Stax 307 + 323s Amplifier Review/Impressions

I have a feeling the 007 wouldn't fair that much better than the 307. Different sound, but a lot of the same issues would pop up. There's a reason that the 007 was ranked well below the other stuff on Tyll's Big Sound comparo, for example

 

Haha, 009's go for $2700 on pricejapan. A T2 however is usually more than 10k, thats assuming anyone would even make one for you. A commission with nice parts will probably set you back about 20k.

The pinnacle is the most expensive but not necessarily the best (likewise for Ultrasone or LCD4). I would think a GSX MK2 or similar SS amp with a HE1000 is on a slightly higher level than the 007 and KGST setup.

Well it is my first nice stax setup, compared to the HE1000 and HD800 on a M7 M9 stack, they were more precise for me. =)

Haha OJ, It wasnt the modded pair, and Tyll's amp is really not doing it any favours. I think tyll's favourite setup is still a BHSE to modded 007.

However, considering the insane hype on the BHSE and 009, i suppose one can consider them as overrated.

The solution is simple. we need a Stax Loaner program haha XD

 

Here are some thoughts about different Lambdas I've written on HF :

• Lambda NB : very euphonic, lacks impact somewhere, shortened bass and highs, typical Stax medium with a touch of nasal tone
• Lambda Signature : extreme out-of-this-world sound. Very bright but not etched at all. Good mids but not as lovely as NB. Curiously very strong bass slam (strongest of all the Lambda I've owned / tested)
• Lambda Nova Signature : flat and neutral. Very neutral. Far more details / plankton than the two above. Slightly more impact, but not as much bass as Lambda Signature
• SR-007mk1 : close to the latter, with more meat / details / bass, but needs very strong amp to get some impact / engaging sound
• SR-009 : the best one for me. Meat, extension, impact, detail, soundstage, etc...Not disappointing with average amp like SR-007mk1, but do benefit strongly from powerful amping
• SR-303 to 407 : very impactful, but grainy / aggressive in the high-mids (those are etched, no doubt), shortened bass, cold somewhere. The more electrodynamic voiced Stax.

I'm a true 009 lover, but when looking at Lambda, I feel there are much more different voicings for different tastes than better / weaker ones. So L700 comparisons can't really be "better than xxx Lambda" IMO.

YMMV / 2 cents.

Ali

 

I meant the original SR-Lambda, but nice comparisons nonetheless.

 

Lambda NB = Lambda Normal Bias = Original SR-Lambda.

Ali

 

Ohhhh. oops

 

i think woo wee is a good solution but one of buddies told me this kind of apaters will ruin the whole system. now he uses 009+bhse and a bunch of expensive carefully chosen cables (he also mention a small step in choosing cables will ruin the system anyway) and now he is satisfied. the price of bhse scared the sxxt outof me. someone told me the best amp for dym is rudistor rp2000 and i googled its price wet my pants.

 

I still wonder about 007, Bob katz rank its #1 but most other participant don't even have it on top4, and he say he value neutrality before anything, so I guess most people love some color if that make the headphone more enjoyable.

 

That doesn't mean I can afford them...sigh

 

The modded 007 is very different, i dont think it was the modded one that people heard.

It being quite dark compared to the bright as hell headphones there (HE1000, HD800) is not doing them any favours either.

 

The 007 is one of the worst meet headphones ever.
- It's very picky about fit.
- It's a Stax so there's basically no sound isolation. Probably not as easy to hear just how much more resolving Stax are compared to their primitive ancestors in this setting as a result.
- It's a bit dark. When A/Bing HPs, brighter (also more sensitive) HPs will almost always sound more impressive to people. Unless the person is a basshead, you'll very rarely see somebody prefer a darker HP in quick comparisons in a meet environment.

Also keep in mind that people get their views altered simply by the arrival of a new 'TOTL' HP by a given manufacturer. The 007 was generally considered one of the very best, and often the best, HP in the world. Once the 009 came out, the 007 stopped getting love and the value went down. This has happened time and time again with various HPs. When the 007 goes out of production its reputation will be restored. When Sennheiser eventually releases a true successor to the HD800, expect the exact same thing to happen to that HP.

Also, not all Lambdas sound the same. Each generation has its own general signature. I personally rank the generations as follows, in general: original gen > Nova gen >>> x07 gen > x0x gen. Ali has a nice roundup of some of the differences.

There's a reason only meet experts come up with some of this stuff. Look for reviews by current and past owners.

 

That's why I'll pair them with Sigma Pro on the modded SRM-727 I'll bring to a meet this saturday. Both have the same (low) sensitivity and a all around darkish sound sig compared to other Stax.

Ali

 

hi can i ask is the 353x more powerful than 323s and how do these two energisers differ. If I have the 323s would the 353x be an upgrade that is noticeable with using L300 or L700

what is the power output of 323s compared to 353x