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I'm biased towards the best sound but not toward any phones in general. The SR-007 was the first high-end phone I bought (HD600 doesn't really count) and the system was initially built around them but all these headphones that have come after were measured against them and have failed, not just in some performance area but in musicality as a whole. The He90 was great in the "honeymoon" period but when I made some direct comparisons I found them wanting. I've since upgraded my system a lot internally and while most of the phones took a big step forward the He90 was to colored to fully utilize it. It's a shame not to use them much as they are a work of art but I'd much rather use the SR-Omega or Sr-Lambda.

The SR-007 isn't dark unless the system is dark or the amp isn't powerful enough. Electrostatic need the most power at the extremes so that's where a tough load will suffer. The usual complaint about the SR-007 is that they are dark and the bass in overblown...

We're all biased

I think it's cool that spritzer has a system where the Omega 2 sounds better than the HE90 and he's not afraid to buck those HE90 fans, as I've seen him catch a lot of flack from them

My system is configured to be as neutral as I can make it to let any one of the 30+ 'stats shine with plenty of power behind them. Not many of the HE90 fans have gone down this road. I have been attacked time and time again and if you think the public stuff is bad you should see the PM's. The sad part is that very few of the He90 defenders has anything credible to say.

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I'm waiting around a bit to see about the new MKII. Either it will be good enough to snatch up, or its appearance will make used O2s pop up all over on the cheap.

Anyway, I just dumped a lot of cash into my dynamic rig (Balanced Beta22), so I really don't need any new gear right now.

I'll post my impressions of the Mk2's as soon as I get them. When that will be I don't know but shortly after the release. I'm guessing that the SR-007 will suddenly become the best headphone ever on the other site the day after it is discontinued and it will triple in price.

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Well, I think "rock music" is a loaded term when it comes to audio discussion. When I say rock, I don't mean modern brickwalled pro-tooled rangeless recordings, nor do I mean piss-poor Led Zeppelin remasters (not that I like Zeppelin anyway, or the Stones for that matter). I mean more nuanced and breathe-y rock like Genesis or King Crimson, or the analog stylings of Ryan Adams.

But on the other hand, even when a rock recording may not be the best recorded and/or mastered, like Grateful Dead soundboards or old Fall recordings, I don't want any false slam added to the mix to make it sound more "alive". So long as my gear portrays what is on the recording accurately, that is what gets me off.

That was what I meant with "some rock music". The classic rock greats make up the bulk of my listening so accurate bass is very important to me and one of the reasons why I never, ever use the He90. The SR-007 is the only phone that can recreate every last nuance of the bass but it's a bitch to get them that good. Cable choice is crucial and so is the fit. You have to get the arc correctly set up or the bass will be anemic or overblown.

Just buy the SR-007. That's what I do when I want something...

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Here is where personal preference comes to play. The dynamic range of the SR-007 is simply awesome but it will never play bass like a dynamic driver will i.e. with the thump generated by the cones. The diaphragm is so thin and light that there are no standing waves to make any kind of thump and the housing dispenses of the extra information so there is no overhang either. I can't stand either so no dynamic speakers for me but if this sound is your cup of tea you need one of the older stats. The original Lambda with the damping material removed has some of this but the even older phones with 4 and 6um diaphragms have plenty of slam and overhang.

This is also the main basis behind the HE90 vs SR-007 argument as the Stax is so neutral and the He90 isn't. Some users can't see that the Stax is simply showing what the system sounds like while the He90 puts a nice shine over everything.

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If you want rock to sound like crap (i.e. like some of it is supposed to) then you want slam and bass heft and the rest be damned. Electrostatics can do that but you need a vintage stat for the job. The Suprex PEP-74 is the best rock phone ever and I've spent a good deal of time with the RS1. The thicker the diaphragm the better the rock bass. None of them can come close to the SR-007 bass in extension and texture but they are simply too honest for some recordings so you need some 35 year old design. There is a reason I own all these headphones...

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Damn noobs with their dynamics... All bullshit aside the SR-007 in a properly matched system is an astonishing experience. They are really tough to get right but when you do...

we do need electrostat luv 'round here. thats why I'm glad spritzer showed up.

I'll do my best to preach the gospel...

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have fun.

I did and it works!!! Sound pretty good for the 50$ I payed for it...

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i could ramble on about why you're wrong, but i'll save both of us the time and effort

I think that would be wise. We can agree that they are very good headphones and much better then the crap people think is "high-end"

Now I going back to restoring my vintage Stax amp.

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HP-2s inferior? pretty early in your head-case career to try to get banned, dontcha think?

