[vrln]

Quote:

Thanks vrln,
 
Very much appreciate the information in this thread with all of the links.  Interesting read and easy to understand.  I'm new to headphones and particularly Stax - made my first ear speaker purchase this week and waiting for delivery.  Reading up on amp / energizer choices while saving for the next purchase.
 
 

No problem, glad you find it useful! I´ve uploaded the article to the wiki too in case someone wants to add a new section to the guide (for example about buying vintage stuff). Any contributions will of course be uploaded to the first post here, and credit given correctly. The url is: http://www.head-fi.org/wiki.php?title=stax-lambda-primer-for-electrostat-newbies
PS: added some pictures to the guide and made some small fixes here and there. Looks a lot nicer now 

 

[crumpler]

 
Quote:

Thanks vrln,
 
Very much appreciate the information in this thread with all of the links.  Interesting read and easy to understand.  I'm new to headphones and particularly Stax - made my first ear speaker purchase this week and waiting for delivery.  Reading up on amp / energizer choices while saving for the next purchase.
 
 

Congrats on landing the SR-007s! You've gone from zero to hero with that purchase! Might i enquire as to what amp you would be using to run these earspeakers? Was also giving that particular FS ad a long hard look since as you mentioned, it is so so seldom that STAX appears for sale anywhere down under and thanks for getting rid of the temptation for me.
 
Vrln: I'm actually really really new to the world of headphones in general and even more so stats. I'll i remember doing was firing off a PM to spritzer enquiring about the SRM-1/Mk 2 that he had put up for sale and the next thing i knew, i was neck deep in the world of stats. And since as you've mentioned, it seems so difficult to even find or audition stats, all i've heard in terms of amps are: SRM-1/Mk 2 PP, SRM-007tII and the SRM-252S. In regards to earspeakers, i've only auditioned the SR-507s, O2 Mk2 and the SR-207s. That's as far as my first hand knowledge about stats go.
 
I'm just looking for learn and explore as i go along.

 

[jeycam]

Thanks for your answer, xaval! Now, my question's where can I get that awesome Stax stand. BTW. Just transferred money for my 2050s, I know they are the lowest end possible but still am very happy.

 

[vrln]

Quote:

Now, my question's where can I get that awesome Stax stand.

I just ordered mine yesturday from http://www.audiocubes2.com/brand/Stax/product/Stax_HPS-2_Earspeaker_Headphone_Stand.html?osCsid=02754a4f42fa291e0c4b1c23ab110b24
 
They also have the plastic dust cover with the fancy Stax logos... 

 

[jeycam]

Quote:

I just ordered mine yesturday from http://www.audiocubes2.com/brand/Stax/product/Stax_HPS-2_Earspeaker_Headphone_Stand.html?osCsid=02754a4f42fa291e0c4b1c23ab110b24
 
They also have the plastic dust cover with the fancy Stax logos... 

Cool, thanks!
 

 

[xaval]

Going into stats my advice is simply to get a good condition vintage energizer/phone combo like the SRD7x/SRD-X and SR-Lamba/SR-X. Fairly cheap and loads of quality... no better bang for the buck in the 200-300€ range. Serioulsy.
 
My Lambda rig offers me the best midrange I have ever hear out any headphone. Get the immediacy, microdynamics, resolution and fast attack capabilities into the mix and you're in heaven on a budget. Of course, ymmv
 
edit: I imagine an 02 or "james bond" model will outperform my normal bias Lamba. It's just I haven't heard them. I don't even "want" to thb!

 

[deadlylover]

Nice writeup, and I like the pictures, they make the guide look quite pretty ^^.
 
I'm gonna have to echo the 2050/whatever it's called now system. It used to be about $500 brand new just the other year, but it seems to be about $700 now.
I think it's not 'too much more' than a similar headphone+amp setup.
You don't really have to mess with any power transformers or anything, you just need to find the correct DC plugpack for it, they have them at a electronics store, and you might already have one lying around.
 
