Stax SR-L700 Sound Review
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- čas přidán 1. 04. 2019
- EqualizerAPO EQ Preset:
Channel: all
Preamp: -7 dB
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 30 Hz Gain 7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 70 Hz Gain -3 dB Q 2
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 1500 Hz Gain -5 dB Q 2
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 3500 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 11: ON PK Fc 10000 Hz Gain -3 dB Q 2
Filter 12: ON HS Fc 10000 Hz Gain -2 dB
MiniDSP EARS HPN Compensated Measurements:
imgur.com/bus7TCF
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love the addition of the EARS measurements!
So happy for this review with you!!! Been waiting and hoping for ages! Thanks
dam that EQ in the description is awesome! thanks man
Good thing to watch with morning coffee. Thanks.
Hm, would have helped to mention the amp too, it makes a world of difference with the electrostatics.
Loving that metallica shirt...
Latest line of Lambdas (L300,L500,L700) rolls off in the bass in stock configuration because they don't have proper seal between the pads and the housing. Some modding is required to get perfect seal (sealing the port with double sided tape and having the pads directly over the baffle)
All other Lambdas (from the SRx07 serie from 2010 to the first Lambda from 1979) should have a solid linear extension if the seal is correct, and they don't need modding. If no proper seal > one-noted bump around 40-80hz and subbass rolls off like a cliff (that can be seen in a lot of Tyll's measurements, except the SR404 limited and NB Lambda).
I had a vintage Lambda Pro and was blown away by the treble resolution and airiness, though the mid-treble (8-10khz) was too much for me, I guess more than a L700. Bass extented down to 20-25hz.
I'd still take the Koss ESP950 tuning (with Vesper Pads) over the Lambdas, despite having even less dynamics and lower quality bass. $500 for the full set with E90 amp is a solid price.
I tried the seal mod with double sided but the difference it made was insignificant. Plus when I tried to remove them they sorta seemed like it might damage the back of the pads when I tried removing them if I wasn't really careful. Maybe that other pad mod might help I saw but I don't think you'll be able to make these as bassy as something like 507?
I have No Problem with the Seal . No Mod needed. The new MK2 dont need a Mod..they have Curved case holder for better Seal.
Can you plug the L700 directly into the Nakamichi stasis?
What amp was used? Because amping stats can change the signature alot, especially in bass region.
Man you rock 👍
Electrostatic headphones like these are so fast that it takes me a while to get used to them. At first I miss many subtle details because they are gone as soon as they arrive.
Whenever I tried to EQ this past a certain point maybe 3 db I always felt like it just started to sound way too unnatural. If I were to give them a bass boost of anything more than 3db in my more midcentric songs it sounded terrible. In certain bassy tracks I could go up to 5db and they sounded perfectly fine. Although I'm still sorta new to EQing, while I do sorta like the way metal did his mids and treble portion the bass is just still lacking to me. Most people probably won't get these for their bass though. I did find with my EQ it sorta mostly does get rid of that ethereal feeling though; metals EQ only slightly.
Is there any reason you use HD650/6xx as personal reference rather than HD660s, which I believe you titled 'the new reference' ? :) Is it long-term familiarity, the fact that many more people have heard them to relate, or that you simply didn't want to buy the HD660s for the MSRP which was an issue you had in its review ?
Because it has the original treble tonality. 660S I liked better than HD 600 so that review is still true. But I like 650 even more than both of them now. Has nothing to do with nostalgia lmfao what, if something doesn't sound right I'm not going to use it as a reference. MSRP on the 660S is still too high, too.
The L700 Mk2 has a detachable cable and aluminium yokes. I have the Mk1 and do not have the money to buy the Mk2 also. But evolution has given progress. Thanks Y
Hey metal do you have any experience with tube amps? If so, would you recommend one to color the harsher treble most "audiophile," cans have. I like the clarity, and detail, of say the hd 600s. But find the treble and upper mids to be very fatiguing to my ears. Guess you could say I'm treble sensitive.
Much easier to just EQ the thing to adjust the FR than to add harmonic distortion in an effort to smooth over the sound in my experience
@metal571 If you don't mind my asking, why have you chosen to use the HD6XX as your reference over the HD660S?
I got about 5 comments asking this on the video and answered one of them already
7:19 thank me later.
BTW Thanks for also reviewing and comparing the Koss estats
How would you compare the L700 to the Focal Utopia? I already have the Utopia, wondering if I should even bother with Stax, since the Utopia already has very good detail.
