If you can hold off a few days, I will have a KGSSHV Mini, 006T, T1 and both 007mk1 and L700 at home (my plan being to sell the Stax amps and L700 - but no rush).
What I have found is that the 006T drives the L700s fine. They sound really good. Contrary to what I had read and expected, though, the 006T doesn’t struggle to drive the 007mk1 particularly, though you get the sense that neither does it enable those headphones to really shine. The two sonic signatures are quite different (007 and L700) but - to be perfectly honest - were it not for a compelling urge to get the best out of the 007s, I could easily live with the 006T:007mk1 combo. Disclaimer: I don’t listen at really high levels, and without a better amp to do A/B comparisons, it’s not so easy to pin down exactly where the 006T:007mk1 combo is deficient. Perhaps the bass could have better definition, and I am conscious that on certain tracks there’s a slight dynamic compression thing going on (but that could be source-material related). I wouldn’t like to say which I prefer - 006T:L700 or 006T:007mk1. Probably the mk1s, even without the better amp.
I’d still rate either rig considerably ahead of my previous SPL Phonitor:HD800 rig, which I really liked at the time. That setup was fun but always shone a light onto the hifi aspects of the sound, whereas the Stax rigs are all about balance and getting to the essence of the music. That’s the real magic right there. If I’m being critical again, I think the 006T:007mk1 is the more musical rig, perhaps because it is slightly smoother and less etched than is the L700, but we’re talking minor differences at the 006T level. I suspect the KGSSHV - when it arrives, hopefully today or tomorrow - will enable the 007mk1s to pull ahead and fix up those things that - conscious or not - may be pulling its performance back.
I deliberated about going ‘all in’ with a more expensive amp, but even at 006T:L700 level, the limitation is as often the source recording as it is anything about the headphone rig. Without a doubt the BHSE:whatever will be a stunningly capable rig, but I’ve decided that it’s not something I wish to explore - just in case it sets off the upgrading bug again!
I will, of course, report back once I have my new amp, as it’s a new variant on Mjolnir’s KGSSHV stable. There is a lack of direct comparisons between ordinary Stax amps and third party amps with all but the 007s and 009s, so I’ll make sure to also audition with the L700 and give my view on how it scales with the fancy amp.
Hope this helps!
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