Sorry for my non-existing skills, this is my first video. I made this for anyone interested in high-end Stax headphones because there are not many reviews on youtube.
I like your approach. I wouldn't worry about the production values. What makes this video great is the depth of your knowledge and experience. I find your take on this matter both enlightening and credible.
Love this video! You basically avoid all the buzzwords other reviewers are using, and describe the sound. I can really imagine what you listen to, very nice! Only downside is, I am now not so sure anymore that my beloved Utopias are the best ....
A really great and insightful review. My experience exactly and you expressed it perfectly in my opinion. I Loved the Stax SR 007 Mk 2 ... i cried ! the L700 also lovely.
You are absolutely correct in likening the Senn HD800's treble response to be "Metallic sounding for a very good reason, the headphone is using the resonance being created by it's "Ring Radiator" (That is attached to the baffle & holds the Drivers to it). I think it is hilarious that people insist on calling these headphones as being "Analytical". It is NOT , it is creating frequency energy that doesn't exist naturally in the recorded signal. Treble frequency sound waves are shorter than lower frequency ones . It's easier to hear what is going on in the music if your playback system's "Noisefloor" is low enough to let you hear what is actually part of the music signal & what is being "Equalized" to mimic what's part of the music.
I remember coming to this video before deciding to pull the plug on the Utopia. I appreciate it. You were absolutely correct on the upfront presentation. Also, with bass heavy music, the Focals seem to not like going over about 90 db or the voice coil bottoms out. I destroyed mine, not lowering volume down when a louder mastered, bass heavy track came on, after listening to something smooth & laid back. Jude of Headfi even mentioned in the Radiance video (can’t find it on RU-vid for some reason) all of Focal’s cans do the same. I have the Meze Empyrean now, with a Silver Dragon cable. ALmost what the Utopia should’ve been, but not quite as fast of drivers. Anyhow, great classic video. I valued your input. Maybe consider doing more current. Thanks.
Hi ! thanks for the review. I find interesting that the 007 give the best rendition of voices. This should mean something. I would like to have the opportunity to try them some day. I guess the amp also is important to extract the most from a recording.
Agree and I like them both. The sound coming from the new Hifiman SUSVARA partnered with EF1000 amplifier almost identical to the Stax SR-009. IMO the built quality of the Stax is way better than the SUSVARA.
have you heard the L700 with the 353x? do you think it's too bright ? someone said the L700 are a little bright and 353X as well so the result is on the bright side? could be?
For music hi end mastering which one would you choose?Sr007 hd 800 or focal ?(i can t afford the others)The say that the 007 mk2 is less truth to the source than the original..
Here is my opinion on all the headphones I've heard and owned. I've listened to Stax 007 and Stax 009 they were both very good, but not good enough for me to take the plunge. Then I heard the L700 with the SRM 353x and I thought "...seriously...this is the sound I've been chasing for years. I own Focal, Audeze, Koss ESP 950. The Stax L700 has all those things that were missing from anything else I've ever heard. Are they too bright? absolutely not, are they bass light? Not at all!! and the mids will make you cry. If you're looking for a true to life live sound you will be thrilled with the L700/353 combo. This could be an end gamer....for now.
Hey buddy, I have the Sennheiser HD 800 S and the AKG712 pro, I was going to invest in the LCD for next but seeing as there’s not that much of a price difference between the two would I gain a lot more from 009 then the LCD for you reckon? I have previously not purchased a plane on magnetic headphones before so in that sense I will not be missing much, any advice would be greatly appreciated
why don't stax put a removable cable for any of their headphones? this is a breaking point for me. Investing 4K+ in headphones only to have the cable get damaged making the headphones unusable is not acceptable to me at this prince point.
Because the cables last forever, still a good point, it would be nice to be able to get more readily accessible aftermarket cables to avoid spending crazy money on customs.
1979Weasel Thanks for the prompt reply. Which would you say (between L700 and 007) is the best for intimate, detailed vocals? Would you say the "big presentation" detracts from the "body" of the music, like the point you made about the ss of the HD800? Thanks again!
I really don't know. You will have more details with the the 007. But a L700 system is much much cheaper, because for the 007 to sound right, you need an expensive amp. For the L700 you can get a cheap amp, so all in all you will save a lot. Having said that, I think the SR-007 combined with a KGSSHV Carbon, or a Blue Hawai SE is audio heaven. Its the holy grail for me and for a lot of people. But I cant rule out that the L700 has awesome vocals, too. Ask in the head-fi forum or read more reviews of the L700. Cheers!
totally agree with your assesment. No one reviews them because they are too good (I hate saying that). but they are.So called Reveiwers dont reveiw them because they already know there the best.Becomes quite self destructive for review sites to claim such headphones exist and there capabilities!.So its best to review normal things that always seem to get a great recommendation.
so true, I recently acquired the sr-007, and I searched everywhere for reviews but could only find a handful, most of them many years old. Its like Stax doesn't really exist lol.