Utopia is more detailed, so is Verite, only higher end Stax 007 and 009 on high end amps compare or exceed.
Hey Metal, seriously love all of your reviews!
Since you have a measuring system now, is there any way you could measure the 6XX's with Yaxi pads? Maybe you could email the company and ask for a review pair possibly? I really like them and would love the measurements if you could!
(And sry if this is a double post- I was going to edit the original but it seems to have disappeared)
I generally highly suggest against pad rolling, especially with Sennheisers, but if I come across some I can measure it. Really the company should be providing measurements for their own pads like Dekoni does sometimes...
@@metal571 Yes I know that's the general consesus on Sennheiser pad rolling which is why I was so surprised that I liked them. But yes I fully agree about them needing to provide their own measurements if they want people to consider them as an option.
Anyways thanks, I appreciate the quick response!
Do you use Equalizer APO ? I found the sound quality is bad, can you give advice regarding software EQ I cannot find good ones...
Equalizer APO is the best, the most configurable.
Listening to your review of the L700 on the L700.
Pretty much spot on in most respects. The midrange shout, the bass rolloff, the bit of brightness, all true. The exceptional detail and really exceptional smoothness, also true. It's a weird phone, retro and nerdy and VERY impressive sounding but also flawed.
I EQ mine as well, they respond pretty well to it. The upper mid suckout will vary from person to person due to the concha gain effect, which may amplify perceived loudness at 2-4khz for some people. I hear it with a sine sweep, but not so much with music. The bass rolloff is there, but the extent of it is not that huge, a 25hz tone is still clearly audible for me. More annoying is the bit of bass boominess from the 70-100hz bump.
This is not an electrostatic thing but is rather seal dependent. Both my 007s don't have this and the Mk1 goes down to 20hz pretty flat. So did the old SR-404 I had. However the L700 either has been designed to be lossy on purpose, or they just screwed it up and made it hard to properly seal with.
The 1-2khz shout is common to most Lambdas but again, not universal to electrostats. The 007 Mk1 doesn't have it, and neither did the HE90 I was lucky to spend some time with.
The build has basically gone unchanged since 1979 when the first Lambda was introduced. And it feels like it. The enclosure is pretty damn awful. However, take care of the phones and they'll still be playing in 30 years' time, whereas some that feel more sturdy won't last half as long. The Koss is a similar story as it hasn't been changed at all since 1990 when it first appeared (though the Koss has aged worse since it has some real design issues, like no dustcovers on the drivers).
There's a L700 Mk2 on the horizon, with detachable cables, a different design to the yoke which hopefully will fix the seal, and slightly better materials used on the enclosure. Considering how much I like this one, warts and all, I'll definitely get the new one.
Yeah saw that mk2 with the removable cable now too, pretty interesting. I also reviewed the Koss 95X Massdrop version of the 950 in case you're wondering what I thought of those as well
I currently own a SR-404, how would you say the L700 compares to it? Worth considering an upgrade?
@@thomaslam778 I would say so. It's been years since I had an SR-404. The L700 is less shouty in the mids, more fluid, more detailed, more 3-dimensional. The SR-404 should have a more linear and extended bass and probably a slightly more correct FR. I'd certainly EQ the L700 if you do get one. In the end I sold the SR-404 after a few years, but the L700 has so far been a keeper.
Great review, sounds very accurate to me. I do wonder how much a more premium energizer would make a difference.
From my experience testing stax energizers, all the way up to the T8000. I don't think the higher end energizers are worth it. I think you can basically be fine with a 353x, even a 252s honestly. Sure there are stuff like KGSSHV but I think you won't be getting night and day performance. I'm doing pretty good with the 252s but I'm not really someone who invests as much into amps/dacs as much as the headphone is worth, or more. But by all means if you have the money and it brings you joy then have at it.
@@Riseun Thank you for the input, currently using the SRM-1/MK2, no complaints, was just curious.
@@Riseun Kgsshv does provide big difference for 007 and slightly for 009, but that's only my opinion. Many people have heard the omega stax with stax amps and Kgsshv and thought Kgsshv did significantly better job driving the headphones.
@@akshat3516 To each their own honestly. I really want to try the 007 and KGSSHV just to make sure I'm not missing anything. Although it's so hard to find somewhere to demo both of them. Stax house signature isn't my thing to much but I heard the 007 is darker though which seems enticing.
353x is all you need.
