[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure I also thought that the STAX would be somewhat cheaply made before I tried out my first pair. When I actually got them I was pleasantly surprised with the quality, though they certainly aren't built as strongly as dynamic cans such as Grados. The grill/enclosure seems to be made of a hard plastic and is a nice dark brown color (And not that ugly brown in the stock picture). The earpads are nice and comfortable, but they come a TAD bit loose/off on the very top edges every now and then (They seem to separate from that white adhesive; pushing the edges of the pads against the adhesive re-seals the gap for a while. It'd be nice if this wasn't a problem, but then again it's so trivial that I'm not sure if it can be considered a problem). The leather headband is thinner than I expected, but seems to be of a decent/mediocre quality. You might attribute its thinness to being low-quality. I heard a lot about the awful creaking noises, but I've yet to hear such noises (And the STAX fart, for that matter). The plastic band on the very top seems to be made of cheap plastic. It isn't terribly bad, but if something's going to break on my 404's, I'm pretty sure it's going to be this band first. Overall pretty good quality, but you just have to be more careful with these electrostats than with dynamic cans. I'd like to think that people here are careful/respectful of their headphones, but from the pictures and national meet videos I've seen, that's CERTAINLY not the case (People putting their headphones on cats, placing headphones on the floor, wearing headphones around their necks, taking off and putting on headphones so quickly and without consideration that the headphone bands seem to be stretched out for a second while they are being put on/taken off, letting headphone cabls ride on/rest on their clothing, etc.). A head-fi meet would certainly be hell for me in this respect, and I'd be dead frightened to bring my cans and put them in the hands of these kinds of head-fiers (Yes, I may be a bit extreme here, but I like to keep my gear in the highest quality possible and really respect my gear, especially considering that we're talking about headphones that cost several hundred dollars here...).

Yeah, you're a bit crazy, but hey, doesn't hurt me that you appreciate taking care of your gear, and it helps others who want to buy it later. I don't see how letting the cord rest on your clothes or putting the headphones on your cat will hurt them. What always has bugged me is when people put headphones with arch-strap headbands on the stands with the strap part, since it's usually held on by elastic, and that will seriously weaken the elastic over time (it's especially awful in the case of the K340s, which tend to develop a lip if you do that).

 

[Azure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meyvn I don't see how letting the cord rest on your clothes or putting the headphones on your cat will hurt them.

Odor and texture. If you're constantly touching your STAX cable and letting it rest on your clothes all the time then it's going to lose its mint odor and texture faster than if you made sure to always be at such a height/distance that the cable is always elevated or had the cable rest on other mint gear (I've noticed mint enclosures to have a more neutral texture/odor than clothes, regardless of how clean the latter is) that you own. It's not as obvious with resting cables on your clothes, but it should be pretty darn obvious with putting your headphones around your cat (Philodox comes to mind; who wants pet odor/hair anywhere near their expensive, mint headphones? His avatar scares me everytime I see it...those poor K340s

).

It's bad enough that these problems are inevitable since you have to wear the headphones on your head, so why further exacerbate the problem?

 

[sniks7]

My pair of stax are possibly the cheapest tackiest looking bit of hi-fi I own. They look plasticy, they feel plasticy and they taste plasticy. Goodness, they are plastic.

As is the energiser, but that's covered in pink bubble wrap, so I don't get to see it much.

The good thing is, no one is going to want steal them while I walk down the street swinging my hips and humming along to Barry Manilow.

Another good thing about putting cheap tacky looking headphones on is that when I listen to music, I can't see them because they're on my head. Although sometimes I practise listening to barry manilow in the mirror, just to make sure I look cool.

They sound sublime, however.

 

[Jahn]

wait a sec - are you saying i just naturally gravitate towards ugly cans that sound good? i must have a complex

 

[hembergler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn wait a sec - are you saying i just naturally gravitate towards ugly cans that sound good? i must have a complex

Duggehitus?

 

[Duggeh]

A terrible affliction.

 

[squall2072]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh A terrible affliction.

For which there is only one cure...buy jecklin floats...

