joelpearce
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2010
- Posts
- 1,736
- Likes
- 170
Well, I have just dipped my toes into the exciting world of electrostats, and so far I'm quite pleased.
I've been keeping an eye on some used stat auctions lately, and this pair caught my eyes. They are Stax OEMs, and are true new old stock--the box had been opened, but I was the first one to unwrap the individual components.
At any rate, I took some pictures while I was popping these puppies open--I figure it's probably been quite a long time since anyone has opened up a brand new pair of these.
They shipped in a thankfully well-protected package (also heavy at 9 pounds). When I first got the shipping box open: bubble wrap!
Inside is the actual Magnavox box, which was also quite heavy. It smelled a bit dusty, but appeared to be in excellent condition aside from that.
Once opened, I was able to see the adaptor, still wrapped in its original plastic wrap.
Although these are quite old, because they were still in the packaging, everything felt surprisingly new and solid. The headphones themselves are quite light, and in excellent shape aside from one slightly squished corner of ear pad (the outside, thankfully).
Before long, I had them unwrapped and connected to my 4.5 watt Musical Paradise MP-301, which seems to give them plenty of power. It took about an hour for the sound to start settling in, and they just keep sounding better and better as they get warmed up. They look pretty good, and are surprisingly comfortable.
First listening impressions: I'm liking the electrostatic sound. They are indeed wickedly fast and nimble, with a dazzling high end and nearly flawless mids. The soundstage isn't especially wide, but separation is good. They are quite bassy, too, more than I was expecting from an electrostatic set from the '70s. They dip right down to about 35hz, and have plenty of mid-bass. I will post a more thorough review after I've had a chance to let them break in fully and I have a chance to listen more. Still, if these are cheap crappy stats, I can't WAIT to hear a good pair. They might be the best-sounding thing I've had on my head.
I've been keeping an eye on some used stat auctions lately, and this pair caught my eyes. They are Stax OEMs, and are true new old stock--the box had been opened, but I was the first one to unwrap the individual components.
At any rate, I took some pictures while I was popping these puppies open--I figure it's probably been quite a long time since anyone has opened up a brand new pair of these.
They shipped in a thankfully well-protected package (also heavy at 9 pounds). When I first got the shipping box open: bubble wrap!
Inside is the actual Magnavox box, which was also quite heavy. It smelled a bit dusty, but appeared to be in excellent condition aside from that.
Once opened, I was able to see the adaptor, still wrapped in its original plastic wrap.
Although these are quite old, because they were still in the packaging, everything felt surprisingly new and solid. The headphones themselves are quite light, and in excellent shape aside from one slightly squished corner of ear pad (the outside, thankfully).
Before long, I had them unwrapped and connected to my 4.5 watt Musical Paradise MP-301, which seems to give them plenty of power. It took about an hour for the sound to start settling in, and they just keep sounding better and better as they get warmed up. They look pretty good, and are surprisingly comfortable.
First listening impressions: I'm liking the electrostatic sound. They are indeed wickedly fast and nimble, with a dazzling high end and nearly flawless mids. The soundstage isn't especially wide, but separation is good. They are quite bassy, too, more than I was expecting from an electrostatic set from the '70s. They dip right down to about 35hz, and have plenty of mid-bass. I will post a more thorough review after I've had a chance to let them break in fully and I have a chance to listen more. Still, if these are cheap crappy stats, I can't WAIT to hear a good pair. They might be the best-sounding thing I've had on my head.
