Tachikoma Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Hrmm, interesting food for thought, thanks. I've heard the SR-404 Limited actually though and didn't really like it, something about it didn't sit with me. I'll look into either the 4070 or a Lambda Sig then. SR-X Pro is out for me, I'd prefer to not hunt down a rare item. The SR-X Pro doesn't really have a treble-tilted response at all Character-wise they're extremely similar to the normal bias SR-Xmk3 - it just has a bit more bass to round things up on the bottom end. The lambda sig is the headphone for you, I guess. The treble tilt (at least with a weaker amp like the T1S) did not sit well with me.
wrecked_porsche Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Is there a stat headphone that sounds at least a little like the Qualia 010? (In other words, very treble-tilted.) I've been doing a sort of comparison of my OII/BHSE setup against my dynamic headphones (AD2000, Qualia, HP2....and actually the JH13 too) and have found a gaping sonic hole in the OII as far as my preferences go. To its credit, the OII can cover a huge range of my CD collection on its own but I find myself missing the treble of the Qualia when I listen to certain CDs. I did hear both the SR-Omega and 4070 some weeks ago at the NorCal meet but my memory of those headphones has faded and I wasn't using the BHSE with those (rather the WES). FWIW, I did own the O2mk1 + 717 setup with the Lambda Signature + T1 setup side by side. I ditched the O2mk1 in favor of the Lambda Sigs. The O2mk1, I felt, was a very very good headphone from the technical aspect, it
Currawong Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Add the Lambda Nova Signature to the above list. With a 007t and tube dampers, it does everything except a HD-800 style wide headstage. The 4070 has better mids though IMO, but sounds more closed (obviously).
digger945 Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 The 4070 has better mids though IMO, but sounds more closed (obviously). And the soundstage/headstage of the 4070 for you?
Elephas Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Is it a good idea to use 6SN7 tubes in an SRM-T1W using adapters? Well, I'm using a pair of Sylvania 6SN7GTB tubes in an SRM-T1W right now, so let me know quickly if this will blow up the amp. The cover can't be closed due to the height of the adapters plus tubes. The Jade is sounding quite good with this configuration.
Elephas Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Ugh, the SR-Omega is sounding not so good with SRM-T1W and 6SN7GTB tubes. Hmm. Well, I am listening to Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff, after all. It isn't easy to make them sound good, you know. -- Driven by the BHSE, the Jade, SR-Omega, HE90 and HE60 are all brighter and have more treble energy than the O2mk1 or O2mk2. Any of them would be a nice complement to an O2. Currently, still without much listening time with any of the headphones, my picks would be either the Jade or SR-Omega. I haven't even tried the 4070, though. It isn't one of my favorites.
spritzer Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 The Lambda Sig is a solid choice but so is the 4070, HE60 and SR-SC1 for a livelier treble response. Is it a good idea to use 6SN7 tubes in an SRM-T1W using adapters? Well, I'm using a pair of Sylvania 6SN7GTB tubes in an SRM-T1W right now, so let me know quickly if this will blow up the amp. The cover can't be closed due to the height of the adapters plus tubes. The Jade is sounding quite good with this configuration. In theory it should work just fine given how similar the tubes are but I would monitor the temperature of the amp carefully to see if the transformer gets too hot from any extra current draw.
mypasswordis Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 The SR-X Pro doesn't really have a treble-tilted response at all Character-wise they're extremely similar to the normal bias SR-Xmk3 - it just has a bit more bass to round things up on the bottom end. Ah, thanks for this. I remembered wrong, then. You could also consider an SR-5 gold edition which are kinda like your SR-X but with a better soundstage. I haven't heard an SR-X but the SR-5 Gold certainly is not treble tilted at all, in my experience. Very mids-oriented with a bit of a treble roll-off, and a decently fat mid-bass that doesn't extend much past that.
