[n3rdling]

Good work 

  After spending a lot of time with electrostats, most dynamics are hard to listen to.

 

[cswann1]

Quote:

Good work 

  After spending a lot of time with electrostats, most dynamics are hard to listen to.

Meh,  I've never heard a stat and most dynamics are hard to listen to

 

[vrln]

Just wanted to share something: http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Scroll down to "gear of interest" and you´ll find a nice resource on many current and vintage Stax products. I´m always been into history, and electrostat history is no exception 

 

[Ultraviolet88]

Venturing into Stax realm from TI, LCD2 and HD800(last one sold off).
Heard the 2170 system & OmegaMKII with 007ti2, found that i prefer the dynamics of the 2170 (ya, dont say, i was surprised too). But the Omega system did sound very smooth, laidback and soundstage had more layering, details were plus/minus.
Now keen to get sr507 + srm323s. dealer is trying to sell me srm600 limited(not cheap) and this is tube hybrid, my worry is it will sound to laidback/polite for my liking -->omegamkII. So just wanted to ask around those who own or have extensively heard the sr507, do they have same signature sound as 2170(sr207) but better in most aspects? The sr507 itself can buy the whole 2170 system, so I hope to get some useful comparison reviews. Im looking for 2170 signature sound but higher scale. After I heard 007ti2 with OmegaMKII, i think it has good sound but not my taste at the moment and start to dread using tube hybrids for sr507.Those who have srm323s(400v swing) can chip in also hopefully.

 

[purrin]

I haven't heard the 2170 system. The Omega needs to be properly amped (with a BH) to have dynamics, so I can see why you would prefer the 2170. SRM-323 with SR-507 has plenty of dynamics - a lot of oomph - has a certain palpability with basslines and drums. The SRM-323/SR-507 setup is also rather warm and smooth sounding even though the amp is SS. The SR-507 combines the best of LCD-2 and HD800 and adds more (although HD800 soundstage is better). The sound signature tilt is toward the bright side - but there don't seem to be any abnormalities in response which would cause ears to bleed.

 

[MrGreen]

I preferred a vintage lambda setup to the O2MKI when I heard it. It wasnt from a BH so take it whatever way you will.

Listening now. Sublime. Honestly the only headphone I've heard where every track is jaw-drop amazing.

 

[Ultraviolet88]

Thanks bro for the quick reply. My dealer stocks the SRM600 limited(hybrid) that I can audition with the sr507. But to get the SRM323s, they would need to import after I have committed to buy first(without listening). My only worry is after i get the sr507 + srm323s, it loses the sound sig of the 2170, then Im fried but your review has instilled some confidence to buy with leap of faith.For higher end Omega series, I shall await the promising C32 variant that is due soon. Thinking to get the top lambda series and later only vouch for the higher end Stax. Have you tried SR407 vs SR507 (as a side note). Nobody seems to be able to give a good comparison so far although one thread did mention bass is a bit better than sr407 for a difference of $500+ in value. 
 
Quote:

I haven't heard the 2170 system. The Omega needs to be properly amped (with a BH) to have dynamics, so I can see why you would prefer the 2170. SRM-323 with SR-507 has plenty of dynamics - a lot of oomph - has a certain palpability with basslines and drums. The SRM-323/SR-507 setup is also rather warm and smooth sounding even though the amp is SS. The SR-507 combines the best of LCD-2 and HD800 and adds more (although HD800 soundstage is better). The sound signature tilt is toward the bright side - but there don't seem to be any abnormalities in response which would cause ears to bleed.

 

 

[vrln]

Looks like quite a lot of people (these is not the only time I´ve seen people say so) seem to actually prefer the Lambdas if driven by one of the current Stax amps... Unfortunately I haven´t heard the SR-007mk1/mk2, so I can´t comment much on that. From what I´ve read though the O2 is a really power hungry beast, so all signs do indeed point in the direction that unless you are ready to get a KGSS/BH, stay with Lambdas. With Lambdas the whole amp discussion also gets a different angle, as some for example prefer the Stax tube amps even to the 717/727. But it all depends on taste.
 
Ultraviolet88: I´d audition the SR-507 + SRM-600 combo (would definately recommend the combo, I´m very happy with it at least - haven´t missed my LCD2 or HD 800 for a second after I got the new electrostat gear). Stax used those together in recent demos when the SR-507 was launched. The O2 is a very different animal compared to the SR-507. The Lambda is much, much easier to run and it´s very punchy and transparent (sounds very modern to me) with an SRM-600. I´ve briefly heard one of the smallest Stax Lambda rigs (not sure which model it was, but I think was the predecessor to the 2170), and at least compared to that the SR-507 is definately the same sound signature, but just on steroids/a more sophisticated version.
 
