Part II: Eksonic Aeras and Headamp Blue Hawaii SE - Synergy and Pairings
Before going into synergy and pairings, just want to reiterate again (and with chances of sounding like a broken record lol) that these two amps are very well within the same tier of performance. Most of the performance differences between them and each of these headphones are pretty subtle to me.. with mainly the exception of the SGL Sr, which is really hard to drive properly.
Stax x9000
Description: the x9000 is really strong technically capable headphone, with it’s major strength (imo) being it’s openness and imaging, with excellent resolution. It also has really strong bass performance for a stat (nothing insanely crazy though). I would describe it as a bit laid back, in the sense that it’s less forward than most stats. The instruments, vocals and sounds are placed just a bit further than say with the 009 and SGL for example. Lastly, it has a pretty neutral tonality, with a slight amount of warmth.
With the above said, I think the Aeras and the BHSE are a toss up with the x9000 really. The openness of the BHSE accentuates the x9000’s strengths in this regard, and it can be a really impressive wow factor. Also, the slightly brighter highs of the BHSE gives the x9000 a bit more sparkle. But whether this is a desirable change will be heavily dependent on the user. The x9000 to my ears doesn’t have a hint of brightness, but it’s slightly brighter on the BHSE.
Also, the softer impact of the BHSE can at times make the x9000 feel a bit more laid back than maybe it is. But the rest of the energy and tonality of the BHSE seems to make up for this imo.
With the Aeras, you do loose just a bit in openness, mainly from a soundstage width and spacing standpoint. In this case, I actually prefer the width of the BHSE, but prefer the more intimate spacing and midrange of the Aeras. At times, the x9000 actually feels a bit artificially open, with the spacing of the sounds and instruments seemingly a bit too distant. With the Aeras, you feel a bit closer and engulfed in the music. These are slight differences and are obvious tradeoffs that make sense, just will depend on what someone is looking for.
Audeze CRBN
The CRBN is a very enjoyable stat that really excels in the categories of tonality, overall completeness and bass performance. It has a very smooth and warm sound, with no major deficiencies across the spectrum of sound. The major opportunity the CRBN does have, which again doesn’t disrupt the overall enjoyment of sound, is the holographic layering, spacing and openness you come to expect from traditional stats.
The first thing that stands out with the BHSE and CRBN pairing is that the openness and airiness of the Blue Hawaii helps improve the CRBN’s sense of openness, which helps counteract to a slight degree, the layering and staging challenges mentioned above (Want to be clear that I mean very slightly, it doesn’t correct the problem to a large degree). However, the two slight tradeoffs here are 1) you’ll lose a small amount of the CRBN’s bass impact and perceived bass quantity; 2) it alters the CRBNs amazingly natural tonality a bit, which makes it lean a bit more neutral instead of silky warm. Now given the CRBN’s already strong bass performance (for a stat), I don’t think it’s much of a hit to take w/the BHSE, but if that’s what you love about it most it could be an important factor. I also don’t think the tonality changes much, but you may loose just a smidge of that sense of smoothness inherent to the CRBN.
With the Aeras, the CRBN’s natural tonality is enhanced due to it also having a very smooth nature. I was worried initially that the combo may be too euphoric or warm, but that’s just not the case, with great resolution as well. The extra density of sound also is a nice add for vocals and instruments; there’s a slightly higher degree of realism.
So with the Aeras, you get more of what the CRBN already does, with very smooth and intimate sound, with great impact. And with the BHSE, you get a slightly more open sound, with a bit less warmth and weight, but with more air.
Stax 009
This was my favorite stat for quite some time before the SGL Sr. arrived. The 009 is one of the most technically capable stats I’ve ever heard. Extremely resolving, with in your face detail and speed. It excels greatly with spacing, imaging and the holographic nature stats are typically known for. It has an excellent sense of clarity that only the Sr1a and a few others can compete with. Now, after all of that praise, on to a few issues . The up in your face detail and speed is partly what contributes to a sense of an aggressive sound that not everyone loves. But what mostly contributes to this is the brightness and leanness, which at times can make the highs a challenge for some. Lastly, its bass, although tight and accurate is certainly a bit light overall. Again, to be clear here, I’m trying to be as objective here as possible, the issues stated here do not drastically reduce my enjoyment of the 009 with either of these amps.
