catscratch
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Posts posted by catscratch
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I'm not jumping on the Jade bandwagon until I have a chance to hear a pair for myself. $1899 is a lot. Now, from what I know Mr. He is going to be making about 10 of these a month or so, and I seriously doubt he's bothered that at that price he won't get that many orders. I think He'll (har har) have his hands full even as it is, and the pricing is appropriate from a business standpoint. If he could match Stax's production numbers, then it would be too much. In any case, the market is not exactly busting balls out there with the O2 Mk1 gone, HE60 and SR-Omega a part of distant history, and ESP950 cripped by that horrible stock box.
In other news, I've had the Opus 21 in my rig for a few days now.
From what I read online, I expected basically an 840c without the problems and a fuller midrange.
That is not what I got. Though the player is fuller souding, and it definitely doesn't have the problems of the 840c.
For starters, this player is much darker than the 840c. Darker to the point that my copper DiMarzio XLR cables became completely unusable with it. I never really understood the "dark" comments about the O2, but now I definitely do. With the copper cables, it was dark, congested, and pretty much all treble sparkle was gone. It was in serious need of a copperotomy. Fortunately, I had some silver ICs lying around - Headphile BlackSilver, which are pretty bright but still very fluid - and with them in the signal path, things improved massively.
If I could summarize this player in one word, it would be: forward. The presentation is rather different from the laid-back, ultra-airy, somewhat dry and metallic 840c. Whereas the 840c never bothers to flex its muscle and show off dynamic range, the Opus 21 is dynamic as all hell. Albums that sounded analytical and somewhat distant on the Opus 21 are now the sonic equivalent of being in the ring with Mike Tyson, at least as far as electrostatics go. The presentation is much more focused, the foreground is much more forward, the background is nicely separated and all of the layered soundstage is there, but there's also none of the sense of enormous - and artificial - air that you get with the 840c.
The digital glare is (mostly) gone as well. There is a smoothness and liquid quality to the sound, but it's not the same glossed-over upsampling sheen that the 840c puts over everything. This is just fluid sound. Things sound metallic when they have to, velvety and soft when they should, and natural and organic when the recording calls for it.
Tone is pretty much spot on if by "spot on" you mean "dead neutral." If you're looking for a honey-sweet warm golden tone, this not the source for you - unless of course your headphones/amp do that automatically. Tone is pretty realistic here - maybe a little bit stark, but not cold or nasal. There's no euphony or sweetness here at all.
The problem is, I really do dig syrupy-sweet midrange tones. That's why I liked the K340 and that's why I like the HE90. This rig doesn't do that. So, maybe I need to audition some Esoterics, or something else that sounds sweet and lush. But, that's not a priority by any means.
Bass is fuller and deeper than the 840c. It's not overblown, and certainly not emphasized. This is not a basshead source. But, whereas the 840c was definitely bass-light at times, the Opus 21 is just right with most albums. I'd prefer more bass for psytrance, but then it would get out of hand with other genres.
Highs are excellent, but as I've said before, you need to bring them out for this rig. If you have a brighter headphone you have nothing to worry about, but you'll need silver with the O2, that's for damn sure.
Detail is higher than the 840c but also slightly less apparent. The 840c's artificial sense of air really makes the sound very transparent, which in turn makes detail easy to spot. The highs are also foward on it, which brings inner detail out. The Opus 21 is very different, fuller, more forward, more punchy, and with more emphasis on the overall presentation. But, it's also noticeably more detailed when you listen closely. Though I can't by any means say that the 840c was lacking detail in the first place. The 840c is a detailed machine. The Opus 21 is a really detailed machine, but it doesn't make a fuss of its detail.
On the whole, this sounds like a competent high-end machine. It's forward, fluid, really dymamic, slightly dark, has a full and tonally realistic midrange, and lots and lots of detail. I'm not sure what the weaknesses are, since they're not obvious, and I need more listening time. I'm sure there are some gremlins here and there but on the whole the player sounds really well-rounded.
And dynamic as all hell. Did I mention that?
I think the last purchase I need for this rig are some silver XLR ICs. Right now I'm using RCA and there definitely is a slight decrease in detail and instrument separation, even compared to the copper ICs which really didn't synergize well.