Bollocks they don't not review them because 'they're too good' rather too expensive to buy and review. Stax don't do review units to my knowledge hence only a handful of reviews when someone lends them out. This set up is over $9000 US where I live which is out of reach for 99.9% 0f audio lovers - for headphones at least.
im torn right now i own hd 800 and im thinking of selling it and buying stax sr007 but idk. i can not them them first and i do not want to blindy buy headphones at this price.
i've owned the hd800, 007 mk2, and 009. One common problem with the hd800 and 009 is that they're both picky about amps. The 007 is not. They will sound great even on a signal converter like the woo wee. The sound is very laid back and warm, yet has a nice sparkle in the treble. They are on par with the hd800 in terms of detail retrieval, the bass on the 007 is much more present than the hd800 and has good punch for an e-stat, yet there is some looseness sometimes called the "stax fart". It's only slight looseness when compared to other similarly priced headphones though. The hd800 has the best sound stage and imaging of any headphone in the world though, and the 007 do not match up to it in either of those categories. The slightly rolled off treble and warmer overall presentation of the music makes the 007 much more pleasant to listen to. In terms of vocal fidelity and realism, no sound system I've ever heard can reproduce what the 007's achieve, to include the 009 on a Blue Hawaii. Instruments like cello, and bass guitar have this incredible sense of power to them. They sound very intimate, and very powerful without being fatiguing. If you like a bright pair of headphones stick with the hd800, but if you enjoy a warmer, more intimate experience go for the stax. They're fantastic and I would gladly recommend them over the hd800.
Mrnerd567 Hi, thank you for this information, I’m looking for a pair of headphones for gaming, movies and casual music listening. I want the headphones that give me the feeling that I have surround sound speakers when I watch movies. Can you tell me which pair of headphones and amp can give me that experience? Thank you in advance.
Finally a review on these headphones (headspeakers). Have been looking everywhere but not many reviews of Stax as you say. Would really like to see a detailed review of L700, SR-700mk2 vs SR-900. Have a L500 myself and looking to upgrade.
can you please help with deciding between the SRM 353X and SRM 006ts amp?, I want to pair it with the L300 and maybe the L700 later on..... i know the 006 is a tube amp.. which is better? as far as sound goes? a solid state or a tube amp with the L300? can anyone tell me? Thanks.?
yes, but it's bright sounding... the question is if it wouldn't be too bright with the L700? (I heard they are on the bright side...) what do you think? or perhaps we should wait for Zeos review on the L700 and amps... (coming soon)
have you heard the L700? from what i heard the sr007 are more refined, organic, warm sounding, where l700 has that more engaging signature of the stax...?
Yes, I heard both. What you said is correct, also, the 007 are more transparent. But you need the most powerful amp you can get. The L700 is cheaper and its amp, too.
Yes, with the KGSSHV carbon you would not dare call it dark. Resolution from the headphone being properly driven is what reveals the ample top end, not that the amp is bright.
Stax will not reveal you everything; even Hifiman Arya is able to extract more lower reguster detail, plus of course the bass extends all the way down unlike on a Stax. Staxes produce a narrow, thin presentstion that lacks body and impact. On some classical recordings, Staxes sound altogether lacking. They are fine for pop and rock.
okay haha, just looking to get a KGSSHV. I have been told several times over that the srm 007TII doesn't drive the sr-007 very well, that the Gilmore amps take it to a whole other level
I think in the end, you should listen and decide for yourself. The difference is clearly audible and the KGSSHV Carbon is one of the best amps out there, no doubt.
Get the Carbon first. SR 007 with the Carbon is Audio Heaven! To me, it's better than the SR009 with any amp. But there are other opinions. Some prefer the 007, some the 009. I owned both and I clearly prefer the 007 now. Its amazing. The 009, to me, is a bit distant and not involving.
Many people consider the TOP Stax cans to be the best sounding headphones, but other people prefer something else. I know the lcds and I don't like them, the he1000 is supposed to be very smooth, too.
@@1979Weasel oh wow, could you tell us more on the differences between the stax and the Abyss? A video would be incredible, haven't seen a detailed comparison like the one in this vid and your perspective is really interesting. If not, please comment in what ways Abyss excels
