[seraphjei]

I'm really interested in jumping aboard the elecrtostatic band wagon. I'll be able to audition some Stax lambda and the Omega2 this weekend, so I'll know for sure if I want to invest some money then.

But for now, I'm curious whats a good intro setup when it comes to Stax.

I'm using a Keces DA-151 as a DAC as my source. I was thinking of getting a STAX SRS-2050A system. It seems like a good buy considering the price.

 

[Maxvla]

The 202 is a great set of ear speakers. The amp that comes with that system looks pretty weak but might do the trick for entry level.

If you start looking at O2s you better be ready to lay out some serious green on both the cans and amplification. That's one I'd certainly want to try before I buy.

Electrostatic headphones are really amazing with great detail and speed. When I first put them on I thought they would be amazing in treble/mids, but have zero bass, but I was pleasantly surprised to find their bass quite good, though it does have a different feel than dynamics. If it were up to me I'd have both a high end dynamic and high end stat setup. Neither are better than the other, they just have different pros and cons.

 

[wavoman]

I think the 717 amp is under-loved around here. If you can find one used, go for it.

I have coupled mine with O2's, Lambda Sigs, 404s, and HE60's (with and without resistors in the cable for the HE60 ... small diff in the bias voltage) ... sound is amazing.

(All those HPs were bought used, btw -- great values on eBay where Stax is undervalued).

The 717 easily drives two pro-bias phones at the same time. Get a Woo double-HP stand, hang used O2's and Lambda Sigs on it, plug 'em in to the 717 and you and your BFF/GF have audio nirvana. Get a cheap transport with decent SPDIF out (Oppo?) and a cheap SS DAC (Matrix?) with balanced output for the 717, get the right balanced ICs from Blue Jeans (careful, you may have to swap pins 2 and 3, it depends on the DAC), and you will have an all-digital, all-SS system that (when you play well-made CDs) will blow away audiophiles who claim digital and SS can't sound good. Stax sounds great.

Did I say "buy used" ??

Edit: Oh, I see in your post you already have a DAC. So forget what I said about Matrix and Balanced ... the s.e. output from the Keces will be fine ... be sure to set the switch on the 717 correctly (I didn't the first time).

 

[John Buchanan]

Wavoman is the man!
As a starter system, I would suggest trying a combination of an SRM-717 amplifier with the SR-202 phones. Get 'em second hand if you can. If you can, run the amplifier balanced - in my opinion it sounds a bit smoother. Maybe get an Apogee MiniDAC with the money you saved not getting an Omega 2, and run the system balanced.

 

[Michgelsen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seraphjei /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was thinking of getting a STAX SRS-2050A system. It seems like a good buy considering the price.

I'm pretty sure it is. I have a SR-202 and it is wonderful. The supplied amplifier will probably be fine for now. You can always upgrade later.

 

[Duggeh]

The SRM-717 and the SR-202 make very very good sound together. I'd pick the combination over the HD800 or the K1000 any day of the week.

 

[wavoman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif The SRM-717 and the SR-202 make very very good sound together. I'd pick the combination over the HD800 or the K1000 any day of the week.

I have no flying time with those top-flight HPs, but I will say that the 717 and any of my Stax beat all my dynamic phones except in very special cases (some studio rock albums, some live rock concerts, and a few old live classical recordings): GS1K, HF2, AD2K, D2K, HD600, 880/600, 770/600, Pro 750, K701 (all balanced and re-cabled by drew, larry, alex, etc. except the HF2's) driven by a fully balanced Beta 22 (also by a custom balanced QESLabs amp for 600 ohm phones).

My extended family uses all those dynamic phones ... I use the Stax or the Senn 'stats. I have fallen for 'stats hard.

I use K240DF's (or 880/600s) with the QESLabs for analytical listening when I first break the seal on a CD, then switch to 'stats to enjoy the music. If I really love the recording, my wife then plugs the D2K's (Lawton 2K's really) into the Beta 22 and listens -- I offer her the other connector on the 717 (or the 717 itself if I am using the HEV90 or the old tired KGSS), but she prefers the dynamics. Well the Denon anyway. Go figure. Women.

A used 717 is the best current value in Hi Fi (IMHO).

 

[seraphjei]

So as of now. The SR-202 sounds like a good place to start. I'm honestly not looking to spend a jumble load of cash on a Stax setup, YET. That statement almost seems like a oxymoron though.

