The Headcase Stax thread

[Mach3]

Would have preferred they call it SR-ΩX to pay homage to the original.

Anyone with the Ω planning to get the X9000 to compare?

[Long Way Around]

Is the model name to indicate that it's 1,000 times better than the 009?

If that's the case, then the price is a total bargain! Otherwise it would have looked as if their pricing is further and further detached from reality.... imagine that!

[spritzer]

I truly don't get the name... why 9000?  The TOTL amp is the T8000 so is this 1000 better...?  Doesn't make any sense and is actually worse than the names I come up with... 

[Hugo]

15 hours ago, Oneguy said:

At Fujiya Avic? If so then I may have to head up there. 

I tried, but wasn’t able to schedule. All slots were already taken

I will be at e-earphone on 10/8.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Hugo

[greenpips]

[mrmarbach]

3 hours ago, spritzer said:

I truly don't get the name... why 9000?

It’s obvious: it’s the Euro price in US Dollars. 
 

Seriously: they want €7250 from me in Germany. Justin’s price equates to €4929, which plus VAT is €5858. 
 

What’s the other €1400 for? Is it perchance a tax on stupidity?

[Mach3]

X9000 because it tops the 9000. X is eXtreme version of 9000. It nice looking and all but I don't get why they didn't bling it up a tad. Where the plain Jane headband meets the gimble with Stax lettering and indication of left or right.

Or maybe ditched the stainless steel all together with full carbon all round for weight reduction.

[Covered_Ears]

8 hours ago, greenpips said:

No, that's for the sequel to this model, the X9001!

[nopants]

I have one of Birgir's Omegas, I'm mildly curious to compare the O1 O2 and X

That price tag is brutal though

[naiy8oaY]

12 hours ago, mrmarbach said:

It’s obvious: it’s the Euro price in US Dollars. 
 

Seriously: they want €7250 from me in Germany. Justin’s price equates to €4929, which plus VAT is €5858. 
 

What’s the other €1400 for? Is it perchance a tax on stupidity?

Maybe. It's not taxes or duties anyway, since those are 0% for headphones. In Denmark, the X9000 is offered for 49999 DKK, or about 6724 EUR. Still 600€ more (at 25% VAT), but maybe there are other countries with more reasonable distributors.

[Mach3]

3 hours ago, nopants said:

I have one of Birgir's Omegas, I'm mildly curious to compare the O1 O2 and X

That price tag is brutal though

I'm sure if you're patient, Birgir will buy an X9000 and tell us all how good or shit it is, maybe even pull it apart. Birgir still got a few SR-Ω lying around to compared?

Edited September 18, 2021 by Mach3

[spritzer]

I'm sure we could do a comparison like that. 

Edited September 18, 2021 by spritzer

[l_santista]

On 9/17/2021 at 5:00 AM, spritzer said:

I truly don't get the name... why 9000?  The TOTL amp is the T8000 so is this 1000 better...?  Doesn't make any sense and is actually worse than the names I come up with... 

because they know you are working on the carbon 9k!!

[Juansan2]

One thing I personally notice listening to the 007mk2 is that when I crank the volume a little higher than my usual they seem to sound a bit little bit muddier/lose resolution. Is this a physical limitation of the headphones or could it be that the amp runs out of steam at higher volumes?

[Kiats]

12 hours ago, naiy8oaY said:

Maybe. It's not taxes or duties anyway, since those are 0% for headphones. In Denmark, the X9000 is offered for 49999 DKK, or about 6724 EUR. Still 600€ more (at 25% VAT), but maybe there are other countries with more reasonable distributors.

Even in Asia, the price will be higher than the US price. Last I checked it will be around US$6700. The mark up can’t be for added logistics cost. 😂

5 hours ago, spritzer said:

I'm sure we could do a comparison like that. 

Look forward to that, Birgir! Before we all do anything irrationally exuberant 😇

[Monya]

Advertised at £5395 in the UK (so far).

