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.
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 TH-cam 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.
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 ....
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.
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..
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
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.
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!
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.
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)
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? 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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
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.
Extremely lucid. Thanks.
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.
Stax SR 009 plus Mjolner kgsshv carbon is an end game headphone combo ..
Man, I LOVED this video.... Amazing job, Arnold :) I'm going for a 007 MK2 + 007tA or KGST/KGSSHV, which hopefully is a strong enough amp.
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 TH-cam 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.
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 ....
they can be top tier too as red halo shown, even a18t, maybe they sound better to your ears
I got my first Stax SR-5 earspeakers in 1982 and I’m still listening to them as well as my newer SR-L300 Limited Editions every day. I just love them.
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.
How does the Stax compare to the new Hifiman Edition 6, Shangrila and JPS LAbs Abyss? I am looking into "end game" headphone. Thx
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..
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
The quality of the audio on your video is excellent........nice dark background.
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.
Peter Gordon 👍
Hi..
Wat do you think of STAX SR007 + SRM-007 tll listening to a heavy stuff..metallica for example? Do you recommend this
That will work well. I was just listening to a bunch of Metallica on my SR-007A.
Sure you can, but why?
@@teukuaziz Because Metallica is or at least was a good band?
Good description. Love my Stax!
Have you heard the lambda series? If so what are your impressions compared to the 009?
I only know the L700 which I like a lot. Very intimate experience, not as vast as a 007 or distant as a 009
Interesting! I have the L300, and I'm really loving the intimate presentation. Would you say that's not present in the Omegas? Thanks!
Hard to say. The presentation is "bigger" I would say.
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!
Enjoyed the review. Thank you.
Great review! Stax are still out of my price range, even second hand, but they are on my radar.
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.
Hi there, great review! What DAC are You using? Thanks.
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.?
I have read that the 353x is a better amp.
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)
@@audiogal6977 the l700 ist not bright..ist more warm. The l500 ist more bright. Maybe l300.
How would you rate the SR-007 against the SR-009? Thanks for your impression
The 007 sound beautifull, with a little extra sugar. The 009 sounds very clear and transparent but a bit thin. IMO
@@1979Weasel Thanks, sounds the sr-007 is just right for me then :). Very last question - which one is more comfortable? Sr-007 or Sr-009
@@oldgeezerstechreview4048 The 007 is a little more comfy but both are on a high comfort level, no complaints
@@1979Weasel Appreciated, 1979Weasel! Enjoy your Stax and hoping for some more videos from you. Very insightful.
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.
Intersting things. I hope more and more electrostats will come onto the market and will change things up! That would be awesome.
J Mohd Not to mention that susvara costs almost twice as SR 009.
i think the he 1000 v2 is a great alternative to the sr 009 and isnt worse ...
@@drakedoggy103 "Technically" it is worse, but tonally you can like anything you want.
just matter of preference, both has god tier accuracy, its 'pro' sound or 'desktop pc' sound
what's your take on the sr-l700
I think it is very good, but it is not 90 % of the sr-009, as they sometimes claim.
don't know in which one to invest, the sr007 or the L700...help anyone?
Sr007 for sure. But there are other opinions.
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. The SR007s also are more transparent. But you need the most powerful amps.
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.
Will you compare them to hifiman susvara and abyss ab 1266 phi?
Not anytime soon, sorry.
how does the KGSS compare with the SRM 007TII tube amp?
The KGSS gives you a cleaner and clearer sound with better bass and better seperation. But both are capable, this is complaining on a high level.
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.
yeah, it was between adding the sr-009 to the collection, or getting the KGSSHV carbon and thinking about the 009 later. What would you do?
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.
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.
Go for it. 007 is much better.
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.
@@FelineFinanceFanatic AKG 712pro will do it. It has an almost as big soundstage as the Sennheiser HD800s and for a more reasonable price.
Your review was so elaborate and detailed, exactly what i was looking for, that you earned a sub from me (:
Thank you so much.
Thank you,
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.
I've never seen a damaged stax cable. They're flat and pretty sturdy.
The drivers themselves are usually what get damaged.
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.
My SR-5 Gold are from the early 70's and they're still going strong.
Can you review the oppo pm-3 and do a comparison please?
The Oppo is a completly different headphone, but in its price range, it is very good.
Thank you.
I didn't like it. Not enough bass even with bass-boost switched on the HA-2 amp.
@@ItinerantIntrovert ha-2 is nothing compared to chord mojo.
@@awdadwadwad1723 they both make it loud enough
I just bought a sr009 in mint condition for dirt cheap, what sort of energizer would you recommend with them?
Have you tried HE 60 baby orpheus?
No, not yet.
How's the soundstage depth on the sr-009?
compactfoxable Comparable to hd 800.That is great soundstage but narrower than hd 800.
The Ashen One hd800 or the sr-009?
?? i replace the l300 over hd800 no question and you ask how the 009 :)
what amp r u using for stax007 and 009?
I upgraded to a KGSSHV, which is even better! It's amazing.
1979Weasel where can I buy it in Germany ?
Innerfidelity top open back on the wall of fame is Stax SR-009
Cool. I was talking about video reviews.
Zac Ariah That was for the cherry picked unit.
Great review
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.
Mr2pint more like 99.999
I love my 009 but the liquid crystal milky way whatever description seems totally foreign to me. They sound freaking amazing and can get loud!
How do you afford it ?
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.
Steve Sperandeo You need to listen 007/009/SR omega through a kgsshv or a carbon. Higher end Stax require aftermarket amp.
I think I need to try it then :))
@@akshat3516 I agree .
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.
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.
You sound very german. Nice review.
Thank You! I am. ;-)
What about the Abyss 1266?
Actually I switched to the Abyss. It's the best.
@@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
@@Yalookin ok I will. Thank you.
If only stax sr 009 would cost $2000 instead
Yeah, a 009 is not cheap. But a used SR007 is not more expensive than a used HD800S. It will be older, but Stax headhones are known to be long-living.
You can buy the 009 from price japan for roughly 2650 USD.
Then you need tenso.
i live in canada btw and import tax is expensive.... -___-
how does the sr-007/009 compar to other high end offerings such as lcd 3, 4, hifiman he1000
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.
Sigh.... these cost like 6k where I live
cant.... must get stax sr-009 drooool* >_
must obtain ultimate transparancy.... (sr-009)
Spanish subtitles😥
but stax headphones require amp that cost about 1000 bucks or even more.
so do the other ones if you want the best out of them...
You won't do these justice with just 1000 dollar amps
Has incredibly expensive audio gear on that table but horrible camera to film with....
That's because I am into audio gear and not into video gear.
1979Weasel makes sense. maybe use more natural light and a decent smartphone.
Ummmm.....