Hmm, sorry if my writeup came off as making it sound like 'stats were the end-all things, because I don't think they are either.
Quote from: n3rdling on May 21, 2014, 05:27:46 AMDynamics all have a grain to them (varying degrees of course) that I find distracting, and that can't be helped with mods or EQ.I feel the same way. I've always wondered if this would be objectively confirmable or if it's an ostensibly irreversible bias ingrained within my pysche.I'm not sure if my opinion of the SR-Omega being the most revealing transducer I've encountered is due to that actually being the case or due to its ability to resolve without any grain, etch, or other treble undesirables. I hope it's the former as I readily identified the HE60 as a notch below the HD 800 in resolving capability (although the HE60 "sounded" faster and cleaner).
Dynamics all have a grain to them (varying degrees of course) that I find distracting, and that can't be helped with mods or EQ.
I heard the 007Mk1 recently at the Seattle meet, but on the Cavalli Liquid Lightning (which also had a 009 connected to it), and the owner told me he had some very warm sounding tubes to try and "warm up" that 009, so I felt the 007 was a bit too warm sounding. Guess I should have asked him to let me try it with my solid state 212 amp instead. There was another 009 at the meet as well, being driven by a KGSSHV and some expensive looking Oppo DAC, but I think pretty much everyone who heard it (including me) came away unimpressed. The KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off and the whole experience was just "meh"; I honestly felt my 202/212 sounded just about as good versus the KGSSHV/009 combo, that's how bad it sounded. Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the system, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?
I remain curious what a well designed DHT SET amp (instead of the push-pull or DIY commercial hybrid/SS offerings) for electrostatic headphones could do. This is probably the only way to level the playing field. I still remember Frank Cooter's SET amp with the blue mercury PS tubes. Even though Frank was running SR507 (screwy FR), it was by far the most "involving" stat rig I had ever heard on the same league of n3rdling's Orpheus.
The KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off [ . . . ] Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the system, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?
In the end, I felt the electrostatic stuff was too niche, too screwball of a technology, too limited with good amp choices, too vintage (Senn Orpheus), too craptastic customer service (STAX) for me to stick with.
Well we know who has had a DHT SET Estat amp circuit ready for assembly for the last few years, unfortunately he feels content to market the push-pull design of someone else due to the small volumes Stats represent, and the rather over zealous nature of a certain group of fanboys who like to smear competition they can't hang with using they amateur hobbyist DIY designs.
are their relatively large voltage requirements.
Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 08:31:46 AMHmm, sorry if my writeup came off as making it sound like 'stats were the end-all things, because I don't think they are either. Not at all, just citing some general comments u find on the interwebs.Quote from: N on May 21, 2014, 01:01:07 PMQuote from: n3rdling on May 21, 2014, 05:27:46 AMDynamics all have a grain to them (varying degrees of course) that I find distracting, and that can't be helped with mods or EQ.I feel the same way. I've always wondered if this would be objectively confirmable or if it's an ostensibly irreversible bias ingrained within my pysche.I'm not sure if my opinion of the SR-Omega being the most revealing transducer I've encountered is due to that actually being the case or due to its ability to resolve without any grain, etch, or other treble undesirables. I hope it's the former as I readily identified the HE60 as a notch below the HD 800 in resolving capability (although the HE60 "sounded" faster and cleaner).Agreed about the HE60. The Omegas are some of my favorite Stax and possibly some of the best mids in headphonedom. However I always feel the treble and bass lacking for my tastes. Not enough splash or sizzle, or bass punch and impact when called for. Despite the lovely mids, it sounds kind of laid back to me keeping me from rocking out.Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 03:33:30 PMI heard the 007Mk1 recently at the Seattle meet, but on the Cavalli Liquid Lightning (which also had a 009 connected to it), and the owner told me he had some very warm sounding tubes to try and "warm up" that 009, so I felt the 007 was a bit too warm sounding. Guess I should have asked him to let me try it with my solid state 212 amp instead. There was another 009 at the meet as well, being driven by a KGSSHV and some expensive looking Oppo DAC, but I think pretty much everyone who heard it (including me) came away unimpressed. The KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off and the whole experience was just "meh"; I honestly felt my 202/212 sounded just about as good versus the KGSSHV/009 combo, that's how bad it sounded. Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the system, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?I think I can. I feel pretty much the same way about the KGSSHV. Warm and meh sounding but better warm and meh than a 323 but very similar. Oppo is overrated in everything, headphones, transports, even bluray players. They were good back in the day when they were a feature set based bargain choice , but now they like to play in rarified audio/videophile air. Most decent DACs/transports are better than high end Oppos and both my my LG bluray drive on my PC and a $100 Pioneer Elite Bluray player I got from a swap meet rocked the Oppo 105 when I did a side by side. Don't believe the hype.Liquid Lightning is a tube amp??Quote from: marvey on May 21, 2014, 04:11:54 PMI remain curious what a well designed DHT SET amp (instead of the push-pull or DIY commercial hybrid/SS offerings) for electrostatic headphones could do. This is probably the only way to level the playing field. I still remember Frank Cooter's SET amp with the blue mercury PS tubes. Even though Frank was running SR507 (screwy FR), it was by far the most "involving" stat rig I had ever heard on the same league of n3rdling's Orpheus.Well we know who has had a DHT SET Estat amp circuit ready for assembly for the last few years, unfortunately he feels content to market the push-pull design of someone else due to the small volumes Stats represent, and the rather over zealous nature of a certain group of fanboys who like to smear competition they can't hang with using they amateur hobbyist DIY designs.Despite the FR, the 507 is certainly an involving stat, that's for sure.