HeadphoneAddict Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 FWIW, I did own the O2mk1 + 717 setup with the Lambda Signature + T1 setup side by side. I ditched the O2mk1 in favor of the Lambda Sigs. The O2mk1, I felt, was a very very good headphone from the technical aspect, it’s certainly the most detailed (among other things) I've heard thus far. However, I felt the exact same way you do; the treble is just not "vivid" enough for me. Neutrality be dammed, I prefer my headphones to be colored. I loved the Lambda Sigs out of both the T1 as well as the 717. With the 717, everything is crisper and there is MOAR detail and better control of the bass. With the T1, the bass is just a touch more out of control ... The most significant change going from the T1 to the 717 with the Lambda Sig is the improvement in detail retrieval. I fed the four of them (T1, 717, O2mk1 and L. Sig) with my Pioneer SACD player, a headamp pico, an iBasso D1 and a Samsung Z98G CDP. I always admired the O2mk1’s technical ability but I found that I enjoyed the Lambda Sigs more. With the O2mk1, I was always analyzing the song; with the Lambda Sig I was enjoying the song. The O2mk1 also always felt a little too dark; oh the treble detail was there alright, but somehow it was just not sparkly enough for me. Oh... and my current most favorite dynamic headphone right now is the AD2000. I liked the ES7 very much too if those counts for anything. Favorite Stat = Lambda Sig, favorite dynamic = AD2000. I’d babble on some more, but I’ve got to rush off somewhere now. So, um yeah, go get the Lambda Signature, would love to hear your thoughts on it compared to the AD2000. IIRC, HPA says the Lambda Sigs don’t sound too nice on the BH (IIANM) though and that it sounds better on his Woo amp. The Lambda Sig also sounded good with the SRM-T1 but was a little brighter with the SRM-1 Mk2 Pro but useable - and with Elephas's ES-1 at the 2008 CO meet the Lambda Sig sounded better than the O2 Mk1 (mikhail couldn't fidn the right tubes to make the O2 sound good, I posted that last summer in the meet impressions). I haven't heard them on a KGBH SE though, and I don't think I recall hearing them on a regular KGBH either. The Sigs do sound different than the SR-404 limited in that the SR-404 lower midrange and mid-midrange seemed more forward than the other lambdas. The SR-404 mids were more like an O2 Mk2 mids after the ear pad spring mod, in a sense covering up the upper mids etch when combined with the GES. Compared to the SR-Lambda the Signature had more highs, and more bass presence as well, without having the mids too sucked out like the Pro's. HE60 might be another one to consider as well. You can hear mine at RMAF in a month.
HeadphoneAddict Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 I haven't heard an SR-X but the SR-5 Gold certainly is not treble tilted at all, in my experience. Very mids-oriented with a bit of a treble roll-off, and a decently fat mid-bass that doesn't extend much past that. My SR-5 gold edition have more treble than the SR-3 that I had which DO fit your description to a "t". I've had two pairs of gold edition, ones with the cloth cable and the ribbon cable version I have now, and both have more treble than an O2 Mk1. I'd say the Gold's treble is similar to the SR-5 that I had (but with much better bass), and mine probably have as much treble as my Lambdas. The amount maybe falls between that of my Lambdas and my old Lambda Signature. My Smegma Pro are my brightest Stax right now, and I think at least as bright as my Signatures were, while before the Smeggy mods it sounded closer being a pro bias SR-3 and midrange centric. Maybe some of the difference we hear are due to amps and sources, or tubes, etc.
deepak Posted August 28, 2009 Report Posted August 28, 2009 Can someone post the picture with instructions on changing the sr-007 MK1 earpads? It seems to have disappeared off my web host
mypasswordis Posted September 1, 2009 Report Posted September 1, 2009 Asr, someone is selling a pair of SR-X MkIII for what I think is a good price on HF and I just so happen to have a pair of Alpha Pro Excellent drivers laying around. Not only that, luvdunhill offered to send me some Koss ribbon cable, which ain't the best but better than the crappy cloth cables of ye olden Staxen. Just say the word and I'll get right on making some form of SR-X Pro if you're interested in buying. If not, I might just make it for myself at my leisure. And then possibly end up with two, since I bought the materials to make another from Carl awhile back.
Currawong Posted September 1, 2009 Report Posted September 1, 2009 And the soundstage/headstage of the 4070 for you? I only recall it being pretty narrow. I don't want to guess how much narrower than a regular lambda though as it was a few months ago.
HeadphoneAddict Posted September 1, 2009 Report Posted September 1, 2009 Asr, someone is selling a pair of SR-X MkIII for what I think is a good price on HF and I just so happen to have a pair of Alpha Pro Excellent drivers laying around. Not only that, luvdunhill offered to send me some Koss ribbon cable, which ain't the best but better than the crappy cloth cables of ye olden Staxen. Just say the word and I'll get right on making some form of SR-X Pro if you're interested in buying. If not, I might just make it for myself at my leisure. And then possibly end up with two, since I bought the materials to make another from Carl awhile back. Asr already has an SR-X Mk3 to act as host, if he decides to go pro bias...
spritzer Posted September 3, 2009 Report Posted September 3, 2009 I finally received my SR-404LE today and first impressions are quite good from the T2. They are certainly 404's but there does appear to be less of a midrange etch then on the standard model (the earpads are quite a bit thinner so that could be a part of it) and on the whole it is quite nice. Very nice smell of leather. Nothing to complain about after a couple of hours while I try to salvage the most fucked up set of Lambdas I've ever come across. Somebody must have stomped on them and then tried to fix the mess... quite badly. Well the drivers appear to work...