 

[bonethugz]

hey stax owners. some questions here, i saw some stax in person before. cheaply made? not really to me but i just think they're just huge and i suppose they're not very comfortable right? and i know they're very expensive but, they come with an amp right? or what is that little box? if that's an amp then a thousand dollars for an amp and a top grade headphones isn't "that" expensive right?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonethugz hey stax owners. some questions here, i saw some stax in person before. cheaply made? not really to me but i just think they're just huge and i suppose they're not very comfortable right? and i know they're very expensive but, they come with an amp right? or what is that little box? if that's an amp then a thousand dollars for an amp and a top grade headphones isn't "that" expensive right?

1. The Omega II and 4070 are among the bigger headphones. But the SR-001/003, 202, 303 and 404 is small or average size, I would say.
2. I have listened to all current models without the 4070, and I would say they are very comfortable. I wear my Omega II's for hours without any discomfort.
3. The headphones can be bought separate, or in a system with an energizer/amplifier. They need an energizer/amplifier to work though...

 

[akwok]

Pretty good quality if you ask me,

I think it's still the best built headphone I've owned yet, it feels sturdier than the L3000. I guess the HP-2 is really close, since it's all metal. And yes, I agree that the Sennheiser HE60 is built really poorly.

But best built does not equal most comfortable. The Sennheisers are all much comfier than the Omega II if you ask me, because they're 'weightless'.

 

[wualta]

I wasn't at all insulted by the aspersions cast on Stax build quality-- and I'm assuming we're concentrating on the Lambda series, the ones that show up in most of the posted photos-- but I'm cut to the quick by all the dys-persions cast on the visual quality of the Lambdas.

Of course, ya gotta remember that here in western Michigan, most stuff is uglier than Lambdas, but leave that be; it could be worse.

To me, the Lambda is the way it is because it wouldn't work if it was any other way. It's the lightest/strongest structure able to contain and support two drivers that must be minimally obstructed. Make it any beefier and it would be too heavy. The slotted construction makes it appear smaller than it actually is-- Frank Lloyd Wright's dotted-line idea.

It's easy to see why someone would think they look impossibly fragile (=cheap), but it's part of their visual deception strategy that they appear more delicate than they are. What Stax wanted to avoid was a design that looked heavy because, with their size, no one would then even be tempted to try them on.

They look like an intricately-finned heatsink, like something that radiates power. Maybe we should suggest that Stax chrome-plate them.

If I were going to change them, I'd round off all the corners and edges but leave them pretty much alone. Except for the chrome. I'd definitely go for the chrome. And maybe reinforce the plastic yokes with some metal.

The older Lambdas did have a weak spot in the arch, which was considerably thickened and widened with the Nova series, but mine, from the late '80s, are doing fine. I think they look swell, like nothing else. Some people who weren't alive in the Ugly Seventies think they look "retro". Huh? Compared to stuff back then, the Lambdas look like they dropped out of the future, but yes, they are a Seventies design. Don't gasp, it could be worse.

Much, much worse.

 

[pojen_h@hotmail.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok ..Pretty good quality if you ask me, I think it's still the best built headphone I've owned yet, it feels sturdier than the L3000. I guess the HP-2 is really close, since it's all metal. And yes, I agree that the Sennheiser HE60 is built really poorly. But best built does not equal most comfortable. The Sennheisers are all much comfier than the Omega II if you ask me, because they're 'weightless'.

Where you get the plastic tube? I saw this banana hanger at local Bath Boddy and Beyond, but the hander is too short. Good Job!

Edit: Got PM from Akwok. Ready to get the hanger and mod myself.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pojen_h@hotmail. Where you get the plastic tube? I saw this banana hanger at local Bath Boddy and Beyond, but the hander is too short. Good Job!

PM Replied

 

[Lloyd297]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squall2072 For which there is only one cure...buy jecklin floats...

Ah yes..the dreaded Float.........

Did you know that anybody seen wearing a Float is NEVER taken seriously again? By anyone? And that anyone who has ever seen you wearing a Float always collapses in giggles whenever they see you?

It's a hard life being a Jecklin Float user...........

 

[John Buchanan]

Lloyd speaks the truth - the Floats I had still live on in family legend!