[JimL11]

Back in the 70's and '80s, headphones were considered accessories. Quite a few audio stores didn't carry headphones at all, but if they did it was probably the Sennheiser HE414's with the yellow foam pads. I think the Koss Pro 4AAA was another big seller then, and Koss also had some early electrostatics like the ESP6. I have no idea how common it was for audio stores to carry Stax back then but probably not many did. The big mags were High Fidelity and Stereo Review. Stereophile had been around since the 1960's, and The Absolute Sound started in the mid 1970's but they were relatively low circulation. I found out about Stax from Stereophile, and I bought my Stax SR-5/SRD-6 used at a Q Audio, little shop in Cambridge, MA which specialized in selling used gear, without auditioning them, mainly because my speakers were also electrostatic - the original Quad ESLs.

 

[statfi]

*I* cut my teeth on Koss Pro4A !-) I did some live recording and really needed cans. I do not remember using them for just listening (i.e., when I was not recording). Then in the early 90's I walked into a hifi shop, I believe in Mt Kisco, NY, looking for loudspeakers, and out of curiosity listened to a Stax earspeaker that was on display, and was converted. I learned about them in a brick and mortar shop. I am a little embarrassed to say, though, that I actually bought my first pair at Stereo Exchange in NYC.

 

[tumpux]

Just to get the context, what made it embarassing getting it from Stereo Exchange?

 

[Dan Lee]

So my electrostatic journey has moved along at a relatively insane pace. I started with an iESL, iCAN, iDSD and a pair of SR-L700's. Now I am running the KGSSHV Carbon and have a Denafrips Terminator on the way. I have the Stax SR-009, SR-009S, Hifiman Shangri-La Jr, and MrSpeakers Voce. I should have the Terminator, 009S, and Voce all within the next week or so. I am trying to decide, hopefully with some assistance from some of you fine folks, if I should go ahead and pick up the 007's too. I think it will be rather interesting to be able to try them all out on the same system back to back. I originally hadnt intended on having them all at the same time, but somehow it has worked out this way and Im gonna hold off on selling anything till Ive had a chance to hear it all together.

Just curious if you guys think the 007 offers enough of a difference to warrant its inclusion in this lineup.

Thanks

 

[natto lover]

007 is king so I vote yes

 

[statfi]

Just to get the context, what made it embarassing getting it from Stereo Exchange?

Good question. The place in Mt. Kisco really sold me on these cans, funding their attractive display, and Stereo Exchange reaped the benefit. Somehow it seems worse to shop in brick and mortar then buy mail-order, but this is along those lines. I had nothing against Stereo Exchange, per se.

 

[Ojisan]

So my electrostatic journey has moved along at a relatively insane pace. I started with an iESL, iCAN, iDSD and a pair of SR-L700's. Now I am running the KGSSHV Carbon and have a Denafrips Terminator on the way. I have the Stax SR-009, SR-009S, Hifiman Shangri-La Jr, and MrSpeakers Voce. I should have the Terminator, 009S, and Voce all within the next week or so. I am trying to decide, hopefully with some assistance from some of you fine folks, if I should go ahead and pick up the 007's too. I think it will be rather interesting to be able to try them all out on the same system back to back. I originally hadnt intended on having them all at the same time, but somehow it has worked out this way and Im gonna hold off on selling anything till Ive had a chance to hear it all together.

Just curious if you guys think the 007 offers enough of a difference to warrant its inclusion in this lineup.

Thanks

I know I would if I were you.

 

[jrfmd]

So my electrostatic journey has moved along at a relatively insane pace. I started with an iESL, iCAN, iDSD and a pair of SR-L700's. Now I am running the KGSSHV Carbon and have a Denafrips Terminator on the way. I have the Stax SR-009, SR-009S, Hifiman Shangri-La Jr, and MrSpeakers Voce. I should have the Terminator, 009S, and Voce all within the next week or so. I am trying to decide, hopefully with some assistance from some of you fine folks, if I should go ahead and pick up the 007's too. I think it will be rather interesting to be able to try them all out on the same system back to back. I originally hadnt intended on having them all at the same time, but somehow it has worked out this way and Im gonna hold off on selling anything till Ive had a chance to hear it all together.

Just curious if you guys think the 007 offers enough of a difference to warrant its inclusion in this lineup.

Thanks

I have the 007 and the 009s and find them very different: my 007 has its port closed to get rid of mid bass bloat and the result is a less sharply defined, warmer sound than the 009s
I personally like them both, but very different
JRF

 

[Dan Lee]

Thanks for the input guys. Have any of you been able to compare the Voce to the Stax lineup?

 

[bearFNF]

I have all three of these 009, 007 Mk II, and Voce. They are all very good headphones, they all have their uses. To me the main differences are 009 for detail and quickness, 007 for warmth, Voce for layering. It really comes down to minor differences that give each it's unique signature and picking which one matches what your looking for, for a given mood and listening session.

Lately it's been Voce I have been reaching for most.

 

[Dan Lee]

I have all three of these 009, 007 Mk II, and Voce. They are all very good headphones, they all have their uses. To me the main differences are 009 for detail and quickness, 007 for warmth, Voce for layering. It really comes down to minor differences that give each it's unique signature and picking which one matches what your looking for, for a given mood and listening session.

Lately it's been Voce I have been reaching for most.

Thank you my friend. That was exactly what I was hoping to hear.

 

[statfi]

Voce for layering

Could you give us a few words on what you mean by layering? Thx!

 

[bearFNF]

Could you give us a few words on what you mean by layering? Thx!

Here what I wrote in one of the Voce threads on this,
"After some longer listening periods I at first thought the Voce were "missing" something as there appeared to be holes in the sound I was hearing. However after some time comparing I believe what I am hearing is slightly different (more defined?) transitions going up and down the frequency scale. Not sure if that made sense, but the upshot is that I can hear details in-between that are hidden with the smoother presentation of the 009. Example is that I can hear fingers on guitar strings in some tracks with Voce that I can not hear with the 009."

Here's a link to the full post, https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mrs...ning-impressions.804022/page-59#post-14207555
Dan also responds to this here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mrs...ning-impressions.804022/page-59#post-14208285

 

[georgep]

Here what I wrote in one of the Voce threads on this,
"After some longer listening periods I at first thought the Voce were "missing" something as there appeared to be holes in the sound I was hearing. However after some time comparing I believe what I am hearing is slightly different (more defined?) transitions going up and down the frequency scale. Not sure if that made sense, but the upshot is that I can hear details in-between that are hidden with the smoother presentation of the 009. Example is that I can hear fingers on guitar strings in some tracks with Voce that I can not hear with the 009."

Here's a link to the full post, https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mrs...ning-impressions.804022/page-59#post-14207555
Dan also responds to this here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mrs...ning-impressions.804022/page-59#post-14208285

Care to share which tracks (and format) and at which time you heard fingers on guitar strings with the Voce that you could not hear with the 009? Would be helpful.

 

[bearFNF]

Care to share which tracks (and format) and at which time you heard fingers on guitar strings with the Voce that you could not hear with the 009? Would be helpful.

I'll see what I can do, it's been a year since that post. But it is probably one of my standard testing tracks...??