[Jono3642]

Just wondering, I have read the 6moons review and wonder if anyone has heard both and could give their opinion.

Do they really sound almost exactly the same, just seems strange thats all, I mean the 6moons guy could only hear a difference on SACD, it just hard to believe a company would bring out two products, one with a much higher price tag that sound the same, wouldn't they cripple the 3030 to make the 4040 buyable.

Opinions?

 

[MarcoC]

I have listen to classical music on both Stax 3030 and 4040 with a Rega Planet CD player.
IMO, the difference between 3030 and 4040 is huge.
In comparison with 4040, the Stax 3030 has a quite smaller soundstage (4040 has the biggest soundstage I've never heard). The 3030 is also colder and has a more squeezed dynamic. A quite more unfleshed sound. The tones glitter quite less and the bass are too thin.
Despite his big qualities, 4040 let me frustrated.
Is his strong transparency that gives some coldness and a bit unfleshness in the orchestral moments with strong intensity ?
But it could come from the CD player. As Electrostatic systems are very neutral, it brings the sound as it comes from the source with its qualities and its defaults also.
It’s a headphone I’d called a magnifyer : A headphone made for rigoristic audiophiles than for hedonistic music lovers.

Regards
Marco

 

[Chefguru]

The differance between the sr-303 and sr-404 is only the cable ( the sr-404's is better of course). Also the color but that's just so you can tell which model is which

. As us audiophiles know there are noticable differances between cables but the sr-303 and sr-404 are rather close. The big reason why there is a sound ifferance between the srs-3030 , srs-4040 is the amp not the headphone it self. So if money is an issue for you, I would say go with a sr-404 on a 313 ( which is like 800 new) . The 313 is a good amp at a fair price. Plus it gives you a little extra change for when you decide to upgrade to a KGSS amp or Hybrid.

 

[MarcoC]

I didn’t take care if the headphones were the same. I talked about the 4040 and 3030 systems, not only of the headphone.
The amp for 4040 was a vacuum tube driver and a solid state driver for the 3030.
I thought the question was to know if the 4040 system is more expensive for good reasons. IMO, yes.
The 4040 system is quite better and the price difference is justified. And I have heard a huge difference between the systems on CD.

Regards

Marco

 

[MarcoC]

I didn’t take care if the headphones were the same. I talked about the 4040 and 3030 systems, not only of the headphone.
The amp for 4040 is a vacuum tube driver and a solid state driver for the 3030.
I thought the question was to know if the 4040 system is more expensive for good reasons. IMO, yes.
The 4040 system is quite better and the price difference is justified. And I have heard a huge difference between the systems even CD.

Regards

Marco