[Faust2D]

That is a lot of money for D5000. I bet SRD-7SB with SR-Lambda out of my cheap Dared MP5 (I paid about $500 for entire system) sounds better then D5000 out of anything

Plus my MP5 powers my desktop speakers and my dynamic headphones, good bang for the $ if you ask me.

 

[vvanrij]

I would love to get something like that, such a good deal 500$ I can afford and I want it to beat dynamic headphones etc (at least what I currently have), I just don't seem to find good deals like that, not on ebay nor here in the FS...

 

[Faust2D]

Well YMMV, some folks don't like stat sound at all. I have seen people preferring K701, HD600 and even K240 Sextett

to Stax phones. I suggest you listen to a Stax setup before buying, however if you auditioned one and loved what you hear stats are for you

 

[vvanrij]

I did

Now send me a link to a good deal haha

 

[nothing101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm very sorry for you, as you paid 1500 AUD for something like the D5000.

i dont own them

even if i was to buy them (which im not) i would use ebay or something. i hate australian prices...

 

[fishpatrol]

Any Stax owners within striking distance of Cincinnati willing to give a guy a demo? Six months of reading reviews of dynamic headphones has really got me down. Realistically, I'm not looking for the ultimate setup. I'm looking for the 90% setup, figuring that each percentage point higher in that region is more and more expensive. I bet 90% can sound awfully good, but it feels like such a crapshoot when you don't find demo opportunities.

When I bought a 2-channel speaker system a few years ago, I heard an in-store Magnepan setup that blew me away. Amazing sound, but I ended up buying mini-monitors with a smaller, but still precise, sound. Still doesn't help me at work, where I sit for 8 hours a day.

 

[nothing101]

if you were blown away by maggies a good stax system will also blow you away.

 

[sonq]

Good title! I've not considered Stax until I saw this thread and ask myself. I'll really appreciate it if someone can educate me on the differences between the 3030 and 4040, and also how they would benchmark with a AD2000 or HD650 level phones on decent sub $800 amps.

I've actually bought a pair 20 years ago and returned it within 3 days. It sounded seriously thin and nasty against my AKG 240DF at the time and being a novice audiophile, I don't understand the concept of burning-in and garbage-in-garbage out when hooked up direct to my circa 80s CDP.

 

[sonq]

Just Googled and found some old reviews to share. Interestingly, the 6Moon reviewer seems to prefer the solid state 3030 over the tubed and more costly 4040.

6moons audio reviews: STAX*3030 vs 4040 systems

6moons audio reviews: Stax SRS*4040-II Signature/SRM-006t II Earspeaker System

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f13/st...0-review-1584/

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f13/re...ystem-ii-9211/

 

[progo]

This is actually good info. Though the only STAX I'm interested in is the 007 so there's nothing new for me

 

[nothing101]

Good title! I've not considered Stax until I saw this thread and ask myself. I'll really appreciate it if someone can educate me on the differences between the 3030 and 4040, and also how they would benchmark with a AD2000 or HD650 level phones on decent sub $800 amps.

I havent heard the 650 or ad2000 but ive heard other high end dynamics like the denons ive already mentioned or akgs and grados. i can tell you that maybe the stax wont be as accurate and have as deeply extended bass but when you hear the delicacy of the sound i promise you wont care. they sound so quick, clear, defined and lifelike. after hearing stax again i realised how they give even the best dynamic headphones a run for their money.

just keep in mind this is just my personal opinion.

 

[Dutchess of York]

Just curious, how do the 'old' lambdas (pro & signature) compare to the new lambdas (303, 404)?

A 2020 system is about the same as a lambda (non pro) / srd-7 combo but how do they stack up (pun intended)?

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good title! I've not considered Stax until I saw this thread and ask myself.

Thanks! Glad you could join us to take a moment to think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonq /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll really appreciate it if someone can educate me on the differences between the 3030 and 4040, and also how they would benchmark with a AD2000 or HD650 level phones on decent sub $800 amps. I've actually bought a pair 20 years ago and returned it within 3 days. It sounded seriously thin and nasty against my AKG 240DF at the time and being a novice audiophile, I don't understand the concept of burning-in and garbage-in-garbage out when hooked up direct to my circa 80s CDP.

Well, I guess now you understand the garbage-in, garbage-out. That and the fact that the AKG's of that period, save the K340, can have a very solid, almost thick sound. Also depending on the model - burn-in with Stax can be a very serious discussion. The beginning set I use, SR-003, gives a headache within minutes when just out of the box. Within 20 hours of use, this very quickly turns into a very relaxed, warm sound.

Stax will beat AD2000/HD650 on detail retrieval given the amplification conditions you propose (to pay respect to Catscratch here - I am omitting the Dared VP20 because the setup is way beyond unconventional and took some insanity to formulate, although we both know how much of a monster HD650 can be with one of those). Extension, soundstage, instrument separation are also the forte of the Stax.

I personally think the fortes of AD2000 and HD650 are their respective tonalities - while nowhere close to neutral, they do not sound the way they do by accident. Both are forgiving to poor records and can be very fun/relaxing, so there are still plenty of reasons for you to be interested in them. But if you feel that you want to hear what a fast headphone can be really like, Stax is a good world to taste. This is what you look to if you want precision/definition/detail.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I havent heard the 650 or ad2000 but ive heard other high end dynamics like the denons ive already mentioned or akgs and grados. i can tell you that maybe the stax wont be as accurate and have as deeply extended bass but when you hear the delicacy of the sound i promise you wont care. they sound so quick, clear, defined and lifelike. after hearing stax again i realised how they give even the best dynamic headphones a run for their money. just keep in mind this is just my personal opinion.

Well accuracy shouldn't exactly be an opinion >.< That is actually the reason they sound so clear and lifelike - the amount of definition and faith to the record they deliver. I don't want to advocate that to the extreme though because this depends on the model - SR-303/404 have a very aggressive treble response that for some ends up being too much, and does not really represent a faithful reproduction (very colored region for those models), but the speed of the driver is the main reason all of the models are very very detailed. The extension in the lows on all modern Stax is great - only select dynamics can keep up.

 

[Faust2D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well accuracy shouldn't exactly be an opinion >.< That is actually the reason they sound so clear and lifelike - the amount of definition and faith to the record they deliver. I don't want to advocate that to the extreme though because this depends on the model - SR-303/404 have a very aggressive treble response that for some ends up being too much, and does not really represent a faithful reproduction (very colored region for those models), but the speed of the driver is the main reason all of the models are very very detailed. The extension in the lows on all modern Stax is great - only select dynamics can keep up.

SR-303 out of SRM-1 pro with Museatex Bitstream DAC does not have "very aggressive treble response", not much more aggressive than ESP950 or SR-Lambda and less aggressive treble than SR-Gamma. Actually the treble resolution and definition is much better then other headphones. Out of SRM-313 they sound harsh and aggressive, as with anything audio related system matching is key.

 

[Geir]

Damn you Head-fi, I am going to hopefully audition some old stax cans on wednesday if the stars align. If they are good my wallet will cry.... again