The 507 is less bright than the small Lambdas judging by that one brief experience, has among other things more bass punch, better instrument separation and just overall more control in my experience. By the way, the SRM-600 has an output power of 340V, so it´s 40V more than the stock 006tII that´s included in the combo set with the 407. Oh and not sure if you know this, but if you don´t the SRM-600 deserves a special shout out for being a limited edition (only 600 made). Unfortunately I haven´t heard the SRM-323 so I have no idea about that. On paper, and judging by forum experiences it´s a fantastic little amp though. To be honest, I don´t think you can go wrong either way. Lambdas run very well on all the current official amps. As for brightness, it depends on what you´re comparing to. For example a Lambda that I once tried, the bright by reputation 404 Signature sounded neutral to me compared to gear like DT 880, HD 600, HD 800 and Beyer T1.
 
purrin: As a former owner of the HD 800 and LCD-2, I fully agree with your characterization. Best of both worlds and added bonus stuff like the dreamlike presentation. The only minus against those two is indeed the soundstaging vs HD 800 (the LCD-2 is at least a league behind in soundstaging compared to the SR-507 IME), which is clearly larger and more expansive on the HD 800. However, the way SR-507 presents the sounds as if they appear and disappear in complete darkness makes the soundstage sound more impressive to me. No non-electrostat I´ve heard has managed that (and I think that´s what impresses me most). It would be earth shattering to someday hear the HD 800 soundstage size with the presentation of the SR-507. Actually I think HD 800 owners in particular will like Stax. Many HD 800 owners seem to be annoyed by the fatiguing/sibilant sound. The SR-507 manages to be ultradetailed also in the highs, without having to roll them off like the HD 650 and LCD-2 do. And at least with the SRM-600, there is never any fatigue. I consider that a miracle, as they pull way more detail out of my DAC than any other headphone I´ve tried. There is also a touch of the same dreamlike etherial style in the Sennheiser´s delivery - if one is a fan of that, one can think of it as a McDonalds happy meal. Stax provides the full Big Mac meal.

 

[Don Quichotte]

I've heard neither the SRM-600 nor the SRM-323, only my SRM-313. If I had to choose blind I'd easily go for the 323 between the two not only because it's cheaper and much appreciated by knowledgeable people but also because I've noticed that my 313 sounds better after a serious warming up, so I often turn it on one or even several hours before listening. There are days when I listen for only a couple of hours or so but the amp stays on morning to evening. I know, it eats electricity, but 29W/hour is not so much after all, the PC eats much more. With a tube based amp I'd worry about tube life. Also, at least with respect with the older T1 I've read about people having a hard time turning the trimmers inside when biasing the tubes because they are glued or something like that.

 

[svyr]

>amp I'd worry about tube life.

didn't someone say around 3-4-5k hours depending on use.


>T1 I've read about people having a hard time turning the trimmers inside when biasing the tubes because they are glued or something like that.

same on SRM-1/mk2. You gently loosen the glue and that's about it. (although spritzer says the carbon pots are really fragile and breaking them is not a good idea )


>SRM-600LTD

heard it at the melb meet with my SR-507 and yukari's SR-404LE. Aside from being slightly more mellow, in meet conditions couldn't really tell much of a difference to my former SRM-1/mk2 with swapped electrolytics and diodes/film caps.
Maybe I'm a pleb

 

[rgs9200m]

Yeah, nice sounding phones, but friggin uncomfortable to me, with my ears rubbing against the drivers and hard-pressing thin padding. I had both the Lambda/T1W and the Omega/007t for years.
They were both pretty uncomfortable to me in their own way.
Of course, I also think the Senn 600/650s have too much clamping force,
but all the new high-end dynamics are fine for comfort, especially the T1s, Denon 7000s, and HD800s.
 
C'mon Stax, learn something from Denon.
 

 

[purrin]

 
Quote:

purrin: ... presents the sounds as if they appear and disappear in complete darkness makes the soundstage sound more impressive to me. No non-electrostat I´ve heard has managed that (and I think that´s what impresses me most)...

To me, this "blackness" is the really scary good part about the STAX. Everything else appears to be a shade of grey.
 
 

 

[Don Quichotte]

Quote:

>amp I'd worry about tube life.

didn't someone say around 3-4-5k hours depending on use.


>T1 I've read about people having a hard time turning the trimmers inside when biasing the tubes because they are glued or something like that.

same on SRM-1/mk2. You gently loosen the glue and that's about it. (although spritzer says the carbon pots are really fragile and breaking them is not a good idea

)


>SRM-600LTD

heard it at the melb meet with my SR-507 and yukari's SR-404LE. Aside from being slightly more mellow, in meet conditions couldn't really tell much of a difference to my former SRM-1/mk2 with swapped electrolytics and diodes/film caps.
Maybe I'm a pleb

Many, many years ago I've sent an email to Stax in Japan and was told the life expectancy of the tubes inside the 006 amp (not the 600, but the 006, the successor of the T1) was around 2000 hours. Of course that's only a very loose approximation. Say it's 4000 hours if they don't go through too many on-off cycles. If one keeps the amp on for 5 hours every day, in two years or so one should start looking for replacement tubes. I don't know if the tubes in the 600 amp last longer, though. Anyway, it would be an unnecessary complication for me.
Maybe the trimmers in the SS amp are just as problematic, but perhaps one would need to turn them once every 20 years or so instead of once every 2-3 years. Seems the better choice to me.
And yes, with respect the the tube vs. ss Stax amp difference I remember the often cited 6moons review claiming the difference between the 313 and 006 amp was minimal, and not necessarily in favor of the tube unit. Now, I took that with a grain of salt, but now you seem to confirm this indirectly by comparing their better cousins (323 and 600, respectively). So maybe you're not a pleb after all...

