The background is that when I heard it, I happened to own an SR-007 system at the time and had some misgivings about it: obviously tonality is never going to be a Stax strength, but the ethereal, light presentation really limited their use for me. They were great for relaxing and not actively focusing on music, such as during the work day, but when I’m critically listening, I want something with more substance. It’s been a while since I’ve heard the Jr (last time I heard it was back in 2018 I think?) but what I do recall was that it had more upper midrange presence, more low midrange body, and less harsh mid-treble. I’m not sure which of the two would win out in resolution, but my takeaway from it was that it was a nice take on a “weightier” sounding 007 SZ2.

The Susvara, from memory, leaned brighter and leaner. I do agree it sucked the life out of a lot of my music but most Susvara fans I know seem to be detail-chasers rather than tone-purists.