[plektret]

Is 353X the best solid state amp for L700 in that price range, which is $741 at Pricejapan?

 

[jjacq]

 


My L700 arrived and I'm quite pleased with the sound. I had sold my Ether to "sidegrade" to an estat and I'm quite pleased with how this performs. Obviously not as airy or 3 dimensional compared to my two cans but I find it quite resolving. The midrange is extremely smooth and the decay is unmatched. It's a little bit on the bright side but it's enough to still call neutral. The downside to this is that the subbass is nothing substantial but midbass is there and it's quite enough for indie/acoustic recordings which I use them for. I bought these to get my feet wet when it comes to estats and because it was reported to have similar technology to the SR009, I figured it's something worth trying out.
If anyone's curious about the chain: Schiit GMB > Audio GD Master 9 > SRD7 > L700. Been listening to some Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac and all of the usual suspects.

The Master 9 is quite an amp, it makes all my headphones very very resolving.

 

[DougD]

Interesting set-up, Jjacq. Are you running the L700 off low bias, or is that a pro-bias SRD-7 ?
 
Doug

 

[jjacq]

  Interesting set-up, Jjacq. Are you running the L700 off low bias, or is that a pro-bias SRD-7 ?
 
Doug

 
OJ has modded the internals to set it as pro bias. He used a Mjolnir 1 to run it before shipping it back to me. I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out. 

 

[DougD]

   
OJ has modded the internals to set it as pro bias. He used a Mjolnir 1 to run it before shipping it back to me. I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out. 

 
Very clever. Very cost effective.
 
I think regular Stax amps usually end up needing some refurb when they get to vintage status, but AFAICT the SRD-7 is pretty much indestructible. Not sure most "headphone amps" would drive it well, but the Audio GD Master 9 is rated as being quite powerful. 
 
Glad you're liking the L700. It seems to be hitting a sweet spot in the lineup for those of us unwilling/unable to jump up to the 007 or 009 (and the level of amps they need.) Eager to hear it myself someday. Hoping to get to Canlanta in May and that someone will have an L700 there.

 

[zolkis]

 
My L700 arrived and I'm quite pleased with the sound. 
Obviously not as airy or 3 dimensional compared to my two cans but I find it quite resolving. The midrange is extremely smooth and the decay is unmatched. It's a little bit on the bright side but it's enough to still call neutral. The downside to this is that the subbass is nothing substantial but midbass is there and it's quite enough for indie/acoustic recordings which I use them for.

If anyone's curious about the chain: Schiit GMB > Audio GD Master 9 > SRD7 > L700. 

 
With a good dedicated Stax amp both the treble smoothness and the sub/bass will improve, but your notes will be still valid. With that, I think the L700 is the best Lambda so far. Listen to it for 3 weeks and it will change the way you enjoy the music . The 009 and 007Mk1 are better (3D stage, smoother sound, better bass, more natural instrument rendering, etc), but for a big price difference.

 

[Tinkerer]

   
With a good dedicated Stax amp both the treble smoothness and the sub/bass will improve, but your notes will be still valid. With that, I think the L700 is the best Lambda so far. Listen to it for 3 weeks and it will change the way you enjoy the music . The 009 and 007Mk1 are better (3D stage, smoother sound, better bass, more natural instrument rendering, etc), but for a big price difference.

 
L700 is actually more expensive than a 007 Mk 1 depending on where you get them.

 

[zolkis]

L700 is actually more expensive than a 007 Mk 1 depending on where you get them.

 
But the 007 Mk1 will sound dark with most amps with which the L700 will still sound good. Price comparison is not fair: used vs new, likely-remote vs likely-local, but certainly there is a combination when L700 is more expensive. The (new) 007A would be a more fair comparison point, on the same PJ it's considerably more expensive, and if we factor in the amp cost as well, it's much, way much more.

 

[edstrelow]

My L700 arrived and I'm quite pleased with the sound. I'm just gonna paste what I said about it from another place:

I had sold my Ether to "sidegrade" to an estat and I'm quite pleased with how this performs. Obviously not as airy or 3 dimensional compared to my two cans but I find it quite resolving. The midrange is extremely smooth and the decay is unmatched. It's a little bit on the bright side but it's enough to still call neutral. The downside to this is that the subbass is nothing substantial but midbass is there and it's quite enough for indie/acoustic recordings which I use them for. I bought these to get my feet wet when it comes to estats and because it was reported to have similar technology to the SR009, I figured it's something worth trying out.



If anyone's curious about the chain: Schiit GMB > Audio GD Master 9 > SRD7 > L700. Been listening to some Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac and all of the usual suspects.


The Master 9 is quite an amp, it makes all my headphones very very resolving.

I am interested that you chose to use the old SRd7 transformer to drive these phones. At one point I would have said that you need a dedicated estat headphone amp but I have had very good results with a mains operated SRD6 on a SR5 and prefer this to the SRM1mk2 amp I would otherwise use for these phones. The transformer gives a lot better dynamics.

