Duggeh Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 LOL, well no, having a wrong midrange is more like discovering the "beautiful, attractive, intelligent, good-hearted, understanding, compatible girl" has a 10" dick under her pants. Hawt. Moar plz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopstretch Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Hawt. Moar plz. You. Back to Stax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grawk Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 To me, if the midrange sounds wrong, as compared to not some rule, but rather when compared to the actual music, that's a game breaker. That's why I hate the Ed9s, and why RS1s only work for me for very specific music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_maher Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 This thread has officially jumped the shark. Comparing the difference between the two versions of the O2 as has just been done is insanity. Do they sound slightly different, yes, but I'd say they are more the same than different especially when properly driven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monkey Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) Do they sound slightly different, yes, but I'd say they are more the same than different especially when properly driven. And I think that's the key. When I had both, I noticed some of the differences that others mention, but I also find that I hear things differently than others on occasion. This could very well be due to my tin ears or my lack of proper terminology. However, I thought the main differences between the mk1 and mk2 were what I perceived as slightly more distance in the mids with the mk2 (i.e., the mids did not seem as immediate) and a slight bump in midbass (i.e., they had some good thump with rock). I'm not sure that these perceptions agree with what others have noticed. To me, these differences were extremely subtle. And it felt like the mk2 would benefit from a good swift kick in the ass by a more powerful amp than the 007tii I was using. From my brief session with the mk2 and the BHSE, I perceived the mk2 as evening out in the areas noted above--sounding more and more like the mk1. Of course, that was under Meet conditions and for only a short time, but I tend to agree with Nate on this one. Edited May 1, 2009 by The Monkey I felt like making some edits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duggeh Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 You. -snip- Back to Stax. Almost. I wouldn't have hesitated. Obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spritzer Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Nice to see that the quality of the thread hasn't dropped while I was offline... As for the Mk1 vs. Mk2 debate, I'm well aware what driving them properly does to the sound and no amount of voltage/current can fix those issues. I had the old BH here when I did my comparisons (and the mods for that matter) so that certainly wasn't an issue. I can think of a very simple way to solve this matter, does anybody know of a cheap Mk2 for sale? I'll buy it, mod it and then send it out to CJ for testing. Do you think the material of the driver frame (gold on LNS and Red on SR-404/303) is the same just different color? Tension is different probably and so is thickness. Those aluminum sheets are just decorative (and used to hold the dustcovers in place) and it's just a different color used while anodizing. The stators are identical and they are built in the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 This thread has officially jumped the shark. Comparing the difference between the two versions of the O2 as has just been done is insanity. Do they sound slightly different, yes, but I'd say they are more the same than different especially when properly driven.Thank you. The voice of reason, yet again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malldian Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Lambda / SRD7 went for 182 on ebay. I didn't get a reply from yami about a replacement cable.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manaox2 Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Lambda / SRD7 went for 182 on ebay. I didn't get a reply from yami about a replacement cable.. It had an intermittent left channel anyway, I wasn't risking that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faust3d Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Those aluminum sheets are just decorative (and used to hold the dustcovers in place) and it's just a different color used while anodizing. The stators are identical and they are built in the same way. Ah, that's that these things are. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 OK, if the beef is with the difference between the Mk2's and Mk1's midrange, then I can somewhat understand the dislike of the Mk2. I say 'somewhat' though, because to me whether I prefer the Mk1 or Mk2 at any moment can depend on the type of music or even the specific track being played. The more forward midrange of the Mk2 can make vocal's stand out more in some tracks, which can result in a more vivid or intimate type of experience. This is also the case with the O2's vs. the HE90 or SR-Omega, and depends mostly whether the track sounds better to me with the two latter headphones' larger soundstage and brighter sound. Also, most other headphones's midranges are more different from the O2Mk1 than the O2Mk2. The HE90 and SR-Omega, just two examples, have different midrange tonality that can make some female vocalists sound higher pitched in comparison to the O2Mk1 or O2Mk2. To me, dismissing the Mk2 so completely due to its midrange is like rejecting a beautiful, attractive, intelligent, good-hearted, understanding, compatible girl because her breasts aren't perfect compared to the "references" in certain adult publications. I also enjoy both the Mk1 and Mk2, depending on my mood or the music/source/amp. But when I first got the Mk2 I hated the mids which were too forward and they drilled into my head. Gave me a real headache they did. With about 200 hours on them and Spritzer's ear-pad spring mod they improved noticeably and became useable. If not for that mod and breaking them in I might not still have the Mk2. Interestingly, sometimes I feel the Mk2 may be closer to my Jade than to my Mk1 - maybe due to the forward mids and smaller soundstage vs the Mk1. Nevertheless, the Mk1 are getting all my ear time and I haven't listened to the Mk2 since a few days after I got Naamanf's Mk1 from Blutarsky (who switched to my old ESP950). I have also listened to my HE60 and Smegma Pro more recently than I have with my Mk2, but the Mk2 aren't bad - just redundant. So, I can't explain why I haven't sold them yet. Pack-rat mentality I suppose. I know I could use the money for the second half of my ZDT or my HD800 pre-order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spritzer Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 The earpad mod should clear up most of the midrange issues but I only did them after plugging the ports so the results may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Excuse me guys, as the world of electrostats is foreign to me. If you recall, not too long ago there was a Stax SRS005 system for sale here. As you all know, the 'phones go in your ear, and proper fit is a must for best audio quality. This is such a noob question, but here goes: I don't understand how this system would introduce me to the world of stats if these are sorta like IEM's (an assumption I am making), when all I have seen about Stax is that they work more like speakers floating at the sides of your head than headphones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Currawong Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 screaming_oranges: I think you were thinking of AKG K1000s, which aren't electrostats. Most Stax headphones (or "earspeakers" as they were named) sit like regular headphones, more or less. The Sennheiser HD-60 and HD-90 especially are roughly the same size and shape as HD-600/650s. The main difference is that they don't use a voice-coil diaphram like ordinary headphones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Ahh, that explains a lot. I've never seen pics of someone wearing a Stax, so I wrongfully assumed they sat like the AKG's you mentioned. Thanks for clearing that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPH Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 There you go, the fugliest of all Stax: (this is not me, btw) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screaming oranges Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 holy @#$#@$%^ I never expected them to fit like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 (edited) Excuse me guys, as the world of electrostats is foreign to me. If you recall, not too long ago there was a Stax SRS005 system for sale here. As you all know, the 'phones go in your ear, and proper fit is a must for best audio quality. This is such a noob question, but here goes: I don't understand how this system would introduce me to the world of stats if these are sorta like IEM's (an assumption I am making), when all I have seen about Stax is that they work more like speakers floating at the sides of your head than headphones.Well, yeah, they (the SRS-005) won't help you with the world of presentation, but they'll help you with tonal balance and speed that electrostatic drivers are capable of. Me, personally, I hardly consider the "like speakers floating at the sides of your head" aspect all that important. Edited May 3, 2009 by Dusty Chalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faust3d Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Another picture for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 He doesn't look comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spritzer Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 That's strange since Sigma's are some of the most comfortable headphones ever made, despite their size and weight. Stax has always called their units earspeakers, long before they came up with crazy designs such as the Sigma and Omega. It has nothing to do with the looks but rather how they can just disappear on the head and with the SR-007, provide depth which even the Sigma struggles with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faust3d Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 He doesn't look comfortable. I am very comfortable Just grooving to some grindcore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goober Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Grindcore with Stax headphones? Wonder how that sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faust3d Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Spectacular Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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