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I bought an Opus 21 from Zach. He was a class act all the way, put up with my unusual requests, and even drove out to meet me and deliver the player personally rather than shipping it out and risking it getting damaged.
Seriously recommended. Great seller and a true gentleman.
Cheers,
Boris
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It'd actually be a toss up to me.. would be decided by amp.
Yeah, when I heard the R10 it was not in an optimal rig. I really would like to hear it someday in the right setup, since even there it had potential. At the current prices though I doubt I'll ever have one any time soon.
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Geez, 6k. I have no doubt that someone will buy them though. And the next pair is going to be more than 6k.
I'll take my $1400 O2 Mk1, thanks. Even if the R10 was $1400 I'll still take the O2. But YMMV
They do look to be in great shape. Hope the inside is as good as the outside.
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$120 now for the DT770. I'm very tempted to try the new ones to see how they are for FPS gaming. The old DT770-80 (straight cable) sucked for this despite what everyone said
Still using mine and it works well
And by "works well" I mean the left driver is rattling. Which isn't uncommon in the supposedly "built like a tank" DT770. Maybe if by "built like a tank" they mean a third-world T55...
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Ugh, I hate the 404. But, I never heard it in my current system. I actually did like it off the McAlister amp, when it worked. It was a lot like a Grado with soundstage. But that was pretty much the exception. I do need to hear it again on an SRD-7 Pro off a punchy speaker amp, since that could probably get it singing.
A used 717 is a terrific bargain. I can't believe how much amp you get for $800-900. It may be a SS amp but it has a warm(ish) tonality and a fluid sound. Very open, very airy, not too bassy but still very good. Haven't heard the 727 though.
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Yarr I'll keep you posted to be sure.
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Nice, seems like the ES7 design ethic in a full-size package. I wonder what kind of sound AT is going for, sounding closer to a W5000 or L3000.
Not that I need a high-end closed dynamic headphone, but more high end AT = good.
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Happy birthday! Will raise a
for you this weekend. -
Holy crap those mods are expensive! They better do the deal, because the competition in the used market at that pricepoint is fierce!
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That's very similar to how I feel about the 840c - very good and a great bargain, but 2 distinct flaws: abundant digital glare which messes up instrument tone, and insufficient weight/fullness in the mids and on down. It's a very capable source, detailed, airy, and spatious, but a little too thin, a bit harsh, and with some metallic/digital quality to the sound. Can't think of anything better for $1k but still has some room to go before it gets to the high end.
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Well, the point of Worms was more the humor. There were some good arcade skills involved too, rope-jumping for instance and it was a lot of fun.
I remember Cybersled. I used to play that a ton when there were still arcade machines in functional condition... about 10 years ago, maybe more. I really loved that game.
This does look really addictive.
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Seems like a very solid unit, congrats. I'd like to ask for some short impressions against the 840c once you get it. I'm still in the source-swapping stage for my rig, and if the Opus 21 doesn't work out, it would be nice to know the alternatives.
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Sweet! Thanks for putting me on the list, and thanks for doing this! It's unbelievably generous. Also, these cans could very well be very important in the high-end market if they really are good, and it will be very helpful to the community to have a solid base of impressions right at release time.
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I would love to go on the 1.2B loaner list, if possible. System will be Opus 21 --> SRM-717 or SRD-7 Pro/Dared VP-20, and comparisons against O2 Mk1 will be made.
Let me know.
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FFS, head-fi is this way --> www.head-fi.org
It's hard to recommend stuff under $100, most of it sucks. I like the SR-60, but that's not closed. I have to agree, if you want sturdy, 7506 is the way to go.
A500 is also not bad. I don't know about ultra sturdy, I'm guessing those swivel joints could crack and the headband attachment could be more secure. I gave a pair to a friend who's probably the sloppiest person with electronics I've ever met, and his pair survived for about 3 years, until he - briefly - roomed with one crazy son of a bitch that tore the cable apart for reasons we'll never know. So, I'd say it's pretty sturdy. The sound is not bad for $100, and the only downside is the size. This headphone is seriously huge (but very light).
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Lots of psytrance has sub-bass basslines that are designed for large dance-floor systems that can replicate it. Listen to early Hallucinogen and Cosmosis on a generic system and you'd swear there isn't any meaningful bass, but then put it on something with actual presence in the deep bass region and whoa
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This looks promising. Not sure about the longevity, but I love the idea of a themed cooperative multiplayer FPS. More people should do that. Most shooters these days are just generic "realistic" crap that seems to forget the idea that realistic combat is not fun.
