The "majority consensus" was formed by people who AB-tested the 007 and 009 side-by-side, probably plugged into the same amp. That amp almost certainly did not have separate volume controls for its outputs. The higher sensitivity of the 009 made it play louder. Louder always sounds better in AB-testing. The 009 also happens to also be somewhat brighter, which also sounds more impressive in AB-testing. Double-whammy against the 007. It would be more fair to compare the two headphones running from one source but using two separate amps, volume-matched as well as possible.
I like the 009, but I prefer to listen to the 007.
Can I suggest and experiment?
Run the same system you use for the phones through a good speaker set up (if possible). Play a track with strings, female vocal, or electric guitar on it. Play it loud, at a level the neighbours may come knocking. Sit in your listening chair for 15 minutes. What does it sound like? I thought so - bright and harsh, electrical and 'hi-fi' not like a real voice or instrument. This is what you are doing with the 009, even if you listen at 'normal' levels, they reveal EVERYTHING.
It hugely matters what the source is. As we go higher up the quality levels, you get more of everything and that includes detail (information). That extra detail comes at a cost, it requires a smooth DAC which in today's world IMO is not so easy to find. Most modern DACs are DS and sound 'impressive' but not accurate, you always know it is an electrical device, not a real instrument. To me digital has gone too far away from Vinyl and even tape, it sounds clinical.
The 009 and a good tube amp with a Vinyl rig will sound sound fantastic IMO, much more real, and as close as possible to the master tape (or the digital master).
I recommend folk try an R-2R DAC, preferably with tubes in the PS band Line Stage, it gets much closer to how real music can sound IMO.
The other thing is the 009 is technically a 50K+ speaker in reality. It requires at lest a 6K DAC and 4K amp to do it justice, why put a 1K amp and DAC in front of it, makes no sense to me. The 007 is great at 'hiding' issues. I agree, the 007 is a great and warm sounding (quite natural) headphone, but in a balanced system that is not required IMO. I find it looses too much detail and decay, it is too slow, if that makes sense. It also sounds slightly boxy, even the later (better 007As.
STAX and can't help getting into all sorts of related discussions. It is my ardent hope that the following photo warms your heart enough to forgive me. (=^‥^=)
