Please find the excuses for me not to buy Stax 009S headphone
- Thread starter thomask
- Start date
NOS Mullard is good. I was asked to review a new EL34 headphone headphone amp recently (it hasn't gone to market yet) and they sent a variety of new stock tubes that were contenders to be shipped with it. The Gold Lion KT77 stood out as clearly best of the group they sent. If you're ever looking for something else.
Let me clarify why I had pulled the trigger for Stax 009S.
I had marveled at the clarity of electrostatic speaker since 1989.
After listening to Martin Logan CLS, I had almost pulled the trigger, but the balance skewed to bright treble stopped me.
Stax 009 also got reputation of being bright.
But Stax 009S coupled with Carbon amplifier had got reputation of neutrality, transparency and bass slam.
Thus instead of buying electrostatic speakers, I had opted for electrostatic headphone.
I expect to receive them after July 9th.
After listening to it for 12 hours, I will leave brief impression.
I had marveled at the clarity of electrostatic speaker since 1989.
After listening to Martin Logan CLS, I had almost pulled the trigger, but the balance skewed to bright treble stopped me.
Stax 009 also got reputation of being bright.
But Stax 009S coupled with Carbon amplifier had got reputation of neutrality, transparency and bass slam.
Thus instead of buying electrostatic speakers, I had opted for electrostatic headphone.
I expect to receive them after July 9th.
After listening to it for 12 hours, I will leave brief impression.
Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Listening to Hifiman Susvaras with Zynsonix wire attached to DartZeel LHC-208 speaker outputs as I write this. This is an honestly trancedental headphone experience. The Susvaras are by no means overpowered by the 200WPC output of the 208. In fact they need it. Few people have heard these headphones properly driven by high end, high power electronics. And, the digital conversion in the 208 is world class.
i loved my Stax 009's with the BHSE (Blue Hawaii Special Edition) amp which had plenty of power.
nothing edgy about them. had a smooth and extended top end to my ears.
this was in 2012, and it's been awhile.
Mike, correct you are- technology marches on, plus you certainly understand, as well as anyone, the Dart Magic!!
The ones that I am curious to hear are the Raal Requisite SR1a headphone. These are pure ribbon, and use a large bank of resistors to bring the impedance of a 100 watt or higher audio amplifier high enough to drive the small ribbons. It wastes all but about a half-watt or a watt of the power.
Reports say it is as close as headphones come to an out of head, speaker like experience. However, that claim has been made many times before, as the usual usual of headphone puffery.
Reports say it is as close as headphones come to an out of head, speaker like experience. However, that claim has been made many times before, as the usual usual of headphone puffery.
I heard that Stax 009 goes well with BHSE's liquid midrange and 009S goes well with carbon's bass slam.
After I receive mine I will leave my impression.
I heard that Stax009 or 009S is for music lover not for monitoring recording.
Senseheimer 800S or Focal Utopia will work well for the latter.
I was curious about Rall headphone.
But it was too risky to buy that one.
In addition, I had used Apogee for 10 years which is magnetic ribbon speaker.
But I had never used electrostatic speaker at home.
Thus Stax 009S was safe choice.
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This. The RAAL might reignite my interest in headphones. I hope there's a pair on display at CAS. They require a high power speaker amp, and by all accounts from associates of mine, they are superb.
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I'll be going to CAS, too, but the headphone stuff tends to be much less than the CanJam events.
Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/raalrequisite/7/
Interesting review.
If I am not happy with Stax or curious about one more headphone, then I may place an order for this one on 15 days satisfaction guarantee.
But I wish to spend time with Stax 009S for at least 2 weeks or more.
Regarding speed and attack, ‘crispness’, I found the SRHA-1 to be very good indeed but not the second coming. Several cans (HEK, HD800, Utopia, etc.) can be faster if that’s the goal. Stax 009 / 007 on my KGHSSV Carbon CC are actually just as fast to my ears. The only place the SRHA-1 exceeded in speed was in the bass when I fed it with the Classe, and the speed didn’t make up for lack of over-all performance there for me. More to the point, these are fast enough without being ‘the fastest’ so, meh.
While the soundstage is huge it’s also flat and a little distant to my ears. No amount of messing about with positioning fixed that for me. DSP helped some at the cost of power.
Treble range was good but I didn’t get extreme extension you mentioned I suppose that could be my amps. And there was nowhere near as much air up top as I prefer. I popped on the Stax and and there it is.
Generally, I didn’t find these to be as unprecedented in sound as you did. Maybe for open-wing headphones? (is that a new class name?) I didn’t think they spanked Stax TOTLs on the better solid-state or tube amps.
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/raal-requisite-sr-1a.7283/page-4
While the soundstage is huge it’s also flat and a little distant to my ears. No amount of messing about with positioning fixed that for me. DSP helped some at the cost of power.
Treble range was good but I didn’t get extreme extension you mentioned I suppose that could be my amps. And there was nowhere near as much air up top as I prefer. I popped on the Stax and and there it is.
Generally, I didn’t find these to be as unprecedented in sound as you did. Maybe for open-wing headphones? (is that a new class name?) I didn’t think they spanked Stax TOTLs on the better solid-state or tube amps.
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/raal-requisite-sr-1a.7283/page-4
directly price-matched competitor to the Mjolnir KGHSSV Carbon+009 combo would be something like the AHB2+SR1a, or a Pass INT150 against a BHSE. Here there’s a lot to like on both sides. The SR1a easily wins on staging, imaging and bass speed and texture, while a well-sorted 009 setup has better density, intimacy and probably more refined upper-mid presentation compared to the unmoderated sharpness and sweeping dynamics of the SR1a’s
https://forum.headphones.com/t/raal...ld-monitor-headphone-official-thread/3220/200
I do not need to jump to SR!a right away.
After I get bored with the sound from Stax 009S, then I may.
https://forum.headphones.com/t/raal...ld-monitor-headphone-official-thread/3220/200
I do not need to jump to SR!a right away.
After I get bored with the sound from Stax 009S, then I may.
You'll probably be delighted with the Stax 009, but you won't be able to wear them to the gym. Stax are great for detail, but the challenge is to get some of them to have some tonal viscosity and bass slam without losing the detail. I don't think any headphone I have heard to date sets up a soundstage like a Stax.
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