Rank your Stax earspeaker/amp combo - Page 2

A short list for me...

...Here's what's going to have to do for me:

1. SRM-006TII -> SR404

It's the only Stax I've heard but....

....I just ordered the SR202s(2-4 weeks until delivery).

I'm sold on stats!!

Based on those i've owned for one year:

1) SRM-212 > SR-007 Mk1

2) SRM-212 > Lambda Nova Signature

3) SRM-212 > SR-003

The O2 is in a league of its own for me (mainly due to the bass performance and better balance). Between the LNS & the SR-003 it's a close call, they're so different anyway.

I  have not listened to as many Stax cans/amps as some of you have. However since I am using an SRD7/Pro modded by Birgir(Spritzer) driven by a vintage Marantz 2238B I am hooked. I have tried various Lambdas and Sigmas out that combo and they all sound very nice. Thanks again Birgir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer 

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 observation.

Any Stax will sound best with a BHSE.  Some such as the 007 need amps of that caliber.  Others such as the various Lambdas are less picky and will work allright with many of the lesser amps. Even the least efficient Stax, the Sigmas, sound ok with an SRM1Mk2 although they like others sound best with the bigger amps.

Simple fix to double the voltage swing of the SRM-1 Mk2, run it balanced.    Well that and replacing the old and worn out capacitors. 
 

I prefer all of my high bias Stax phones with the SRM-717 (relative to the SRM-T1, SRM-1 MKII, SRM-212 portable). For the Lambdas the differences are marginal - including my little gem, the portable 212 -, for the O2 MKI / II, and the Sigma-202 they are crucial, for the 4070 significant.

Combinations with the 717 in order of preference (low bias phones with the T1):

1a) 4070

1b) O2 MK I

2a) O2 MK II

2b) HE 60

3) Lambda Signature

4a) Lambda Pro

4b) 303

4c) 404

4d) 202

5) Lambda Nova Signature

6) Sigma with 202 drivers

7) Sigma

8) SR-X MK III

9) SR-5

10) SR-40

Guess there are only mild surprises here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer 

Simple fix to double the voltage swing of the SRM-1 Mk2, run it balanced.    Well that and replacing the old and worn out capacitors. 
 

Is that why the SRM Monitor sounds better than the SRM 1 Mk2? I'm happy to accept this as imagination on my part as there is a fair time gap since I heard an SRM 1 Mk 2, and I'm not sure if the SRM Monitor really runs balanced internally. Next project - replace the electrolytic capacitors.

It could be a factor and it is easy enough to see whether it is fully balanced or not.  Does it have a 4-gang attenuator or just a normal 2-gang?

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer 

It could be a factor and it is easy enough to see whether it is fully balanced or not.  Does it have a 4-gang attenuator or just a normal 2-gang?

I'm confused.  I hought all Stax amps ran balanced?

They all have differential outputs but most only accept single ended inputs.  If you want to get really technical then most have a differential input stage (so they can easily be wired for XLR's even if they never shipped like that) but with single ended output stages.  There are though some which can only be used with single ended sources, the old Stax amps (pre 1982), the GES and the HEV90.