[NOMOS]

I can't wait to see frequency response of these.

You're not the only one

 

[John Massaria]

so fixing the poorly built STAX SR-009S to have a better build/sound costs 5800$? Rent Is Too Dang High

 

[Fatdoi]

Anyone want to buy a kidney?

have you sold your cataracts for Woo 3ES yet?

 

[AthenaZephyrian]

I've spent my fair share on high-end audio gear, including TOTL headphones, but the recent race-to-the-top pricing seems to be a bit disconcerting lol.

$6,000 appears to be the new $4,000.

That being said, certainly an intriguing offering here and excited to hear the reviews

I saw recently that (in the US), per-capita savings rates skyrocketed for a number of periods over the course of the pandemic, and, though they have dropped again, there's a whole lotta people with an extra few grand (or more) sitting in bank accounts. It's probably a function of people having more cash to throw at luxury items than usual.

That doesn't mean I'm happy about it, though. It's a silly price, imo, given that they really haven't done anything technologically unprecedented--the mesh driver tech was also used in the SR-Ω. If they developed something wildly different I'd be happy to throw money at offsetting major R&D costs--but this is not so.

 

[PointyFox]

Don't forget there is a lot more competition now in the TOTL headphone space. All we need is someone to undercut the compitition.

 

[ScornDefeat]

I saw recently that (in the US), per-capita savings rates skyrocketed for a number of periods over the course of the pandemic, and, though they have dropped again, there's a whole lotta people with an extra few grand (or more) sitting in bank accounts. It's probably a function of people having more cash to throw at luxury items than usual.

That doesn't mean I'm happy about it, though.

Absolutely agree; I am also active in the watch community and the prices on luxury time pieces have exploded since COVID. Certain Rolex models are up 40+% year-over-year. There seems to be a renaissance for luxury items and collectibles, due directly from COVID and quarantines. Pretty rapid inflation in a lot of these hobbies.

I'm not particularly happy about it, either, because I'm not sure the quality is catching up to the prices anymore. Plus, it doesn't feel quite as special anymore dropping $3k or $4k on a pair of headphones when the market is saturating at this price point.

 

[oneguy]

@HeadAmpTeam the price was list as ~$5850 and now it’s $6,000?

edit: $6,200

 

[Lord Rexter]

Hmm I just checked it went up to $6200 now

 

[Chuck Dee]

Price point way too high. Missing a trick Stax.
Suggest you revise pricing/ROI strategy asap.

 

[ScornDefeat]

No better example of the absurd luxury item inflation discussed on this thread than the price of this headphone going from $5,850 to $6,200 within 1 day

 

[oneguy]

No better example of the absurd luxury item inflation discussed on this thread than the price of this headphone going from $5,850 to $6,200 within 1 day

Damn I should have bought on Day 0 at this rate we’ll be at $1M by Christmas

 

[musicday]

Again, just like the 009, the earpads are genuine leather only the part that touches your ears.

 

[NOMOS]

$6200 ,. . super cheap
In Europe ( Germany ) the price is
7250 Euros, which is converted to 8500 Dollars

 

[Tugbars]

Buying them from US and paying customs costs less than buying in Germany.

 

[chrisnyc75]

Don't forget there is a lot more competition now in the TOTL headphone space. All we need is someone to undercut the compitition.

Not really. In luxury items, when someone undercuts your price you just release something even more expensive (which is EXACTLY what happened here). The goal in totl luxury isn't to be the most affordable, it's to be the top dog.