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Rank your Stax earspeaker/amp combo

post #1 of 29
4/17/10 at 9:14pm
Thread Starter 
I know a lot of this info is in the huge Stax thread, but I thought gathering it all in one place would work well. Please list the earspeaker and the amp that you have actually heard in order from best to worst. Here is my meager list.
1. Lamda Nova Signature and SRM-T1S
2. SR-303 and SRM-323a
3a. SR-303 and SRM-300
3b. SR-202 and SRM-300
4. SR-202 and SRM-252a
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post #2 of 29
4/17/10 at 9:38pm
1) Headamp BHSE -> SR-007Mk1
2) Headamp BHSE -> Anything else (Lambda Pro, ESP950 etc)
-
3) SRM-717 -> SR-007Mk1
4) SRM-717 -> HE60
4) SRM-717 -> SR-202
-
5) SRM-212 -> SR-202
5) SRD-6 -> SR-3N
6A) SRM-001 -> SR-001
6B) SRM-001mk.2 -> SR-001Mk.2
-
7) SRM-212 -> SR-007Mk1
8) SRD-6 -> SR-007Mk1

I dread to think of Spritzer having to do a batch compilation of compilations of the gear he's owned.
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post #3 of 29
4/17/10 at 10:04pm
From what I have owned:

Headamp Blue Hawaii & Stax Omega 2 mk1
Headamp Blue Hawaii & Sennheiser HE60

Stax SRD7pro & Stax Omega 2 mk1 (tie) Headamp Blue Hawaii & Stax SR-404LE

Stax SRD7 & Stax SR-Lambda

Stax SRM-313 & Stax SR-404
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post #4 of 29
4/17/10 at 10:57pm
Headamp BHSE & SR-007 Mk1

Okay, it's the only one I own, but although I'd heard various Stax rigs before, this was the only combo that made me buy a Stax rig.
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post #5 of 29
4/18/10 at 5:35am
I'm not even going to try since I've tried pretty much every possible combination. That said, almost every electrostatic headphone I've ever tried benefited immensely from a more powerful amp driving them. The only exception being the HE90 which needs a more sympathetic match.
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post #6 of 29
4/18/10 at 6:47am
Heard so many different combinations. But on first thoughts the ranking looks like this.

1. SR-007BL -> SRM-007t
2. SR-007BL -> SRM-717
3. 4070 -> SRM-007t
4. SR-007BL -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
5. SR-404 -> SRM-007t
6. SR-404 -> SRM-717
7. SR-404 -> SRM-006t
8. SR-Lambda Pro -> SR-007t
9. SR-Lambda Pro -> SRM-1//MK2 PRO
10. SR-X/MK3 Pro -> SRM-007t
11. SR-X/MK3 Pro -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
12. SR-X/MK3 -> SRM-007t
13. SR-X/MK3 -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
14. SR-303 -> SRM-313
15. SR-202 -> SRM-212
16. S-001MK2 -> SRM-001

Not counting those combinations powered by a speaker amplifier and SRD-7 Pro or MK2 transformer.
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post #7 of 29
4/18/10 at 12:18pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the posts, keep them coming everyone.
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post #8 of 29
4/18/10 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by krmathis View Post
Not counting those combinations powered by a speaker amplifier and SRD-7 Pro or MK2 transformer.
But even, how would you rank your stax system in your list ?
I'm just curious.
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post #9 of 29
4/18/10 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by krmathis View Post
Heard so many different combinations. But on first thoughts the ranking looks like this.

1. SR-007BL -> SRM-007t
2. SR-007BL -> SRM-717
3. 4070 -> SRM-007t
4. SR-007BL -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
5. SR-404 -> SRM-007t
6. SR-404 -> SRM-717
7. SR-404 -> SRM-006t
8. SR-Lambda Pro -> SR-007t
9. SR-Lambda Pro -> SRM-1//MK2 PRO
10. SR-X/MK3 Pro -> SRM-007t
11. SR-X/MK3 Pro -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
12. SR-X/MK3 -> SRM-007t
13. SR-X/MK3 -> SRM-1/MK2 Pro
14. SR-303 -> SRM-313
15. SR-202 -> SRM-212
16. S-001MK2 -> SRM-001

Not counting those combinations powered by a speaker amplifier and SRD-7 Pro or MK2 transformer.
You first option (SRM-007 better than SRM-717) is different than most.
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post #10 of 29
4/18/10 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gilency View Post
You first option (SRM-007 better than SRM-717) is different than most.
Yeah that's strange than most people think...but thats the beauty of this hobby it's mostly subjective
Maybe the source was different.......
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post #11 of 29
4/18/10 at 4:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Omega17TheTrue View Post
But even, how would you rank your stax system in your list ?
I'm just curious.
On third place.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gilency View Post
You first option (SRM-007 better than SRM-717) is different than most.
Different taste than "most" maybe? Or perhaps just because I am much more familiar with the SRM-007t.
Since I lived with one for 2 1/2 years, driving the SR-007BL. While I have only listened to the SRM-717 at a meeting.
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post #12 of 29
4/18/10 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
I'm not even going to try since I've tried pretty much every possible combination. That said, almost every electrostatic headphone I've ever tried benefited immensely from a more powerful amp driving them. The only exception being the HE90 which needs a more sympathetic match.
I agree with this.

If pushed I would go with the prevailing wisdom that the BHSE is the best amp for Staxen. With the 007 Mk1 or A you probably have an unbeatable sound. But it also pulled my Sigma/404 to a new level of performance and if you like the Sigma sound, as I do, this gets very close to beating the 007's.
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post #13 of 29
4/18/10 at 8:32pm
Thread Starter 
Actually I am sure everyone knows which are in the top spots. What I think is really interesting and what may be more useful is to see the ranking of everything else.
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post #14 of 29
4/19/10 at 6:37am
1. SRM-717 -> SR-007BL

2a. SRM-T1 -> SR-202
2b. SRM-717 -> SR-202
2c. SRM-T1 -> HE60

3. SRM-T1 -> Lambda Signature
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post #15 of 29
4/19/10 at 1:41pm
I find it interesting that the instant you want to get the most out of your stats, there is such a huge jump in price from $2000+ to $5000+. If only someone came out with a great stats amp that bridges the price gap and does %95 of what a BHSE does
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