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New listening impressions of Stax C32 prototype and Shipping SR-009 - Page 7

post #91 of 1512
1/5/11 at 4:58pm

Saving up, probably around 3000$ for the combo I guess. Really looking forward to HE90 comparisons.


Edited by reiserFS - 1/5/11 at 4:59pm
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post #92 of 1512
1/5/11 at 5:08pm

Probably this will be one of the best sounding headphones to date, really majestic but when compared to O2 appearance, I still go for the O2.. just you wait this a Stax Woo setup will probably end my journey.

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post #93 of 1512
1/5/11 at 5:10pm

We certainly need a price soon..
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanakaku View Post

Probably this will be one of the best sounding headphones to date, really majestic but when compared to O2 appearance, I still go for the O2.. just you wait this a Stax Woo setup will probably end my journey.

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post #94 of 1512
1/5/11 at 5:16pm

 

 

Quote:
We certainly need a price soon..

 

 

Yeah, but still if its like 5-6k Its really steep for me but still even if I have to sell the whole inventory just to be satisfied then so be it. I will even cross the border just to audition this thing.

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post #95 of 1512
1/6/11 at 4:24am

 

I've not seen such feverish speculation and breathless anticipation at Head-Fi over the forthcoming release of a new flagship headphone since the last one. For what it's worth (which, isn't much), I find the appearance of the Omega 2 more aesthetically appealing than the C32 prototype.
 
And what of MrGreen? I already miss his contrariness. 

Edited by MrSpenkelink - 1/6/11 at 4:27am
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post #96 of 1512
1/6/11 at 4:38am

This question may be jumping the gun, but can anyone take an educated guess as to which amp would be better suited for both headphones:

 

Omega 2
C32

 

I would rather not have to buy two different amps, so I would want it to be:

 

WES

or

BHSE

 

Which amp would suit the pair better.  Yes I know there's like 10 people on the forum who have even heard the C32 and of those maybe no one has heard both amps, but still I want to start planning.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

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post #97 of 1512
1/6/11 at 4:50am

So how much more than the Sr007mkII do you think this would actually cost Stax to produce?

 

Where did this "double the price, no three times the price, no six times the price!" line of speculation come from?

 

It doesn't actually seem to make a lot of sense to me.

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post #98 of 1512
1/6/11 at 6:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EddieE View Post


So how much more than the Sr007mkII do you think this would actually cost Stax to produce?



Where did this "double the price, no three times the price, no six times the price!" line of speculation come from?



It doesn't actually seem to make a lot of sense to me.




It has come from Stax, who have said that the new drivers are much more expensive to produce due to their three-layer bonded design which requires new equipment to produce. They said they aren't sure of the final price yet, but that it will be somewhere in the ballpark of 3-6k.
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post #99 of 1512
1/6/11 at 6:46am

If they really can't make decent profit at below that price it is a shame, as it'll price out the majority of even the richest segment of the audience.

 

Well let's wait and see.

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post #100 of 1512
1/6/11 at 6:51am

I've always wondered, minus the research and development, does it really cost a company like Sennheiser more money to produce an HD555 than an HD650? I would guess somewhere in the margin of 10 bucks, but we're paying for the quality of sound.

 

 


i would suspect that if Stax finds that to them, this headphone is the best thing they've ever done they will consider the price to go along with that, but it would be a shame for them to presume that and then be wholeheartedly wrong when people who have heard the SR Omega and Omega 2 unanimously start preferring the older flagships.  My guess is in the 4-5k range, but if it is lower than 4 they will ultimately make more money as more people will buy them. 

 

 

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post #101 of 1512
1/6/11 at 6:57am
Thread Starter 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by EddieE View Post

So how much more than the Sr007mkII do you think this would actually cost Stax to produce?

 

Where did this "double the price, no three times the price, no six times the price!" line of speculation come from?

 

It doesn't actually seem to make a lot of sense to me.

 

It all came from the video interview which was conducted with the chief technical officer of Stax ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKTuBjI4Cp4 ). My wife was kind enough to go through the video with me because I am nowhere near strong enough in Japanese to follow the talk in detail.

