catscratch

Yarr I'll keep you posted to be sure.

Nice, seems like the ES7 design ethic in a full-size package. I wonder what kind of sound AT is going for, sounding closer to a W5000 or L3000. Not that I need a high-end closed dynamic headphone, but more high end AT = good.

Happy birthday! Will raise a for you this weekend.

Holy crap those mods are expensive! They better do the deal, because the competition in the used market at that pricepoint is fierce!

That's very similar to how I feel about the 840c - very good and a great bargain, but 2 distinct flaws: abundant digital glare which messes up instrument tone, and insufficient weight/fullness in the mids and on down. It's a very capable source, detailed, airy, and spatious, but a little too thin, a bit harsh, and with some metallic/digital quality to the sound. Can't think of anything better for $1k but still has some room to go before it gets to the high end.

Well, the point of Worms was more the humor. There were some good arcade skills involved too, rope-jumping for instance and it was a lot of fun. I remember Cybersled. I used to play that a ton when there were still arcade machines in functional condition... about 10 years ago, maybe more. I really loved that game. This does look really addictive.

Seems like a very solid unit, congrats. I'd like to ask for some short impressions against the 840c once you get it. I'm still in the source-swapping stage for my rig, and if the Opus 21 doesn't work out, it would be nice to know the alternatives.

Sweet! Thanks for putting me on the list, and thanks for doing this! It's unbelievably generous. Also, these cans could very well be very important in the high-end market if they really are good, and it will be very helpful to the community to have a solid base of impressions right at release time.

I would love to go on the 1.2B loaner list, if possible. System will be Opus 21 --> SRM-717 or SRD-7 Pro/Dared VP-20, and comparisons against O2 Mk1 will be made. Let me know.

FFS, head-fi is this way --> www.head-fi.org It's hard to recommend stuff under $100, most of it sucks. I like the SR-60, but that's not closed. I have to agree, if you want sturdy, 7506 is the way to go. A500 is also not bad. I don't know about ultra sturdy, I'm guessing those swivel joints could crack and the headband attachment could be more secure. I gave a pair to a friend who's probably the sloppiest person with electronics I've ever met, and his pair survived for about 3 years, until he - briefly - roomed with one crazy son of a bitch that tore the cable apart for reasons we'll never know. So, I'd say it's pretty sturdy. The sound is not bad for $100, and the only downside is the size. This headphone is seriously huge (but very light).

Lots of psytrance has sub-bass basslines that are designed for large dance-floor systems that can replicate it. Listen to early Hallucinogen and Cosmosis on a generic system and you'd swear there isn't any meaningful bass, but then put it on something with actual presence in the deep bass region and whoa

This looks promising. Not sure about the longevity, but I love the idea of a themed cooperative multiplayer FPS. More people should do that. Most shooters these days are just generic "realistic" crap that seems to forget the idea that realistic combat is not fun. Looking forward to QuakeLive mainly, but this could be a good diversion for a while.

Anything seriously spicy. I love spicy, but apparently the stomach has other ideas.

Rather partial to Don Julio myself. Overpriced, but very good. I've pretty much depleted the local Don Julio stock between me and a few friends.

There are a few things that could account for what you're hearing: 1) Source. If you want the 717 to sound romantic, get a romantic source. If you want neutral, use a neutral source. If you want fast, detailed, analytical, and bright, get something that sounds like that. But above all else, if you want good, then get a good source. I'm not sure what you're driving them with, but I'm sure that you can tune them to sound whichever way you want, and sources are the best way to do that. 2) Expectations. This is a neutral headphone, and the 717 is very slightly warm, and slightly lacking in bass control and dynamic range. But basically, it all is very close to neutral. So, if you're used to a euphonic sound signature that exaggerates macrodynamics, then this will not do for you until your ears adjust to the sound. 3) Music. This headphone will lack dynamic range when your music lacks dynamic range. It will sound grainy and compressed when your music is grainy and compressed. But put on something that's good, and it will take your breath away. Even out of the 717, the O2 can blow you away with its impact and macrodynamics when you have a recording that's not brickwalled and dynamically compressed to hell and back. I have a lot of high-quality electronic albums, and the detail, dynamic range, bass, and overall fluid, analog quality to the sound is absolutely mesmerizing. The O2 is an ultimately neutral transducer that errs somewhat on the side of lushness and has a slightly laidback sound. It's very difficult to drive and becomes dark and congested when there isn't enough power. But when it's driven perfectly, it will still only tell you exactly what your source is doing, and what your music is doing, while adding only a slight degree of lushness. The O2 Mk2 unfortunately has some colorations and irregularities in its FR which compromise its mission. But, on the other hand, it is *slightly* easier to drive. I say do this: take your O2 and 717 to a high-end audio retailer, and audition whatever sources you can get your hands on. And by this, I mean real high-quality machines. You won't have to buy something on the spot then and there, but it will give you an idea of the extent to which the O2 responds to source chance. And if you still don't like it, don't fret, since there are a lot more electrostatics where that came from. If you can afford O2/717 then your choices are nearly limitless. HE60, ESP950, SR-Omega, SR-Lambda/Lambda Signature, 4070, there are a lot of headphones that could have your name on them, and the 717 will do a respectable job with just about all of them. Lastly, the 717 is adequate for the O2 but it's not ideal. KGSS or Blue Hawaii will take it to the next level - but if you don't like the O2 to begin with, then chances are you're better off with something else.