Best open back headphones for metal/progressive metal/doom? I have some ATH-M50x's and I find their instrument separation + soundstage very shit. Not exciting. I've been looking at some Sennheisers but I'm still uncertain! Please help. Cheers
Give a shot to the AKG K712. It has some bump around 2k, so guitars get an interesting flavor in the sound. The bass is also pretty good for an open back dynamic. Also super comfy with the huge pads, and the soundstage is the best in the business. Only the HD800 can compete in that regard.
Sennheisers can be veiled, depending on the model you choose.
Just a side note on the M50x. I have it and love it. While I totally agree on the soundstage issue, I find the instrument separation to be very good. I used them for mixing, and they fit quite well.
@@andrasnelhiebel6726 Thanks very much for your response and recommendation - I appreciate it. Funny you should mention the AKG K712 Pro because since my initial comment I've been considering it and have been scouring Ebay.uk and Amazon.uk! Hmm that's strange, each to their own mind but I've tried to persevere with my M50x's for nearly 3 years and just think they aren't great sound quality, quite muddy and VERY piercing for even a short period of time.. even say, listening to simply one album - it can get tiring and sharp, without much body to the material! They do have their moments, for example Opeth's Still Life album seems to like them a lot haha! The ear cups get so warm and sweaty too! So do you think the K712 Pro would be a significant improvement sound quality wise, and probably one of the best options overall? Thanks man!
Where is m40x review coming,you said same week as l700?.Also would be nice to compare it to cal 1 in depth.
Schedule slipped, had some events to go to on the weekends. Probably this weekend now since I have nothing else to do. Yeah CAL comparison definitely the primary goal.
The flatplate discussion on Reddit was interesting. Cant throw shade to that 'forum' here though ;-)
Have to be gentle with these things. I broke the headband of my SR-L300's right in the weak spot where you would expect them to break. The only US retailer is Woo Audio in NY. Cost $75 for something that feels like $5 and it took two months to ship from Japan.
Two months...that's crazy
Are you going to update mini DSP measuerements for your other HP?
Also, have you ever tested the HD700? I ask because a lot of people say you get 90% of a HD800 with that, but I cannot test the HD800 to see (I did test the HD700).
Lol I haven't heard it extensively but the HD 700 is so much brighter than the 800 that I'm hesitant to ever recommend it
I have owned both 700 and 800, the 700 is not even 90% of HD800 , it's more like 60%
How the fuck did I miss this review 4 days ago
Just found out about your channel through my search for headphone reviews; sorry for not posting this in a more relevant vid, just thought you're more likely to see the comment on your most recent vid :)
Any suggestions for a closed back headphone (and dac/amp if need be) for under $400? Was considering the DT177x GO on Massdrop since it would fit into my budget. My only intent with my eventual setup is home use: listening to music, movies, and light gaming. I don't want anything "fatiguing" (sound) to wear since I'd have them on all day as I work from home as well. Any help would be tremendously appreciated!
Us CZcamsrs see all comments via the creator studio app. AKG K550 mk3/K553 mk2 depending on if you live in the US or not. Doesn't really need an amp necessarily but the monoprice dac/amp is fine if you don't think you're gonna buy anything needing more power for a while
@@metal571thanks for the reply! I've been considering the DT770 pro; any noticeable differences between the two?
This REALLY makes me want to hear HD800.... I love the overall sound of my L300(which has ESPECIALLY nice mid/upper bass impact with bass boost +3dB@75Hz), my HD600 replacement/upgrade, but it's not very detailed and has about 80Hz bass dropoff. I had L300LE briefly. It was *extremely* detailed, with more bass extension and impact...but it was also much more fatiguing than L300, at least on my measly SRM-252s, so that was a big dealbreaker.
If you're going to try the HD 800 you might be disappointed in the performance since I found none of my music can even display the soundstage and imaging capabilities it can do. The only song I did find was one binaural song which I don't even remember and randomly stumbled across on spotify. It was basically just someone knocking from one side and then the other for a bit. I really wish I could find that song again and I think it would benefit from a lot of songs in order to test it's soundstage.
@@Riseun It's probably from Chesky Record's "The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc". I'm interested in HD800 for how it performs in games, mainly. I've probably heard the best soundstage headphones except HD800(Vokyl Erupt, HD660, AD700X, Sundara, etc), and HD800 is supposedly a huge jump up from all of these. Hard to imagine or believe, which is why I've got to hear them.
@@x-techgaming Yeah I don't think it's in that album. At least on spotify the whole album isn't available to listen to. It's really hard to notice the soundstage though without a good song that can accentuate it. They are probably the best but I have yet to try them in gaming tho.
