[SolarCetacean]

The D10 is a nice little unit, I like it with my L700mk2, but it does drop off with some headphones. I did acoustic measurements of my Shangri-La Jr on the D10 vs my CCS-modded SRM-006t volume-matched using the miniDSP EARS to 80 dB SPL at 300 Hz. The D10 starts dropping off in the bass below 100 Hz. The drop gets steeper below 60 Hz, with a 3.5 dB difference at 20 Hz. There was also more of a dip in the upper treble around 14K on the D10. Subjectively, there was a noticeable reduction in both bass quantity and impact, as well as a slightly rougher treble and reduced clarity.
Link to comment with comparison graph
On the L700, I think the same differences apply; stronger/tighter bass, increased clarity, and a bit more treble when using the modded 006t vs the D10, but somehow, I think the L700 actually benefits from not having super-powerful amplification. I suspect the greater distortion on the D10 is helping to mask some of the tuning quirks of the L700, and the cleaner sound of the modded amp exposes the midrange weirdness that can make the L700 sound nasally.

 

[protoss]

@SolarCetacean

Yeah came to the same conclusion. I mention similar results a few pages back.

I am finding powerful amplifiers causing some kind of overkill boost that forcing the music instead of making it come out naturally.

 

[gilency]

Amateur rich? What is this? The communist manifesto? LOL.

 

[protoss]

What about the "experience veteran" who truly have cause more damage and harm to the uninitiated.

Directing everyone to omegas to 10K amps off the bat and thinking they done good but in fact just scared dozens of people from ever trying estats. The ones that lurk and never speak to help the little ones and always drive the conversation to unnecessary 3rd party gear. It's close to 90% of people here, if not 99% of people.

 

[Yodamanjaro]

What about the "experience veteran" who truly have cause more damage and harm to the uninitiated.

Directing everyone to omegas to 10K amps off the bat and thinking they done good but in fact just scared dozens of people from ever trying estats. The ones that lurk and never speak to help the little ones and always drive the conversation to unnecessary 3rd party gear. It's close to 90% of people here, if not 99% of people.

I know I used to think "Stax entry price is $2,000 which is way too expensive for me." Was showing a friend how expensive they were to prove a point when I saw the 3100 bundle on ebay for < $600 and immediately jumped on it. If I knew it wasn't that bad price-wise I wouldn't have messed around with buying $900 DCA stuff.

 

[oneguy]

What about the "experience veteran" who truly have cause more damage and harm to the uninitiated.

Directing everyone to omegas to 10K amps off the bat and thinking they done good but in fact just scared dozens of people from ever trying estats. The ones that lurk and never speak to help the little ones and always drive the conversation to unnecessary 3rd party gear. It's close to 90% of people here, if not 99% of people.

Directing to pre-2000 stax provides a barrier in availability in the US. They don’t come up for sale that often here. New offerings that are non-Stax in the entry level tiers are worthwhile options. HiveX, RR1

 

[timb5881]

You are correct on availability. It varies often along with higher prices.

 

[alota]

What about the "experience veteran" who truly have cause more damage and harm to the uninitiated.

Directing everyone to omegas to 10K amps off the bat and thinking they done good but in fact just scared dozens of people from ever trying estats. The ones that lurk and never speak to help the little ones and always drive the conversation to unnecessary 3rd party gear. It's close to 90% of people here, if not 99% of people.

Chapeau. Amen. This sickness is around the world

 

[gilency]

There are price points for everybody and that is fine. If you can afford a headphone I cannot that’s fine too. “Cheaper” staxes are great but the more expensive one are better. Be happy with what you have or can afford. There is the law of diminishing returns but if you can afford them why not.

 

[aokman]

Directing to pre-2000 stax provides a barrier in availability in the US. They don’t come up for sale that often here. New offerings that are non-Stax in the entry level tiers are worthwhile options. HiveX, RR1

The issue I have with older 2nd hand STAX electrostats is you have no idea if they’re even performing decently anymore based on storage, environment etc. STAX amps seem to hold up well to age though, my SRM-1 was perfect other than needing calibration. I rebuilt it anyways though.

 

[protoss]

The more expensive ones are not better. It is something more deeper than that.

