Elephas

That's OK, there isn't much talk about the L3000 anyway. I have an L3000 recabled with a balanced APS v3 cable. I use it with an adapter because I don't have a balanced amp yet. I've compared it with a stock L3000 and I thought the recabled unit sounded better. More open, a bit more air and a larger soundstage. A bit less bass quantity too, but tighter and even more accurate bass. The differences weren't large, but they were enough that I thought the recable was worth doing.

I do use a main rig, but I currently have several amps and sources. I agree that each headphone can be matched with a rig. I admit that I haven't really done so. I use the ES-1 and Esoteric source as my main rig with every electrostat. Tube-rolling can change the sound, but the rest of the rig stays the same. My current secondary rig is an Aristaeus + DP-500. If you list every headphone that's brighter than the O2, and then list every one that's darker, I think you'll find the first list to be a lot longer. Besides the HD600 and HD650, the JVC Victor DX1000 is also a bit dark-sounding to me. But there are very few others. Actually, the HD600 is probably only slightly dark, it seems brighter than the HD650 to me. Every other Stax seems to be brighter than the O2. I haven't heard every one, so this is just conjecture. The SR-Omega, 4070 and SR-404 are all brighter. Also the HE90, HE60 and Jade. Every Grado (that I've heard...). Every AT including the L3000 and W11JPN, which are not very bright and darker than the W5000 and AD2000. Every AKG such as K271, K501, K601, K701, K1000. Every Beyer. The R10, Qualia and SA5000. If this doesn't mean the O2's are dark, I don't know what does. I'm not trying to be belligerent. The O2Mk1 and O2Mk2 do sound a bit brighter, more open, less congested and more dynamic driven by the ES-1, and certain tube combinations can push them towards more brightness. But they're still darker than most of the other headphones. Can we agree, then, that the O2's are darker than most other headphones? It's the start of 2009, time for a new beginning!

Why are the HD650 and SR-007 similarly dark-sounding? How did Sennheiser end up with the HD650 sound, which is completely unlike the HE90 or HE60, and instead is more similar to the SR-007? If the O2's are darker-sounding than every other Stax, and practically every other headphone besides the HD650 and a few others, doesn't this mean that the O2's are dark?

No, no truce! I win, everyone else should surrender! The Mk2 pads are better than the Mk1 pads, nya nya nanynany nyah! But both are better than the Jade earpads. The Jade pads are real leather, but they aren't very good quality. They are a bit stiff and hard. The words stiff and hard should not be associated with earpads, IMO. Earpads should be soft, smooth, creamy, pillowy, cushiony, all-enveloping, warm, slippery, tight-fitting, wet... Ahem. Er, excuse me, I'll be right back, just going to take care of something real quick, bye.

I asked the Japanese eBay seller who sold me the SR-404 earpads for a set of SR-007 brown pads, and received them today. The seller said they are Spanish leather. They cost $135, roughly the price at Audio Cubes 2. The installation was surprisingly quick and easy. I think the Mk2 is more difficult because of the placement of the metal ring. The material quality is quite good, very smooth and soft. I got my SR-007 used more than a year ago, so I've never had new Mk1 earpads. This set is similar to the old set but looks and feels better. They do have a very slight odor, that is quite pleasant and reminiscent of real leather. I admit it's likely that they are real leather. But, it might also be possible that they are a very high quality pleather. Anyway, I like them and they are extremely comfortable. In case I was horribly wrong about the Mk1 pads not being real leather, I'll shut up about this topic and hope everyone forgets about this episode of the Omega2 Earpad Debate.

Well, I know for a fact that Faust2D, a much cooler dude than you, likes the Jade and dislikes the Mk1, so there.

This Father Posty dude's replies are quite funny.

Haha, nah, it's just Head-Case. And no L3000 in the photo. The Jade is quite good. I don't think the Mk1 preferrers will like it, though. It's brighter and is more like the HE60 and HE90.

Duuuude, you're the one who must be smoking or snorting something. The SR-404 and 4070 pads definitely resemble the Mk1 pads. Similar material, similar rubbery texture, similar checkered pattern, similar puke brown color. But rest assured, I am going to buy a new set of Mk1 pads. Either from the local Stax dealer, AudioCubes2 $129 or Ippinkan $58. They are definitely similar to the pleather Mk1 pads, but a bit crappier. The only pads I'll cut are those crappy Mk1 pads. The Headphile Lambda Pro's feelings are hurt! They're the older Lambda pads, the smoother and thicker vinyl, black color. I also bought some Lambda pads from someone here, and they are the same type.

I was using the Airbow SR-SC1 yesterday, and the material of its earpads are suspiciously like the Mk1's. The 4070's pads also seem to be the same as the SR-SC1's, which should actually be SR-404 pads. These are different from the black pads on the Lambda Pro, which are stiffer and harder material and in turn more similar to the SR-Omega dark brown pads. The SR-404 and 4070 pads have similar texture and the same type of checkered pattern grain as the Mk1 pads. I think the Mk1 pads are a slightly better quality version of the SR-404 and 4070 pads, and that all these pads are artificial leather. The only Stax pads that are real leather seem to be the Mk2 pads.

OK, this time it's going to be a cut on the Mk1 earpads. *cackles gleefully while taking out the scissors*

Ouch! Just for that, I'm going to make a scratch on my SR-007. I'm not either, but for some reason I feel well-qualified to opine about this subject. Is this normal? Er, I just searched "Stax" and saw them, and then click, click. Impulse buy. I thought that maybe others might also buy them, and I won't feel stupid and lonely. I say, Faust2D would not be so uncouth. 2D is much better than 3D, like the Mk2 pads are better than Mk1 pads.

