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The Stax thread (New)
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Nov 2, 2011 at 1:16 PM Post #16,621 of 24,807


Quote:
elysian said:
I was thinking the LCD2+LF was going to be your choice for the rest of 2011
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It's interesting how the O2s grow on people.  I admit the first time I heard them they seemed nice but not super amazing.  Now, after putting a few months of solid listening time into them, particularly on recordings I know very well, it's kind of uncanny how I can immediately identify deficiencies in most other headphones within seconds.  I don't see myself upgrading out of the SR007A (and possibly SR009) before moving to speakers unless there's something amazing I've missed along the way.
 
Kind of hard justifying the SR009 price, though, given how a pair of Emerald Physics CS2.3 is very close.  Will see what happens once I get my BHSE, I guess.
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THe LCD-2 + LF is an impressive system IMHO.
 
THe O2 is a bit more holistic in its approach. Don't get me wrong, but i still prefer my speaker rig by lightyears and don't think that headphones will be more than a secondary rig, don't disturb the neighbours late in the night rig to me. Headphones can only do so much. Absolute pleasure when listening to music is undoubtedly with my speaker rig for me. 
 
That said, I am eagerly looking forward to powering the O2MK1s with a high end stat amplifier :)
 
Nov 2, 2011 at 1:55 PM Post #16,622 of 24,807
I like the O2s due to their detail and effortless feel towards reproducing music.  It took some system adjustment to make sure that effortlessness didn't translate to subpar bass, but I'm in a pretty happy place right now wrt to my overall system.  I might eventually like to get a nice solid state amp and LCD2 for a secondary headphone rig someday, but it's just for a different (rather than better) sound signature.
 
It'll probably be awhile until I can listen to a speaker rig without disturbing others, so headphones are my only option for the foreseeable future.  I've been trying to select items for my systems to work well with both headphones and speakers, though, so I think I'm 'only' a pair of nice speakers and four channels of amping away.  The BHSE is reportedly very transparent, so my plan is to add my flavor of distortion through a 300B tube preamp, which is currently working very nicely through the GES.  I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work just as well through the BHSE, but I guess that's one of those things one can never be sure about until actually trying it out.  I'm wondering whether a good tube preamp will help take the edge off the SR009, but I'm unsure whether I'm motivated enough to haul over 100lbs of equipment to a meet to find out.
 
Quote:
milosz said:
You're going to have a hard time strapping those Emerald Physics CS2.3 to your head, but I wanna see it after you rig it up... 
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89lbs per speaker!  Just a minor inconvenience
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Nov 2, 2011 at 3:05 PM Post #16,623 of 24,807


Quote:
 
I don't know... other than the SR-Ω being extremely rare, I'm not really comfortable with owning something so old. 
 
 
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I'm really comfortable enjoying even older cans:)) Sigma Pro / Lambda Signature with SRM t1 ans ED 1 Signature using a Stax Quattro two as source made my day after one of he worst nights in my life (My daughter spilled out everything ate and dran the last day in the last night) She is better now and after an hour with Mr. Vladimir Horowitz playing exclusively for me I feel recovered.
 
Some people like J. Buchanon prefer the Sigma Pro over the Omega especially when listening to piano :))
 
Regards Georg
 
 
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:31 PM Post #16,624 of 24,807

 
Quote:
k3ct said:
I think you have told me this before. 
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I don't know... other than the SR-Ω being extremely rare, I'm not really comfortable with owning something so old. 
 
How do you find the SR-009 differ from the SR-Ω anyway, n3rdling since you own both? 
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I would say the SR009 sounds like a mix between the Omega and Omega2.  In terms of tonality, the 009 is the most neutral I've heard, the Omega is a little on the bright side, and the Omega2 is a little on the dark side.  The Omega and 009 are pretty similar in size of soundstage, both clearly larger than that of the O2.  Bass on the 009 doesn't have as much slam as the O2 in the midbass region, but the extension is fantastic and probably the best of any electrostat (similar to LCD2 in extension).  Imaging is of the pinpoint variety similar to the O2, but the size of the images is larger than the O2 and smaller than the Omega.  Speed and detail seems pretty similar among the three, though the 009 is probably a bit more detailed than the other two.  
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 2:23 AM Post #16,626 of 24,807


Quote:
schorsch said:
I'm really comfortable enjoying even older cans:)) Sigma Pro / Lambda Signature with SRM t1 ans ED 1 Signature using a Stax Quattro two as source made my day after one of he worst nights in my life (My daughter spilled out everything ate and dran the last day in the last night) She is better now and after an hour with Mr. Vladimir Horowitz playing exclusively for me I feel recovered.
 
