spritzer

Yeah, it will be fun to give these to my Grado fanboy friend for a listen. The comfort is an issue but I've been thinking about sliding two foam pieces into the headband to try and minimize the pain....

I should add to this that I actively look for faults in anything new I have. I play tracks that I know will upset some transducers and with amps I actively look for issues. Force of habit after going through about 500 headphones and who knows how many amps... Now the SR-009 gets to sit around unused and look pretty since I got the SR-X Mk3 Pro yesterday. Somebody should send a set of these to Grado to show them how good an on-ear set can really be...

Happy Birthday!!!

The Vbr should be a comfortable margin over the Vmax spec but there is no given limit for this and it varies from unit to unit.

I do think Stax did a lot of good with the SR-009 even though the voicing is not to my liking. After two days they fit me like a glove and the earpads are the nicest ones I've seen on any headphone. I want a set for my SR-007 even though I'm scared to find out what they cost... Now what I'd really like is to see how SR-007 drivers would sound in this frame. Hell, just the 1.35um diaphragm would be a good place to start.. While we are on the issue of metal, what about metal played with classical instruments? Apocalyptica sounds stunning on the SR-009... I think it is mostly lack of exposure which is the issue for me. As for the WES, it is such a shame that the amp is so fubar. It is also still a health risk since they are stupid enough to use the male umbilical connectors on the PSU's. Giving people a direct access to the main reservoir capacitors would never be considered a good idea...

Ahhh so it is the ES-4!!! Funny enough, Icelandair just announced they are going to fly directly to Denver soon but sadly not in time for this CJ....

I do like it when people call me on my shit because then I always go back and double check everything. Despite my reservations with the SR-009 there are some things it does astoundingly well, nr.1 being layering of the various items in the mix. Now I really should turn all this stuff off and go to bed since I have to be at work in 5 hours...

It's not like I'm only listening to metal, most of the stuff I've been listening lately have been classical SACD rips or classic rock. I hate rap and aside from a few "classic" albums have never really understood jazz... So that people get the full story here is that I told Andy I was listening to Metalica- Metallica which is really one of the worst recorded albums ever. Never been a huge fan but even on DVD-A it is quite bad so I use it to see how the transducers react to less then stellar source material. Metal is a good choice because it is usually quite intense and very badly recorded. Right now I'm listening to some of my "cousin's" from the Faeroe Islands, Týr - Ormurinn Langi (they sound a bit like Icelanders tripping on acid) and the SR-009 simply can't reproduce the bass with equal heft and impact as the SR-007. The recording is good enough for this not be an issue but still, the SR-009 should be able to pull this off. As for my love of the SR-007, I've always believed age has something to do with this and me being notoriously picky and analytical. I got my first SR-007/KGSS when I was 20 and had a BH when I was 22 so the hearing was as good as it would ever be which means the lack of a top end emphasis never bothered me. The top end of our hearing degenerates very rapidly with age (even more so if abused at concerts etc.) so this is a factor that should be considered. As for being picky, making food and caring about the results does that to you. Ohh and there is nothing wrong with being a snob. While we are discussing all of this, volume level with the SR-009 is utterly crucial. Listen at low volumes and they behave but push the volume and bad things happen. It will be interesting to see what Tyll's measurements say because the phones will be driven at full blast. Nope, that's just how the WES sounds. Bland, lifeless and bloody boring.

I'll try it from the Exstata when I get it back from loan. I do doubt that the diaphragm material is responsible for this, more likely how Stax are implementing it. I've always found the idea that some music is not "worthy" to be a bit snobbish to be honest. The true sign of a great transducer is that it will play anything thrown at it, be it polka or death metal. TheSR-009 fares a lot better then say the HE90 but it still not quite good enough for me. Wouldn't that be the KX-R you are going though? Power amp into BHSE would be extreme even for deaf people like Ray...

Happy Birthday!!!

I was thinking the same thing, anybody using a Benchmark will have their ears bleeding with this. It's less of an issue at higher volume levels but the higher sensitivity is indeed not a good thing. Either Rudistor or Ciuffoli spring to mind as people who know fuck all about bias supplies as well... I can make something for you which would make that combo work.