The trick was to apply 6 small pieces of self-stick sorbothane cut from a larger piece under the SRD6. Evidently there is a considerable problem of microphonics with the SRD6 and I would guess possibly the 7 as well. I don't recommend the more commonly used sorbothane footers as I have never got as much improvement as with pieces of self-stick. A small sheet can be had for less than$10.00 online,

 

[astrostar59]

Has Tyll changed his mind on the 009s?
 
I am surprised by his review here. I agree the 009s can be a bit of a challenge in the treble energy area, but get it right with carefully chosen DAC and Stat amp and I firmly believe it is still one of the best out there. If the HE-1000 can make every recording sound good (soft?) is it stamping a warm cuddly signature over everything?
 
Thoughts anyone who has heard both the 009s and the HE-1000s....
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-finale-headphones#KsJP65gyxctXIsmK.97

 

[mulveling]

 
Has Tyll changed his mind on the 009s?
 
I am surprised by his review here. I agree the 009s can be a bit of a challenge in the treble energy area, but get it right with carefully chosen DAC and Stat amp and I firmly believe it is still one of the best out there. If the HE-1000 can make every recording sound good (soft?) is it stamping a warm cuddly signature over everything?
 
Thoughts anyone who has heard both the 009s and the HE-1000s....
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/big-sound-2015-finale-headphones#KsJP65gyxctXIsmK.97

Yeah, he totally flipped, at least from what I recall. He raved when he first heard them, paired with a BHSE -- a somewhat bright pairing, but an excellent amp. And he rated 009 much higher than 007 there (even though BHSE voicing is more tuned to 009). 2nd time it was paired with a KGSS, and the 007 that time was modded and got a special EQ treatment. I've heard amps that make the 009 sound a lot less appealing, and I can see an opinion flip due to a big time gap and an amp upheaval like that. But you know...also he's allowed to change his opinions, just like the rest of us.
 
A while ago I heard Purk's HE1000 at my place (w/ balanced dynahi, which is a freaking AWESOME amp), and they're real nice but I didn't feel like they could supersede my 009. Maybe as an alternative system, if I had the money burning a hole in my pocket (and I kinda do now). But to be honest, I also felt like I was getting a bit of listening fatigue from them, even though tonally they're warm/lush.

 

[Sko0byDoo]

I've heard the HE-1000 at a meet last year.  May be it was the noise environment and the unfamiliar music, but I wasn't impressed with it at all.  Sounded normal, nothing remarkable.  I do agree with Tyll's ranking the HD800 mod over it.  Giving the HE1K price, I looked somewhere else.
 
I paired the 009 with the KGSSHV and it became my best headphones, ever.  Haven't heard the Orpheuses(?) so it has to be the best for me.  Not too bright nor too forward; the bass comes out just right, not bloated or weak.  But the clarity of the 009 that floored me.  Refer 009 over 007 any day.  Anyone knows about Bob Katz Mod for the 007 mentioned by Tyll??    

 

[JimL11]

There's a link to the 007 Mk2 mod in the Big Sound 2015 Finale summary post on InnerFidelity.  It's basically using BluTak to block the port that is formed by the opening next to the wiring.  The thread on the mod is on the other web site that shall not be named.

 

[joseph69]

  Yeah, he totally flipped, at least from what I recall. He raved when he first heard them, paired with a BHSE -- a somewhat bright pairing, but an excellent amp. And he rated 009 much higher than 007 there (even though BHSE voicing is more tuned to 009). 2nd time it was paired with a KGSS, and the 007 that time was modded and got a special EQ treatment. I've heard amps that make the 009 sound a lot less appealing, and I can see an opinion flip due to a big time gap and an amp upheaval like that. But you know...also he's allowed to change his opinions, just like the rest of us.
 
A while ago I heard Purk's HE1000 at my place (w/ balanced dynahi, which is a freaking AWESOME amp), and they're real nice but I didn't feel like they could supersede my 009. Maybe as an alternative system, if I had the money burning a hole in my pocket (and I kinda do now). But to be honest, I also felt like I was getting a bit of listening fatigue from them, even though tonally they're warm/lush.

(HERE) is the link to the mod which was mentioned in post #8276 by @astrostar59 from Birgir.

 

[di_andrei]

Oh my - haven't been here in a few months and there's new Stax products!
 
Went to the Stax website and looked through the brochures, can't quite figure out where the new products fit in.
 
The SRM-353X - is it a 323S replacement? The 323 appears to still be available. Is the 353X better? Has anyone tried the new 353X with a higher-end ear speaker like a 007Mk 1 / 2 or 009? What are the impressions?
 
The SR-L700 looks expensive, but according to some marketing blurb appears to be using the same diaphragm as a 009? (This does not appear to be the case with the SR-L500 - is this supposed to replace the SR-507?). I'm off to read the impressions thread but would appreciate some feedback on the questions above.