Article: Flagship Electrostatic Headphones Review: Audeze CRBN & Stax SR-X9000

[austinpop]

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[The Computer Audiophile]

Wow, where to start @austinpop?! Thanks for the superb review. I also enjoyed your comparison to your current Meze reference. Well done! Great selection of music as well. 

 

This is quite a statement, "On classical symphonic music, the genre I listen to most, the SR-X9000’s was by far the best music reproduction I have ever heard on headphones. It has a vast soundstage, tonality that is spot on, and it reproduces instruments with such realism in texture and tone that it connected me to the music more emotionally than any other component."

 

Now I must listen to these and compare to my reference, the RAAL-requisite SR1a.

[auricgoldfinger]

Nice review!

[austinpop]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Wow, where to start @austinpop?! Thanks for the superb review. I also enjoyed your comparison to your current Meze reference. Well done! Great selection of music as well. 

 

Thanks, I appreciate that!

 

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This is quite a statement, "On classical symphonic music, the genre I listen to most, the SR-X9000’s was by far the best music reproduction I have ever heard on headphones. It has a vast soundstage, tonality that is spot on, and it reproduces instruments with such realism in texture and tone that it connected me to the music more emotionally than any other component."

 

Now I must listen to these and compare to my reference, the RAAL-requisite SR1a.

 

Absolutely! It would be really interesting to compare the SR-X9000/Carbon CC combo to the SR1a driven by your Audio Research amp. 

 

I also wish I had gotten my hands on a Head Amp Blue Hawaii SE electrostatic amp, to better explore the gamut of bespoke electrostatic headphone amps. Something for the future perhaps.

[PeterG]

Superb review of a superb set of components.  As your seesaw between the two Stax and the CRBN illustrates, headphones are the most exciting area of hifi today.  Thanks! 😊

[Mercman]

A wonderful review that was thoughtful, thorough, and well written.  
 

I have been enjoying my SR-X9000 with a Headamp BHSE for almost 2 months. You nailed the sound that I am experiencing. I also have an SR-009S and SR-007 MK1 ; the X9000 is far superior in resolution and transparency.

 

Thanks again!

[yyz]

12 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Now I must listen to these and compare to my reference, the RAAL-requisite SR1a.

 

I recommend upgrading your SR1a to the new RAAL-Requisite VM-1a tube headphone amp and use a neutral DAC with it (I have not tried a warm DAC with it yet). This amp is better than ANY 2-channel gear on the SR1a (no amp interface box). It is also better than the RAAL-Requisite HSA-1b amp.

 

The new RAAL-Requisite CA-1a headphone, that also works with the VM-1a amp, is also something special.

[The Computer Audiophile]

20 minutes ago, yyz said:

 

I recommend upgrading your SR1a to the new RAAL-Requisite VM-1a tube headphone amp and use a neutral DAC with it (I have not tried a warm DAC with it yet). This amp is better than ANY 2-channel gear on the SR1a (no amp interface box). It is also better than the RAAL-Requisite HSA-1b amp.

 

The new RAAL-Requisite CA-1a headphone, that also works with the VM-1a amp, is also something special.

I spent a good amount of time with the CA-1a and the VM-1a amp at the Munich show. 
 

[ShawnC]

@The Computer Audiophile are you using the RME DAC for some article?

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, ShawnC said:

@The Computer Audiophile are you using the RME DAC for some article?

I’ve never had an RME DAC here. 

[Blake]

Excellent work Rajiv!  I really enjoy your reviewing style.  Very informative and helpful.

 

Oh, and nice to see you've joined us in the DHT cult!

 

[ShawnC]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I’ve never had an RME DAC here. 

My bad, I was thinking that was your desk.  Now I realize the photo was from the audio show. 

[chrille]

Hello Austin,Nice review again and honestly, although I have  not yet auditioned the SR-X9000 I would have been a bit  surprised if you would have preferred the 009 over it.  I am not surprised that they have tamed the slight brightness/thinness of  the 009 and quite possibly pushed the electrostatic principle to SOTA level where  the electrostatic principle really shines  ie RESOLUTION

Direct comparisons with the RAAL  would have been interesting too.But you did not hang on to that one right? But to me it remains together with my old Jecklin Float electrostats possibly the most open and unfettered sounding headphone on the market.