I’ll start with the Aeras pairing here, as overall I prefer the 009 with it over the BHSE. The issues with brightness and leanness are just about totally eradicated with the Aeras, with it giving it a much needed boost of warmth and weight to the sound, in addition to a nice increase in bass impact in comparison to the BHSE. It’s a bit smoother experience that makes extended sessions with the 009 more enjoyable. And you still get that signature strong performance in the categories of detail, spacing and imaging, which makes it a great pairing.
With the Blue Hawaii, the 009s leans further into its natural characteristics, both the strengths and weaknesses. The positive thing here is that it can really amplify the 009’s most stat like features—euphoric clarity, open and airy sound, etc. The technical capabilities shine through very clearly on the BHSE, with a major focus on transparency. The main two challenges I find with the 009/BHSE pairing are 1) It can feel really soft on the bass, which in this case is more of a reflection of the 009; and 2) mainly on poorly recorded tracks or tracks with intensive highs, the sense of brightness can be a bit too strong. As someone that really enjoys the 009, this is not the case most of the time, but depending on the music you’re listening to, longer sessions can be a challenge
So bottom line here, given the technical ability of the Aeras and the ability for the 009 to shine in that regard, while also improving the weight of the sound and bass and curbing the brightness/leanness, I again prefer the Aeras for it. That said, I do still really enjoy the 009/BHSE pairing overall.
Hifiman Shangri-La Sr
The SGL Sr. is the greatest headphone I’ve ever heard. Literally just swapped from the 009 on the same Coltrane track (Aeras to start) and the added texture and detail of the saxophone is just insane. Hyper-detail and realism, with a larger than life sound. It is more a technical and higher energy listening experience in comparison to the smoother sounding Susvara, but lacks the aggressiveness found in the 009. It has really strong performing and adequate bass, but I have found that its performance in this regard does differ quite a bit from amp to amp—more so than any other aspect of the sound imo. Lastly, it is extremely hard to drive; seemingly more so than the 007, which is really saying something lol
I’ll start with the BHSE here.. right off the bat there’s an amazing sensory overload with spaciousness and staging, something the SGL just naturally excels at. Overall there’s a lightness and airiness to the sound that creates a really strong sense of clarity. However, of all comparisons, this one specifically shows the largest gap between the BHSE and Aeras. The light and transparent focused sound of the BHSE comes at the tradeoff of simply too much softness with the SGL.
The bass in particular is just too soft and flat with the BHSE. In comparison the Aeras has a good sense of impact and presence. The lack of tonal density with the BHSE specifically with the SGL also contributes to a softer sound. With the Aeras, instruments sound more lifelike and vocals more accurate and lush. The smoother tonality of the Aeras is also a warm welcome for the SGL’s energy and its hyper-resolving nature. And similar to the 009 and the Aeras, none of the detail or technical capabilities are smoothed over to achieve this engaging and smooth sound.
I would have to take the Aeras here, as with having the T2 that I’ve also listened to extensively, I would say the BHSE is just too soft (bass and density of sound) for the SGL Sr. Long term, I don’t think I could stick with the BHSE and SGL, especially given the Sr.’s price and capabilities. That said, again, complete wow factor from a resolution and holographic layering standpoint with the pairing. But the Aeras also checks off those boxes, while providing a weighty sound without a hint of deficiency anywhere.
All of that said, the SGL Sr. is probably the only headphone that I would say probably warrants an absolute need for the T2 (or similar) over both the Aeras and the BHSE, so do keep that in mind here.
In Closing
Again, this was really difficult, as reasonably speaking, these amps don’t perform drastically different and are in the same tier imo. Most of these differences are subtle in nature, but with that said, as mentioned in Part I—present day I would take the Aeras over the BHSE for most stats. The main factor here is that they both excel in the technical categories, and the Aeras’ tonality/increased density of sound and bass impact mates really well with most stats given their natural deficiencies or issues most find with them. I think for most people, I would recommend the Aeras, and especially people newer to stax. And for those that absolutely prioritize transparency and spacing over everything, I would recommend the BHSE, as it does have a bit more airiness and focus on clarity. In either event, with *most* stats I could live with either without ever second guessing.
I didn’t cover the 007 and HE60, but I’ll focus on them + the 009/SGL as I discuss the T2/Aeras/BHSE in the next part, which I expect to be much shorter. As a preview, the T2 combines the strengths of the Aeras and BHSE, while also improving in a few categories overall. I'll cover that + my perspective on the cost difference and price to performance ratio across the three.
