Quote:
Quote:
Great descriptions of the electrostat sound. One criticism I'll level, though, is that the depth of the sound feels pretty flat to be compared to something like a properly driven HD800. A properly selected tube preamp can help with that (for the O2 and reportedly for the SR009) but it's still not HD800 class, IMO.
The Eddie Current Electra may be a step apart from the pack when it comes to soundstaging, and there should be more prototype impressions over the coming months.
The first time you hear a SR007/SR009, you might not be wowed immediately. If you do come across a high-end Stax rig, queue up some music you're familiar with, close your eyes, and try to listen without any stress of needing to move on right away. The sound that comes from Stax electrostats remind me of the build quality and design of a really well-crafted piece of electronics, like something from Apple or German automotive engineering. You'll notice that they do everything 'right', but it's in such an effortless way that you take it for granted until you make an effort to manually dissect the composition. The LCD2 and HD800 are more exciting (and far less finicky about chain) from the get-go, but you should be able to pinpoint their limitations after you spend some good time with a stat setup. I have no experience with the Senns yet, but I've heard great things about the HE60 and HE90.
Cost is a big issue, but just as much is how finicky stats are about the chain. With a suboptimal setup, some will find them detailed but detached, uninvolving, and emotionless. It took me a lot of tweaking and trying out different devices until I finally got to something I really like, and I still have more tube rolling ahead of me. It's amazing when you finally get there, but for me anyway, it took awhile doing a lot of research and experimentation before I finally got to the point that I could enjoy the music and stop focusing on my setup's weaknesses. I don't think stats are a good idea for people looking for a plug-and-play solution like the Bifrost->Lyr->LCD2.