Looking forward to QuakeLive mainly, but this could be a good diversion for a while.
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Anything seriously spicy. I love spicy, but apparently the stomach has other ideas.
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Rather partial to Don Julio myself. Overpriced, but very good. I've pretty much depleted the local Don Julio stock between me and a few friends.
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I wrote earlier I would post again, here goes...
My Stax story so far…
I got bitten by the Stax bug a few years back, when I bought a Stax SRS-2020 Basic System II, which I bought solely because my active Naim system did not lend itself to conventional headphones.
I then discovered Head-Fi and subscribed to the Stax threads there, and learnt a great deal from the cogniscenti that posted on them (and you know who you are, because most of you are here, too). Next step was an SRM-1 Mk2 to replace the SRM-212 amp, and then I discovered, via the Head-Fi threads, the world of the older Stax gear: an SR-X Mk3 and SRD-6SB combo followed, then another SR-X, this time with a SRD-7 transformer (which was not the step up I’d expected, and have recently learnt why!).
I was then tempted by the SR-5N (aka Gold) and a (much newer) SRD-6SB, oh, and I forgot to mention the SRS-3030 system that had in-between times become the main one I used – all the others systems got used in the bedroom, office, etc. (or, from a different point of view, as SWMBO says, “How come one person with one set of ears, needs so many headphones?”).
Later on, I got a set of SR-404s to upgrade the SR-303s (not exactly a quantum leap forward to my ears) and after a while I decided to try driving them with the old SRM-1 Mk2, and, lo and behold!, the old amp was better!
So, apart from the diminutive SR-001 portable system, that, until recently, was that (crikey, it’s shocking how much this all mounts up: until I catalogued my Stax journey here, I hadn’t realised how much I’d acquired – perhaps SWMBO is right?).
Finally, I come to the reason for this post: it’s got nothing to do with willy-waving (mine’s tiny) but more to do with my latest Stax acquisition, an SR-007 and SRM-717. Ever since I first started reading stuff about Stax on the various Head-Fi threads, I’d gleaned that the Omega IIs were the dog’s bollocks, and that, of all the Stax amps, the SS SRM-717 was the best at driving them, so my joy knew no bounds when I recently got hold of this seemingly magical combination.
Just to go back a bit: a few weeks ago, just for a change, I’d been using some SR-X Mk3s, driven by an SRD-6SB, powered by a Naim NAC32.5/NAP 140 combination in my main listening room. This was definitely not as hi-fi as the 404s/SRM-1 Mk2, but I found myself listening hour after hour, just grooving away and thoroughly enjoying everything I listened to.
Now, back to the (near-) present: a week ago my long-dreamed of Omega IIs/717 arrived and finally the moment came when I had the ‘best-in-the-world’ earspeakers on my head, and the stylus dropped into the LP groove…
…as you can probably guess, I was disappointed: I’d read all about the ‘darkness’, and the fact they really needed driving, and that they took some getting used to, etc., etc., but, even so, I was heart-broken. Had I really had that massive row with SWMBO, and pledged that "…this was it, no more, I now had the best that was available…" and I didn’t really like what I was hearing? Oh, no…
I’ve carried on with them this week, and of course, they are very good: lots of detail, beautifully clean-sounding, etc., etc., but where was the life, the bounce, the I-must-just-play-one-more-side-even-though-it’s-2am feeling?
So, what’s going on? Were my expectations too high? Had my listening to the SR-X/SRD-6/Naim amp combination ill-prepared me for the Omegas?
(And please, don’t just reply that I’m deaf, or that you want to buy them, or that I need to learn about the law of diminishing returns!)
Yours,
Heartbroken of England
There are a few things that could account for what you're hearing:
1) Source. If you want the 717 to sound romantic, get a romantic source. If you want neutral, use a neutral source. If you want fast, detailed, analytical, and bright, get something that sounds like that. But above all else, if you want good, then get a good source. I'm not sure what you're driving them with, but I'm sure that you can tune them to sound whichever way you want, and sources are the best way to do that.