@@Riseun Games would definitely be my 1st choice for testing soundstage and imaging - a live environment!!
I got L700 about week ago, i got HD800 too. Oh boy does the L700 totally annihilate HD800. With the pad mod (ported) its game over for HD800, i have no use for them. Soundstage is as wide as HD800 BUT much more accurate and more holographic. Bass is there with EQ. The detail what L700 give is better than even hifiman ananda/arya, far better. Second to only maybe STAX 009s (so far what iw personally heard). And in some ways even better that 009s. For the price point i am going call these the best headphones in the world.
Brother, $50 build quality?! More like $10!
Love me some Stax tho 😉
I really need your opinion. What is the best neutral sounding, close back headphones that block out ambient noise well and is not active? Around $300 or under budget.
K553
@@metal571 What version? 1,2, or 3?
@@metal571 i did a quick research and they seem to be the same. I just bought it on Amazon. Thanks for your recommendation!
Yeah they're the same. K553 mk2 and K550 mk3 are the same headphone and have the same sound as K553 and K550 mk2, but include a removable cable also. That is what I personally use every day at the office.
When I listened to them at CanJam I was super impressed. Definitely liked them more than the 009 actually. The speed and presentation was ridiculous but they felt like they were just going to fall apart when I picked them up...
Must have been the same exact table I demoed those two back to back on. Something is just wrong with the upper treble on the 009
@@metal571 Yeah it probably was. Obviously hard to get conclusive impressions on a show floor but the 009 sounded weird and the presentation was less impressive. That might have something to do with the size and shape of the driver. I asked the rep about that and he claimed the drivers were the same size which literally makes no sense because they are visibly different shapes
@@joshgoetz2477 It has nothing to do with the size and shape of the driver (except maybe headstage size), the main culprit is the energizer driving them. STAX booth always have 009 plugged into a T8000 or SRM 007T, these two are very overpriced amps Ime. Headfi users, headcase users and sbaf users, everyone has criticised stax amps for driving omega stax.
why not the 660S as your reference?
More people own the 6XX. I actually do prefer the 660S overall because the mids are closer to my preference already without EQ
what energizer are you using for the review?
SRM1/MK2
@@metal571 Has it been refurbished with new capacitors? STAX are definitely amp dependant, and vintage 30+ year old energizers like the SRM-1 Mk2 (even recapped) will just not give them their full capability, especially in the lower end of their frequency range. I put the low end of my modded L300 Limited (L700 pads and headband) above that of my Argon Mk3 both in subbass extension and impact, midbass punch is about equal.
Not running them on a STAX setup though - using NAD C275BEE stereo amp with Mjolnir Audio modded SRD-7 e-stat transformer, and RME ADI-2 DAC serving as DAC/preamp volume control. It's a very noticeable step up from using an SRM-323S/353X with much improved low end extension and impact, greater midbass punch, noticeably improved fullness/body to the sound with a smoother overall presentation.
And an easy mod to do for bringing linearity and subbass impact to an L300/500/700 is using Blu-tak to seal the pads to the housing... like previous generation Lambdas were. The SR-404 Limited absolutely floored me with it's low end prsentation - seal the L300 Limiteds and you get the same level of low ends as the 404 Limiteds, but in a brighter, more spacious sounding headphone. makes a very noticeable difference.
Here's a picture of the Blu-tak mod on my L300 Limited:
photos.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Audio/n-6fh3fz/i-2gDVRWT/0/da0ab696/O/i-2gDVRWT.jpg
I'm still experimenting with how much gap can be used on the rear section, as complete seal is absolutely rediculous in the amount of STAX fart it can generate and bass is slightly 'stuffy' feeling - much cleaner with about 1" section of seal removed in the back segment, but also less impact than with full seal (but more than with no seal). Blu-tak is easily applied and removeable as well.
What headphones are you wearing?
Sennheiser HD 380 Pro
I would sell all my headphones just to have those SR-L700's, it's just that the materials used is underwhelming. It's too fragile.
Would be nice if Stax made use of carbon fiber/light metals ( 3D print them or something ) and better ear pads to justify the price.
Got mind blown by the detail and clarity. Agree with you there Metal571, ethereal sums up the sound quality of these Stax.
I heard the SR007mk2.9 recently and it's amazing. Better build while still remaining light and no EQ required. Just smooth and warmer and not hyper fatiguing mids like most Stax, with that glistening ethereal quality. One of the best. Much cheaper than the more clinical 009S but better imo too
Is the 6XX a better reference than the 660s? metal571 said before the 660s replaced the 600 as the best reference headphone.
