPS however)
c) Purchase the Stax SR-L700 and use it with my 252 for now, upgrading amp later. Possibly add a modi multibit with my Stax L700 purchase

If you were in my shoes, what would you do ? I read that the L700 is significantly higher fidelity, and generally speaking if something costs more, it sounds better - this has been my experience (except estats vs dynamics , SRS 3100 > all dynamics I have heard). Others say L700 is not as nice sounding as L300 - and I do love my L300. I just want to optimize its sound... I.e if it can become better, I want it. So then the question is what to do? DACs are not so important, but my dac is pretty cheap unit for my setup. I don't know if L300 benefits from a better amp, or if L700 sounds good from 252.

Please help!!!

Do not buy L700 to use with 252S - it will sound lifeless.
Do not buy a better amp for L300 - it doesn't need it.
DAC upgrade may be a good idea, Oppo HA-2(SE) shows clear improvement over more colored DACs as GO V2 and NFB-11.32

Better start saving for both L700/007/009 and a better amp.
If you must have L700 SS/SQ (as it sounds on 252S), buy 003 instead.
More here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...pressions-thread.785949/page-49#post-13893333

 

[statfi]

darn... I noticed my 009 setup rig placements have been wrong!

I just placed my 009 setup rigs on very soft cork-made room floor ...)

I do not understand "009 setup rigs". Do you mean the components driving the 009s? If so, I also recommend tube dampers, if you are using tubes (Thanks to TheAttorney), and ferrites on your power and RCA cables.

 

[Pokemonn]

Oh I am sorry for my poor english usage...I mean my DAC and amp and power conditioner are. I currently don't use a tube amp. but I want a DIY T2 of course lol.

 

[AudioThief]

Do not buy L700 to use with 252S - it will sound lifeless.
Do not buy a better amp for L300 - it doesn't need it.
DAC upgrade may be a good idea, Oppo HA-2(SE) shows clear improvement over more colored DACs as GO V2 and NFB-11.32

Better start saving for both L700/007/009 and a better amp.
If you must have L700 SS/SQ (as it sounds on 252S), buy 003 instead.
More here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...pressions-thread.785949/page-49#post-13893333

Hi

I followed your advice and bought a DAC for now (modi mb), I am thinking about saving up to L700 + 353x. I don't think 009 / 007 will ever be within my budget unless a great package deal becomes available used (which does happen from time to time of course)

 

[Pokemonn]

I just noticed that Stax SRM-T8000's anti-vibration mechanisms is not joke at all. it works. its highly audible effects. wow i thought its a scam. Lol
also SRM-T2's "separate" transformer must be one of the reason it sounds good.

 

[BenF]

Hi

I followed your advice and bought a DAC for now (modi mb), I am thinking about saving up to L700 + 353x. I don't think 009 / 007 will ever be within my budget unless a great package deal becomes available used (which does happen from time to time of course)

L700 is 1200-1300$ on eBay, 007 is 1800$ - might be worth the effort.

 

[Whitigir]

I just noticed that Stax SRM-T8000's anti-vibration mechanisms is not joke at all. it works.
also SRM-T2's "separate" transformer must be one of the reason it sounds good.

There are plenty of reason why the T2 sound good

 

[AudioThief]

L700 is 1200-1300$ on eBay, 007 is 1800$ - might be worth the effort.

I am considering the amp requirements for those headphones. Seems consensus is you either get the top tier stax amps or a custom made one which are both extremely expensive and hard to deal with if something goes bad. But you are right, 007 could be an option. I think my best bet is to go to the capital where they have both demo'd and see what I like best. Its a 2hr flight though lol

 

[Tiazmat]

The extra cost of a 007 isn't so much the headphones, as they are very similar in price to the L700's, sometimes only being $150 more, but the amplification needed makes the "cost" of the 007's quite substantially more than the L700's. Most consider a modded 727 to be the absolute minimum to drive the 007's, and even that is comparable to a 252S on an L700. A 353X at only $1000 (or of course a 323S second hand for much less if you can find one) can drive the L700's really well in comparison. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find most would prefer an L700 to a 007 out of something like a 353X, but the 007 would substantially pull ahead on a top tier amp (BHSE, KGSSHV Carbon, T2, etc.).

Addendum: I had an L300 and 252S combo, and was planning on getting an L700 and Woo WEE + amp, but after reading the praise of the 007's and seeing their low(ish) price, I've decided to get 007's, and a modded 727II (The 007's I don't actually have yet).

