KDS315
100+ Head-Fier
I have a friend who has such spare parts as he repairs STAX headphones, but here in GermanyI cannot find any spare part, that's why I bought MK-2
The Stax Thread III
eskamobob1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Has anyone here compared higher end transformers vs iESL? Im going to be picking up a set of X9000 and wasn't sure if there were any experts out there that may be able to help point me at better transformers than iESL to use with a few TOTL HP amps I have. I know that options such as SAC Thailand and LST transformer but I have never seen any comparisons of various transformers. TBH since I already have some nice conventional amps I am hoping I can avoid needing to step into a TOTL energizer
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I haven't done any sort of survey of transformers for estats, but I'd have trouble believing that there is much out there materially better for the application than those developed for the iESL. The proprietary technology behind the iESL's transformers is explained in fair depth somewhere in the first few pages of the iESL thread. That said, I'd also be interested in hearing from anyone who's done comparisons with competing products.
iESL Transformer Tech
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eskamobob1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Basicaly where I'm at. I've got some pretty high confidence in iesl when it comes yo transformer boxes but I figured it probably didn't hurt to ask
I have an iESL and a Carbon CC. The iESL performs very well with the x9000s. Nothing is lacking. Obviously the Carbon is more powerful but I don’t know if I can really hear what the difference is. I think it’s all about enough power from the amp driving the iESL. The iESL has turned out to be one of the best values among all my equipment.
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Blu-tac mod with spring mod will make MK.2.9 very close to MK1 (95%, 5% not sure (just in case))
I had an MK1 for almost a year, listening to it almost every day.
Confirming this.
Blu-tac mod with spring mod will make MK.2.9 very close to MK1 (95%, 5% not sure (just in case))
I had an MK1 for almost a year, listening to it almost every day.
Confirming this.
Where can we find the spring mod information ?
Thanks
I replace the spring of mk2 with mk1
anyway, here is the link
https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/3722-stax-sr-007mk2sr-007a-port-mod/page/2/#comments
https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/3722-stax-sr-007mk2sr-007a-port-mod/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/to-tweak-or-not-to-tweak-the-stax-007a-that-is-the-question.381975/
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Thank you for sharing this. May I know where we can find the spring of MK1 without need to buy the whole MK1 headphones?
droido256
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Listening to the L-300 vs the L-700 via same energizer, over all is complicated. Going strictly on sound, setting aside build, comfort, cabling, etc.
Comparing the L-300 to the L-700 through the same amp, and same songs.
The L-300 is more aggressive, with a hot treble, not sharper, it’s harder hitting, definitely more energetic of the two, a fun phone. Bass has more slam, esp in the mid bass, and mid low bass. While still wider than the other headphones, it's sound space projection is more intimate. Finer flaws and artifacts tend to have more fade. This model seems best for days when you’re want more engagement.
The L-700 is more analytical, more precise but not causing strain, not entirely flat like a true reference phone(aka boring), lends more of a ethereal feel. Goes sharper in the treble, higher, and lends to more lower frequencies without emphasis on particular frequencies. The sound is largely uncolored. They present everything in a track loud and clear. Widest, and tallest in sound space projection. Some sounds being pushed into other rooms of the house or placed outside. With going both higher and lower in over all bands, they are more relaxed, without any veil. All flaws are presented as they are in the track.
Is one better than the other? No. I cannot honestly say such a thing. Is the L-700 worth $1200 more? Honestly yes, it’s presentation of sound waves is breathtaking. However it’s presentation is different. The L-700 is a Bentley(pre-VW) powerful, smooth, elegant.
The L-300 is a Audi R8, aggressive, agile, sharp, with a equal power, in its own way.
Comparing the L-300 to the L-700 through the same amp, and same songs.
The L-300 is more aggressive, with a hot treble, not sharper, it’s harder hitting, definitely more energetic of the two, a fun phone. Bass has more slam, esp in the mid bass, and mid low bass. While still wider than the other headphones, it's sound space projection is more intimate. Finer flaws and artifacts tend to have more fade. This model seems best for days when you’re want more engagement.
The L-700 is more analytical, more precise but not causing strain, not entirely flat like a true reference phone(aka boring), lends more of a ethereal feel. Goes sharper in the treble, higher, and lends to more lower frequencies without emphasis on particular frequencies. The sound is largely uncolored. They present everything in a track loud and clear. Widest, and tallest in sound space projection. Some sounds being pushed into other rooms of the house or placed outside. With going both higher and lower in over all bands, they are more relaxed, without any veil. All flaws are presented as they are in the track.
Is one better than the other? No. I cannot honestly say such a thing. Is the L-700 worth $1200 more? Honestly yes, it’s presentation of sound waves is breathtaking. However it’s presentation is different. The L-700 is a Bentley(pre-VW) powerful, smooth, elegant.
