Hey audiophiles.
Audio set up used:
16/24bit uncompressed lossless music,
optical TosLink cable,
Nordost Brahma power cable,
Teac UD-503,
custom solid core copper silver gold XLR cables,
Stax SRM-006T,
custom solid core copper silver gold power cable.
This is a review of the Lambda Professional. These are just my impressions, opinions, views and experiences with them. I purchase all my many cans (all blind, risky but fun), no freebies or samples.
Design, build & comfort.
Well these use a thicker and stronger plastic than the SR-202 and Lambda Nova Basic, so slightly better build than them.
The design is all about practicality, yes the ear cups are tall and large (that’s because of the large oval stator). A non-detachable cable is something I do not like on any headphone.
The stock leatherette ear pads are decent but I would prefer more depth to them, my ears do not touch the inner metal grills.
The inner foam always deteriorates, a poor choice by Stax. I know they put it there to prevent dust and debris from the stators but the material was not suitable clearly. But Stax did change that to a fabric style one on their more recent Earspeakers, credit there.
They are very lightweight, plastic all the way.
And they are very comfortable, thanks to the lack of weight and the suspension headband (which stays in place).
Stax have been using this type of headband for many decades and for good reason (so many manufacturers need to adopt this style, honestly).
I personally do not like it’s retro look but that is not an important factor to me, comfort is far more important and these are very comfortable. You do forget they are on your head after a short while, just be sure to keep mirrors away. Haha.
Sound.
My Lambda Pros (LP) are almost 40 years old, forty!
I cannot believe how good they sound, sometimes old is pure 24K gold : )
Outstanding detail, treble, spaciousness, resolution, clarity, insight, airiness, imaging, highs, transparency, separation, etc.
It’s like a Focal Utopia (which I owned) but with a taller and more grand sound stage, it is quite something and such a wonderful experience.
I’ll give you an example of what I mean, Bachelorette by Bjork is a great test for cans. It has a lot going on during many sections, it gets very busy and this song catches out many headphones. I’ve heard it sound congested on quite a few high end cans but on my LP, it may be the best interpretation I’ve heard on any headphone at any price. And I’ve owned over 200 headphones over the years, that is saying something.
My LP may be the best can I’ve heard for low volume listening too, exceptional.
It can get a little bright but only when you crank up the volume. It’s like the cans are telling you you’re listening too loud, it’s trying to protect you.
The mids and vocals are so clear and transparent, a lovely tonality too.
The weakest part is the bass, if you’re coming from a bass emphasised headphone it may sound anaemic or subtle.
It definitely lacks some impact, depth, punchiness, extension and slam. But it is again very clean, tight and controlled. It has good size, warmth and fullness. It is nice but not great (you knew a negative was coming).
Oh, almost forgot to mention it’s extraordinary transient response. If you listen to fast pace music, well you haven’t been really unless you heard it on these. The way these things “stop and start” is really amazing, reference level. A good test would be Hunter Theme by Noisia, this track has caught out many high end cans and speakers.
They are also excellent value too, if you can get a pre-owned one in good condition. And they can last for many, many years as proven with my pair.
So I really, really like my LP and I’ve “only” heard it on a SRM-323S and SRM-006T. Not a KGSSHV Carbon, DIYT2 or BHSE (far too expensive for me, maybe one day though).
Highly recommended from me, happy listening all.
Update 1.
Audio set up used:
DCS Rossini Player,
Stax SRM-252S,
iFi iPower 12V low noise power supply.
Listening to Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club was marvellous. Easy to discern the different layers and elements of the song with the LP. This thing is just so damn clean! There is a purity to it’s sound, listening to Hello by Adele you can really hear the power in her voice. Very airy and spacious too.
Listening to Go Ahead by Alicia Keys, there is warmth on offer. Obviously not very hard hitting in the lows but very musical with the LP. A really nice tonality I find, especially in the mids.
Listening to Unravel by Bjork, you can hear the vulnerability and delicacy in her voice. There is a rawness in her performance here, quite beautiful and sweet. The LP shows that with ease with it’s stunning resolution.
Heart of Glass by Blondie was dreamy and surreal even, really good instrument separation by the LP.
Hurt by Johnny Cash was truly moving, you can easily hear his lips moving before he starts singing. Quite an epic song though, my favourite of his.
Listening to No Reason (featuring Nick Murphy) by Bonobo, there is a fullness to the sound. Pretty atmospheric and smooth, very enjoyable. It reached pretty low, the LP just never sound overwhelmed or flustered. Excellent composure and assurance by the LP.
Hearing Insomnia (Monster Mix) by Faithless, I just wish there was more power and presence in the lows but I know that will sacrifice the very high levels of detail and clarity on offer here by the LP. I love that song a lot, for me it’s a masterpiece. I guess you can’t have everything sonically but for me the Stax SR-007 mark 1 gets the closest I’ve heard.
Time by Hans Zimmer was another great experience, sweeping and involving.
Honey by Katy B & Kaytranada was really good, surprisingly good bass impact and extension. I really like Katy B’s tone and Kaytranada is very talented too.
Quick comparison with the great SR-007 mark 1, tested on the SRM-006T:
LP has a bigger sound stage, grander and taller. A bit more airy, clear, detailed but brighter and lacks some bass quantity.
007mk1 has an even more balanced sound, it's more nuetral. More musical, forgiving and pleasing. It has more bass presence and warmth, more fuller and smoother too.
