[takato14]

Okay but you're missing the point, the headphone I'm talking about is unique in that it has impact throughout the entire frequency range, not just the bass.
 
So even if the 009 can provide impact, it probably doesn't have enough impact for me. Which is what I said initially.

 

[negura]

Which headphone(s) are you finding that have enough impact for you?

 

[takato14]

  Which headphone(s) are you finding that have enough impact for you?

My Sony DR-Z7. It's a vintage dynamic with a palladium-coated diaphragm.

 

[negura]

Ok, fair enough. Not many will get to hear or own those. Any production headphones?

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Okay but you're missing the point, the headphone I'm talking about is unique in that it has impact throughout the entire frequency range, not just the bass.
 
So even if the 009 can provide impact, it probably doesn't have enough impact for me. Which is what I said initially.

I have no idea what you mean enough impact for you? If it's a very neutral response with amazing impact, then they can bring it (they are tuned to be neutral headphones). If it's thundering bass that's well beyond what's on the recording, then no, I'd look into the TH-900s instead.

 

[n3rdling]

Electrostatics are a bit different from the other transducer types in that they don't "move" air, they excite the air particles. They can't physically move the air because the diaphragm is so thin that it's actually lighter than air. I know the 009 can do bass, look at its FR for Pete's sake; I'm saying it can't do impact, which is an inherent trait of electrostatic transducers. So, no, you're wrong.
 

You couldn't be more wrong.  Of course they move air.  The weight of the diaphragm doesn't mean it can't move air...can a trampoline move people?  Last I checked we weigh less than that elastic material.  It's also not true that Mylar weighs less than air anyways...the diaphragm weighs less than the amount of air it's able to move.  Meaning volume of air.  The impact is controlled by a number of driver characteristics, and it's certainly not true that you can't get impact out of electrostats.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  You couldn't be more wrong.  Of course they move air.  The weight of the diaphragm doesn't mean it can't move air...can a trampoline move people?  Last I checked we weigh less than that elastic material.  It's also not true that Mylar weighs less than air anyways...the diaphragm weighs less than the amount of air it's able to move.  Meaning volume of air.  The impact is controlled by a number of driver characteristics, and it's certainly not true that you can't get impact out of electrostats.

That is exactly what sound is! 
 
Without moving air as the medium, there is no sound.

 

[DefQon]

I think he got confused between the way modern Audeze planar drivers work to the way ESL transducers work. Unlike planar's, ortho and isodynamic drivers the whole surface area of the diaphragm is charged through a balanced nature of both sides getting charged from it's bias supply.
 
Dismissing a headphone having not enough bass impact or whatever it is without hearing it is rather silly, unlike conventional planar's and dynamics, specific amplification is a must and a very important factor with electrostat's as it won't work without it, it's two parts of one equation, same principle applies to those old school Stax energizers.

 

[erikfreedom]

would I sell all my headphone stuff for an sr009 setup? no. but I would sell other stuff like some of my spare drumkits and cymbals that is certain. I have never heard an sr009 setup and I fear that if I hear one I will become addicted. right now I am very happy with hd 800 and he 6. but who knows. I know shops in my area that have them in stock, so maybe I will go have a listen. electrostatics are the only type of headphones I have never heard nor owned.

 

[zorin]

Electrostatics are a bit different from the other transducer types in that they don't "move" air, they excite the air particles. They can't physically move the air because the diaphragm is so thin that it's actually lighter than air. I know the 009 can do bass, look at its FR for Pete's sake; I'm saying it can't do impact, which is an inherent trait of electrostatic transducers. So, no, you're wrong.

Plus, I'm referring to one headphone in particular that I own, which slams harder than any ortho or even any other dynamic in existence. I would probably love the 009's tonality and presentation so much that I would be able to get over the lack of impact relative to my other gear, but there's still no way it slams as hard.

If a diaphragm moves that means that it pushes the air. If it did not then there would be no sound.