The L-300 is a Audi R8, aggressive, agile, sharp, with a equal power, in its own way.
bigjako
100+ Head-Fier
I had the chance to listen to an SR-007 mk1 for a couple days and can add to my past comments on the ES-1a being like the 008 (ie, in between the 007 and the 009). Unfortunately, the pair I bought had some intermittent cut outs in the left side so I shipped them back (hopefully for repair and not refund).
But I now must revise my whole worldview of Stax. I had previously heard the Mk2's and used that to compare to the ES-1a. The Mk1s are really something else - probably my favorite headphone I've ever heard, so it really pained me to ship them back. But the intermittency issue really interrupted my ability to enjoy them.
- They worked wonderfully with my all-tube Electra. Whereas the ES-1a didn't work well with tubes, and synergies quite well with my Carbon, the Mk1s worked nicely with the Carbons, as expected, but really opened up and became holographic on the Electra.
- I have a dynamic setup as a counterpoint to my estat setup, and I get good performance there from an Aeolus on a Ampsandsound Kenzie Encore. I have to say that the 007 mk1 almost negates the need for a counterpoint. It sounds to me like an electrostatic ZMF. Great bass (more mid-bass than sub-bass, though) and supremely liquid mids. The treble is less sparkly than other Stax (and less so than the ES-1a). But the tone and timbre is just beautiful and is 'magical' in the same way that the Lambda NBs are. Like just stop dead in your tracks wonderful.
- So to update my perspective on the ES-1a, it is still what I'd call an 008, but it has much more of a Stax / Lambda / 009 timbre than the 007. It's more Stax-like than the 007, and (purely based on reading, not actual earxperience) the Mk1 sounds a lot like how I've heard people describe the HE90. The ES-1a has much more sub-bass, as I said like the LCD-2s (almost) but the 007 mk1 has that ZMF sound sig (strong mid-bass and lower-mids, less emphasis and sparkle in the highs). I think the ES-1a is more mid-centric, though, particularly for female vocals. On the 007s, as sweet as the mids are, they're laid back compared to the ES-1a.
But anyways, wow - the 007 mk1s are really, truly special and I hope to have one again soon.
But I now must revise my whole worldview of Stax. I had previously heard the Mk2's and used that to compare to the ES-1a. The Mk1s are really something else - probably my favorite headphone I've ever heard, so it really pained me to ship them back. But the intermittency issue really interrupted my ability to enjoy them.
- They worked wonderfully with my all-tube Electra. Whereas the ES-1a didn't work well with tubes, and synergies quite well with my Carbon, the Mk1s worked nicely with the Carbons, as expected, but really opened up and became holographic on the Electra.
- I have a dynamic setup as a counterpoint to my estat setup, and I get good performance there from an Aeolus on a Ampsandsound Kenzie Encore. I have to say that the 007 mk1 almost negates the need for a counterpoint. It sounds to me like an electrostatic ZMF. Great bass (more mid-bass than sub-bass, though) and supremely liquid mids. The treble is less sparkly than other Stax (and less so than the ES-1a). But the tone and timbre is just beautiful and is 'magical' in the same way that the Lambda NBs are. Like just stop dead in your tracks wonderful.
- So to update my perspective on the ES-1a, it is still what I'd call an 008, but it has much more of a Stax / Lambda / 009 timbre than the 007. It's more Stax-like than the 007, and (purely based on reading, not actual earxperience) the Mk1 sounds a lot like how I've heard people describe the HE90. The ES-1a has much more sub-bass, as I said like the LCD-2s (almost) but the 007 mk1 has that ZMF sound sig (strong mid-bass and lower-mids, less emphasis and sparkle in the highs). I think the ES-1a is more mid-centric, though, particularly for female vocals. On the 007s, as sweet as the mids are, they're laid back compared to the ES-1a.
But anyways, wow - the 007 mk1s are really, truly special and I hope to have one again soon.
I would like to take advantage of tone controls available on my dynamic headphone amp/preamp while using a Carbon estat amp. The connection would be from DAC into headphone amp/preamp, then out from line XLR out in headphone amp/preamp and into Carbon inputs. The volume would be active on the amp/preamp and on the Carbon. Is this a problem? Is there a risk to any equipment doing it this way? Would I turn am/preamp volume all the way up or moderate both as needed?
I asked my KGSSHV non-Carbon builder a similar question a while back and he said no issues in chaining preamp but I wouldn’t recommend maxing volume on either device.
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Multiple volume controls is not optimal, but not a "problem" per se. No risk to any of your equipment. I'd probably try to determine which volume control you prefer ergonomically, and set the other one to a fixed level that gives you a good usable range on the former. If you have digital EQ available, you might also want to try that in lieu of adding more electronics to the chain.
If there is no harm to equipment I'll try it out this way to see how it sounds. It does make sense to minimize the electronics in the chain. In the end, with the x9000 you don't need many if any tone controls or EQ, except that these TOTL e-stats expose many flaws in recordings, especially classical. I'll experiment, thanks for the answers.
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