Oops, I didn't clarify...he didn't 3D print his sigma cups, he made them from chicken wire and some other stuff I think.
Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 08:31:46 AMHmm, sorry if my writeup came off as making it sound like 'stats were the end-all things, because I don't think they are either. They sound a little bit ethereal to me as well, but compared to the Sony MDR-SA5000, pretty much the only headphone I've heard that has a bit of the same "effortlessness" in the treble if you will, sounds much more ethereal to me than the stats, by a long shot. LOL, I think I understand what you talking about in reference to the SA-5000. Not the best quality treble, not as fast or smooth, but the effortless presentation is similar to STAX.
Hmm, sorry if my writeup came off as making it sound like 'stats were the end-all things, because I don't think they are either. They sound a little bit ethereal to me as well, but compared to the Sony MDR-SA5000, pretty much the only headphone I've heard that has a bit of the same "effortlessness" in the treble if you will, sounds much more ethereal to me than the stats, by a long shot.
Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 08:31:46 AMHmm, sorry if my writeup came off as making it sound like 'stats were the end-all things, because I don't think they are either. Not at all, just citing some general comments u find on the interwebs.Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 03:33:30 PMI heard the 007Mk1 recently at the Seattle meet, but on the Cavalli Liquid Lightning (which also had a 009 connected to it), and the owner told me he had some very warm sounding tubes to try and "warm up" that 009, so I felt the 007 was a bit too warm sounding. Guess I should have asked him to let me try it with my solid state 212 amp instead. There was another 009 at the meet as well, being driven by a KGSSHV and some expensive looking Oppo DAC, but I think pretty much everyone who heard it (including me) came away unimpressed. The KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off and the whole experience was just "meh"; I honestly felt my 202/212 sounded just about as good versus the KGSSHV/009 combo, that's how bad it sounded. Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the s ystem, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?I think I can. I feel pretty much the same way about the KGSSHV. Warm and meh sounding but better warm and meh than a 323 but very similar. Oppo is overrated in everything, headphones, transports, even bluray players. They were good back in the day when they were a feature set based bargain choice, but now they like to play in rarified audio/videophile air. Most decent DACs/transports are better than high end Oppos and both my my LG bluray drive on my PC and a $100 Pioneer Elite Bluray player I got from a swap meet rocked the Oppo 105 when I did a side by side. Don't believe the hype.Liquid Lightning is a tube amp??
I heard the 007Mk1 recently at the Seattle meet, but on the Cavalli Liquid Lightning (which also had a 009 connected to it), and the owner told me he had some very warm sounding tubes to try and "warm up" that 009, so I felt the 007 was a bit too warm sounding. Guess I should have asked him to let me try it with my solid state 212 amp instead. There was another 009 at the meet as well, being driven by a KGSSHV and some expensive looking Oppo DAC, but I think pretty much everyone who heard it (including me) came away unimpressed. The KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off and the whole experience was just "meh"; I honestly felt my 202/212 sounded just about as good versus the KGSSHV/009 combo, that's how bad it sounded. Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the s ystem, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?
Quote from: mechgamer123 on May 21, 2014, 03:33:30 PMThe KGSSHV sounded really warm, but not warm in a good way, warm as in the top end sounded rolled off [ . . . ] Can anyone else verify this, or could it have been something else that was wrong with the system, like an improperly built KGSSHV or something?I find these impressions pretty interesting. The KGSSHV I heard had excellent treble extension but surprisingly strident upper harmonics (e.g. violins could be a little painful to listen to), though it was fine with the SR-007Mk1. Generally speaking when some Stax enthusiasts speak of moving up the amplification ladder (top being the DIY-T2 then BHSE just below), they're gunning for better performance and extension in the extremes and very few belabor perceived benefits in the midrange. Maybe that's due to stats representing a capacitive load but I'm no expert on this.With the DIY nature of the KGSSHV, I am a little curious if individual liberties in design from build-to-build (even beyond output stage) translate to different final performance outcomes. It would certainly do no favors for comparability if some of us were talking about McIntosh KGSSHVs and others Granny Smith KGSSHVs (or maybe some apple type everyone here hates).
the relative lack of 'stat talk on CS makes me think others quietly feel the same way.I agree that stats will always be a niche within a niche
