[KR...]

Has anyone compared or reviewed these Stax amps?

Stax SRM-313 Driver Unit
http://www.stax.co.jp/ENG/SRM313E.html

Stax SRM-310 Driver Unit
http://www.stax.co.jp/ENG/SRM310E.html

 

[Chefguru]

I donno if any one has or not , but it looks like the 310 is just a 212 with an extra jack and it's in the shape of the headphone stand.

 

[Themugin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chefguru It looks like the 310 is just a 212 with an extra jack and it's in the shape of the headphone stand.

It is not, for sure.
Their technical specs differ too much.
I wonder what is (if any) the audible difference between them too.

 

[kevin gilmore]

I have not seen a 310 yet, but i can tell you for sure that it is
stax's first completely new design in over 15 years.

 

[Themugin]

Yes!

But does "new" mean "better"?
Let's compare some specs:

212 310

Frequency response: DC-20kHz 4-60kHz
310 seems to be SACD/DVDA friendly.

Gain : 60dB 54dB
It seems that 310 prefers stronger sources.

Harmonic Distortion : < 0.01% < 0.02%
Yuck? But, well, SRM-006t has 0.02 too.


Anyone to compare how they both sound? Huh?

 

[Themugin]

And now we have a new Stax amp: SRM 252, replacing the 212 but listed as a higher one than 310.

Well...

 

[Salt Peanuts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Themugin And now we have a new Stax amp: SRM 252, replacing the 212 but listed as a higher one than 310. Well...

What do you mean by "higher"? If you mean the location on Stax website, it's because it just replaces the previous Basic System. 3010 system is placed below the rest of them on the site because it is a relatively new product in their lineup.

Also, 3010 system costs about $180 more than 2050A system (the only difference between the two being the driver unit).

 

[Jahn]

I love the 310 for one reason - it's shaped like the STAX headphone stand so you can just stick it on the amp when you're not using it!

 

[Jahn]

I added the specifications for my SRM-1/Mk2 Professional (in Black)

212 310 SRM-1/MKII

Frequency response: DC-20kHz 4-60kHz DC-20kHz
310 seems to be SACD/DVDA friendly.

Gain : 60dB 54dB ?
It seems that 310 prefers stronger sources.

Harmonic Distortion : < 0.01% < 0.02% < 0.01%
Yuck? But, well, SRM-006t has 0.02 too.

 

[trbl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn I added the specifications for my SRM-1/Mk2 Professional (in Black) 212 310 SRM-1/MKII Frequency response: DC-20kHz 4-60kHz DC-20kHz 310 seems to be SACD/DVDA friendly.

These aren't necessarily equivalent comparisons, due to some vagueness and lack of consistency in the Stax specs.

The SRM-1/Mk2 spec is +/- 1 dB at 30 V into a Lambda earspeaker load.

The 301 frequency range is specified at the - 3 dB point into an SR-202 earspeaker load (signal level not specified).

Due to the capacitive load imposed by the earspeakers, there are power bandwidth limitations, since the output stage can only swing so much current. The maximum output of the driver amps is limited at high frequencies by the available output current. The old SRM-1 Mk2 was OK in this regard. The king in this regard is Kevin Gilmore's Blue Hawaii with it's high output stage standing current (25 mA versus the 5.6 mA in the SRM-1 Mk 2).

 

[Themugin]

By the way has anyone compared directly the sound of 310 to 212 (or 252)?

 

[VoodooBear]

By the way has anyone compared directly the sound of 310 to 212 (or 252)?

Bringing this thread back from the dead to see if someone ever answered this question. Got myself an SRM-300 (100v version of the SRM-310) and was curious how it compares to a 252.

(I know, I know... Mother of necroposts. But that's what the search is for, right? To find this stuff...)