The Stax thread (New)

[fraseyboy]

Originally Posted by webbie64

So what exactly are you talking about here...
your best ever choc chip cookie recipe ?
Chocolate chip cookies | Recipes and foods for Kiwi food lovers | foodlovers.co.nz ?

If you think finding the right headphone (and corresponding set-up) for you is a challenge, you should see the variety of choc chip cookie discussion out there...

Well personally, I've tried a few and I find this recipe Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - All Recipes to be very good. But as with headphones, someone else might prefer another recipe.

[webbie64]

Originally Posted by fraseyboy

Well personally, I've tried a few and I find this recipe Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - All Recipes to be very good. But as with headphones, someone else might prefer another recipe.

Aaah, that elusive synergy issue again.

[odoe]

A friend from work gave me a Stax Lambda Pro and Stax SRM-1/MK-2 that he wasn't using anymore (he's a speaker guy). They're about 20 years old, but look to be in great shape. I can't wait to get them home and try them out. I just need to find new foam inserts as the old ones have detiororated. My first electrostatics! I'm excited.

[webbie64]

Congrats, odoe. If only we all had friends like that.

Some have tried without the foam so have a listen even before you replicate/replace the inserts. That'll also verify for you that everything else is a.o.k.

Let us know what you think of their sound.

[odoe]

Ok, so I had a chance to play with them for a while.
I compared the Stax with my only other set of nice cans, Senn HD580's and my DIY Millet Max Hybrid.
I use foobar(via wasapi) on my pc to a TC-7510 (not the best source, but all I got) and listened to the following tracks all FLAC.

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Klaus Schulze - Bayreuth Return
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
Aphex Twin - Acrid Avid Jamshred

First song I threw on was Hallelujah and I absolutely loved it. I could hear lips smacking, it was fantastic through the the Stax. I could make out those little lip smacks through my HD580s, but I had to listen for them. With the Stax, it was just there. For all I know though, these could just be anomalies on the track.

Ida Maria was ok, but I think I prefer this tune through my HD580's. It just didn't seem to have that oomph I was used to with the track. It's a really fun song if you've heard it and through the Stax seemed too, I don't know . . . technical, lacking maybe? Not sure about terminology to use in my descriptions, sorry. I think I would say the same about the Kraftwerk track. It's from 1975, and I just like the way it sounds with my HD580's better. With the the Stax, it sounded like it was from 1975, unlike with my HD580s.

The other tracks sounded superb on the Stax. Costello was so crisp and clear. Schulze was also more inviting. This is another track from 1975 and sounds great on both my cans, but I think the Stax wins out in clarity for this track.

I was really surprised with the Aphex Twin track. This track has some pretty deep bass in it and was nice and crisp with the Stax. Not just that, but very much "bassy". My HD580's are great with this track too, but it feels like the bass is being blown in my ear as opposed to presented to me with the Stax if that makes sense. Sometimes I like bassiness. Tough call on this one, as the HD580 has a fun factor to it.

I don't know how much my source gear (TC-7510) may be holding my cans and amps back, but just based off what I have, these were my impressions.

All in all, I think I am going to be enjoying these Stax very much. They seem to provide a very clear presentation of the music. I can see why some people may not like them (being almost too detailed), but for a lot of stuff, I can see where I might just love them, such as the Buckley and Costello tracks I listened to. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time with these cans (maybe a Pete Namlook marathon session ) and maybe some day when I have some better gear I can give back as was given to me and pass them down.

[insyte]

Originally Posted by odoe

A friend from work gave me a Stax Lambda Pro and Stax SRM-1/MK-2 that he wasn't using anymore (he's a speaker guy). They're about 20 years old, but look to be in great shape. I can't wait to get them home and try them out. I just need to find new foam inserts as the old ones have detiororated. My first electrostatics! I'm excited.

I wish I had friends like yours

I also just got mine recently and I agree about the level of detail it gives

[edstrelow]

Originally Posted by odoe

A friend from work gave me a Stax Lambda Pro and Stax SRM-1/MK-2 that he wasn't using anymore (he's a speaker guy). They're about 20 years old, but look to be in great shape. I can't wait to get them home and try them out. I just need to find new foam inserts as the old ones have detiororated. My first electrostatics! I'm excited.

Probably better to get new ear pads. They have the foam attached. Only about $30.00 from Japanese sources such as Audiocubes 2.

[edstrelow]

Originally Posted by Mister Crash

Regarding headaches and irritation with dynamics, are these headphones that you've had (or at least tried) before? I ask this because I'm having kind of the opposite reaction: my O2 system is giving me a headache while dynamics never did.

In my case, I'm pretty sure it's a matter of how the headphones sit on my head. I realized that the bottom of the O2 earpads were putting pressure on one particular spot on my jawbone, which caused discomfort within minutes and headaches shortly thereafter. I have never had this issue with any of my other phones, which are all dynamics, but none of them put pressure at the same spot.

Sounds like you need to bend the metal bands (arc assembly in Stax lingo). They are pretty tough but try the rotation first.

[Victor Chew]

Anyone knows the difference between the SRD-7/mk2 and the SRD-7/SBmk2.