The only thing I'd add to this is that it's hardly discreet. One thing is discreetly wearing custom IEMs in your helmet, but it's another thing to brandish all sorts of outlandish gear that's bound to get questions should you get on the wrong side of John Q. Law. Personally, I wouldn't use a setup like this, but then again I do drive like a madman. In the event of porcine intervention, I like to look respectable

I did like the Mk2 on its own, but it doesn't do well in comparison to the Mk1 and it certainly isn't worth a $2k price tag. I think a better solution for the time being would be to ditch the Mk2 and get the Mk1. That will solve a lot of the bass issues. The Mk1 doesn't have the midbass boost, and it's also much more extended in the deep bass, going deeper in fact than anything I've heard. Now, the SRM-1 Mk2 probably isn't going to turn the O2 into a bass monster, and won't be able to control things as tightly as it should, but the BHSE will be another story. And as a plus, right now, you can still get the O2 Mk1 for less than the Mk2 costs, so you'll come out ahead monetarily. At least until the world catches on and Mk1 prices skyrocket, which, sure as I'm still single, they will do. And, you'll get a much nicer midrange tone too. The Mk1 has probably the best midrange in the business. The Mk2 suffers from the same coloration as the SR-404, but to a lesser degree. Edit: now that Stax have gone ahead and messed up the O2, what does that leave us with as the best in-production 'stat? The 4070? The ESP950? Certainly not any of the lower-tier Stax. Yet more reasons why I hope HEaudio gets it right.

I just read that. Holy shit. The power for abuse is absolutely amazing. What a nice legacy our current administration will leave - this, and the Patriot act. I vote, but it seems that this by itself is not enough. What else can I do?

I think that having Mr. He as a member of this forum is a very good idea, as long as he doesn't get turned off by our antics. Can anybody get in touch with him?

Well, he doesn't claim they're the best headphones ever. All he seems to say is that they offer above-average sound, solid bass, are comfy, and isolate. I tend to agree, even with the "above average sound" part. Sure, to us audiophiles they sound like shit, but compared to junk like Bose and whatever else the average consumer uses... they're not bad.

It's not powerful enough to control the bass and really wake the phones up. It's a good amp for Lambdas and other phones that are easier to drive, but the O2 is very difficult to drive and needs a lot more power to sound dynamic and for the bass to be tightly controlled. If you're looking to spend 007t-level money, get the 717. It's not going to do a perfect job either, but it's probably the only amp I'd use with the 007 that's under $1k. It has a warmer tonality than many solid-state amps and in general sounds pretty fluid, so you won't be missing the tube sound - as long as your source is up to par. The alternative would be a transformer box, and if you have a top-notch speaker amp, I'd go that route, but otherwise, I'd take the 717. Now that my source doesn't suck (as much) I definitely prefer the 717 over the transformer box. It's more detailed, more dynamic, has better control over the bass, and is in general more transparent. I had a very detailed comparison some pages back in this thread.

Damn, that's some GOOD acid. Oh, and a nice dubstep track, too.

Yeah, that "we're the best" bit turned me off. Seems like that sort of thing should belong in a paid-for thread where everybody knows it's advertising, but hey, that's head-fi for you. I for one am hoping that they actually do a good job and make something that sounds right, if only to motivate Stax to get their act together. Being better than the O2 Mk1 is a long shot but better than the Mk2 isn't that hard. I do remember a meet-impressions thread where the 1.2b, 1.3b, and a whole bunch of other stats were compared back to back. Most people preferred the 1.2b over the O2 (there were both Mk1 and Mk2 versions), though reading between the lines, it looks like the O2 was driven by a 007t or ES1 in most cases and wasn't in a good rig. I'd like to hear one, but I'm not shelling out money for it. Next meet, maybe, if I ever get my ass out to one.

You're never judged by your intentions. You're judged by your actions, or as the case may be, your posts. You may not have intended the "negativities" which you say you were accused of, but that's how your posts were read.

Nice, hope you get it. I can't think of a better home for a T2 anyway.