 

[bearwarrior]

The extra cost of a 007 isn't so much the headphones, as they are very similar in price to the L700's, sometimes only being $150 more, but the amplification needed makes the "cost" of the 007's quite substantially more than the L700's. Most consider a modded 727 to be the absolute minimum to drive the 007's, and even that is comparable to a 252S on an L700. A 353X at only $1000 (or of course a 323S second hand for much less if you can find one) can drive the L700's really well in comparison. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find most would prefer an L700 to a 007 out of something like a 353X, but the 007 would substantially pull ahead on a top tier amp (BHSE, KGSSHV Carbon, T2, etc.).

Addendum: I had an L300 and 252S combo, and was planning on getting an L700 and Woo WEE + amp, but after reading the praise of the 007's and seeing their low(ish) price, I've decided to get 007's, and a modded 727II (The 007's I don't actually have yet).

agreed

 

[AudioThief]

The extra cost of a 007 isn't so much the headphones, as they are very similar in price to the L700's, sometimes only being $150 more, but the amplification needed makes the "cost" of the 007's quite substantially more than the L700's. Most consider a modded 727 to be the absolute minimum to drive the 007's, and even that is comparable to a 252S on an L700. A 353X at only $1000 (or of course a 323S second hand for much less if you can find one) can drive the L700's really well in comparison. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find most would prefer an L700 to a 007 out of something like a 353X, but the 007 would substantially pull ahead on a top tier amp (BHSE, KGSSHV Carbon, T2, etc.).

Addendum: I had an L300 and 252S combo, and was planning on getting an L700 and Woo WEE + amp, but after reading the praise of the 007's and seeing their low(ish) price, I've decided to get 007's, and a modded 727II (The 007's I don't actually have yet).

Do you have an opinion on 353x vs 006ts? And would you recommend getting one of those amps and then the l700, (L300 via the amp until I get L700) or the other way around i.e l700 via 252 until I get the amp?

 

[Tiazmat]

Do you have an opinion on 353x vs 006ts? And would you recommend getting one of those amps and then the l700, (L300 via the amp until I get L700) or the other way around i.e l700 via 252 until I get the amp?

Firstly, having not heard the amps, I can only go off of what I've heard, but I'll try my best. At retail prices, neither of these amps are exceedingly great value (meaning you should definitely try to buy used, and maybe look for other models (323S, 717, 727 (as long as it is modded or you can mod it yourself))), but they're decent enough. I think to some extent it is going to depend on taste, as many say the L700 needs tubes, while others say the exact opposite. If it were me, I'd get the 353X, as it is slightly cheaper, and you don't have to deal with any inconveniences due to having tubes. I encourage you to try to find more opinions as far as running L700's on solid state vs tubes though.

As far as what to get first, I would definitely get the L700's first, then upgrade the amp. The other user here is perfectly entitled to his opinion, and is to some extent more qualified than I, as I have not heard these combos, but having seen more opinions, and from what I can conclude myself, I would definitely upgrade the earspeakers first. The 252S is not as criminally awful as it can be made out to be. There have been multiple posts here of people using 009's with their 252S because it's what they have next to them, even when they have much better amps.

 

[AudioThief]

Firstly, having not heard the amps, I can only go off of what I've heard, but I'll try my best. At retail prices, neither of these amps are exceedingly great value (meaning you should definitely try to buy used, and maybe look for other models (323S, 717, 727 (as long as it is modded or you can mod it yourself))), but they're decent enough. I think to some extent it is going to depend on taste, as many say the L700 needs tubes, while others say the exact opposite. If it were me, I'd get the 353X, as it is slightly cheaper, and you don't have to deal with any inconveniences due to having tubes. I encourage you to try to find more opinions as far as running L700's on solid state vs tubes though.

As far as what to get first, I would definitely get the L700's first, then upgrade the amp. The other user here is perfectly entitled to his opinion, and is to some extent more qualified than I, as I have not heard these combos, but having seen more opinions, and from what I can conclude myself, I would definitely upgrade the earspeakers first. The 252S is not as criminally awful as it can be made out to be. There have been multiple posts here of people using 009's with their 252S because it's what they have next to them, even when they have much better amps.

Thank you very much for your detailed response. There is one used set for sale in my country, it is an old 4040 set with headphones L404 + amp SRM 006t. For me, which already have SRS 3100, would this be an unecessary purchase? Or would the amp benefit me and fit the L700 as well? I ask because the used market isn't huge in my country and importing is way too expensive - so its important to jump on the good opportunities on the used market.