[jackskelly]

I would try to get them while you still can at that price; I'm currently relegated to listening to the HD 800's, but they do sound quite good.

 

[rgs9200m]

I feel there is something very special about the SR009s that makes them a must-have for anyone who can (even stretching) afford them and 
appreciates audiophile sound (even speaker-based audiophiles who don't know what they are missing from headphones).

 

[jackskelly]

Quote:

I feel there is something very special about the SR009s that makes them a must-have for anyone who can (even stretching) afford them and 
appreciates audiophile sound (even speaker-based audiophiles who don't know what they are missing from headphones).

I agree, the HD 800's are absolutely fabulous headphones, don't get me wrong, but the SR-009's are a notch up when it comes to transparency and most of all of the other qualities audiophiles look for in a great speaker set-up. Even listening to my neighbor's Acapella speakers (a $500,000+ set up - you can see pictures from my profile), the level of resolution and detail isn't quite as good as the Stax, and I would say that the transparency is about the same (in different ways). The speakers however give a realism and soundstage that makes the band or orchestra sound like they are in the room, and thus many people can experience the auditory bliss at once, but it comes at a very high price.

 

[grokit]

I traded my HD800 towards an 009, because even though the HD800 sounded great to me I never really (or very rarely compared to my other flagships) connected to it on an emotional level if that makes any sense. Pretty sure that it has something to do with "musicality", which (to me at least) is very different from "coloration".
 
The SR-009 manages to surpass the HD800 at everything it's good at, including including imaging, soundstage and treble extension. And it brings back the musicality while maintaining perfect neutrality and being completely non-fatiguing. The bass goes to subterranean levels with perfect impact, and the treble extends to grain-free Valhalla. But the mids are what make this headphone, and I suspect that they are the reason that many have forgone all other ear transducers in pursuit of maxing out their 009 system. I got delayed in my journey there but when I get those babys back I will either have to pass them on or go down the rabbit hole with them in pursuit as mentioned.
 
And this is coming form a guy driving them with a Gungnir and a WEE energizer

 

[rgs9200m]

Quote:

I agree, the HD 800's are absolutely fabulous headphones, don't get me wrong, but the SR-009's are a notch up when it comes to transparency and most of all of the other qualities audiophiles look for in a great speaker set-up. Even listening to my neighbor's Acapella speakers (a $500,000+ set up - you can see pictures from my profile), the level of resolution and detail isn't quite as good as the Stax, and I would say that the transparency is about the same (in different ways). The speakers however give a realism and soundstage that makes the band or orchestra sound like they are in the room, and thus many people can experience the auditory bliss at once, but it comes at a very high price.

Ha! I actually heard the Acapella speakers for a good long listen at one of the New York audio shows (I do love the plasma tweeter -I think that's what they call it), 
and I make the same mental comparison that the 009s convey a more insightful deeper realistic nature of the texture of musical objects (just not the big scale, of course),
but I think I kind of like the 009 experience better.
 
I also thought the HD800s were the champs for natural detail and speed until I got the 009s.
I feel the HD800s surpass the SR007s in this regard (and I much prefer the HD800s overall to the SR007s, assuming both are well amped),
but the SR009s are another story, just taking over my brain, like my eyes (ears?) are opened for the first time to the truth-in-texture and real character
of instruments and vocals of long-familiar musical pieces, from pop to rock to classical.
(I only heard Senn. Orpheus briefly at the NY shows, but it did not strike me as deeply as the SR009s do. Just IMHO.)
I love my HD800s for what they are, but the 009s are simply trance-city for me.
(They could use a touch more warmth from some recordings, but someday I'll get a fancier amp I guess to get this last bit of perfection.)

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I traded my HD800 towards an 009, because even though the HD800 sounded great to me I never really (or very rarely compared to my other flagships) connected to it on an emotional level if that makes any sense. Pretty sure that it has something to do with "musicality", which (to me at least) is very different from "coloration".
 
The SR-009 manages to surpass the HD800 at everything it's good at, including including imaging, soundstage and treble extension. And it brings back the musicality while maintaining perfect neutrality and being completely non-fatiguing. The bass goes to subterranean levels with perfect impact, and the treble extends to grain-free Valhalla. But the mids are what make this headphone, and I suspect that they are the reason that many have forgone all other ear transducers in pursuit of maxing out their 009 system. I got delayed in my journey there but when I get those babys back I will either have to pass them on or go down the rabbit hole with them in pursuit as mentioned.
 
And this is coming form a guy driving them with a Gungnir and a WEE energizer

 
Quote:

Ha! I actually heard the Acapella speakers for a good long listen at one of the New York audio shows (I do love the plasma tweeter -I think that's what they call it), 
and I make the same mental comparison that the 009s convey a more insightful deeper realistic nature of the texture of musical objects (just not the big scale, of course),
but I think I kind of like the 009 experience better.
 
I also thought the HD800s were the champs for natural detail and speed until I got the 009s.
I feel the HD800s surpass the SR007s in this regard (and I much prefer the HD800s overall to the SR007s, assuming both are well amped),
but the SR009s are another story, just taking over my brain, like my eyes (ears?) are opened for the first time to the truth-in-texture and real character
of instruments and vocals of long-familiar musical pieces, from pop to rock to classical.
(I only heard Senn. Orpheus briefly at the NY shows, but it did not strike me as deeply as the SR009s do. Just IMHO.)
I love my HD800s for what they are, but the 009s are simply trance-city for me.
(They could use a touch more warmth from some recordings, but someday I'll get a fancier amp I guess to get this last bit of perfection.)