Some people like J. Buchanon prefer the Sigma Pro over the Omega especially when listening to piano :))
 
Regards Georg
 
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Georg,
I haven't heard an original Omega. I do prefer both the Sigma Pro and Sigma/404 over the SR-007.  In individual points, the SR-007 is a better phone - without a doubt. It just didn't make me want to listen to as much music as the Sigma series. It was also a bit uncomfortable to wear in the summer over here.
The Lambda Nova Signature with the ED-1 diffuse field equalisation (present in the SRM-Monitor) also competed rather nicely. 
 
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 4:42 AM Post #16,627 of 24,807
I have to say that in some ways I'm disappointed with the SR-007's, too.  After getting my first Stax-  Sigma Pro Signature with an SRM-T1 -  I really liked the Stax and was looking for really GREAT THINGS from the very costly SR-007 MK II's I bought (used.)
 
I listened to the SR-007's on the SRM-T1  and the SRM-1 MK II and the sound was good, but I was hoping for... MORE good.  Don't get me wrong, I like the SR-007's.  They are a great headphone.  But I wanted more from them, after hearing the Lambdas.  For me it was a matter of my expectation, which maybe could not have been satisfied by any product.
 
I think part of it is that the SR=007's don't reach their potential with SRM-T1  or SRM-1 MK II. So, I'm building a DIY T2. Should be finished by Feb. or so.  And that should be better, and bring out more of the SRM-007's potential, but I bet it STILL won't meet my very high expectations.  Somehow the very high standard set by my Lambda has caused my expectations to be VERY high for the SR-007's.
 
[Yeah, my home-made DIY T2  will either bring out more of the SR-007's potential or it will burn my house down when I first plug it in.... 
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Nov 3, 2011 at 7:08 AM Post #16,628 of 24,807


Quote:
milosz said:
I think part of it is that the SR=007's don't reach their potential with SRM-T1  or SRM-1 MK II. So, I'm building a DIY T2. Should be finished by Feb. or so.  And that should be better, and bring out more of the SRM-007's potential, but I bet it STILL won't meet my very high expectations.  Somehow the very high standard set by my Lambda has caused my expectations to be VERY high for the SR-007's.
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That's a BIG part of it. The 007 demands the very best in amplification, and also seems to be the electrostatic equivalent of the Hifiman HE-6, it has the same sort of unquenchable thirst for more power. Reaching its maximum potential requires 600+V, and you're giving it half that amount with relatively low end Stax amps. I think the DIY-T2 is going to be a serious eye opener.
 
A source upgrade may also be in order.
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 1:20 PM Post #16,629 of 24,807
Dear John,
 
I wanted to to get to the point that old stuff doesn't mean "bad" I'm sorry I got it wrong with the SR007 and the Omega. (Mixed them:)) up)
 
Regards Georg
 
 
 
Nov 3, 2011 at 4:46 PM Post #16,634 of 24,807
I bought and sold the O2's MkI twice and really wasn't happy with them, because although the had incredible detail, I felt that they were lethargic and lacked visceral bass. The famous Stax "fart" didn't help either. I enjoy the aggressiveness and liveliness of the Jade (I was one of the lucky ones who has had one since inception and have been lucky enough not to have any problems with them). I also owned the Omega 1's (just sold them due to financial constraints) and the still own the SR-Lambda Pros from the 80's which are one of the best deals in the biz.
 
I do my listening thru my Blue Hawaii and today I got a pair of SR-009's on loan. While they sound amazing, I do not believe that they should cost more than twice the O2's but everything is relative. I feel that they are a 15-20% improvement over the O2's The bass is noticeably improved and the detail, which has always been the O2's strong point, is definitely improved. They are quite comfortable and have real leather wherever the pads touch your body. But, at the risk of being redundant, and taking into account the law of diminishing returns, the headphones should cost $3K not $5200K. Of course that is my opinion. I feel that the detail of the HE-90's is better, but the 90's are truly bass shy (although I got noticeable bass improvement using the Aristaeus).
 
However, until Head-Direct get back into the stat department (which I heard will be soon), unfortunately, the SR-009's are the best overall stat available (if you can truly say available). But $5200??? What. They probably cost less than $500 to produce and distribute.
 
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