Well more people are familiar with the way the 580/600/650/6XX sound than the 660S so it's better to make comparisons to the classic Sennheisers. The 6XX still has too much upper midrange shout to me, where the 660S fixes that issue but is slightly too bright in the mid treble
@@metal571 Thanks! I actually bought the 660S because of your review and I think they are truly wonderful sounding headphones, I love how resolving and detailed they are,. Love hearing 80s metal and pretty much any genre in them. Thanks for your reviews, you are the best headphone reviewer IMO.
@@pianistor555 thanks that means a lot. Yeah the 660S really has been flooring me lately as well. It's quite a noticeable upgrade in detail over the 6XX. Awesome for metal indeed with less of the upper mid shout. Might just want to EQ in some extra sub bass into it without going crazy too. Still really enjoying mine, but $500 is still overpriced for them new imo
@@metal571 You are welcome! I will try doing that as definitely it does need some sub bass, but overall I'm really happy with the purchase, even tho it is very expensive in comparison to the 6XX or 600/580. What is really impressive to me, is how accurately you describe sounds of headphones, I can see you put a lot of work and thought in every review you do. Hope your channel keeps growing man! Keep it metal!
That ASMR 😂😂😂
Every headphone I have listened to that zeos loved seems to have a shouty midrange. M1060C and M60X had it, my Aeolus has it. I'm beginning to see a pattern.
DT1990, KSC75 and T50 mods are the exception.
> trusting Zeos for recommendations
Lol
Also Aeolus shouty? I thought the Auteur was the more aggressive one, isn't it? Hopefully Zach sends me those soon, the Aeolus blew me away at CanJam but have to evaluate it at home to know for sure
@@metal571 Aeolus is very mid-centric to my ears. Bass is south of neutral, mids are forward and a bit shouty, highs are fairly detailed. The whole headphone overall is just disappointing..I feel like they need a tube amp to enjoy them.
After being disappointed with Aeolus, I stopped watching Zeos. His best recommendations are MayflowerV1, KSC75 and DT1990, imo.
@@Nick-s-f the aivas are very nice for the price
that is a whole lot of stats and acronyms in the first minute 30 of the vid
1.5k Plus the energizer ....
i think they have to use a ton of plastic in the build because of the massive voltage going through it Metal might cause you to get shocked
their higher end models use mostly aluminium designs so they have no excuse they are just giving subpar build knowing that there are very few estat competitors
Stax are the best. They need a little eq but man, they truly are the supreme cans.
I will always want to own an SR007 someday
@@metal571 Oh God same here. It's just so hard to justify the price. It was hard enough to justify the l300 limited.
Cant wait until you get the raal sr1a ribbon driver oO earspeaker 😱😍
I've heard it and for that price it's kinda meh
@@metal571 what about sonoma model one then ? Tyel from innerfidelity felt in love with them
@@x32i77 haven't heard that myself
Some people(mainly on sbaf and some on discord) think that electrostatics have low resolution(plankton) and high clarity? What is your view on that?
Sbaf is a joke
@@metal571 lol can't disagree.
The people really well read on acoustic engineering who I talk to keep trying to tell them to stop looking at CSDs to correlate them to grain and they just don't even listen. They think they know more than modern audio researchers. It's a toxic, hostile clique with misinformation everywhere. Wouldn't bother taking them seriously
@@metal571 Yea, it's a rather silly forum, and the cult-ish clique thing is 100% true. You can't like Delta-Sigma DACs, and have to love everything ever made by Schiit for example - both stances which are ignorant of objective fact.
If you're looking for a good, objectivist, no-nonsense forum community, try audiosciencereview.com Some quite revealing and useful information on there.
How is it even possible to have great clarity and low resolution? They generally go hand in hand, and they are connected to the accurate reproduction of the transient response, which - given the low moving mass of the drivers - is generally superb on electrostats.
Also metal, if you could provide some reference to the statement that CSD is not correlated to grain, I would be very thankful. Either articles or forum sections. This seems an interesting new information to me, although I kind of suspected it, because some very detailed headphones measure like shit CSD-wise.
L300 Limited edition(they use L700 drivers) user here: They don't have the best build quality ever, but once you go electrostatic headphones it's hard to ever listen music with something else.(at least for me) They are extremely powerful, extremely detailed, very fast. They can do everything so effortlessly, it's unbelievable. Talking about comfort, My ears are small, so, they feel comfortable to me. Build quality seems low and it's not very high for sure yet i haven't had any problems regarding build quality yet. After hearing music first time with my L300 Limited's, i started to look at my DT1990's with disgust and disappoinment honestly. I've tried many different cans, nothing can even come close to sheer power of STAX electrostatic headphones.
