[Chris J]

I concur that the SRS-2170 > HD650 for sound quality. There's not really a comparison there.

The comfort on the SR-207 is just okay for me too. It's fine on my head, but once the pads get warm, they can get a bit moist.

I'm not a big fan of the feeling of the Senn HD650 on my head, I tried a pair once and had to take them off after 3 minutes.
To me, they had a vice like grip.
The Stax may not be as comfortable as Beyer DT880, but wearing them doesn't bother me.

 

[LazyOtto]

I'm not a big fan of the feeling of the Senn HD650 on my head, I tried a pair once and had to take them off after 3 minutes.
To me, they had a vice like grip.
The Stax may not be as comfortable as Beyer DT880, but wearing them doesn't bother me.

<lol>
 
Ok, I hear you, Chris. But I'm convinced that in a poll of 'the head phone wearing' public with experience of the HD-650 you will be in a tiny minority.
 
"The Stax" - just to be specific please, because those considering purchasing, 'joining the club', as I was last week, really need to know - are you referring to the 2/3/4/5-07 models or to magical unobtainium or vintage used-market only 'other' models as to "wearing them doesn't bother me". 

 

[LazyOtto]

So, at the time of my last post I had been wearing the 307's for about three hours.
 
Took them off and put the HD-650's on.
 
The 307's (and their matched amp) are sonically 'invisible'. The reality of the source, good or bad, comes straight through.
But, there is some discomfort, for me, with > 1hr of 'wear time'.
 
The HD-650's are physically invisible. In this test, and in years of wearing them for *many* hours at at time. They sound damn good. But they are not the acoustical equals of "The Stax".
 
Again, I am just entering this here "for the record" for those who are considering where to put "the sweat of their brow".
 
"You wins some, you lose some." - " Pays your money and takes your choice."
 
caveat emptor
 
Overall, *I* am still happy that I paid the price. But there is more than money involved in the "price" for the 'upgrade' from the HD-650 to "The Stax".

 

[miceblue]

What voltage are you guys putting into the STAX amps? I was using the ODAC earlier, which outputs 2 VRMS, but recently I've been using the Geek Out 450, which outputs ~2.6 VRMS.

The SRM-252S amp says it can have a maximum input of 30 V. I think that's an insane number. I hardly get any head-room at all with the volume knob with an input of 2.6 VRMS. I can literally only go from 8:45-9:00 on the volume knob for most normal audio things. :/

 

[Chris J]

Ok, I hear you, Chris. But I'm convinced that in a poll of 'the head phone wearing' public with experience of the HD-650 you will be in a tiny minority.

"The Stax" - just to be specific please, because those considering purchasing, 'joining the club', as I was last week, really need to know - are you referring to the 2/3/4/5-07 models or to magical unobtainium or vintage used-market only 'other' models as to "wearing them doesn't bother me". 

Stax SR-207 as shown in my signature!

I thought a lot of people found the HD-650 uncomfortable?

 

[LazyOtto]

What voltage are you guys putting into the STAX amps? I was using the ODAC earlier, which outputs 2 VRMS, but recently I've been using the Geek Out 450, which outputs ~2.6 VRMS.

The SRM-252S amp says it can have a maximum input of 30 V. I think that's an insane number. I hardly get any head-room at all with the volume knob with an input of 2.6 VRMS. I can literally only go from 8:45-9:00 on the volume knob for most normal audio things. :/

My pre-out is rated at:

1. Rated output/maximum output: 1.2V / 8V

 
With that pre-amp's volume set to "00" I find the 12 o'clock setting on the 323s is about the loudest I want to go with it. Plenty of useful range adjustment from 9-12 on the Stax amp in this setup.
 
The pre-amp starts at -60 for its minimum and will go a little to the plus side. I don't recall how much, maybe +4.
 
I have yet to drop a scope on the pre-out connections to measure just what its putting out.
 
Thank you for your post. I've actually been wondering the same thing.

 

[LazyOtto]

Stax SR-207 as shown in my signature!

I thought a lot of people found the HD-650 uncomfortable?

Well, you could be right, of course.
 
I based my opinion off having done a *lot* of research, hunting down reviews/comparisons, last week as I was deciding whether or not the current entry level Stax line would be an actual upgrade for me.
 
And my own personal / subjective experience.  
 
These Stax are, IMO, a clear sonic upgrade from the HD-650's.
However, with long wear they physically tend to turn me into Kahn from "Space Seed" - "I grow fatigued."
 
