Holy Crap! The New Stax Omega Looks fierce! (Stax SR-009)

[Voltron]

Comparison Day!

First up, The Holy Trinity.

[deepak]

^^^^

Winning!

[Hopstretch]

Nice stand!

[n_maher]

Looks like a good day, assuming there's a beverage or 3 involved.

[ujamerstand]

Winning!

My god. This is not just winning. This is TRIWINNING.

[mikeymad]

show no mercy Al

[morphsci]

Thrice nice!

[Jon L]

My god. This is not just winning. This is TRIWINNING.

B. a. s. T.e. r. D

envy by drjlo2, on Flickr

[screaming oranges]

And Al said "Let there be Stax." And there was Stax.

[johnwmclean]

[screaming oranges]

btw, I still love the look of the Omega best of all. Even more than that of the 009.

[spritzer]

Now that's what I'd call mafia approved pics!! I've been holding off the comparisons while I finish my backlog of headphones I need to refurbish but it should be soon. Now if some idiot hadn't damaged the paint on this Sigma then I'd have a Sigma/303 to compare against...

[robm321]

Al reigns supreme!

[manaox2]

Amazing pics Al, am envious. I expect the tests will be supplemented well by the supplication and rittenhouse as planned.

[Tyll Hertsens]

I think the SR-009 is the best headphone I've ever heard. It's about the only headphone that has good treble response, but no apparent area of exageration. Smoove as a baby's butt. The lowest notes aren't quite up to Audez'e extention and punch, but boy these do very very well for an estat.

Currently have this gear on my kitchen table:

HeadAmp Blue Hawaii ($1248.75); Apex Audio Pinnacle ($10,000); Wadia 861SE CD Player ($9,950); Stax Sr-009 ($5200); Stax SR-007, Mk1 late version ($2600 for current MK2); Sennheiser HD 800 ($1499); Audez'e LCD-2 late Rev 1 ($995); HiFiMAN HE-6 ($1199); HiFiMAN HE-500 ($899).

That's $32,000+!!!

Comparitive review of some of the world's best headphones (you tell me if there are any missing) within the next 12 hours.

Miles to go before I sleep.

[n_maher]

I think you've got the price wrong on the BHSE, Tyll. If memory serves it's $5000.

Edit - just checked, the $1248.75 is for a 1/4 deposit.

[screaming oranges]

That's correct. I didn't spring the additional grand for the Alps RK50. ($4995 for the BHSE).

Also, a bit off-topic: not what most audiophiles would listen to, but I didn't develop the full respect I have now for electrostatics until I heard metal (and related sub-genres) through the OII's. It's all about speed.

Edited September 24, 2011 by screaming oranges

[Tyll Hertsens]

Oooops! I just copied the price on HeadAmp site, now I see that that's just the 1/4 down payment. Looks like $4995 total? 5995 w/RK50? Justin?

(I thought my first number seemed like a brgain.)

So $37k+ .... what's a coupla grand here or there?

Edited September 24, 2011 by Tyll Hertsens

[Tyll Hertsens]

Justin's site says $1248.75 1/4 down w/o RK50. My math says that's $4995 total.

[HiWire]

That's a fantastic collection, Tyll. Enjoy the music.

[arnaud]

Tyll, very much looking forward to your review! Same for the other experienced people here actually, Voltron you got a few comparisons to make

[Hopstretch]

I think the SR-009 is the best headphone I've ever heard.

Pfft. But, like, how many headphones have you heard, noob?

[Tyll Hertsens]

^^^ Fuck off, shorty.

Here you go: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/comparing-world-class-headphones

[complin]

Comparitive review of some of the world's best headphones (you tell me if there are any missing) within the next 12 hours.

Miles to go before I sleep.

Err well yes actually....... if you are not talking about those in current production, the Sony MDR-R10, Lambda Nova Signature and Stax Sigma of course

Edited September 25, 2011 by complin

[TMoney]

Awesome job on the review Tyll!

I remember getting back from seeing a jazz quartet at the Village Vanguard a few weeks ago and throwing on the 009s to listen to one of the quartets older albums. Seriously... after listening to a 90 minute live set it was hard to tell the difference between the live set and the 009s playing the album. On Jazz they just seemed that good. The detail and tonality the 009s can present make them very hard to distinguish from the real deal.

I didn't want to post about it at the time because it sounded way too corny and because I'm generally skeptical of my own impressions, but after reading your review it's nice to know that I'm not totally crazy. They really are Jazz monsters.

Edited September 25, 2011 by TMoney