[spritzer]

3 hours ago, Juansan2 said:

One thing I personally notice listening to the 007mk2 is that when I crank the volume a little higher than my usual they seem to sound a bit little bit muddier/lose resolution. Is this a physical limitation of the headphones or could it be that the amp runs out of steam at higher volumes?

It really depends on how loud we are talking but yeah, most amps start to fall apart when you push them with the 007's. 

[naiy8oaY]

1 hour ago, Kiats said:

Even in Asia, the price will be higher than the US price. Last I checked it will be around US$6700. The mark up can’t be for added logistics cost. 😂

Another cause for different prices is the duration of the warranty / guarantee. It's at least 2 years in the EU, but only 1 year in the US and Japan, if I'm not mistaken.

[Juansan2]

2 hours ago, spritzer said:

It really depends on how loud we are talking but yeah, most amps start to fall apart when you push them with the 007's. 

Thanks Spritzer, it’s not a huge change but enough to be noticeable on some tracks.
 

So am I correct in thinking that on top of all the other benefits of the Carbon that we discussed, the increased current availability from it would also help resolve that issue?

[spritzer]

Yup

[Juansan2]

1 hour ago, spritzer said:

Yup

Thanks so much (as always) for your help!

[Kiats]

9 hours ago, Juansan2 said:

Thanks Spritzer, it’s not a huge change but enough to be noticeable on some tracks.
 

So am I correct in thinking that on top of all the other benefits of the Carbon that we discussed, the increased current availability from it would also help resolve that issue?

I am using one of Mjolnir Audio’s Carbon and so am a stranger to this issue you are facing with the 007s. The 007s Mk2, in particular, have been accused of having recessed mids. I will confess that I faced that issue with my previous amps. Hence I was very pleasantly surprised when I started using the Carbon almost 2 years back. The 007s sound much more balanced now.  

[Juansan2]

10 hours ago, Kiats said:

I am using one of Mjolnir Audio’s Carbon and so am a stranger to this issue you are facing with the 007s. The 007s Mk2, in particular, have been accused of having recessed mids. I will confess that I faced that issue with my previous amps. Hence I was very pleasantly surprised when I started using the Carbon almost 2 years back. The 007s sound much more balanced now.  

I’m using one of his modified SRM-717s and I’m actually really happy with it and the advice he gave me (especially considering it was initially going to be paired to an L700 and not the 007 mk2s as I was initially looking for an electrostatic alternative to my Audeze planar magnetics, not to actually replacing them, which is what I ended up doing because to my ears they didn’t sound as good as the Stax).
 

But then as I got into it more and from what I have read here and elsewhere and discussing the situation with him I know I can do better and that is what I’m aiming to do. Fortunately I have started working again after a year of being stuck home so buying a carbon or a carbon CC is now much more than just a pipe dream and however good the X9000 may be the amplifier is my next upgrade. Hopefully by Christmas 🎄

Edited September 19, 2021 by Juansan2

[Kiats]

2 hours ago, Juansan2 said:

I’m using one of his modified SRM-717s and I’m actually really happy with it and the advice he gave me (especially considering it was initially going to be paired to an L700 and not the 007 mk2s as I was looking for an electrostatic alternative to my Audeze planar magnetics, not to actually replacing them which is what I ended up doing because to my ears they didn’t sound as good).
 

But then as I got into it more and from what I have read here and elsewhere and discussing the situation with him I know I can do better and that is what I’m aiming to down. Fortunately I have started working again after a year of being stuck home so buying a carbon or a carbon CC is now much more than just a pipe dream and however good the X9000 may be the amplifier is my next upgrade. Hopefully by Christmas 🎄

Yes. Birgir is a great guy to deal with. No overselling and his recommendations are always appropriate to your use case. And so patient. I discussed with him on and off for about a year before I picked up the Carbon.  

Edited September 19, 2021 by Kiats
Typo

[Juansan2]

54 minutes ago, Kiats said:

Yes. Birgir is a great guy to deal with. No overselling and his recommendations are always appropriate to your use case. And so patient. I discussed with him on and off for about a year before I picked up the Carbon.  

Couldn’t agree more