Yes! Look at those icky brown fake-leather pads! Either way, the Mk2 pads are real leather and better than Mk1 pads. If the Mk1 pads are real leather, they sure are some icky type of crappy leather that feels clammy and don't breath at all. If the Mk1 pads are artificial leather, which is my not humble opinion, that explains everything. True, they are somewhat better quality than other pleather pads such as the ones on AT A700 headphones, but they are not real leather. People are so gullible and easily fooled. Imagine, if someone is wrong about the Mk1 pads being real leather, what else are they wrong about? Hmm...

I just bought a pair of Lambda pads off eBay. They have black and brown ones to choose from. $60. I think you should just buy a Mk2. They'll come with the real leather Mk2 pads in nice black real leather, and they feel like good quality real leather too. Not like those icky Mk1 puke-brown not-leather/crappy leather pads.

Yay! I have monkey by my side. I guess I shouldn't have wished the lions on you. We can fight the lions together, you throw bananas at them and I'll hide behind you.

The shop in Japan that does the Airbow modifications sells pads for the SR-007 for JPY 5250, as well as for other headphones. I don't know if those are the official Stax pads. I bought pads for the SR-Omega from them, and they are very good quality and dark brown color. Link: http://www.ippinkan.com/stax/stax_repair.htm

La, la, la, happy happy, la de la, happy happy, la la... Gah, three year old pads! The horror. I could try putting the Mk2 pads on the Mk1, but that would entail removing the Mk2 pads, removing the Mk1 pads, installing the Mk2 pads on the Mk1, listening, listening, listening, removing the Mk2 pads from the Mk1, installing the Mk2 pads back on the Mk2, installing the Mk1 pads back on the Mk1. Eh, I'm going to take a nap. You Mk1 preferrer, you. Go ahead. And use those yucky ?leather? Mk1 pads. Have those things touching the sides of your head. Touching your skin. I hope the lions get you.

A-ha! Gotcha! So the Mk2's leather is better, no matter what the Mk1's is. I don't mind the pleather part, where they wrap into the housing. Most of that part is not visible anyway, and the entire pleather section is never going to contact skin. A-ha! Gotcha No. 2! So the Mk2 pads are more comfortable. Yes, I agree the stiffer foam inside is better. I think Stax got the Mk2 pad right in terms of density, size, and overall stiffness. In comparison, the Mk1 pad seems too soft and compressible. Hey, I've uninstalled and then installed the Mk2 pads! Both of them! True, it took me more than half an hour to get them back on again. That metal ring is a pain. I only wanted to see how difficult it was and what was under the pads. I don't know why I took them both off, one would've done the job. I still think the Mk1 pads are not real leather. They don't look or feel like real leather. If they are real leather, it is some crappy type of leather.

The O2Mk1 earpads don't look or feel like leather to me! Whatever they are, they're not as good as the Mk2's definitely leather earpads. So there, Mk1 preferrers!

I have Icarium's former ES-1, and there is nothing when I tap the sides or top of the chassis, either amp section or power supply. It's possible that there will be some microphonics by tapping the chassis when using certain tubes, but not with most of the ones I've been using.

Yes, I'm still waiting for a Supra-XLR. I requested a new faceplate, because I thought that it looked very bad after Mikhail added a second volume knob and an additional single-ended headphone output. I blame Mikhail for doing the bad job with the faceplate in the first place, but I don't blame him for this delay because I'm asking for the additional modification. I think the Supra-XLR is also Point-to-Point. Based on the photo of an ES-1's internals posted in another thread, it seems that all the internal parts are mounted on the bottom of the top cover. If this is also the case with the Supra-XLR, then replacing the front faceplate/top cover will not be a simple matter. So I'm prepared to wait. Anyway, I've been enjoying listening to the ES-1 and Aristaeus, and recently made final payment on a BHSE which seems to be almost ready, so I have plenty to listen to. Other than massive amounts of patience, extremely forgiving natures, eternally sunny dispositions and the ability to absorb deceptions and disappointments, I think that SP owners need to own second and third amps. This should be a sticky.

I don't have anything helpful to say, but this thread was certainly entertaining. Gaah, Lenovo laptop and DVD player analog outputs... *shudder* I use 2C51 tubes in my ES-1 and have had microphonic problems with only one pair of Bendix, which happened to have come from Singlepower. The six other pairs I bought elsewhere all worked fine.

After the long "beta" development period, this problem with the Jade is discouraging. I was supposed to receive one of the first batch some time ago, but I haven't received anything yet.

More O2Mk1 vs. O2Mk2? Isn't everyone tired of this by now? Well, I'm not. Does the Mk2 have an annoying mid-bass bump, or does the Mk1 have an annoying lack of mid-bass impact? I think it depends on the listener, of course, and also on associated gear. With the Aristaeus, the Mk2 sounds more energetic than the Mk1, but with the more dynamic ES-1, the Mk2's mid-bass can seem a bit too emphasized, and its midrange a bit too forward. But without having the Mk1 available to compare, these Mk2 "flaws" would not be so apparent versus other headphones, which are more different. I would suspect that the Mk2 does reasonably well with the 007 and 727 Stax amps. I've only heard the 007tII a couple of times with a Mk1.