Member Reviews: STAX SIGMA

   The Stax Sigma series panoramic earspeakers. 1. Models and nomenclature The Stax SR-Sigma panoramic earspeaker was introduced in 1977. There have been 3 versions officially released and 1 after-market version commissioned. The original low bias, grey grille 1977 Sigma model (bias voltage of this model being 230V or “Normal”). The 2 um thick driver used was later recycled in the very successful Stax Lambda Semi-Panoramic earspeaker. The first release Sigma had a fabric coated, round bodied “kettle type” cord that connected the earspeaker to its amplifier/transformer and the grilles on this model are grey. Later versions of the normal bias Sigma (1987) used a...

Bought my Sigmas in the ''80s, after trying all the available Stax products and preferred the sound of the Sigmas by a wide margin.  Until recently have used them sparingly since I never really cared for the energizer/solid state amp combos I had available and thus spent far more time listening to a variety of speakers. Found a mint Stax SRM-T1W amp/preamp, and now I truly enjoy these 'phones. Plus the passive preamp section works quite well with the amps I now own when it's time to use speakers.

The Stax Sigmas are  pretty much unique among headphones, because they mount the drivers ahead of the ears and facing to the back of the head. Thus unlike virtually every other phone made there is no direct transmission of sound to the eardrum, but all sound reaching the eardrum is reflected one or more times by the external ear structures or ear canal.   Stax did this to create a more lifelike presentation, since this type of reflected sound is what you would get from speakers or real instruments located ahead of you.  So in that sense virtually all other phones produce an unnatural presentation because they fire sound directly to the ear drum something that you...