Hahaha. Article isn’t likely unless I get a better enegizer (which is even more unlikely), but impressions are easy enough to do
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What are you currently running it off of energizer wise?
Using z10e and aic → woo wee. Honestly, the wee is damned good, so they aren’t all that far apart overall and are nearly identical in detail (z10e just handles stage better).
Unfortunayely neither combo gives me the bass I want (and know Shang can do)
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I mean, that seems like plenty adequate energizer setup to me, I guess ideal would be a T2 (or perhaps stx?) but like, pretty close
That’s the irritating thing with a lot of energizers I feel like, it’s really hard to get the level of quality bass control and prominence AND everything else at the same time, seems like most energizers either give you that really nice bass but fall short in all other aspects, or amps give you mostly everything else really nicely but then fall short in the bass lol
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Pretty much exactly my experience so far. With T2 specificaly it slams and is tactile but it doesn’t seem to do the sub bass rumble well. Interestingly enough, for as bd as it is everywhere else, iesl is actualy the best bass I’ve heard on Shang and if I could keep that bass with actualy decent technicalities id be super happy
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Honestly I think that’s really what put me off from stats in the end after living with them for awhile, feel like for overall completeness most any stat chain I put together always felt like there were too many tradeoffs or things were too specialized toward a few specific aspects letting others go to the wayside, but that’s just me lol
Would agree
Very interesting, never got to try that combo
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Yah. It’s very weird. Obviously all gear has priorities but usualy it’s like + 1/2 a tier here, minus half a tier there. With estats it feels like +2 tiers/-4.
That said, after finding out that viva stx is transformer coupled and fucking amazing I actualy have some hope for high end system with transformers. I’ve also been poking around estat speaker amp manufacturers to see what’s out there and maybe see if one of tjem will make a one off but that’s not looking too promising tbh.
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Yeah very unbalanced lol
Makes sense, should really get a nice transformer and try it on my lamm or AC stuff, bet it’s amazing
Also going to be potentially pretty expensive if they do lol, but in this case with one offs go big or go home (since if you don’t, you’ll regret it afterwards)
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Have the X9000 here for the next two weeks to help me decide if I keep my order (Q3 expected delivery) and my Z10e or stick to all my other gear.
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I’ll share more thoughts a little later but the bottom line is Z10e was sold and I’m keeping my order for X9000.
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This makes me wonder why Stax stopped making adaptors for speaker amps like they used to with the SRD-7SB. Obviously a dedicated energizer is going to be higher quality, but a super high end adaptor should allow you to get the sound from your speaker amp into your earspeakers without losing quality or adding noise. Although I know the SRD-7SB wasn’t top notch, I loved using it with my speaker amp and turning the bass knob on the amp up. Was able to get better bass out of my vintage Lambdas than I get from my Argon Mk3 lol.
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Any suggestions on amping L700? L500 + 007tii were a bit bright for me.
I liked the WA7e when it was here. Didn’t test it with a L700 but generally it was quite nice and you can tube roll it.
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Thanks, was wondering about CCS modded T1 as well… are the tube amps generally smoother in the treble?
Edit: Tested a couple of amps today…
D50, 700T and Paltauf (i believe it’s the KHV-ESD II)
D50 was the worst, boxed in, almost Senn HD650/600 soundstage, harsh in the treble (just tested the L700 and noped out)
Paltauf is too laid back in general. It just makes everything grand and and L700/009S too “flabby” sounding (too much warmth).
700T was the best balance out of the three, liked the L700/009S on it a fair bit, though I was surprised how close L700 and 009S were, though having done research about amps online I wouldn’t be surprised if you could better than the 700T.
L300/L500, as others mentioned, are too light footed.
007 Mk2 (latest version I presume) is the other extreme. Didn’t like it on any of these amps, not surprised, it seems to have special needs, otherwise you get the dull sound I experienced today.
Overall I’m glad I got the L700 (Mk1, but with metal headband) at a good price, it seems to be the sweet spot in terms of tonal balance (still on the flatter side, but great for acoustic music) and price, though I still need to decide which amp to go with.
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Anyone spent time with the SR-007 mk1? There’s a used pair on Head-Fi that’s tempting but I’m not sure if it’s a worthwhile purchase or not. I was planning on just going for a crbn if I see a used pair around the 2k pricepoint.
I already have x9k but am looking for a complimentary set of estats. I am lining up demos of 009S, L700mkii and maybe shang sr. I remember really liking the SR-007 mk2 on the viva stx but it seems like the 007 mk1 is more popular / hyped. Any thoughts? I’ll be running this on the T2
That 007 listing sold but I have got a couple Stax models in for demo including the 009S and the L700 mk2. Discovered today that Mjolnir has a lot of used Stax for sale in good condition but a bit expensive so perhaps I can order a set from there in the future Used headphones – Mjölnir-Audio.
Some quick impressions about these 3 headphones. TLDR is that I don’t think I need a 009S, it’s pretty close to the X9k but I will probably pick up an L700 soon.
The L700 is mid forward with a punchy bass response. It has a wider stage but not a ton of depth. It lacks in technicalities next to x9k and 009s, notably I find that depth, imaging, and layering are lacking. Detail is still decent but not matching the other two. This is a very fun estat, reminds me of an atrium in terms of tuning. I think for just relaxing and not worrying about the gear this is a good choice. Not saying the other two aren’t engaging I just find the tuning and sound of this very approachable.
The 009S is a really nice match with the T2. This is the estat that made me want to buy the T2 back in canjam nyc 2023. The standout quality is it’s sub bass punch and it’s more forward presentation. The bass is very present although it sounds a bit boomy next to the x9k. However it can be fun for some music. I remember listening to a lot of aes dana when I demoed the 009s on the t2 and it’s just as impressive at home as I remember it from the show. Next to the L700 the 009S has more depth and a similarly wide stage. It has a very immediate and forward sound. The top end is more extended and detail is more clear. 009S reminds me of a tungsten / 1266 although not as wild sounding as the 1266.
The x9k sounds the most refined. It also feels a bit laid back next to the other too. It’s incredibly fast it’s just that presentation is more delicate. The soundstage is similar in shape and size to the 009 but there’s better separation and layering here. The bass is nicely textured and controlled but doesn’t seem to extend quite as far as the 009. It’s also not as punchy sounding. I think the x9k is the most natural sounding of the bunch and really excels with music that has real instruments or is recorded live. The 009S handles synthesized music nicely but also sounds good with anything else and the L700 is not as picky. X9k reminds me of a susvara.
Reading over my impressions and maybe I do want to pick up an 009S as I prefer it to X9k for some music. Maybe if one comes up used for a good price. Although I still want to try crbn and will be demoing shang sr hopefully after nyc canjam in a couple weeks.
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