With the HD-650's, on the other hand, for years I've been have the listening experience of Joe from "Joe vs. the Volcano" - "I have a brain cloud.",   "Don't worry, it's painless."

 

[Chris J]

Well, you could be right, of course.
 
I based my opinion off having done a *lot* of research, hunting down reviews/comparisons, last week as I was deciding whether or not the current entry level Stax line would be an actual upgrade for me.
 
And my own personal / subjective experience.  
 
These Stax are, IMO, a clear sonic upgrade from the HD-650's.
However, with long wear they physically tend to turn me into Kahn from "Space Seed" - "I grow fatigued."
 
With the HD-650's, on the other hand, for years I've been have the listening experience of Joe from "Joe vs. the Volcano" - "I have a brain cloud.",   "Don't worry, it's painless."

 


I can't claim to be an HD650 expert.
I've only heard them for 10-20 minutes.

KAHN!!!

 

[miceblue]

What voltage are you guys putting into the STAX amps? I was using the ODAC earlier, which outputs 2 VRMS, but recently I've been using the Geek Out 450, which outputs ~2.6 VRMS.


The SRM-252S amp says it can have a maximum input of 30 V. I think that's an insane number. I hardly get any head-room at all with the volume knob with an input of 2.6 VRMS. I can literally only go from 8:45-9:00 on the volume knob for most normal audio things. :/

My pre-out is rated at:

• 
  Rated output/maximum output: 1.2V / 8V
  

With that pre-amp's volume set to "00" I find the 12 o'clock setting on the 323s is about the loudest I want to go with it. Plenty of useful range adjustment from 9-12 on the Stax amp in this setup.

The pre-amp starts at -60 for its minimum and will go a little to the plus side. I don't recall how much, maybe +4.

I have yet to drop a scope on the pre-out connections to measure just what its putting out.

Thank you for your post. I've actually been wondering the same thing.

Ah, interesting. I was playing around with some of the volume settings in OS X and it looks like there's an analog and a master volume control. I had the analog volume on maximum and master volume at near-maximum. I turned down the analog volume and now I get more head-room with the volume control.

What this does to the sound quality, I'm not sure.

 

[gefski]

Ah, interesting. I was playing around with some of the volume settings in OS X and it looks like there's an analog and a master volume control. I had the analog volume on maximum and master volume at near-maximum. I turned down the analog volume and now I get more head-room with the volume control.

What this does to the sound quality, I'm not sure.

My rule of thumb has always been to open up all volume controls (analog or digital) except the last one (the amplifier), though I have no idea if I could hear an sq difference. With Windows 7, the Bifrost, with a fixed out of 2.0v max, matches well with my Stax rig, putting me at 11:00 - 12:00 for normal listening.

I agree about too much gain, and don't like 9:00 being loud.

 

[davidsh]

 

Ah, interesting. I was playing around with some of the volume settings in OS X and it looks like there's an analog and a master volume control. I had the analog volume on maximum and master volume at near-maximum. I turned down the analog volume and now I get more head-room with the volume control.

What this does to the sound quality, I'm not sure.

My rule of thumb has always been to open up all volume controls (analog or digital) except the last one (the amplifier), though I have no idea if I could hear an sq difference. With Windows 7, the Bifrost, with a fixed out of 2.0v max, matches well with my Stax rig, putting me at 11:00 - 12:00 for normal listening.

I agree about too much gain, and don't like 9:00 being loud.

That is pretty loud, I think 10 o'clock is loud with my lambdas/srm-t1 combo. The 2 units have the same 60dB gain by the way.

 

[xaval]

On my Mac digital out is set to max. On Audirvana I atenuate by -3dB just to provide more wiggle room on the amping side.
Not setting 100% on the digital output you risk not putting out lossless all the time... i think.

 

[autoteleology]

Here's my two cents - I have a set of original Lambdas and I wear them pretty much all day, every day with no comfort complaints. I think the old Lambdas are more comfy than the new ones - I believe this has to do with pad thickness and material.

 

[davidsh]

  Here's my two cents - I have a set of original Lambdas and I wear them pretty much all day, every day with no comfort complaints. I think the old Lambdas are more comfy than the new ones - I believe this has to do with pad thickness and material.

And clamp!

 

[autoteleology]

  And clamp!

Hahaha, my old Lambdas have basically no clamp at all.