M Rael
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2001
- Posts
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As part of a story too long to repeat, I recently heard and became an owner of electrostatic headphones for the first time. This model is very old (1975), but the North American distributor for Stax claims it gives the newer Stax models a run for their money. In fact he said he's tried to get Stax to use the diaphram in this model in a more modern enclosure and sell them for around $700. He also refurbishes older Stax units.
Anyway, I've been listening to this headphone a lot lately. The metal box alongside the headphones contains a transformer, and leads out the back connect to a regular power amp. In this case that means two 50w triode VTL's. Its a fairly quiet setup, with a very faint humm being the only complaint.
On their own I found the headphones to be maybe too bright sounding, although they resolved details like a MF'er. With an equalizer to boost the low frequencies, the balance is much better between the highs and lows, and the Stax seems happy to accept the extra responsibility, so whats not to like?
Right now I'm listening to a Frank Zappa CD 'The Yellow Shark' and a track called 'Outrage at Valdez.' With EQ added, I'd have to say this ancient pair of headphones is pretty damn amazing! On this song, theres a really low frequency sound that decays very slowly; very slowly. I'll be darned, but these electrostatics keep the decay in focus better than any of my dynamic headphones, even when I use EQ with them. You know at first I had my doubts about these headphones because I was comparing them flat, with my dynamic headphones also flat. I could hear that they were monsters of detail and resolution, but they seemed out of balance with the lower frequencies. Add EQ, and it turns my impressions upsidedown.. I'm thinking that electrostatics have a quality that maintains over long periods of time as opposed to dynamic headphones from say, the 70's, would sound to todays ears. And todays CD format.
So I'm kind of happily numb that I came across these Stax electrostatics. I'm listening to them in equal measure to my W2002's, and I dont feel they sacrifice much if anything to the audio-technicas. But again, thats after adding quite a bit of EQ boost at 31Hz and 62Hz. I thought the super thin Stax diaphrams might distort, but they seem fine with it.
I have no idea how much a relic like these Stax's would cost. Impossible to say. But if you ever see them on ebay, or in a garage sale next to some 'Vote for Nixon' memorabilia, keep an open mind! They arent just for classical.