 

Anyway, the gist is:

 

  • Goal was to create a new electrode for 50 years of stax
  • Ideally want a stiff electrode but
  • 1. Too thin an electrode cause residual vibration (bad)
  • 2. Too thick an electrode (stator plates) causes too much air resistance through the perforations (bad)
  • This time the electrode is made of three perforated metal plates (manufacturing by etching process)
  • The three layers are fused under high temperature and pressure which yields a thin but stiff electrode
  • Soundwise, you can clearly hear the difference with a "powerful" sound
  • The demerit of the new electrode is manufacturing cost which stems from 2 main reasons:
  • 1. It takes three etched metal plates to manufacture the new electrode (usually only 1 layer?!)
  • 2. The special tool for fusing the 3 layers is very expensive such that total cost of manufacturing of the electrode is 5 to 10x higher than traditional ones

 

Now, does that explain the expected doubling in price compared to the Omega 2? I am not sure. But the frame is machined aluminum so some cost must go in there as well. Finally, the Stax person clearly mentions this is a statement product, not in the same class as the Omega2, so I guess part of the pricing strategy might also go with that... Sad but expected given that the competition has been releasing "inferior" (imo!) products in the 1500USD-3000USD range... However, I can't imagine Stax sell 2000 units a year at 6kUSD a piece!


Edited by arnaud - 1/6/11 at 7:19am
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post #102 of 1512
1/6/11 at 7:07am
Thread Starter 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidMahler View Post

i would suspect that if Stax finds that to them, this headphone is the best thing they've ever done they will consider the price to go along with that, but it would be a shame for them to presume that and then be wholeheartedly wrong when people who have heard the SR Omega and Omega 2 unanimously start preferring the older flagships.  My guess is in the 4-5k range, but if it is lower than 4 they will ultimately make more money as more people will buy them. 


By the time I post, you guys had already answered everything, oh well. ;). 

 

DavidMalher, I know I may be biased by the new toy syndrome / high-end look of the C32 but from my experience, the C32 is really better than the Omega 2 mkII. I can't imagine a unanimous preference for the older guys. Of course, some of that may have been due to the mkII defaults and maybe ease of drive of the C32 (such that it wouldn't be as much of a jump when using a better amp than 727A). But I still expect the C32 to outshine the Omegas when driven by a top amp and fed by high end source. Who knows, the difference might be even more stunning?

 

Given people are ready to spend 3kUSD for an Edition 10 which, imo, does not sound anywhere near that price level, I can easily imagine people justifying a 5kUSD spending for the C32.

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post #103 of 1512
1/6/11 at 7:19am

If it is as good as the OP suggests, that price is not unreasonable considering the amount it costs to get a high end speaker system. Not in my price range, but the more older STAX gear this moves into the "for sale" forums, the better for me :) The more interesting question in my opinion is if there will also be a new top range amplifier from STAX to pair these with. 

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post #104 of 1512
1/6/11 at 9:28am

This is a very hard question without most people having heard the C32 AND both amps - heck, I'd venture to guess the number of people who have heard all three is zero.  I have had the pleasure of hearing both amps with the O2 and the Omega. 

 

The O2 is better on the BH.  The original Omega is better on the WES, especially in the bass department.  How the C32 will fare is really up in the air until someone hears them on both amps.  IF the C32 sounds like the HE90 like you said, then I'd certainly go the WES route, since the HE90 sounds really poor on the BH, and spectacular on the WES. 

 

If you can get a BH done DIY, this is a great option.  Otherwise I'd go Woo, since the wait on a BHSE IS 2 years, despite any promises Justin will throw at you. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidMahler View Post

This question may be jumping the gun, but can anyone take an educated guess as to which amp would be better suited for both headphones:

 

Omega 2
C32

 

I would rather not have to buy two different amps, so I would want it to be:

 

WES

or

BHSE

 

Which amp would suit the pair better.  Yes I know there's like 10 people on the forum who have even heard the C32 and of those maybe no one has heard both amps, but still I want to start planning.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

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post #105 of 1512
1/6/11 at 9:33am

whats up with the machining on the earcups by the connector, it seems to be incomplete. will the housing be as tight as it is on the O2MKII. seems to me like the enclosures need some finishing, could just be the prototyping.

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