The SR-009 will have plenty of fans but I'm starting to miss the SR-007 smoothness and more forgiving nature. This is mostly due me putting Foobar on random and it digging up all kinds of crap... While the uber detail retrieval was cool at first it has started to wear a bit thin. The SR-007 is clearly one of the most detailed transducers ever made but it's true sign of greatness is that the detail retrieval in never flaunted. It is just there for the listener to discover but with the SR-009 it is a bit like a party trick, "Have you noticed this new awesome feature?". Small issue on the grand scheme but I'm known to be just a tiny bit picky... Edit: Couple of other things, the instructions manual is the worst case of Engrish I've seen in quite a while. Stax also have a little clause that says warranty will be void if people don't report what amp they were using their cans with. Presumably this means they won't cover third party units...

Nope, just crap fakes. 5 real ones were in the bag and they test just fine.

Yeah, my fake K216's test at 0V so they aren't even mostfets...

I spent the last couple of days trying to fix the SZ3 version of the Mk2 but with only limited success while only manipulating the arcs/pads. Next step is to strip them down but especially with voices they never sound natural to my ears. The SR-009 has a tiny bit of that same feeling to me but nowhere near as bad.

There is dust inside the driver which is causing this. Since the set is new I would return it right away.

This one is a bit funny... I really should setup a FTP server with these speeds... Edit: I get this 10 min later... A bit odd...

Just got mine and first impressions are quite good. The fit is a bit on the small side for my gigantic head but that should get better with use. The build quality is stunning though, simply a joy to behold after the flimsy SR-Omega and built to a price SR-007's. Now for the sound, I got them an hour ago and the BHSE isn't even fully up and running by now, neither is the APL for that matter. First impressions do remind me a lot of the SR-Omega but a properly built one. Same open nature and the slight forward sound will also bite your hand if you push the volume too far. Just find a good volume setting and stick with it. Now what is different is the control so tiny details and instrument separation aren't lost like in the SR-Omega and the midrange is never edgy and shrill. The bass is tight and controlled but could use a bit more bloom where the material calls for it. As for being better then the SR-007, only time will tell but I'm certainly not unhappy.

Even with 100% correct fit the lowest registers will always be slightly overblown. What Stax tried to do with this unit is to have the earcups breath just a little bit so once the phones sit on the head the port is supposed to be almost closed. As with so many other brilliant ideas it doesn't really work in practice. The force on the exerted on the earpads will always depend on the size of the users head and the tension/angle of attack of the arc's. Same issue as with the Mk1 but now with the added benefit of the ports not closing properly and thus messing up the bass and midrange. I'm not sure what Stax were thinking with the Mk2.5 (SZ3) though. Rumor has it that it was a test bed for the new diaphragm material found in the SR-009 which could make sense as the drivers are certainly different. My set has been on loan for a couple of months now but the plan is to get it back and see if I can "fix" them. I've already install Mk1 springs with no real difference so it is time to plug the ports and install Mk1 earpads.

While the testing should easily show the difference between a SZ2 and SZ3 then the results of these sets could be wrong given how demanding they are of a correct fit. My mods to the Mk2/A's can be skipped simply by getting the fit right (well about 90% of the way) which would cause issues with measuring. Well that saves me buying a set. I had been watching all auctions in Japan looking for the serial numbers for a while now.

NEED CIA APPROVED MIXERS!!!!! I have one of the Kitchen Aid Professional mixers at the bakery and it isn't bad for doing stuff I can't be arsed to do by hand. I guess my front panels need to take a small trip to Headamp HQ now...

Show me pics and I can tell you for certain. Hell, just the serial number will tell me what version it is. The SR-007A should just be the Japanese market version of the SR-007Mk2 but I have never seen a SZ3-xxxx SR-007A so perhaps Stax didn't change the Japanese model and only the export version...

I thing Andy should just hand deliver my set since it is bloody freezing up here. The tube amps are just a good way of staying warm.

Yeah, there is a reason why I can't stand Yama's... If you do end up with another Mk1 I'd be willing to buy the squealing set off you. One can never have too many spare parts...