^^^ Agreed with pretty much everything here too! I love the HD800s and with the LCD-3s are the best dynamic headphones I've heard/owned. But the SR-009s are something else. They are simply the best I've heard. They rival a $250k Wilson setup I'm quite familiar with in terms of transparency and detail. 

 

[jackskelly]

Quote:

Ha! I actually heard the Acapella speakers for a good long listen at one of the New York audio shows (I do love the plasma tweeter -I think that's what they call it), 
and I make the same mental comparison that the 009s convey a more insightful deeper realistic nature of the texture of musical objects (just not the big scale, of course),
but I think I kind of like the 009 experience better.
 
I also thought the HD800s were the champs for natural detail and speed until I got the 009s.
I feel the HD800s surpass the SR007s in this regard (and I much prefer the HD800s overall to the SR007s, assuming both are well amped),
but the SR009s are another story, just taking over my brain, like my eyes (ears?) are opened for the first time to the truth-in-texture and real character
of instruments and vocals of long-familiar musical pieces, from pop to rock to classical.
(I only heard Senn. Orpheus briefly at the NY shows, but it did not strike me as deeply as the SR009s do. Just IMHO.)
I love my HD800s for what they are, but the 009s are simply trance-city for me.
(They could use a touch more warmth from some recordings, but someday I'll get a fancier amp I guess to get this last bit of perfection.)

 
I pretty much agree as well. 

 One of the few ways to top something like the SR-009s when they are sounding their best is, for example, what I hope to hear tomorrow night when I see the Houston Symphony perform Mahler's 2nd Symphony in person (with good center floor seats). This will be Hans Graf's final concert weekend as his tenure as music director of the Houston Symphony, it's sure to be a great experience of sonic bliss 

 

[jackskelly]

Quote:

 
^^^ Agreed with pretty much everything here too! I love the HD800s and with the LCD-3s are the best dynamic headphones I've heard/owned. But the SR-009s are something else. They are simply the best I've heard. They rival a $250k Wilson setup I'm quite familiar with in terms of transparency and detail. 

MacedonianHero,
 
Owning the HD800s, SR-009s and LCD-3's, what type of music do you prefer to listen to with the LCD-3's rather than the SR-009s or HD800s? (I'm guessing more bass-heavy modern music or music that isn't well recorded). Owning both the SR-009s and HD800s now, I feel like the LCD-3s might be a good choice for my next headphone. I did own the LCD-2s, and while I did really enjoy them, I prefered the HD800s in almost every aspect, but based on the reviews it seems like the LCD-3s are a significant improvement on the LCD-2s in almost every way, so it may not hurt to try them out.

 

[rgs9200m]

I think 800s, LCD3s, and 009s are pretty much the Holy Trinity these days.

 

[edstrelow]

The price is tempting but I think I'll stick with my 007A and various Sigmas, Lambdas and SRXIII Pro until the new ultrathin diaphragm technology becomes employed.
 
http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/150646-berkeley-creates-the-first-graphene-earphones-and-unsurprisingly-theyre-awesome

 

[dukeskd]

Quote:

I think 800s, LCD3s, and 009s are pretty much the Holy Trinity these days.

Add the TH900s to that list please.

 

[purk]

If you can find a bass-heavy R10 in a great condition, you may want to give it a shot.  I have the BHSE+SR009 and the R10 with the right amp is just as good if not sweeter sounding.  

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

MacedonianHero,
 
Owning the HD800s, SR-009s and LCD-3's, what type of music do you prefer to listen to with the LCD-3's rather than the SR-009s or HD800s? (I'm guessing more bass-heavy modern music or music that isn't well recorded). Owning both the SR-009s and HD800s now, I feel like the LCD-3s might be a good choice for my next headphone. I did own the LCD-2s, and while I did really enjoy them, I prefered the HD800s in almost every aspect, but based on the reviews it seems like the LCD-3s are a significant improvement on the LCD-2s in almost every way, so it may not hurt to try them out.

I prefer pretty  much all genres with the SR-009s over the LCD-3s and HD800s. That said, the LCD-3s are great with rock/hard rock/metal and jazz (about 85% of what I listen to). I prefer the LCD-3s to the HD800s with those genres as well. For classical or acoustic, I prefer the HD800s over the LCD-3s.

 

[jackskelly]

Quote:

I prefer pretty  much all genres with the SR-009s over the LCD-3s and HD800s. That said, the LCD-3s are great with rock/hard rock/metal and jazz (about 85% of what I listen to). I prefer the LCD-3s to the HD800s with those genres as well. For classical or acoustic, I prefer the HD800s over the LCD-3s.

 
I might get the LCD-3's eventually (unless a revised version or LCD-4's come out sometime in the near future), I'm content for now, but even after getting the SR-009's, which I bought partly so that I wouldn't really have the desire or need to buy another headphone anytime soon, I still find myself having the itch to buy more headphones 

 

[jackskelly]

Quote:

If you can find a bass-heavy R10 in a great condition, you may want to give it a shot.  I have the BHSE+SR009 and the R10 with the right amp is just as good if not sweeter sounding.  

 
I have heard great things about the R10s, obviously they're one of the most respected and acclaimed headphones on Head-Fi, I definitely wouldn't mind owing one someday. How much would one in great condition go for? Almost as much as the SR-009s? I haven't seen many around on the forums, Sony must not have made very many.