Audiophilepure

The engineers at STAX have created, in my opinion, a very special headphone. Inspired and taught by the legendary engineer Kazuo Suzuki, who has been with STAX for over 50 years, the current generation of engineers continue to refine and honor the tradition of excellence. This third model of the SR-007 series, the SR-007S are a result of the continuing research and push towards perfection that STAX is famous for.

When you approach the extreme high end of headphones, IE: above $5,000, the differences become subtle, but differences they remain. And for my money, the Dan Clark Audio CORINA Electrostatic Headphone sits at the top of the heap. Offering up the unparalleled resolution of an electrostatic with unmatched dynamic range (in an electrostat) and a linear tonal balance that not only reaches deep into the subsonic with weight usually reserved for other lower resolution designs but is able to present smooth, unemphasized high frequencies, and a musicality that is to die for, the CORINA is the ultimate headphone for the audio purest.

While the CORINA is not the most expensive headphone in its class, in fact I have headphones in my collection that cost more, the need for a special amplifier does make it a pricey consideration, but one should also remember that the DAC of choice for most reference systems (such as the Bartók or the DAVE) will cost more than most electrostatic headphone amplifiers, and I will for one point out that the amplifier is still a more critical component in your sonic performance than a DAC, in fact to get the most out of my $8,000 headphone a $5,000 headphone cable is required, so everything is relative.

https://www.headfonia.com/hifiman-audivina-le-review/

The biggest problem with the Audivina LE is likely its bass response. It’s tuned so flat— and I mean that is dead flat —that you don’t get any sub-bass rumble. The mid-bass area isn’t so textured and definitive either. So what you have is a very flat bass that isn’t capable of giving the music the blood that it requires, particularly in genres that need that specific trait. 

The positive aspect here, of course, is the speed. The PRaT here is very good, and the decay is quick, so that there’s no mid-bass bleed possible, even remotely. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say about the bass performance, except that it’s explicitly tuned for speed and subtlety. It works well with classical and jazz. 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/brilliant-corners-31-campfire-earphones-fiio-portable-player

Then there’s the dense physicality of the sound, a quality no doubt attributable to the dynamic drivers, which move more air than their balanced armature or planar magnetic counterparts. The Trifecta plays with more meat on the bone than any earphones I’ve heard, and with greater dynamics, compounding the sense of presence created by the vast staging. Its gorgeous, colorful midrange, which gives guitars and voices so much vividness, definitely contributes, too. Most importantly, the Trifecta proved matchless at generating engagement and emotion. Its unrestrained, juicy sound is difficult to approach analytically; after a few minutes I usually forgot what I was supposed to be focusing on or comparing and got lost in listening.

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audeze-lcd-5

Next up Steve Davis’ recording of To Wisdom, The Prize from live LP We See. The trumpet, trombone and saxophone are really clean and bright but not at all edgy. The backing from piano, bass and drums is in perfect proportion to the brass instruments, while the bass is tight and punchy. The piano in particular sounds very natural and beautifully reproduced.

Turning to a classic recording of Barbra Streisand singing Tomorrow to see how it fares with vocals, the LCD-5 presents Streisand’s voice in front of the sparkling and clear orchestral backing, and there is a very natural depth to the recording. The performance is very real and the music exudes refinement throughout the entire track.

Ranged against some of the competition, the JOAL is pleasingly open-sounding with a fairly spacious soundstage, especially along the X-axis.

I have spoken a few times about how much further the vocal imaging is than previous ABYSS iterations. Whilst this does create a somewhat more intimate quality, it’s nowhere near as narrow-sounding or as in your face as the POET and, to some extent, the NOIRE XO. 

I do think it has less height than the NOIRE XO, but it does allow for that smooth midrange performance to come through strongly.

The NOIRE XO has stronger treble levels, but it introduces a brighter, more attack-minded upper midrange that, whilst more dynamic, can be more fatiguing than the comparatively relaxed imaging of the JOAL.

ABYSS DIANA series headphones fourté has always been about speed and space, so I would say the JOAL has retained some excellent space, but it has dropped the pace a little.

FiiO has challenged that price structure with a flagship that is well under a thousand dollars. How they do it is a mystery to me, because all the materials from the carbon fiber to the genuine leather headband and lambskin ear pads are premium materials. FiiO chose real zebra wood over a plastic version. Even the 6N liquid nitrogen frozen monocrystalline copper stock cable is premium.

Fairly easy to drive, the FiiO FT7 can be enjoyed with a portable DAC/amp, though it reaches its potential on a quality desktop amplifier.

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audeze-lcd-5

We use the 6.35mm adapter to connect the LCD-5 to a HD83 valve headphone amp and start off spinning an LP of Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet played by the LSO and conducted by André Previn. Movement No.13 Dance Of The Knights with the stately entry of knights in armour to the ball at the Capulet’s home really grabs the attention. The soundstage is very real and surprisingly wide considering we’re listening on headphones. The powerful marching rhythm and trumpet blasts that accompany the strings playing the main theme are strident and powerful, but not at all harsh. The orchestra has great air and space around the instruments, resulting in an authoritative performance.

Next up Steve Davis’ recording of To Wisdom, The Prize from live LP We See. The trumpet, trombone and saxophone are really clean and bright but not at all edgy. The backing from piano, bass and drums is in perfect proportion to the brass instruments, while the bass is tight and punchy. The piano in particular sounds very natural and beautifully reproduced.

Turning to a classic recording of Barbra Streisand singing Tomorrow to see how it fares with vocals, the LCD-5 presents Streisand’s voice in front of the sparkling and clear orchestral backing, and there is a very natural depth to the recording. The performance is very real and the music exudes refinement throughout the entire track.