Well, I didn't really like the sound signature of my L300 LE Stax. So I sold them and got the Focal Clear. The soundstage isn't as good, but I hear details I didn't get with the Stax headphones. Love the sound signature, too.
For mastering you suggest these with eq or hd 800 or lcd x?
LCD-X 2021 with the Audeze Reveal+ plug-in which equalizes them the rest of the way or you can EQ it yourself and will require less correction than the Stax
@@metal571So you think the new lcd x is superior sounding to the hd800s?
I owned the original 800 for a few years and compared it to the 800S directly once as well. It's just so sibilant that I hesitate to recommend it for studio work every time
@@metal571 yeah i saw that review (and many others) You know why lm asking? because i m not sure about the imaging and the soundstage of the new lcd x models compared to hd 800 and in my music i LOVE use many instruments (orchestras..!etc) so i usually end with crowed and demanding in stereo field and depth mixes..With my dt 880 i feel i struggle too much and also i can t persive easily the center it is like it s missing.
The HD 800 has a very wide even unnaturally wide stage so that may actually distort the final mix a bit in terms of imaging. the imaging on the X was actually improved by reducing the magnet count from 8 to 6 so they are spaced apart more. It is excellent for me. I would also ask Resolve over at the headphone show but I'm pretty sure he will agree with me on that
They EQ like a champ , I can emulate many headphones with my STAX, but havent tried the L700 yet though , as they are pricey.
I agree my stax L300LE also EQ so much easily I can emulate other types and resolution stays the same, I use hardware EQ.
@@ahmadieb Which hardware EQ?
@@clickbaitpro Was using Loki , then bought klark dn410 best cheap pro audio and work great !
I literally died at that build quality part because I mentioned the same thing on discord and oh boy I pissed off so many STAX owners. They just don't want to admit how shit it is for $1000+ headphone build wise.
Gotta pay at least $5000 to get passable build quality, let alone a seal apparently too. The EARS has plenty of sealing issues but I don't think it sounded like anything other than bass rolloff on my head either. 007 and 009 don't seem to have this issue
I agree Def should be better. I've broken the parts that hols the speaker twice (once on l300 trying to add thicker pads) and once L700. But they are really light
@@metal571 Yes and you also need to invest in a good Energizer but in all honesty, if you already own high end Planars and Dynamics, I don't see any reason to waste anymore on these unless you've heard it and really really like it just for the resolution. In my opinion, it's a huge blind buy gamble.
Estats are such a weird niche in this hobby. Massdrop was very nice and let me keep the Koss, which is a unique sound to have around, but that energizer is apparently one of the worst, even if it could connect to Stax
@@metal571 try the stax 353x. More than enough
I can show you measurements of my l700 which has a good seal. Can you send me your mail address or Facebook or something like that? Your measurements are typical bad seal which affects the sound a lot. Those l700 goes down to 20 hz. Way lower than my hd 660s.
Thanks for the review! it's still pretty rare to find reviews, threads, and measurements of the L700. And yes I am the same guy who complained about some parts of your review of the SHP-9500.... I don't mean to be a pain in the butt, and I love your channel, it's just that you are happening to review many of the headphones I own and can't help myself ahaha! I was checking out your f/r graph, and right at first sight it looked to me like a measurement with bad seal. I am sure you are familiar with the existing measurements of other lambda models messing with the seal (like the conspicuous cases of the sr-207 and 507). Have you seen OJ's measurement of the L700? different compensation of course, but pretty different nonetheless. I am curious about this because with the L700 I do hear something going on around 70hz, but not as crazy a bump as in your f/r. I also don't hear that bass roll-off, I hear great extension in the sub area, if anything with less energy than I would like below 50hz or so, but straight down nonetheless, not in the form of a steep roll-off. Could it be a seal issue in your f/r? Or the different rigs used to drive them? On the other hand, it is true that they sound too hot at the 1-2K and 8-10K regions (and still a little less than other lambdas in that respect!), a little too bright and fatiguing for me, so I also Eq them mercilessly, and no other cans I have, or have tried to Eq, take Eq-ing like the L700! incredible driver! (ok, I never heard the omegas...) it makes you feel in control of bass quantity, impact, and level of fatigue. Resolution and imaging/separation with these headphones are such that bleeding across frequency areas never happens no matter what you do with the Eq (within the limits of audio sanity, that is). You can shape your Eq in different ways, also depending on genres/individual albums, and these cans still retain their fabulous L700 tone and detail, it's like magic. And you are totally right, well recorded audio can make you forget their brightness issues, as it just turns into detail.
