natural sounding headphones <$450
Dec 4, 2006 at 8:10 PM Post #32 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
what about the shure e500?


In my opinion they're good but my STAX SRS-005A system that costs less beats them.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 5:33 AM Post #33 of 46
i thought the stax was almost as good but not quite there compared to the e500? from what i have heard, the main drawback of th stax is REALLY rolled off highs. even more than shure.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 6:12 AM Post #34 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
i thought the stax was almost as good but not quite there compared to the e500? from what i have heard, the main drawback of th stax is REALLY rolled off highs. even more than shure.


I assume you're talking only about the SR-003 headphones that come with the SRS-005A rather than Stax headphones in general. I've not seen anyone say the E500s were better than the SR-003, and it's certainly not my impression and I own both. Milkpowder also made some comments comparing the two on this page of the Stax thread. In terms of how much the highs are rolled off, I think the E500 and SR-003 are similar. Personally with both I just give them a little EQ and they sound great. I expect the SR-202 is a decent step up though.

If I could only keep one of the E500 and SR-003 and didn't have to worry about isolation, I'd personally pick the SR-003s.

I'm still not sure why you'd need a new amp with the SRS-2050 II system though, the SRM-252A has line level inputs. That's what I'd be looking at given your tastes.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 6:40 AM Post #35 of 46
by a new amp i mean the one that comes in the system. the system is NOT just headphones
wink.gif
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 6:40 AM Post #36 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
im looking for headphones as an upgrade from my LDII+ and k501.

im looking for something that sounds nicely believable with a great midrange and nothing poking or being hidden. (bass on the 501)

im looking very closely at the stax 2050 system but im not sure if it is the right choice. mostly because i need another amp. if i could start again i would definitely jump on the stax. (not literally)

i havent heard the 701 so that might work.

My musical tastes are too broad for grados or most senns. i like music from rock and electronica to classical, new age and blues and so on

id like it to be open and portability is not a concern.


I think a K340 + M^3 (though this entails an amp purchase) might fit the bill here, especially if you're considering Stax. Believable, great midrange yet still quite balanced, and bass to your taste with variable bass boost. Highs are there but never harsh or edgy. This setup has performed extremely well for all types of music (including rock, which was somewhat difficult for the K340 to do when driven by other amps).

The HD650 also has a pretty broad range, but the bass it lays down isn't appropriate for all kinds of music. It also sounded like a really fantastic hi-fi system (with a Zu Mobius), but not entirely natural IMO. This is one of the reasons I sold it and moved on to a 340-centric setup.

EDIT: The M^3 also does wonders filling out the K501 with nice low-end range.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 6:47 AM Post #37 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
by a new amp i mean the one that comes in the system. the system is NOT just headphones
wink.gif



Ah, makes sense.
biggrin.gif
I agree, Stax is much cheaper when you already have an amp.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 8:33 AM Post #39 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by Yikes /img/forum/go_quote.gif
For neutrality I feel that the K701 are at the top of the pile. At least they are at the top anywhere near the stated price.


x2 - what Yikes said.
if you want purity of tone though 'stats can be tough to beat. i was just listening to some tunes via the stax sr-001 mk2 portable rig and once you have them seated in your ears properly they can produce some gorgeous, and very true, sounds! does anyone know how the srs-005a stax system compares to the sr-001 mk2? if you want quasi stat like detail/presentation with a dynamic can quality consider the sony sa5000. someone else's suggestion of the alessandro ms-2i + the senn 600 has merit too. but you seem to leaning towards the stax and i wouldn't dissuade you from following your gut here.
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 9:15 AM Post #41 of 46
the 501 is reletively neutral. unfortunately it has too little bass. even though i find it quite nice it does have a little too much of the highs.

i think im gonna go with the stax sound. so that narrows it down to the 2 in ear systems and the 2050.

how do the two in ear systems compare to each other?
 
Dec 5, 2006 at 7:56 PM Post #42 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
the 501 is reletively neutral. unfortunately it has too little bass. even though i find it quite nice it does have a little too much of the highs.

i think im gonna go with the stax sound. so that narrows it down to the 2 in ear systems and the 2050.

how do the two in ear systems compare to each other?


Well apparently the headphones for the in ear systems are the same, it's just the SR-001 has a different plug to work with the SRM-001 amp. So the differences would be purely down to the amp. I don't know what the sonic differences between the two are, but I do like the SRM-252A I own, it's a decent amp considering the small size. I'd only go for the other system if you need true portability. Otherwise if you were planning to buy more Stax headphones later, it would make sense to get something with the SRM-252A as it has the regular Pro Bias connector so you can use this amp with any of the full size headphones Stax currently sell.
 
Dec 6, 2006 at 12:46 AM Post #44 of 46
Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
well that was my idea but the only problem with that is finding the right battery pack.

i know its only a portable system but do you think it will sound better than my current one?


I honestly don't know if it would sound better, I haven't heard a setup like yours. It's kind of hard to say any more than "It sounds good" but I realize that's not particularly useful to you. I do suspect that with a battery pack, an amp, a portable player and headphones it could be clumsy as a portable system but I do intend to try that very setup myself.
 
Dec 6, 2006 at 1:04 AM Post #45 of 46
i think ive made a final decision. im probably gonna get the truly portable system and spend the rest on other things like music.

A portable stax system better than that would have been more expensive than the 2050. i decided that i dont need any better since i can listen to my dads quads. unfortunately i would only be able to do about an 8th of my listening on them so two VERY different headphone rigs could keep me busy.

im pretty sure that im gonna change my mind but this is my current opinion..

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!!!
 
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