I started out with them, and I was pleased as punch. Unfortunately, what they say is true, the O2's are inevitable.
And you know what?, the 202's are quite good(especially for the money), even compared to the O2, they're just not 'as good as'.
They don't really do anything terribly wrong at all, except lacking a little on the bass slam department, but you'll most likely forgive them for the strange effortless sound they offer.
The effortless sound is kind of polarising really, you will either love the ethereal quality, or hate it because it sounds thin and lifeless. I'm still talking about the 202's, the O2's are a different beast altogether.
 
For any new members out there looking to upgrade to a higher end dynamic/planar headphone setup, you really should give Stax a try.
Partly because once you have invested heavily into a dynamic rig, the 'jump over' gets pretty difficult/pricey because you've already sunk cash on a higher end dynamic amplifier, which will be useless.
And partly because there's not much out there that really compares to the Stax (if that kind of sound is your cup of tea, which is all the more reason why you should give it a try).
 
This thread just made me unplug the O2's and put the 202's back on, my god they're good =P.
 

 

[Paganini Alfredo]

So can you place an order through whichever national distributor and not have to deal with importing?

 

[spritzer]

The SRD-4/5/6/7 units are all transformers which take the output from a power amp (lets say max 30VRMS) and steps them up 25 times so the voltage is high enough to work on the electrostatic drivers.  They also take care of the phase splitting needed to drive the fully balanced drivers (i.e. the transformers are center tapped) and have the necessary bias supplies to energize the diaphragm. 
 
The electrets can fail with time but it is not due to the electret film loosing it's charge.  It is called permanently charged for a reason but if a charge of opposing polarity is sitting on the drivers then the drivers sensitivity will drop and voila, you have a nasty channel imbalance.  No real way to fix it either except hoping for said charge to go away with use. 
 
The SRM-1 Mk1 amp is very different (SS but AC coupled so it is filled with capacitors) from the later variation but it is rather rare.  The SRM-1 Mk2 is the first of the truly modern Stax amps.  Fully DC coupled but still using large load resistors for the output.  This circuit still forms the basis of most of the Stax SS amps but there have been refinements over the years and a push to make the amps less sensitive to the load presented by the transducers.  The tube amps are still basically the same as the SRM-T1 so nothing much has changed there. 

 

[crumpler]

Quote:

So can you place an order through whichever national distributor and not have to deal with importing?

That's what i did! Local warranty FTW!
 

 

[cswann1]

crumpler, you purchases from Yama's Enterprises?  I thought you had to buy through a retailer.

 

[purrin]

Quote:

No problem, glad you find it useful! I´ve uploaded the article to the wiki too in case someone wants to add a new section to the guide (for example about buying vintage stuff). Any contributions will of course be uploaded to the first post here, and credit given correctly. The url is: http://www.head-fi.org/wiki.php?title=stax-lambda-primer-for-electrostat-newbies
PS: added some pictures to the guide and made some small fixes here and there. Looks a lot nicer now 

 
The only thing I can think of when buying the vintage stuff is to check / replace the electrolytic caps that have been sitting around for 10-15 years. Have a local shop do this or do it yourself. And also that in the USA, the distributor / official repairer (not the retailers) isn't exactly the most responsive.
 

 

[crumpler]

Quote:

crumpler, you purchases from Yama's Enterprises?  I thought you had to buy through a retailer.

I did buy through an official local distributer but not from CONUS. I bought them directly off the official local distributer when i was in Singapore. I've heard horror stories about Yama's!

 

[cswann1]

LOL, I didn't look to see where you are.  That splains it

 

[xaval]

Quote:

 
The only thing I can think of when buying the vintage stuff is to check / replace the electrolytic caps that have been sitting around for 10-15 years. Have a local shop do this or do it yourself. And also that in the USA, the distributor / official repairer (not the retailers) isn't exactly the most responsive.
 

About the caps, is there a way to know you need to replace them?
My rig is from the seventies and was bought as is. As far as described in the letter of the previous owner, nothing was ever maintained either on the phones or the energizer. The Lambads pads look almost as new, as everything else about them, except for the headband that shows signs of wear (nothing major) but I never even bothered to open the energizers case.