Sherwood Posted September 3, 2009 Report Posted September 3, 2009 Glad to hear that, Birgir. My impressions of them under meet conditions were very similar. Gobs of resolution, like a 404, without as much of the etch. What amount is there is easily within my tolerances of enjoyment.
Duggeh Posted September 3, 2009 Report Posted September 3, 2009 I finally received my SR-404LE today and first impressions are quite good from the T2. They are certainly 404's but there does appear to be less of a midrange etch then on the standard model (the earpads are quite a bit thinner so that could be a part of it) and on the whole it is quite nice. Very nice smell of leather. Nothing to complain about after a couple of hours while I try to salvage the most fucked up set of Lambdas I've ever come across. Somebody must have stomped on them and then tried to fix the mess... quite badly. Well the drivers appear to work... STILL no donor frame for the SFI line array then.
HeadphoneAddict Posted September 4, 2009 Report Posted September 4, 2009 I finally received my SR-404LE today and first impressions are quite good from the T2. They are certainly 404's but there does appear to be less of a midrange etch then on the standard model (the earpads are quite a bit thinner so that could be a part of it) and on the whole it is quite nice. Very nice smell of leather. Nothing to complain about after a couple of hours... Glad to hear that, Birgir. My impressions of them under meet conditions were very similar. Gobs of resolution, like a 404, without as much of the etch. What amount is there is easily within my tolerances of enjoyment. I said the same thing about them after the CO meet.
Elephas Posted September 4, 2009 Report Posted September 4, 2009 Who cares about SR-404 versus SR-404LE? We want SR-404LE versus Airbow SR-SC1!
spritzer Posted September 4, 2009 Report Posted September 4, 2009 One interesting thing about the LE are the earpads. They look a lot like the ones used on the prototype set featured in many brochures back in '79. Same slim, square shape and the seams are in the same places. The earpads are quite a bit thinner then the normal 404 pads and that makes them a bit less comfortable for me with my rather large ears. It also appears to solve the midrange etch issue but they are still very bright. This might actually be a Lambda that I'll keep... \ STILL no donor frame for the SFI line array then. Sure looks that way. It's an SR-202 and it's gone through hell, the arc was broken in a few places and held together by tape and the hinges to attach the housings were broken so the owner just used some screws... Who cares about SR-404 versus SR-404LE? We want SR-404LE versus Airbow SR-SC1! ...and we are still waiting. I know that you ordered the LE!!!!!
Elephas Posted September 5, 2009 Report Posted September 5, 2009 Ah, erm, I cancelled my order for the SR-404LE. I thought it was just a 404 with leather pads and a different cable, how different could they be? Last week at a local shop I did see a 404LE box there. They're having a special sale of the 404LE + 717 combo. I thought the 717 was discontinued, but apparently they still have some.
spritzer Posted September 5, 2009 Report Posted September 5, 2009 That's what I thought as well but... \ I've been comparing it side by side against the SR-202 I just brought back to life (I just have to adopt broken headphones and fix them... ) and the LE is like a more sensitive version of that with moar detail and deeper bass. While not as super smooth as the 007 there are less apparent colorations then in the 404. Ohh and if the price is right on the 717 I'd pick one up. It's a great amp and you will have no problem selling it on. It's discontinued but I prefer it to the newer 727.
Elephas Posted September 5, 2009 Report Posted September 5, 2009 Yeah, it would be nice to have a relatively small SS amp around. I think the 404LE + 717 combo is selling for around $1800. That could buy a few good EL34 instead. They have 717, 727 and 007tII demo units. I brought my Jade over to have them install heatshrink over the Y-split, and then plugged it into the 717 briefly to compare with an SR-404. I thought the Jade won quite easily.
Deadneddz Posted September 5, 2009 Report Posted September 5, 2009 The LE's sound like a good compliment to the SR-007, i'm seriously considering putting down for the next he60 that shows up, but the prices are too insane to consider that seriously. I know that the T1 is not a great match for the O2, especially considering that past 9 o'clock it becomes ever so slightly edgy and loses focus, but goddamn the O2s are just too polite for me in the treble region. SR-404LTD or HE60? The answer is probably SR-Omega.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now