2) Expectations. This is a neutral headphone, and the 717 is very slightly warm, and slightly lacking in bass control and dynamic range. But basically, it all is very close to neutral. So, if you're used to a euphonic sound signature that exaggerates macrodynamics, then this will not do for you until your ears adjust to the sound.
3) Music. This headphone will lack dynamic range when your music lacks dynamic range. It will sound grainy and compressed when your music is grainy and compressed. But put on something that's good, and it will take your breath away. Even out of the 717, the O2 can blow you away with its impact and macrodynamics when you have a recording that's not brickwalled and dynamically compressed to hell and back. I have a lot of high-quality electronic albums, and the detail, dynamic range, bass, and overall fluid, analog quality to the sound is absolutely mesmerizing.
The O2 is an ultimately neutral transducer that errs somewhat on the side of lushness and has a slightly laidback sound. It's very difficult to drive and becomes dark and congested when there isn't enough power. But when it's driven perfectly, it will still only tell you exactly what your source is doing, and what your music is doing, while adding only a slight degree of lushness.
The O2 Mk2 unfortunately has some colorations and irregularities in its FR which compromise its mission. But, on the other hand, it is *slightly* easier to drive.
I say do this: take your O2 and 717 to a high-end audio retailer, and audition whatever sources you can get your hands on. And by this, I mean real high-quality machines. You won't have to buy something on the spot then and there, but it will give you an idea of the extent to which the O2 responds to source chance.
And if you still don't like it, don't fret, since there are a lot more electrostatics where that came from. If you can afford O2/717 then your choices are nearly limitless. HE60, ESP950, SR-Omega, SR-Lambda/Lambda Signature, 4070, there are a lot of headphones that could have your name on them, and the 717 will do a respectable job with just about all of them.
Lastly, the 717 is adequate for the O2 but it's not ideal. KGSS or Blue Hawaii will take it to the next level - but if you don't like the O2 to begin with, then chances are you're better off with something else.
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The only thing I'd add to this is that it's hardly discreet. One thing is discreetly wearing custom IEMs in your helmet, but it's another thing to brandish all sorts of outlandish gear that's bound to get questions should you get on the wrong side of John Q. Law. Personally, I wouldn't use a setup like this, but then again I do drive like a madman. In the event of porcine intervention, I like to look respectable
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I did like the Mk2 on its own, but it doesn't do well in comparison to the Mk1 and it certainly isn't worth a $2k price tag.
I think a better solution for the time being would be to ditch the Mk2 and get the Mk1. That will solve a lot of the bass issues. The Mk1 doesn't have the midbass boost, and it's also much more extended in the deep bass, going deeper in fact than anything I've heard. Now, the SRM-1 Mk2 probably isn't going to turn the O2 into a bass monster, and won't be able to control things as tightly as it should, but the BHSE will be another story. And as a plus, right now, you can still get the O2 Mk1 for less than the Mk2 costs, so you'll come out ahead monetarily. At least until the world catches on and Mk1 prices skyrocket, which, sure as I'm still single, they will do.
And, you'll get a much nicer midrange tone too. The Mk1 has probably the best midrange in the business. The Mk2 suffers from the same coloration as the SR-404, but to a lesser degree.
Edit: now that Stax have gone ahead and messed up the O2, what does that leave us with as the best in-production 'stat? The 4070? The ESP950? Certainly not any of the lower-tier Stax. Yet more reasons why I hope HEaudio gets it right.
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I just read that. Holy shit. The power for abuse is absolutely amazing. What a nice legacy our current administration will leave - this, and the Patriot act.
I vote, but it seems that this by itself is not enough. What else can I do?
for you this weekend.
The Headcase Stax thread
in Headphones
Posted
And by $1899, I mean of course $1799. Stupid edit timer. And confusing between the two players in a post that's already confusing just goes to show how tired I am...
Some several, if history serves right.
To quote Quest for Glory 4: "I don't want to say 'I told you so,' but I did..."
Anyway, I'm glad you've seen the light. Now go out and preach the word, and also try to hear the O2 on a Blue Hawaii.
Or better yet, don't say anything at all, because the more we yell about it Over There, the more second-hand O2 Mk1 prices will jump up. There is a cruel and devious part of me that rejoices at every negative review of the O2 that I see. That just leaves more for the rest of us