In any case, The 717 is def going to be something I get once I get accustomed to the Stax sound. It seems like an almost unanimous decision so far. I'm not sure how much importance lies in the amp when it comes to Stax. I'll figure it out shortly, but it seems the 717 is something that really is the best choice when it comes to amps. Plus the fact that It pairs well with the Omega2 is something that will come in handy later.

As for the 2050A combo. I'm still thinking about getting it regardless. At the very least if I want to upgrade quickly, the resell value for Stax on head-fi seems really high.

I need to know before I buy it. Will the SRM-252 amp work with my Keces DA-151 with just RCA interconnects? There isn't anything fancy I have to worry about at this point right?

To be honest, there are a lot of terms when it comes to stax I have never heard before. Bias, Pro-bias, etc. I just need a place to start to really situate myself with stax before moving onto the big guns.

 

[Currawong]

Sounds like a reasonable place to start to see if you like the general Stax listening experience. I'm of the opinion that you can never have a good enough source for them, otherwise you're missing out on the key ingredient to their abilities, that is, insane amounts of detail retrieval that make most dynamic headphones sound like pretenders. Otherwise though, the Keces will hook up fine.

 

[n3rdling]

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have at the meet tomorrow.

Getting into Stax can be confusing at first, but we all get the hang of it after a while.

 

[seraphjei]

After hearing a gangload of stax phones at the meet, I was impressed by all of them. I decided I'll just go ahead and buy a higher end rig since I have already fallen in love with the sound. Especially in the O2s. They blew me away in ways I didn't think was possible.

I'm dead set on buying the O2s, and as for the amp. The 717 seems like the best bet, either that or I'll buy 727 or 007ta combo from Audio Cubes. 3.5k is a pretty heavy load of cash but it's alright, I don't mind buying it new since this is a setup I really feel confident in buying.

I'll probably upgrade my DAC to a dacmagic or dac1. Whichever offers a more neutral and transparent sound.

 

[ericj]

A lot of good stax info already, just want to point out that the Koss ESP/950 is no slouch either. Can be bought for $650-$700 new every single day of the week online, often for under $400 used.

Comes with an amp that is at least as good as the srm-212.

 

[manaox2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seraphjei /img/forum/go_quote.gif After hearing a gangload of stax phones at the meet, I was impressed by all of them. I decided I'll just go ahead and buy a higher end rig since I have already fallen in love with the sound. Especially in the O2s. They blew me away in ways I didn't think was possible. I'm dead set on buying the O2s, and as for the amp. The 717 seems like the best bet, either that or I'll buy 727 or 007ta combo from Audio Cubes. 3.5k is a pretty heavy load of cash but it's alright, I don't mind buying it new since this is a setup I really feel confident in buying. I'll probably upgrade my DAC to a dacmagic or dac1. Whichever offers a more neutral and transparent sound.

O2 mk1 used and a KGSS could almost be had at that price.

Some might say the mk1 is the more balanced of the two anyway, I would personally. I would go for used O2 mk1, SRM-717, and use the extra for a better dac then the Dacmagic or DAC1. I bet you'd get a better sounding rig out of it. The 727 and 007ta I would expect to be inferior then the SRM-717. 727 had to be made after some conflicts arose about the originality of the 717 design by STAX I believe and its not generally thought of being its better.

 

[Spasticteapot]

I might suggest an ESP950? You can pick one up NIB for $650, which is a pretty good price, and it's VERY highly rated. I'm currently looking for one myself.

Also, if you want a superior amp, the KGSS looks to be an excellent option - I've never heard it, but the specs are very, very impressive. A premade amp is very expensive, but you can build one for under $300 in parts - theoretically under $200, if you're sufficiently thrifty.

 

[n3rdling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seraphjei /img/forum/go_quote.gif After hearing a gangload of stax phones at the meet, I was impressed by all of them. I decided I'll just go ahead and buy a higher end rig since I have already fallen in love with the sound. Especially in the O2s. They blew me away in ways I didn't think was possible. I'm dead set on buying the O2s, and as for the amp. The 717 seems like the best bet, either that or I'll buy 727 or 007ta combo from Audio Cubes. 3.5k is a pretty heavy load of cash but it's alright, I don't mind buying it new since this is a setup I really feel confident in buying. I'll probably upgrade my DAC to a dacmagic or dac1. Whichever offers a more neutral and transparent sound.

All this time I thought you never went to the meet! I was waiting to meet you to help you out but I couldn't remember your username. What were you wearing?

The O2 is certainly amazing, but what you heard was the mk1 version. The mk2 version is what you can currently buy for new and has a more emphasized mid bass. If you need help finding a used mk1 and used Stax amps, PM me and I'll help you out.