Yeah this has been pointed out to me already now by some others, but honestly they sounded like I measured them, so they probably didn't seal on my head either. I did find OJ's measurement (probably from a flat plate coupler) after this was pointed out to me, and I don't really know how he managed to "seal" it like that as subjectively that isn't how it sounded to me. And yeah, as far as Omega stuff I am really looking forward to reviewing 007...my "pipe dream" review is to do 007 vs LCD4. Getting those two into the same room anywhere on earth is enormously difficult.
A comparison a la Bob Katz ahaha! looking forward to that one!
I remember when he started writing for InnerFidelity and everybody laughed at his use of 007 and LCD4 and especially EQ. Now everybody is trying EqualizerAPO and both of those headphones have a solid reputation. Times change when people actually listen to the things they're reviewing and know how to describe the sound that comes out of them lol
I loved my L700. Added a 3 dB bass boost from my dsp on mayflower arc and was just fine. Gave it up for zmf auteur though. The dynamic sound just won me over the electrostat sound
What the hell is this, i can make some hot ram and cheese with them? I'll indicate it to my cousins to make some fried meat on the classroom. I can't stop laughing looking to this design
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Please come back to discord metal
Stax build quality: Imagine M1060, but plastic.
Yes thats why stax from 1960 lived today and other Headphones ? So You have Sennheiser from 1980?
V rms doesn't mean square voltage?? RMS is a term used to compare AC and DC since AC is an alternating in value.
Can't remember whether I tried L500 and L700 or L300 and L500 when I gave them a demo late last year. There was a difference between the two and I really enjoyed the costlier pair, whichever one.
Funnily enough, they also let me compare with an HD800S and I hated them by comparison, excessively bright it was painful. (I wondered if the amp I was given wasn't a correct pairing)
The Stax were just such an enjoyable listen. Even bassy tracks sounded great, because of how fast the bass was delivered.
Yeah the build quality is horrible, yes they are expensive as shit but man the sounds!! Paired with a KGSSHV amp or better it is heavenly! This setup made me sell every other audio gear I had. Yes they seem bass light but it’s not true, bass quantity is there but it’s so fast, they make all other headphones muddy in comparison. Once you’ll hear these with a good amp, you cannot go back to more traditional headphones.
If You think the build quality is Bad..Show me other Headphones from 1960 which live..many stax live longer with this build quality as Sennheiser etc..or Show me You living Sennheiser from 1980..all my dynamics a died..and only stax with horrible lived. Its a myth
the STAX experience starts with KGSSHV. Any amp below that just can't drive these headphones at their full potential. Especially 007(which are the hardest STAX headphones to drive) I do have KGSSHV Carbon & 007, i sold my L700 immediately after hearing 007.
@@tugbars4690 What would you say is the best electrostatic headphone, DAC, and amp as a first pair? The bank account really can't agree with dropping 6500 dollars on an amp alone lmao. Any combination you could recommend under 2000?
@@raihaansiddique5277 cheapest way to feed STAX with enough power is to use a speaker power amp like Schiit Vidar(700$) and use Transformers like STAX SRD-7. This solution will have enough current output to have full grip on diaphragm and enough voltage swing for good tonality & bass. As for headphones, second hand L700, second hand SR007 or vintage lambdas like 404, Nova Signature are fine.
Heywhat'supguysmetal571here ^^
Hitsupguysmetal571here
You have completely missed the point with Stax plus I suspect you had a cheap or faulty energiser. They respond with immense speed to changes which allows them to accurately reproduce sound. Bass IS light but can be enhanced significantly with different pads or the blutac mod.
To me they are a benchmark in head gear.
a few people said the STAX SR-009S with a blue hawaii was the ebst they ever heard. BUT price no way ...I can have nicer speakers for $10,320.00
I actually like the SR007mk2.9 better, not as lean sounding, more downtilted. The least weird measuring Stax product
The reason for the non-detachable cables and plastic build are both for safety. If you have a detachable cable you have 600 Volts floating around at the end of the cable waiting to bite you. For the same reason, you do not want the outer shell to be metallic, because that 600 Volts will find a way to jump to it and hence your ear and ruin your day.
