Stax: SR 002 + Srm 002 and Srm 003 mk2 + Srm 003 impression and appreciation thread

[pokrog]

I also have a L300 with L700 pads equalized to something close to Harman. With the proper PEQ filters it's an amazing set which can exhibit unexpected bass for an open back estat.
However the SR-003mk2 are nowhere near the L300 and doesn't react well to an harman-ish EQ.
I've used them either with a SR-002 and a SRM-D10 amps with more or less the same results.
Do not expect them to be a portable L300, you may be disappointed.
If you really want a portable electrostatic pair, you may try the Shure KSE1200/1500, they are truly fantastic in comparison. (Once equalized as well of course)

I'd personally say that the SR-003mkii with or without the CES-A1 kit takes EQ to roughly Harman better than almost anything I've ever heard and away better than the L300s so idk where that's coming from and conversely the KSE1500s have a ~+25db peak in the upper treble that is literally dangerous if not addressed even at normal 75ish db listening.

 

[yuzaboto]

Are you guys using a parametric equalizer or a convolution one?
Could be that it EQs fine but needs lots of small fixes so using a few eq bands doesn't work as well.

 

[altib]

Are you guys using a parametric equalizer or a convolution one?
Could be that it EQs fine but needs lots of small fixes so using a few eq bands doesn't work as well.

Parametric EQ.
Starting on https://squig.link/ by auto EQ to my own target and then adjust by ear as the measurements are not 100% accurate especially past 8khz.
I'm shaping the EQ curve with Squig and my Qudelix T71 and once done I copy the setting to my Fiio BTR17.
I need between 7 to 10 PEQ bands but rarely less.

@pokrog :
On the KSE the highest peak in the treble is about 12 to 15dB at around 8khz. Even if the exact frequency may very, the measured intensity is more on less the same between the several samples on Squiq.
So no, the KSE1200/1500 are not dangerous but very aggressive in this region if on equalized properly.

 

[pokrog]

@pokrog :
On the KSE the highest peak in the treble is about 12 to 15dB at around 8khz. Even if the exact frequency may very, the measured intensity is more on less the same between the several samples on Squiq.
So no, the KSE1200/1500 are not dangerous but very aggressive in this region if on equalized properly.

8khz is coupler resonance, that isn't real. Every single graph has that same exact spot, though the KSE1500 is extra high there, too. I'm talking about the upper treble around 15.5khz where it's over +20db above Harman, but more importantly, when normalized to 1000hz like it should be and around 75db, it puts that region at almost 90db and the upper end of the audible range is where actual hearing damage can happen the easiest. You can listen to 100db subbass all day and it isn't going to damage your ear, but 90db 15.5khz is well into that territory and 75db average at 1khz isn't really what I'd consider that loud, so pushing it up a little higher gets even worse. The even higher region around 18.7khz is even worse from a preference target standpoint, and it's a more dangerous region, but it's not enough to be worse than the 15.5khz region for actual hearing damage, and this is assuming that the measurements are correct, and they tend to be a bit low in that region by ~3db on most rigs so it makes it even worse. EQ is an absolute must in that region. I'm not saying they're bad or anything after EQ, I'm just saying that brutal treble is real and it's definitely dangerous if you don't address it.