Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but it seems that, if you want an SR009 system, there is a rough consensus here (that has developed after Tyll's amp shootout) that the only way to get decent sound is with a BHSE,
with a KGSSHV a distant second, and everything else is just not worth using.
This is probably frustrating for the prospective SR009 owner of phones that just may be in a class of excellence all their own, because:
1. Even if you want to pay what the BHSE costs (and I'm not saying it's overpriced at all for what you get and Justin's craftsmanship), you need to wait almost 2 years.
2. A KGSS is not even a commercial product, and some people don't want to deal with that.
3. There is even some criticism of these products, and some owners say better and more expensive tubes are needed to make the sound fully acceptable.
I say this because, by just trying some warmer cables and better tubes, I was able to coax what I hear as brilliant, non-fatiguing sound from my SR009s on the often maligned Stax 007t/ii amp (as I have mentioned here from time to time).
And I bet this kind of effort would yield similar good results with the other amps out there. Making a high end system sound right is not a plug and play thing, and certainly not with something as sensitive as the 009 phone.
Chances are, you will need to do something upstream, but it's not super expensive, and is part of the fun of this game.
I just think it is a shame that many people are coming away with the impression that heroic efforts are needed and nothing but those 2 top amps will produce extraordinary results from these phones,
which have a level of resolution and musical truth that is historic in the world of headphones and even in speaker land.
All I need is my stock 007t/ii amp with my RCA cleartops and some Cardas Golden Cross interconnects and some old warmish-sounding Shunyata power cables and the sound is remarkable, unlike any other headphone I have heard in terms of
resolution, insight, and speed, all without fatigue or pain. The bass is wonderful, reasonably deep and with nice impact and the whole frequency spectrum is very well balanced from top to bottom. And if I could do this with my amp, I think the other amps are worthy of more thorough experimentation.
(I have moved on to some great Stealth interconnects and a very good power conditioner, but these were more icing on the cake, and not truly necessary.)