[astrostar59]

I thought you didn’t believe an amplifier would change Stax 009 headphones ? And it was not capable of achieving your ideal signature ?

Anyways, I am glad that you found out now.

I just want to repeat what I said before. It is not that SR009 is Bad, or with Flaws, it is that because the amplifier/energizer is unable to drive it correctly. Or the consumer has not enough pocket changes to buy such energizer

I was under the impression the 009 was near it's potential on the amps I have heard it on. On the Mal Valve it sounded very different. I only had 1/2 an hour on it, and would have needed to ensure it wasn't colouring the sound too much i.e. loosing too much detail and speed. But it did sound quite radically different. My worry would be the pedigree of the amp, and if it had enough protection for the 009s and didn't over drive it in any way.

It brings me back to the question, why doesn't Stax make an amp that sounds even halfway as good as the Mal Valve? Is it the current thing and reliability? That was the story I got from the Stax stand at Can-Jam in London last year, when I mentioned the KG amps and the BHSE. Could be BS, I have no idea.

But having said all this, I am still staying on Planars. If it takes a 14k amp to make the 009s sing, I will pass on that one.

 

[Whitigir]

I was under the impression the 009 was near it's potential on the amps I have heard it on. On the Mal Valve it sounded very different. I only had 1/2 an hour on it, and would have needed to ensure it wasn't colouring the sound too much i.e. loosing too much detail and speed. But it did sound quite radically different. My worry would be the pedigree of the amp, and if it had enough protection for the 009s and didn't over drive it in any way.

It brings me back to the question, why doesn't Stax make an amp that sounds even halfway as good as the Mal Valve? Is it the current thing and reliability? That was the story I got from the Stax stand at Can-Jam in London last year, when I mentioned the KG amps and the BHSE. Could be BS, I have no idea.

But having said all this, I am still staying on Planars. If it takes a 14k amp to make the 009s sing, I will pass on that one.

Did you ask the price of that amp ? How much is it MSRP ?

Stax did design a high-end amp, and again...T2

 

[astrostar59]

Yes T2, but it was unreliable. I wonder how different the T2 DIY is to the BHSE for example. The Mal Valve was very different, a major change.

 

[JimL11]

Mal Valve electrostatic amp and planar amp (all tube)

Has anyone here heard the Mal valve amp? I heard it at Munich Hi-End at the Hifi Deluxe add on show. It drove the 009s so well I was shocked. It also sounded superb on the LCD4s.

It was this one. It was a bit ugly, but wow, it sounded marvellous.

Apparently brand new, as it is not listed on the Mal Valve website. Any technical info, like tube complement, power consumption, frequency response, etc.? I'm guessing it doubles as a space heater.

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

Fun fact: "mal" means wrong in spanish...Wrong Valve

 

[Whitigir]

Lol..what could go wrong in an amp full of wrong valves

 

[GraveNoX]

So I own L700 for few months, it sounds great only after 1.5-2 hours of listening, it doesn't sound impressive in the first hour, but after 2 hours it sounds like a different headphone, is it normal or is just my brain ?
First I thought was the amp, so I kept it on 2-3 hours before use and still didn't feel impressed, so it must be the headphones that needs break-in everyday.

 

[pegasus21]

So I own L700 for few months, it sounds great only after 1.5-2 hours of listening, it doesn't sound impressive in the first hour, but after 2 hours it sounds like a different headphone, is it normal or is just my brain ?
First I thought was the amp, so I kept it on 2-3 hours before use and still didn't feel impressed, so it must be the headphones that needs break-in everyday.

Could it be just your set up warming up and after it's warmed up, it sounds better? Like for example R2R DACs require warming up to sound good.

 

[joseph69]

Should leave the DAC in 'standby mode' if this is not an option leave it 'powered on'

 

[GraveNoX]

I use chord hugo 2 as a DAC, pretty sure it doesn't require warmup.

 

[wuwhere]

I leave my DAC on 24/7, it doesn't even have an on/off/standby switch. Its powered by an external 15vdc power supply.

 

[joseph69]

I've always left whatever DAC I've owned on 24/7.

 

[ahmedie]

So I own L700 for few months, it sounds great only after 1.5-2 hours of listening, it doesn't sound impressive in the first hour, but after 2 hours it sounds like a different headphone, is it normal or is just my brain ?
First I thought was the amp, so I kept it on 2-3 hours before use and still didn't feel impressed, so it must be the headphones that needs break-in everyday.

I think the answer is yes as have been noted by me and many others; https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stax-sr-l300-impressions-thread.813511/page-40#post-14129127

 

[Hi-Fi-Apricity]

So I own L700 for few months, it sounds great only after 1.5-2 hours of listening, it doesn't sound impressive in the first hour, but after 2 hours it sounds like a different headphone, is it normal or is just my brain ?
First I thought was the amp, so I kept it on 2-3 hours before use and still didn't feel impressed, so it must be the headphones that needs break-in everyday.

I also own the L700 and yes there is definitely a warm up period. It slowly ramps up from good to amazing. After awhile it's a real headbanger!

 

[FLguy]

I also own the L700 and yes there is definitely a warm up period. It slowly ramps up from good to amazing. After awhile it's a real headbanger!

Interesting observation... could you comment more on which aspects of the sound improve with warm up?

When you say "after a while it's a real headbanger", do you mean that the bass/LF performance in particular, improves?