Submitted by tenderbeefonpho t3_zu33fp in headphones
Here we are in 2022 where ‘cutting edge’ flavors of the month cost x3 these (used) Stax. Of course, I do realize the estats sound is not everyone’s cup-of-tea but I consider them good value (used but even at retail, one can do worse). Really happy I decided to get them. Happy holidays. Don’t forget to enjoy the music!
No I sold all of them after these arrived.
Jokes aside, I have the HD800 stock, LCD2F, Koss ESP950 and have heard a few other TOTLs though only at shows. I’m not great with technical terms but I’m going to try comparing them with the HD800. With eq the HD800 can sound great and are relatively up there with Stax in details retrieval but they don’t come close to the magic of the SR009 (ie how they present the details), at least to my ears. There is something special about how the SR009 render strings and kick drums that I don’t hear on the HD800, could be due to better separation. The most apparent difference for me when I first put the Stax on is the sense of air, blacker background, and greater instrument separation (although they have a narrower soundstage compared to HD800).
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True! Surprisingly, the estat used prices look like a steal. Only downside for me is the need for energizers. Otherwise, would have given the Shangri la Jr and the Stax 007s and 009s a shot.
I am driving these SR009 with Stax SRM-717. I have no personal experience with other Stax amps though I’ve heard the 353X is no slouch for these (and they are much easier to find used than 717). I heard these from a Chord Dave > BHSE when I auditioned them recently. Do my rig do them justice? I think so, as I don’t remember the sound being so vastly different with my audition. The SR007 I read is much harder to drive though. What I mean is if you know the sound is what you want, there are used Stax amps that won’t break the bank so don’t let that hold you back :)
> Only downside for me is the need for energizers.
Yeah, this was initially some of my hesitation to try estats early on, as well. Technically speaking, if you did pick up an energizer, you could hook it up to your AHB2 and have an incredible setup - or separately pick up an amp that can be directly fed from one of your DAC's instead. There are older (but still quite capable) Stax SRM-1 amps that routinely show up on eBay, like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/144836240623
This can allow you to run modern estats using Pro bias, as well as older vintage Stax through the Normal bias.
A steal? Compared to what?
Utopia, LCD-5, Susvara, Abyss - anything in the top bracket. Shangri la Jr, 007, 009s within $900 - $2000. No experience with estats, so I'm assuming these estats are top bracket and exist mano a mano with the dynamics and planars.
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Not sure why you're being so aggressive. Never claimed anything about price and performance. Yes, top bracket in terms of price, because I wouldn't really be comparing something like a X2HR to a Stax X9000. Also, I have wouldn't have any interest in making that comparison either.
From what I've read, the Shang JR is the estat equivalent to the Susvara. Assuming it is, its used price is much lower, ~ $2000 vs $3000+ on Susvaras. Not here to discuss dealer markups, flagship MSRP bonkers. Just making a point about estat equivalents being cheaper.
Similarly, SR007s can be found from ~$900. That's the same price as your HD800(S). Now I have no idea how the Staxs sound, but based on one of Resolve's comments, they were held in high regard, in the same company as Utopia and Susvara (prior to LCD5 release). Now, from a price perspective, ~$900 vs $2800 vs $3000+, that's an interesting value proposition, at least for me.
Why not compare cheap to expensive headphones? I'd much rather have the HD600 than any STAX. They just sound more correct to me.
Depending on what YouTubers you watch silver cables change the sound of headphones. So, not really a good source of information.
Equivalent in what? Place in the company product stack?
And cheaper how? You still need at least a 500 bucks (srm 252S) amp for them, whilst 99% of conventional design work with any 100€ or cheaper amp.
> And this top bracket is based on what exactly? Ah, I know: PRICE.
Why so obtuse? The context is obviously about prices in the used market. The OP clearly stated as such, and the math is clear and simple.
Someone shit in your cereal this morning?
That particular user always seems to stir up shit in every thread that has a higher-end headphone. The same breed of Reddit-informed "hardcore objectivist tough guy" persona that appears on here every few months.
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I demoed sr009 once before in my local store. It was my first experience with estat headphone. When I listen to it, I thought it sounded like a planar headphone somehow. Good separation, soundstage, imaging and details, like a good planar headphone at that similar price range. The tuning of sr009 is surprising neutral when I listen to it, given the frequency response graph from crinacle that looks quite wonky.
So, I'm kinda disappointed tbh, maybe I was expecting too much, like next level details from a flagship estat. Sr009 is still a great headphone, but since it cost more than other option like lcd-5 and susvara (usually on sale), I don't see that flagahip estat like sr009 is in my radar for endgame headphone.
I had a similar experience years ago. I first tried them at a show back when I had much less exposure to good quality audio and thought they sounded meh. Fast forward to a couple months ago, tried them again also at a show and I was floored. I don’t think they sound like any planars I’ve heard driven from the BHSE (MAYBE the Susvara but the timbre is quite different). These required a longer audition time and the right environment for me to be able to appreciate them (superior transient and tone naturalness to the Susvara I heard at the same show, and though I love my LCD2F, I don’t think the LCD-5 are on the same playing field with the Sus and SR009 in technical abilities).
SmartOpinion69 t1_j1h3n6d wrote
do you have any other headphones? if so, how do these compare with your other headphones?