 

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

 

To me, this "blackness" is the really scary good part about the STAX. Everything else appears to be a shade of grey.
 
 

Honestly, I think albums that sound truly "black" (for lack of a term for something so abstract) are extremely rare and far between.

 

[Ultraviolet88]

Thanks for the prompt reply.
Informative indeed. How would:
sr507 + srm600 ltd sound compared to sr507 + srm323s-->i suspect more dynamic for the 323s and cheaper/no need to change tubes after 2000 hours? Would i lose musicality then?srm600 is at least $1k+ more to the equation...hope to get a really significant sound improvement but feel may not be the case after auditioning sr007A with 007tII amp-->lack oomph surprisingly but as some have pointed out,could be the amp synergy but I would have thought stax wont sabotage their flagship earspeakers by pairing up with energizers that dont optimize sound.
 
Anyway back to topic, next question is sr407 + srm323s-->any difference? But tbh i guess even if sr407 sound almost similar to sr507, most would still go for the lambda flagship 507 as you would always wonder would the 507 be better in certain small nuances, and when reaching this level of headphones, a few quids more is not so big a deal for most to get ease of mind.
 
My dealer keep promoting srm600 as he doesnt have ready stock for srm323s...if i want, he needs to preorder with a downpayment...shucks
Thanks for sharing
 
Quote:

Looks like quite a lot of people (these is not the only time I´ve seen people say so) seem to actually prefer the Lambdas if driven by one of the current Stax amps... Unfortunately I haven´t heard the SR-007mk1/mk2, so I can´t comment much on that. From what I´ve read though the O2 is a really power hungry beast, so all signs do indeed point in the direction that unless you are ready to get a KGSS/BH, stay with Lambdas. With Lambdas the whole amp discussion also gets a different angle, as some for example prefer the Stax tube amps even to the 717/727. But it all depends on taste.
 
Ultraviolet88: I´d audition the SR-507 + SRM-600 combo (would definately recommend the combo, I´m very happy with it at least - haven´t missed my LCD2 or HD 800 for a second after I got the new electrostat gear). Stax used those together in recent demos when the SR-507 was launched. The O2 is a very different animal compared to the SR-507. The Lambda is much, much easier to run and it´s very punchy and transparent (sounds very modern to me) with an SRM-600. I´ve briefly heard one of the smallest Stax Lambda rigs (not sure which model it was, but I think was the predecessor to the 2170), and at least compared to that the SR-507 is definately the same sound signature, but just on steroids/a more sophisticated version.
 
The 507 is less bright than the small Lambdas judging by that one brief experience, has among other things more bass punch, better instrument separation and just overall more control in my experience. By the way, the SRM-600 has an output power of 340V, so it´s 40V more than the stock 006tII that´s included in the combo set with the 407. Oh and not sure if you know this, but if you don´t the SRM-600 deserves a special shout out for being a limited edition (only 600 made). Unfortunately I haven´t heard the SRM-323 so I have no idea about that. On paper, and judging by forum experiences it´s a fantastic little amp though. To be honest, I don´t think you can go wrong either way. Lambdas run very well on all the current official amps. As for brightness, it depends on what you´re comparing to. For example a Lambda that I once tried, the bright by reputation 404 Signature sounded neutral to me compared to gear like DT 880, HD 600, HD 800 and Beyer T1.
 
purrin: As a former owner of the HD 800 and LCD-2, I fully agree with your characterization. Best of both worlds and added bonus stuff like the dreamlike presentation. The only minus against those two is indeed the soundstaging vs HD 800 (the LCD-2 is at least a league behind in soundstaging compared to the SR-507 IME), which is clearly larger and more expansive on the HD 800. However, the way SR-507 presents the sounds as if they appear and disappear in complete darkness makes the soundstage sound more impressive to me. No non-electrostat I´ve heard has managed that (and I think that´s what impresses me most). It would be earth shattering to someday hear the HD 800 soundstage size with the presentation of the SR-507. Actually I think HD 800 owners in particular will like Stax. Many HD 800 owners seem to be annoyed by the fatiguing/sibilant sound. The SR-507 manages to be ultradetailed also in the highs, without having to roll them off like the HD 650 and LCD-2 do. And at least with the SRM-600, there is never any fatigue. I consider that a miracle, as they pull way more detail out of my DAC than any other headphone I´ve tried. There is also a touch of the same dreamlike etherial style in the Sennheiser´s delivery - if one is a fan of that, one can think of it as a McDonalds happy meal. Stax provides the full Big Mac meal.