They are a Grado, so yes. If you can't handle the truth then stay out of the Stax threads... j/k

They are pretty good for a dynamic and avoid the really big faults normally associated with the dynamic principle but they aren't good enough to play with the big boys. I'd love to own one though for the build quality alone and I've got dibs on my friends set...

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You guys really need to hear some 'stats and get rid of all that inferior dynamic crap...

Spritzer, that's a very nice way of putting it. I've waffled on about the 4070s a few times and while your impressions seem to be much the same as mine I've never managed to state it as succinctly. I think I'd seriously look at the 4070 if I needed a degree of noise isolation (as Carl does), but this isn't a problem I have. I do think I need some HE60s though faults and all; they're fun just as you say.

They are great for their intended role and the noise isolation, while not IEM level, does come in handy. The He60 is fun and they've found their place in my setup with a SRM-Xh fed out of the Corda Aria Dac. They are great for early morning or really late night listening...

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I demand 4070 impressions!

Your wish is my demand...

That monitor badge on each cup is there for a reason. The bass is extended but it doesn't have the presence of the SR-007. It's flat and taught and very nice. The midrange is just a bit shut in, nothing major and it is actually better then the He60. The top end doesn't have the flesh and texture of either Omega so bad recordings sound worse then they really are. It's good for monitoring but not so for music but it's not a problem and the top end is smooth enough.

Detail is excelent and they pick up minute things down in the mix. Soundstage is hurt most by the closed earcups. It's wide but it lacks the depth and layering of the TOTL models.

Comfort is excelent but they really should have put leather pads on them and the weight could be a problem for some users. I'm a big man so having 600g on my head doesn't bother me as the headband does it's thing well but you have been warned.

All in all they have earned a place in the top 5 and while they sound great they aren't as much fun as a HE60.

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The mail man must have got to know the way to your place well lately. That dac sounds crazy heavy. I think I should finish off my own custom transformer box before picking up the ESC-1001. All I need to do is build a bias supply. It would make for a good shoot-off with the Illusion once complete.

They know me all too well. When I go there to pick up a package there is usually something like this "Headphones... again?" and everybody looks at me like I'm retarded...

The DAC is crazy big and those TDA1541A S1 chips aren't bad either. The chassis is solid copper with 1" thick wood side panels. All the caps are silver mica or Nichicon and the every resistor is Riken and it cost about the same as an upgraded (insets hottest dac at the moment). Damn I need a 100v transformer?!!!!!!!

Hey, if everyone says it then it can't be wrong.

I hear RSA, Rudistor and Single Power make the best amps so it must be true...

Yes, I actually have spend some time with the HD555 and couldn't stand them. I'd have to be paid to own a pair.

My friend is very happy so it's all good.

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There's certainly been a few up for sale lately. If this supply keeps up I might even end up buying one.

Go for it! I'm also interested but I'll wait a bit after this most recent shopping madness. I got two packages today and one weight some 25kgs and the other one was the 4070. The Sony DAS-R1 dac was in the first package with a broken Stax SRA-3S. The dac is quite a beast at some 17 kgs and now I only need a 100v step down transformer.

You should stretch your budget a little more. Nothing sounds better than some HD555s and a RSA Hornet.

...what? No, it doesn't matter that I haven't heard them.

Since when do you need to listen to something before you recommend it?? Nobody told me...

The HD555 is so bad that I gave them away

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I got an Illusion ESC-1001 off Yahoo Japan Auctions. The seller still has it listed, but it went up in price from the previous JPY 55,000.

The price now is almost the same as buying directly from the manufacturer so I wonder if they are branching out.

Haha, spritzer is a "newbie," hahaha.

Wait, I am a newbie too. \ <- random smilie

Yeah I'm searching for some 50$ headphones for my ipod.... wait I don't own an ipod...

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That's an option I'm definitely looking at if I go the way of 4070, though I'd have to con, I mean convince, my friend to do the upgrades for me.

Ahhh abusing a friendship for the joy of electrostatics. Been there...

It's a pretty simple build and I have both the original Stax schematic and the redrawn one that was based on the pictures from one of my Mk2's.

Keep us posted on how you like, or not like, the 4070's.

I should get them tonight and I'll post my impressions tomorrow. I really hope I like them but my impressions are often very different from the norm.

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Thanks guys and gal. Nobody is safe from my preachings about the electrostatic gospel..

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If you strike out on the Illusion (or don't want to spent that much) you could always find a much cheaper normal bias SRD-7 and build the Mk2 bias supply into it and also do a few upgrades along the way.

Btw. My 4070 should be here tomorrow if DHL can get off their ass and deliver it these whole 10kms...