purk

I love my ZX2 as a do-it-all very well device. The ZX100 may match better given that the 16pro is bassier and warmer than my 13. I would not spend money on any Astell & Kern unless you want to overpay for the player. For instance, the ZX2 is preferred by many when compared directly to the AK240 as long as you are not using it with difficult to drive headphones. The FiiO X7 is also a very good choice but the ZX2 is more polished and slightly more refined soundwise. The best DAP that I've heard to date sound-wise is actually the Questyle QP1R. The QP1R has an excellence sound but it features a very dated interface with not properly working click wheel.

Have a great birthday Ed!

This electrostatic headphone will sell for $9999 and will be available for shipment this upcoming Spring. I think the headphone is 9.99k by itself. Amp is extra?

The problem is Shure and even Hifiman are now beating Stax in term of marketing, hype, and fanboy-ism. It is pretty sad really.

http://stereoexchange.com/latest-news/hifimans-new-shangri-la/ $9999

Kidding aside...we do have an AC here in Hotlanta.

I actually did with couple of my local friends using two of your KGSSHV mini (prototype & current production) against the full-size 450V KGSSHV with the same Sanyo parts. I'm pretty sure that the offset on your amps were right on the money so as that of the full-size unit. We all were able to discern the difference actually especially going from the mini to the full-size one. I was using the same XLR cables, power cords and all that too. Actually, I did this myself first then asked couple of my friends to come along to verify what I was hearing. Same results....we all preferred the full-size amp to the two KGSSHV mini and we all thought that the two mini were quite impressive as well. We even can differentiate your prototype to the production mini too albeit the difference were harder to discern. It could certainly be the Hotlanta effect.

How about KGSSHVs sounding different from one to another (IXY vs. IXY and Sanyo vs. Sanyo units here)? Can Power power supply, caps, resistors, and wiring make any different to the ended results? I have yet to hear two KGSSHVs that sound alike and some are actually from the same builder. One thing for sure is that they all did sound really good. So which of the KGSSHVs is the correct "wire with gain" in this particular case? Just my take 2 cents.

C'mon...we all have our preference. I have both and do in fact reach for the SR009 more but also listen to the SR007 from time to time. Of course, I know several people who prefer the SR009 as well. And I do have pretty good amps....T2, BHSE, and KGSSHV Carbon don't exactly sound completely alike either. Are they all supposed to sound identical to be consider a wire with gain? Maybe my source is lacking given I only have Yggy.

Diffuse soundstage...in your face sound....too in your face for me anyway. Poor craftsmanship.

How about the HE-1000?

I very much think so but I still definitely prefer the HD800. It actually sound really good next to the HD800 out of the Susy Dynahi. It is very open and airy sounding with very solid bass response. The treble is very slightly forward but overall it sure sounds quite good to my ears even next to a well amped HD800. Couple of ATL guys also think so. I don't have the K340 any more but this do sound good next to the HD800. So I would probably say that they are better. I can borrow the K340 from a friend but the Dharma will be long gone by then.

I'm listening to a loaner pair right now and this is a really good sounding and musical headphones. Don't rule it out until you try it for yourself.

Have a great birthday Adrian!

Nothing but a dusting here in Hotlanta!

C'mon now.....but it got that superior "nano" tech on it!

Eager to hear your impression. For that price, I rather get Justin's GSX MKII though.

RIP Glenn... Glad that I got to see you play twice. Wow....one after another within a week. Sad indeed!

Mjolnir Audio is pretty spectacular if you would asked me. I would buy his amps before spending my hard earn on Woo & RSA or even Cavalli. His craftsmanship is pretty high and he is quite an expert on this subject too. You can also commission other DIYs to build you high quality electrostatic amps. For examples, all my builds were purchased from many of the DIYers here and they all very high quality stuff compared to Stax amps as well as sounding a whole lot better. I think the GES is decent but it won't compare well to even the KGSS so let alone the KGST or KGSSHV. Why not check out his moving sales or Headfi FS forum for a really good deals. Many great sounding KGSSHVs used can be had for $2600 or less. Really is a no-brainer to me

Everyone should given that these DIY cost about the same and in some cases less a new Stax amps. The 727 is just a bad sounding amp.

Have a great birthday guys!

I think the whole SR009 vs. SR007 thing is just boil down to personal preference Birgir. I have several people who have stopped by and listening to both phones out of several of my amps, and 65% actually prefer the SR009 while the remainder just like the SR007 better. At a recent Atlanta meet, I have one person liking the SR007 better out of the Carbon while the another 5-6 clearly prefer the SR009. This same gentlemen also prefer his LCD3 over the HD-800. My close friend who is also a musician seem to dig the SR009 better.

I actually think it is easier to discern than that....but then again I know the characteristic of my amps really well. For example, I would never use the HE-1000 with "softer" and "smoother" sounding amps and would prefer the GS-X MKII or Dynahi type amp any time. That's one of the reason why Peter likes the GS-X MKII with the HEK so much so as Tyll. Given that we now can get the SR009 new for around $2700, the HEK is definitely overpriced. However, it does sound good even with a Headroom Ultra Desktop ...so there is a selling point for you. Of course, I take the SR009/SR007 over the HEK as well. I was one of the beta tester, so I hardly paid anyway near the 3K price tag.

Personally I think it still sound very good but there are many better phones now. Some people still love them. I sold mine awhile back and still miss it from time to time.

Its a really good headphones but it is lacking in term of depth of soundstage compared to the other TOTL phones. It has a very smooth and forgiving sound and likely will be overly smooth now out of the ECP L2. You really need the GS-X MKII and Dynahi type amp to firm up the bass and plenty of power behind it to bring out better dynamics. I like it a good bit better compared to the Audeze LCD-3 when I tried them side by side. Bad fit & finished however...not for the asking price anyway. The golden standard for fit and finish for me is the long and forgotten Audio-Technica ATH-L3000.