[paaj]

If I remember it right, the SB (self biassing or something like that) version does not need a power supply to create the power needed to drive the headphones. It gets it from the line-in power. I think I read that sometimes with quieter music / low volume this can sometimes cause underpowering problems?

[padam]

Originally Posted by Victor Chew

Anyone knows the difference between the SRD-7/mk2 and the SRD-7/SBmk2.

SB=self-biasing which basically means it doesn't need a wallwart to operate, I don't know if there is a difference in sound as well. The SRD-7/SBmk2 is a very rare variant.

[HeadphoneAddict]

My SRD-7 Mk2 is an SB and it takes longer to charge up the phones than my SRD-7 Pro, but sounds just as good. I can sometimes get a ground loop hum in my SRD-7 Pro that is not an issue with my SB since it doesn't plug into the wall.

[Johnnie]

Originally Posted by odoe

Ok, so I had a chance to play with them for a while.
I compared the Stax with my only other set of nice cans, Senn HD580's and my DIY Millet Max Hybrid.
I use foobar(via wasapi) on my pc to a TC-7510 (not the best source, but all I got) and listened to the following tracks all FLAC.

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
Klaus Schulze - Bayreuth Return
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
Aphex Twin - Acrid Avid Jamshred

First song I threw on was Hallelujah and I absolutely loved it. I could hear lips smacking, it was fantastic through the the Stax. I could make out those little lip smacks through my HD580s, but I had to listen for them. With the Stax, it was just there. For all I know though, these could just be anomalies on the track.

Ida Maria was ok, but I think I prefer this tune through my HD580's. It just didn't seem to have that oomph I was used to with the track. It's a really fun song if you've heard it and through the Stax seemed too, I don't know . . . technical, lacking maybe? Not sure about terminology to use in my descriptions, sorry. I think I would say the same about the Kraftwerk track. It's from 1975, and I just like the way it sounds with my HD580's better. With the the Stax, it sounded like it was from 1975, unlike with my HD580s.

The other tracks sounded superb on the Stax. Costello was so crisp and clear. Schulze was also more inviting. This is another track from 1975 and sounds great on both my cans, but I think the Stax wins out in clarity for this track.

I was really surprised with the Aphex Twin track. This track has some pretty deep bass in it and was nice and crisp with the Stax. Not just that, but very much "bassy". My HD580's are great with this track too, but it feels like the bass is being blown in my ear as opposed to presented to me with the Stax if that makes sense. Sometimes I like bassiness. Tough call on this one, as the HD580 has a fun factor to it.

I don't know how much my source gear (TC-7510) may be holding my cans and amps back, but just based off what I have, these were my impressions.

All in all, I think I am going to be enjoying these Stax very much. They seem to provide a very clear presentation of the music. I can see why some people may not like them (being almost too detailed), but for a lot of stuff, I can see where I might just love them, such as the Buckley and Costello tracks I listened to. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time with these cans (maybe a Pete Namlook marathon session ) and maybe some day when I have some better gear I can give back as was given to me and pass them down.

Odoe - When I first got my Stax (SR-202) I was surprised at how well they jam. I believe there is a misconception regarding Stax's ability to portray certain types of music (e.g., rock). With that being said, what I really noticed was how much system matching makes a difference (as has been said in many other posts). I currently using a Marantz SA-15 SACD player that matches well with my SR-404s. I've thought about upgrading my CD player, but will likely wait until I get a pair of Omegas (the same goes with an upgraded amp).

Glad to read you're enjoying them.

[edstrelow]

Originally Posted by Johnnie

Odoe - When I first got my Stax (SR-202) I was surprised at how well they jam. I believe there is a misconception regarding Stax's ability to portray certain types of music (e.g., rock). With that being said, what I really noticed was how much system matching makes a difference (as has been said in many other posts). I currently using a Marantz SA-15 SACD player that matches well with my SR-404s. I've thought about upgrading my CD player, but will likely wait until I get a pair of Omegas (the same goes with an upgraded amp).

Glad to read you're enjoying them.

Agree with this. Also something I don't see discussed much and that is that in my experience most Stax/Koss electrostatic phones need a day or 2 od use to show their full capability.

Eg. I run a Stax SRM1Mk2 amp at my office with either the Lambda Signature or Sigma Pro. After a week or so of listening to the Signature the Sigma seemed to lack some capability from what I remembered the last time I listened even though they had been warmed up a bit. However I left them plugged in, but not on, over night and the next day warmed them up for about an hour before listening and they showed a notable gain, especially in the bass. Listening to a local jazz group I had felt that the double bass was missing on day one but much more pronounced on day 2.

This is not an amp issue since the amp is used every day. I think there rae charge-up issue with stats, that they can develope residual charges when left around. I once worked with a technician who actually measured this type of "electret effect" as he called it on a slightly different type of electrostatic transducer. He was making them by hand and puzzled at the variability in measured performance.

As far as I can tell though the problem is solved by regular use and, I personally think, by leaving the phones pluged in when not in use. Alternatively I think you need to dsicharge them say by touching the pins when you take the phones out of the amp.

[Victor Chew]

Thanks paaj, padam and Larry for the useful comments. My efforts to get a 717 has so far not been successful. Seen a few WBT in the sale forum though, that makes me feel that there is a shortage. Thought I try the energiser road instead and plug it to my B22.