Thanks for clarifying! Exactly the information I was looking for
Stax have been built the same since the 80s,cheap plastic,but good sound whit no bass :)
The description sounds perfect to me. Would like to listen to them.
Why don't you take on your phone stax l 700 over your head now?
Would be great that you review the RAAL SR1A "EARFIELD" MONITORING HEADPHONES (3500$). They are supposed to be the most accurate headphones available today (even more than Stax009s, Empyreens or Utopias some people say) and with the biggest soundstage... Should be checked!
Where do they prove their adherence to an industry standard target curve using measurements from a GRAS, Head Acoustics, or B&K system?
@@metal571 Good point... That's why I rely on experienced reviewers to investigate the case but I think I will email the RAAL cie about that topic (thx for making me think about that)!)
The Raal is too hyped by a single guy on total shit forums like sbaf and headfi.
Wouldn't take Raal seriously until some trustable people like metal or resolve reviews get them.
He certainly seems paid.
Anybody who listens to Nile will be extremely offended by treble peaks in headphones.
Weird, I haven't listened to them in a while but metal is usually highly upper midrange centric and not all that bright
@@metal571 I always go to Nile to test peaks in headphones, because Karl's solos make my ears bleed. I use Fostex THX00 personally, mostly because of the low range punch but also because the mid-his are tolerable for my sensitive ears. Ex: 3:30 to 4:00 in "Call To Destruction". Ps: I likely know 12% of what you know about the details of sound and "ranges".
Haha I still need to make a video about my sound description. Also if you play with an equalizer program like I did on my EqualizerAPO video you will quickly learn what peaks at different frequencies sound like. The X00 is pretty good. I am actually using Subjected to a Beating by Dying Fetus as one of my test tracks since you're into this stuff
@@metal571 Wasn't aware you were into heavier stuff. Check out Beneath - Ephemeris. Masterfully recorded and mixed brutal death metal record. For something a bit less heavy, check out Dyscarnate - With All Their Might.
Your measurements are not correct sealed. That's the typical roll of in the bass and the other frequencies change a lot. I have measurements with a good seal
That is how they seal. Matches all the other graphs I've seen, and, most importantly and obviously, it's how they sound on my head running a sine sweep
@@metal571 thank you for your comment. You see the typical lambda FR when the seal is bad. Than there's the typical bump at around 50-70hz and you have shouty mids. But with a good seal you have deep bass with mids which are in no way shouty. That's the reason why I love them. The lcd line has much more shouty mids for example. I have measurements of many stax here. The same headphones with good and bad seal. There you see the drastically bigger change.
Of course, it's possible I can't get a full seal on my head or the measurement system. Common issue with the EARS
@@metal571 yeah that's true. I wish that stax would improve the seal and the build quality. All my other headphones look and feel much more expensive 😅
My bad also, I did see one or two measurements where people were able to get them to seal after another quick Google. My pledge to the viewers is not to mislead with measurements and to make sure I explain any discrepancies between them and what I hear - I guess they just didn't seal on my head either, so I didn't really question it. Sigh. 007 and 009 don't seem to have this issue
I've never been a fan of electrostats. Bass always rolls off and most of the time they are bright in the upper mids and treble. Add to that the odd shape and uncomfortable design and that is just a solid "NO WAY" for me. I'm not joking when I say I'd rather listen to Koss Porta Pros over electrostats.
The Koss estat I reviewed is much warmer than this in the mids and treble but yeah the bass is a kinda weak. Didn't have any issues with comfort though. That said I am loving my new kph30i which essentially sounds just like the PortaPro, and sometimes you just want that simple warm and fun tuning that's usable anywhere, anytime.
@@metal571 Absolutely. HD6xx, Atticus and LCD-2 are my favorites... but the sound that you get with $30 for the portapros is insane. It's probably still the best deal in headphones as far as price to performance. Listening to Blackwater Park by Opeth on a pair of ZMF Atticus is a life changing experience though.
KPH30i was $20 on Massdrop for a while, and it eschews the weird headband on the PortaPro. Killer product for a similar sound and insane for that price
@@metal571 please review the kph30i
Bass rolls off because of the poor seal.
Looks 10 dollars to me bro.
just waiting for someone to be like these sound awful
Honestly I found them way too shouty in the midrange. And then the treble for some reason is fatiguing to me.
The natural FR really isn't that good, so if you aren't gonna EQ this thing it's gonna be disappointing indeed
@@metal571 I wasn't disappointed at all. I loved their bare bone sound except needing a bit of bass from a dsp correction .