And although I also realize that you also need to reach out to many tastes, I personally basically only would have needed that  ONE VERY important sentence about Classical Music.

There is imo NO more demanding task for any link in a HIFI chain than to try to reproduce the tonal and timbral complexity of a full Symphony orchestra which in works as Mahler´s 8th also contains some of the largest Dynamic Range  in all of Music, ranging  from a mere whisper  to VERY VERY LOUD indeed.

But with  electrostatic speakers like my MLs the Achilles heel is dynamics or rather loudness. Does it really cope with Mahler climaxes without breaking a sweat? My speakers do not. But sound sublime with Indian Classical.

 And I would NOT at all recommend  electrostatic headphones or speakers to people who mainly listen to Electronica or  generally loud Rock and POP music.

But for those who know how unamplifed acoustic instruments and the human voice  actually sound live and strive for that imo ultimate HIFI reference point also in their HIFI system ,again imo, the electrostatic principle is one of, and possibly even THE most transparent way to reproduce live acoustic music.

PS. I take it  for granted that your praise of the SR-X9000 also equally well extends to other genres we have in common like  Indian /Asian Classical and World Music.

Cheers Chrille

 

 

 

 

[PeterG]

I demoed and returned the RAALs (powered by McIntosh MC 275) just before demoing and keeping my 009S's (powered by Stax 700T), so not a disciplined side by side comparison, but may be helpful to some--

 

Both are magnificent, with levels of detail and musicality that really need to be experienced.  both also are super revealing and just DEMAND your attention.  I often do crosswords while listening. ("Bad, audiophile!")  It's humorously difficult to try to concentrate on something else while either of these are playing.

 

The biggest difference to me was that the RAALs are faster, much faster.  Your ear is on the bell of the sax or the rim of the drum.  I found this thrilling, but a bit scary (wrt aural health), especially on pieces with wide dynamic range, or going from song to song with different levels of loudness. 

 

The 009S's are kinder and gentler.  You'll feel the guitar strings or a voice will give you goosebumps, but it is more as an up-close member of the audience than a member of the band.  Everything is just beautiful.

 

So I might describe the RAALs as a Ferrari and the Stax as a Rolls Royce (OK, I have never been in either, but you get the idea).  Both are light years ahead of others, and a person could declare either the best in the world, but they have very different personalities, and I would not expect any one person to call it a difficult choice between the two.  For those in the market, retail options are limited, so I recommend buying from someone with a fair restocking fee, such as RAAL direct or Head Amp.  The comparison is worth a few hundred dollars.

[MikeJazz]

Another great review. The right balance between objective evaluation and subjective yet useful interpretation of musical performance.

[agb500]

Great review. I wish, I could afford everything mentioned in this article. I own the Stax SRM-1/MK-2 Professional Electrostatic Headphone since 1983. They were at this time the best sounding headphone on the market, and also the most expensive, cost just $500 (laugh). Since than I did not hear any Stax headphone (is it a big difference in sound quality vs price ratio)? My system including Quad ESL-63 (orginal), REL 212/SE, Luxman L-550AX, Oppo UDP-205, Yamaha NP-S2000 monster 26.5 lbs Network Player/DAC, Sennheiser HD-800S. I did not necessary hear any better audio set up. One of the best system I remember in the past was Martin Logan CLS and Velodyne Acoustics sub's driven by Mark Levinson electronics. Keep up good work but the most important is just keeping up the cost of audio equipment at bay. By the way, album "X" by the German electronic music pioneer, composer and musician Klaus Schulze sound owesome on my system (SHM-cd), not mention Yello's "Baby" great cd. Cheers!

[Scot Hull]

Sorry I missed this the first time around, but happy to just chime in and say, "what a great review"!

[jamesjames]

Many thanks for a very enjoyable read. I saw your recent comments on the T+A phones - which you seemed to like. Any thoughts on how they compare to the SR-X9000?