 

[astrostar59]

The one thing I've learned the most from my journey is that one should get & keep the headphones that bring the most musicalsatisfaction. Not sonic satisfaction. I no longer listen to "sound" to dissect the treble from the bass or whatever other nonsense. 

I agree. I run some SR-007Mk2.5s with a Valve front end and Audio Note DAC (none oversampling).
 
Until I found the valve set-up and mated that with Horn Speakers and then the SR-007s I too was buying and selling
and reading all the technical blurb.
 
I realised I had to use my own ears instead, and that is when I found a set up I can live with. 

 

[rgs9200m]

I think it really depends on the varieties of music you listen to and to what extent you appreciate other qualities in headphones, apart from ultimate resolution. For instance, when listening to symphonic classical, I would rather hear my HD800 and ECBA than the SR009. When listening to small ensemble jazz I'd take the warmth, weight and more pompous bass of the SR007's over the SR009's. When listening to poorly recorded indie I'd rather have a pair of LCD's on my head. Sometimes the euphony of the HE60 and the powerhouse dynamics of the HE6 are preferable. I can say all these things while still believing the SR009 are the finest headphones I own. Just my 2c, but in the upper echelon there are different flavors and all of them are pleasant.

This post has about as much wisdom as I've ever seen on the headphone forums and deserves repeating. I feel exactly the same way. Several phones bring their own magic to the table.

 

[eric65]

Quote:

Electrostatics are a bit different from the other transducer types in that they don't "move" air, they excite the air particles. They can't physically move the air because the diaphragm is so thin that it's actually lighter than air. I know the 009 can do bass, look at its FR for Pete's sake; I'm saying it can't do impact, which is an inherent trait of electrostatic transducers. So, no, you're wrong.
 

 
Quote:

  You couldn't be more wrong.  Of course they move air.  The weight of the diaphragm doesn't mean it can't move air...can a trampoline move people?  Last I checked we weigh less than that elastic material.  It's also not true that Mylar weighs less than air anyways...the diaphragm weighs less than the amount of air it's able to move.  Meaning volume of air.  The impact is controlled by a number of driver characteristics, and it's certainly not true that you can't get impact out of electrostats.

 
          
There are impact and impact: my Martin Logan subwoofer  (Grotto-i) tried simultaneously with my 009 does improve in any way the bass of the 009 : the result is catastrophic with slurring of the sound, and with vibrations of the floor and walls.
The difference in speed and readability of the bass from the sub compared to those in the 009 is distressing for the sub, at several years lights of the quality of the bass of the 009, well-presented, sufficiently extensive and dynamic (with a good amplifier) for you give want to tap with your foot with rhythmic music or enjoy the last octave of a large organ with a subtlety of all games and in natural rendering (to the infra bass at the extreme treble).
 

 

[zorin]

   
          
There are impact and impact: my Martin Logan subwoofer  (Grotto-i) tried simultaneously with my 009 does improve in any way the bass of the 009 : the result is catastrophic with slurring sound, and with vibrations of the floor and walls.
The difference in speed and readability of the bass from the sub compared to those in the 009 is distressing for the sub, at several years lights of the quality of the bass of the 009, well-presented, sufficiently extensive and dynamic (with a good amplifier) for you give want to tap with your foot with rhythmic music or enjoy the last octave of a large organ with a subtlety of all games and in natural rendering (to the infra bass at the extreme treble).
 

 
It is not entirely clear what you did.

 

[eric65]

" It is not entirely clear what you did."
 
It is relatively simple (for me): I plugged the Martin Logan subwoofer via its HP input (high-level input = speakers level in) to the output (speakers) of my amplifier, connected in parallel to the WooAudio WEE box. I adjusted the sound level of the subwoofer to have a bass level comparable to that of the Stax SR-009 headphone, as well as the phase and the low pass of the subwoofer to trying to get the best bass for the subwoofer, alone or associated with the Stax headphones. 
I've never managed to have the same bass quality with the subwoofer than the bass of the Stax headphone. 
The best listening for the bass being the headphone alone without the subwoofer, whatever the configuration and settings of the subwoofer.