Wrote a Legendary thread in 2017 (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stax-sr-Ω-sr-omega-the-legendary-omega.847079/), and still to this day my conclusion, which estat I like, is still the $1500 mk1. The thread is even outdated as I accumulated more experience and gear than back then, and the answer is still the same. Expensive ones are not the best. The so-called “experienced veterans” and “amateurs” are the biggest misleaders in this hobby. If I listen to them and what most people wrote, I would have quit this hobby long ago. Good, I clean out the wax from my ear and know who the snake oilers are.
The funniest thing about this all is I’m part of the 0.01% who heard them all
Ironic huh. Well, it’s not. Too many snake oilers, amateurs, and misleading veterans out here.
People have no dang clue what is good and what is bad. It is not about the price, as I mentioned before. It is about the frequencies. Easily I can say, L700 is better than 009. The 007 is better than HE90, and The 407 is better than most Estats, instead it’s all about fine-tuning and gear matching to perfect the sound to your taste.

All headphones are equal and unique. No headphone is better than the other. Price point or not, they all have achieved high fidelity that is faithful to their own design; hence all are equals. With this understanding, all can achieve the best estats under 2K.

 

[Ciggavelli]

The more expensive ones are not better. It is something more deeper than that.

Wrote a Legendary thread in 2017 (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stax-sr-Ω-sr-omega-the-legendary-omega.847079/), and still to this day my conclusion, which estat I like, is still the $1500 mk1. The thread is even outdated as I accumulated more experience and gear than back then, and the answer is still the same. Expensive ones are not the best. The so-called “experienced veterans” and “amateurs” are the biggest misleaders in this hobby. If I listen to them and what most people wrote, I would have quit this hobby long ago. Good, I clean out the wax from my ear and know who the snake oilers are.
The funniest thing about this all is I’m part of the 0.01% who heard them all
Ironic huh. Well, it’s not. Too many snake oilers, amateurs, and misleading veterans out here.
People have no dang clue what is good and what is bad. It is not about the price, as I mentioned before. It is about the frequencies. Easily I can say, L700 is better than 009. The 007 is better than HE90, and The 407 is better than most Estats, instead it’s all about fine-tuning and gear matching to perfect the sound to your taste.

All headphones are equal and unique. No headphone is better than the other. Price point or not, they all have achieved high fidelity that is faithful to their own design; hence all are equals. With this understanding, all can achieve the best estats under 2K.

But, you are very biased to the past. Respectfully, you are use rosy retrospection. You are stuck in reminisce. I remember you making claims about the X9K, but had only heard it through YouTube.

You have an amazing collection of headphones, and I don't think anybody has more headphones than you. Your comparisons are valid, but you really are biased. You think new headphones are trash. There is a divide in the community, with people who think like you and think the best headphones were made 20, 30, 40 years ago. Then there is the other camp who prefer new headphones, and the new way of making headphones. Your camp is in the minority. Maybe you are right, and the others are wrong. But maybe it's the other way around too. Or maybe nobody is right and it's all preference.

However, to constantly disrespect the other camp, it rubs me the wrong way. I have owned a lot of headphones. Not anywhere as many as you, true, but still a lot. New headphones are great. For those of us not stuck in the past, we have been having a great time listening to music with the new theory of headphones. We have insight and impressions that are valid.

Also, no, it's not all about money with headphones, but my favorite headphones seem to cost the most. It's unfortunate that these headphones cost so much, but as they say, you get what you pay for. The "plywoods" are actually really good. Most people that have heard them agree. Yes the price is way too much, but that doesn't mean they aren't some of the best pair of headphones you can buy. I love the TCs. I know you do not, but the TCs are the best pair of headphones I've ever heard. I think the HE-1 is amazing. I wish I had them, but I'd have to sell all my gear to afford them, and I'd rather have the variety my various headphones provide. Also, I'm not sure the HE-1 is better than my TC setup. I'd love to hear them side by side, but that is next to impossible.

 

[simmconn]

All I can see is some “experienced veterans” who’ve “seen it all” telling everyone, including the “amateurs”, which one is “the best”. #hypocrite

 

[gilency]

I agree the 007 mk1 are wonderful. I sold mine and bought an mk2.9 and modded it. Very happy with it. Like it more than the 009s most do the time but not always.
Once you start putting one group against another this discussion becomes fruitless.
I’ll be back when better spirits rule.

 

[ESL-1]

I agree the 007 mk1 are wonderful. I sold mine and bought an mk2.9 and modded it. Very happy with it. Like it more than the 009s most do the time but not always.
Once you start putting one group against another this discussion becomes fruitless.
I’ll be back when better spirits rule.

A good thought. I came by about a month ago to visit the thread, I am often elsewhere on the site. Each day I look and read and wonder. There’s a lot of really good things covered but it seems like it is losing real content that would be of interest. There is all this which almost seems personal and not at all pleasant and very repetitive. Oh, and did I say very edgy?, to be as polite as I can manage.