[Drumonron]

I just got through placing the following order:
 
STAX SR-404 HEADPHONE & SRM-006TII AMP COMBO
 
This will be my introduction into the world of Electrostatic headphones!  It's been a long and dynamic time for
me but I just needed to see what I've been missing....I know, I know....I should get to a headphone meet but
that's just never in the cards.
 
I've never heard an electrostatic headphone and the only
information I have is what I've found here on Head-fi....it's not as much info as one would think there'd be....so I relied very heavily on the various review sites to buttress what I've found from head-fi.
 
What do you all think that I'm in for??
 
Good or Bad decision?
 
Also, it's got balanced inputs and guess what, my DAC1 has balanced outputs....what do you think??
 

 
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[Maxvla]

Good starter kit. Sorry about your wallet!
 
I've been dynamic, myself, but I have heard lots of good stats. I always seem to hear them with solid state amps though, so I haven't found they do the trick for me. Maybe in the future...
 
Regarding not much info here on head-fi, you must have missed the ginormous Stax thread in the High End forum. http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/223263/the-stax-thread-new
 
Being in MA, you are within driving range of dozens of meets each year, most notably NYC. NO EXCUSES!!

I have to drive 3 hours (one-way) for the only meet even remotely close to me.

 

[Drumonron]

That thread is the one I dissected and was referring to(did you notice the year it was started(2007))....it helped me very much.
 
Point taken about the being able to get to meets...it's more me working to pay for my habit than anything else....I got it for about 1500.00 for the set...and that's about the price of my HD800....yeah the wallet is feeling it but....it's only money, eh.

 

[Drumonron]

Awwww...C'mon now?  Can I get some Stax love?
 

 

[Azathoth]

Congrats on the impending acquisition! I was completely and utterly consumed by Stax lust when I tried them at a recent local meet, the Lambda's attack/decay/dynamics was literally like nothing else I've heard before.

 

[chinsettawong]

Hi Drumonron,
 
Congratulations on your purchase of Stax and amp combo.  I personally haven't listened to a pair of Stax before, but I'm sure that they sound as good as (if not better) my DIY electrostatic headphones. 

 
After listening to electrostatic headphones, you will not want to go back to dynamics.  I'm sure.
 
Wachara C.

 

[kunalraiker]

I would congratulate you on the purchase, heard the combo on a recent meet and was amazed by the sound,I felt it was nice even compared to the O2.

 

[mrarroyo]

I recently joined the dark side by purchasing an SRD7/Pro and Lambda Pro modded by Birgir (spritzer). I will be using a Marantz 2238B circa 1977-79 or a Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2 to power up the energizer. Do not know if I will keep them since I find the bass a tad lacking. Below are some pics including the speaker cables I built.
 
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_1rKht7_NbiA/TCitHROXSOI/AAAAAAAAANQ/WYY_Vn4HhE8/s912/p1000271a.jpg
 
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_1rKht7_NbiA/TCitKzw3iJI/AAAAAAAAANU/YJU1ay6lV-0/s912/p1000275ji.jpg
 
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_1rKht7_NbiA/TCitPsZk1iI/AAAAAAAAANY/bZ_rC8CpjvI/s912/DSCN0965.JPG
 
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_1rKht7_NbiA/TC-eUNt5-UI/AAAAAAAAAQI/XXYeiZB48zs/s800/DSCN0975.JPG

 

[forbigger]

i bet the 1st thing you feel once you put the headphone in your head is how effortless the sound compared to dynamic. this is due the separation clarity and speed of stats that no dynamic can match (well some said qualia 010 is the dynamic of stat but its going to be discussion for another thread). for hardcore bass head, stats is not for them. bass here is a quality bass not quantity. so dont expect bass that can rattle your skull. have not heard the combo you bought but i have 404LE and you should've settled with 404LE. Not in a different league to 404 Sig but quite a difference there

 

[reiserFS]

I can't stop thinking that the LEDs on the amp are shopped, congrats on your purchase though! I'll be entering the world of Stax pretty soon as well.

 

[Mochan]

The sound of those electrostats is just so sophisticated. Whether you will love these or not depends completely on your tastes in sound.
 
I found that stats are not exactly to my liking, i listened to the same set Azathoth mentioned above. It was the Stax Lambda (old version, the black one). It was very impressive on many levels, like I said a very sophisticated sound. Effortless portrayal of sound, I guess when there's no moving diaphragm the sound just comes out so easily. So fast, so smooth and so detailed. But completely lacking in bass. 

 
Not my cup of tea but I would love to have one, because the sound is so different from what I'm accustomed to. But for the price they go for I think I will pass. If I could get one for around the price I am accustomed to paying for for a mid-high end dynamic, I would jump on it, say about $300 to $400. Anymore than that is not worth it for me.

 

[forbigger]

mochan, bite your bullet. Once a while Koss ESP950 system appear used at around 400-ish, this is a fine system. At the moment there's a 404 sig with srm300 amp goes on sale for 650, this is mid tier stats (at least for the headphone) or you could easily get a vintage stats set (usually lambda with driver, not amp) for around 200-300ish.

 

[vkvedam]

Congratulations fellow member!

 

[Mochan]

Quote:

mochan, bite your bullet. Once a while Koss ESP950 system appear used at around 400-ish, this is a fine system. At the moment there's a 404 sig with srm300 amp goes on sale for 650, this is mid tier stats (at least for the headphone) or you could easily get a vintage stats set (usually lambda with driver, not amp) for around 200-300ish.

Were that it would be so easy, but unfortunately since I live in the Philippines I can't just buy stuff of the FS forums here, shipping and customs make things oh so complicated.

 

[Michgelsen]

Great decision! You won't regret it.