Audio set up used:
16/24bit uncompressed lossless music,
optical TosLink cable,
Nordost Brahma power cable,
Teac UD-503,
custom solid core copper silver gold XLR cables,
Stax SRM-006T,
custom solid core copper silver gold power cable.
This is a review of the Lambda Professional. These are just my impressions, opinions, views and experiences with them. I purchase all my many cans (all blind, risky but fun), no freebies or samples.
Design, build & comfort.
Well these use a thicker and stronger plastic than the SR-202 and Lambda Nova Basic, so slightly better build than them.
The design is all about practicality, yes the ear cups are tall and large (that’s because of the large oval stator). A non-detachable cable is something I do not like on any headphone.
The stock leatherette ear pads are decent but I would prefer more depth to them, my ears do not touch the inner metal grills.
The inner foam always deteriorates, a poor choice by Stax. I know they put it there to prevent dust and debris from the stators but the material was not suitable clearly. But Stax did change that to a fabric style one on their more recent Earspeakers, credit there.
They are very lightweight, plastic all the way.
And they are very comfortable, thanks to the lack of weight and the suspension headband (which stays in place).
Stax have been using this type of headband for many decades and for good reason (so many manufacturers need to adopt this style, honestly).
I personally do not like it’s retro look but that is not an important factor to me, comfort is far more important and these are very comfortable. You do forget they are on your head after a short while, just be sure to keep mirrors away. Haha.
Sound.
My Lambda Pros (LP) are almost 40 years old, forty!
I cannot believe how good they sound, sometimes old is pure 24K gold : )
Outstanding detail, treble, spaciousness, resolution, clarity, insight, airiness, imaging, highs, transparency, separation, etc.
It’s like a Focal Utopia (which I owned) but with a taller and more grand sound stage, it is quite something and such a wonderful experience.
I’ll give you an example of what I mean, Bachelorette by Bjork is a great test for cans. It has a lot going on during many sections, it gets very busy and this song catches out many headphones. I’ve heard it sound congested on quite a few high end cans but on my LP, it may be the best interpretation I’ve heard on any headphone at any price. And I’ve owned over 200 headphones over the years, that is saying something.
My LP may be the best can I’ve heard for low volume listening too, exceptional.
It can get a little bright but only when you crank up the volume. It’s like the cans are telling you you’re listening too loud, it’s trying to protect you.
The mids and vocals are so clear and transparent, a lovely tonality too.
The weakest part is the bass, if you’re coming from a bass emphasised headphone it may sound anaemic or subtle.
It definitely lacks some impact, depth, punchiness, extension and slam. But it is again very clean, tight and controlled. It has good size, warmth and fullness. It is nice but not great (you knew a negative was coming).
Oh, almost forgot to mention it’s extraordinary transient response. If you listen to fast pace music, well you haven’t been really unless you heard it on these. The way these things “stop and start” is really amazing, reference level. A good test would be Hunter Theme by Noisia, this track has caught out many high end cans and speakers.
They are also excellent value too, if you can get a pre-owned one in good condition. And they can last for many, many years as proven with my pair.
So I really, really like my LP and I’ve “only” heard it on a SRM-323S and SRM-006T. Not a KGSSHV Carbon, DIYT2 or BHSE (far too expensive for me, maybe one day though).
Highly recommended from me, happy listening all.
Update 1.
Audio set up used:
DCS Rossini Player,
Stax SRM-252S,
iFi iPower 12V low noise power supply.
Listening to Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club was marvellous. Easy to discern the different layers and elements of the song with the LP. This thing is just so damn clean! There is a purity to it’s sound, listening to Hello by Adele you can really hear the power in her voice. Very airy and spacious too.
Listening to Go Ahead by Alicia Keys, there is warmth on offer. Obviously not very hard hitting in the lows but very musical with the LP. A really nice tonality I find, especially in the mids.
Listening to Unravel by Bjork, you can hear the vulnerability and delicacy in her voice. There is a rawness in her performance here, quite beautiful and sweet. The LP shows that with ease with it’s stunning resolution.
Heart of Glass by Blondie was dreamy and surreal even, really good instrument separation by the LP.
Hurt by Johnny Cash was truly moving, you can easily hear his lips moving before he starts singing. Quite an epic song though, my favourite of his.
Listening to No Reason (featuring Nick Murphy) by Bonobo, there is a fullness to the sound. Pretty atmospheric and smooth, very enjoyable. It reached pretty low, the LP just never sound overwhelmed or flustered. Excellent composure and assurance by the LP.
Hearing Insomnia (Monster Mix) by Faithless, I just wish there was more power and presence in the lows but I know that will sacrifice the very high levels of detail and clarity on offer here by the LP. I love that song a lot, for me it’s a masterpiece. I guess you can’t have everything sonically but for me the Stax SR-007 mark 1 gets the closest I’ve heard.
Time by Hans Zimmer was another great experience, sweeping and involving.
Honey by Katy B & Kaytranada was really good, surprisingly good bass impact and extension. I really like Katy B’s tone and Kaytranada is very talented too.
Quick comparison with the great SR-007 mark 1, tested on the SRM-006T:
LP has a bigger sound stage, grander and taller. A bit more airy, clear, detailed but brighter and lacks some bass quantity.
007mk1 has an even more balanced sound, it's more nuetral. More musical, forgiving and pleasing. It has more bass presence and warmth, more fuller and smoother too.