[ToroFiestaSol]

NEW REFERENCE STAX OMEGA & REFERENCE AMPLIFIER CONFIRMED FOR 2017 (80th STAX ANNIVERSARY)
 
Original link:
http://www.fujiya-avic.jp/blog/?p=28326
 
Google translated link:
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fujiya-avic.jp%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D28326
 
"Question: Finally, there is nothing until the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the second year in the future? It is called
I think that there are some readers who have doubts, so I will listen to them

If no comment, but it's fine, is your plan of the next year of a new product?

Answer: You may release this already, we plan to release next year

Become a high-end model of the current aircraft with a headphone amplifier

At the moment we have a flagship machine of Stax,

Currently under development.

I am assuming a model of a position called amplifier that fits SR - 009,

The price is not decided at all yet, but with the top model.

The stax amps are all analog-only, and the DA converter's

Although there is no installation, the model under planning has the same configuration.

In the summer, if you can start selling it ...

It is progressing, but this is also "schedule".

I hope the reference exhibit of prototype will be in time for spring ...

Anyway, as the project is ongoing,

Please expect it!"

 

Please, someone who knows japanese can translate this better?

VERY exciting news

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

My thoughts (speculating):
 
- They're not dumb and of course read the forums, so they know that a lot of people prefers the 007 to the 009 under certain conditions (powerful aftermarket amp).
 
- They've been acquired by Edifer after 009 launch, so having a lot more of resources and feedback from users, add to that their 80th anniversary...I believe that this new SR-010 will be the best headphone ever made by a large margin.
 
- Aracnic senses tell me that they'll price it under 10k, probably not reaching even 8k and sell the amp separately, not as a system (as it should be, and also Omega + T2 was sold as separated items back in the days, they also sell of their amps and headphones separately, so makes no sense for Stax to sell it as a combo).
 
- Stax is not Hifiman or Sennheiser, they have very reasonable profit margins, just take a look at 009 build quality and tell me how much it would cost if produced by Hifiman (who priced Shangri-La at 50k because Orpheus costs 50k).
 
- Hell, SR-007 costs 2000usd...SR-009 costs 4000usd, REALLY, they'll not jump to the crazy prices trend, makes no sense.
Keep in mind that 40k usd of the 50k cost of Shangri-La is the matching amp (remember the Stereoexchange ad of Shangri-La at 9999usd?), probably the same thing with Orpheus.

 

[ubs28]

This could be interesting if they can challenge the Orpheus 2 and the Shangri-La at only a fraction of the price. 

 

[arnaud]

I plan to have a closer read later but you may need to revise title as talk for 2017 is new amp, not a new phone.

There's separate discussion for doing something big for 2018 (18 anniv.).

Arnaud

 

[astrostar59]

I plan to have a closer read later but you may need to revise title as talk for 2017 is new amp, not a new phone.

There's separate discussion for doing something big for 2018 (18 anniv.).

Arnaud

Hmm,not so interested in a Stax new amp. The existing units in production are so far behind the SQ on offer from KGs designs, IMO it would take a heroic leap to catch up. Then there is 50% mark up and CE approval on heat and life / warranty etc etc.
 
Anyway, not wanting to be negative, if they do produce a better amp it would bring the Stax systems to more newbies as currently a demo with the 009 and a Stax amp, oh dear.....

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Hmm,not so interested in a Stax new amp. The existing units in production are so far behind the SQ on offer from KGs designs, IMO it would take a heroic leap to catch up. Then there is 50% mark up and CE approval on heat and life / warranty etc etc.
 
Anyway, not wanting to be negative, if they do produce a better amp it would bring the Stax systems to more newbies as currently a demo with the 009 and a Stax amp, oh dear.....

 
We're talking about a T2 successor here. That's in "ultimate amp" territory, not something for newbies. STAX have stated in the past that they intend for it to outperform the original SRM-T2, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest electrostatic amps ever made. No one knows whether the T2 successor will surpass the DIY T2 (which has an improved power supply), however. Also, the KG designs like the Blue Hawaii were based on the STAX SRM-T2, and this new amp will be even better.

 

[yates7592]

I too am confident that these new SR-010 (or whatever....) will be up there with the best headphones ever made. Stax know how to do these things (and at a fair price, although its going to take a helluva long time to get c.$8K together).

 

[astrostar59]

   
We're talking about a T2 successor here. That's in "ultimate amp" territory, not something for newbies. STAX have stated in the past that they intend for it to outperform the original SRM-T2, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest electrostatic amps ever made. No one knows whether the T2 successor will surpass the DIY T2 (which has an improved power supply), however. Also, the KG designs like the Blue Hawaii were based on the STAX SRM-T2, and this new amp will be even better.

I see. Well if it is anything like as complex and generates the amount of heat of the original T2 it will be a problem IMO. They need to get it past CE approvals to sell WW so that probably means casing over the tubes and such. The old T2 was a large chassis but way under heat sinked. I wonder why they didn't think that it could have had issues because of heat and parts failure.
Hopefully this time they will get it right. Wonder what price it will be?

 

[obobskivich]

Not trying to "jump on the hype train" or start any kind of fight, but honestly it would be really nice to see them bring out an "ultra endgame really this time we meant it the finalest final top end" level headphone and not run the price into the five digit range. Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone (cannot believe I'm saying that), Audio-Technica, Grado, and Sony (can't believe I'm saying that either) all seem to get it (on some level), whereas Sennheiser, HiFiMan, and some other, newer, companies seem to adopt "No Limit" as their design mantra. And I don't even have an issue with the folks buying those products or the prices of them, except that they've steadily and consistently pulled the price of EVERYTHING below them upwards - I've seen more threads recently where $300-600 is becoming "entry level" or "mid-fi" and nobody wins there except for dealers.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Not trying to "jump on the hype train" or start any kind of fight, but honestly it would be really nice to see them bring out an "ultra endgame really this time we meant it the finalest final top end" level headphone and not run the price into the five digit range. Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone (cannot believe I'm saying that), Audio-Technica, Grado, and Sony (can't believe I'm saying that either) all seem to get it (on some level), whereas Sennheiser, HiFiMan, and some other, newer, companies seem to adopt "No Limit" as their design mantra. And I don't even have an issue with the folks buying those products or the prices of them, except that they've steadily and consistently pulled the price of EVERYTHING below them upwards - I've seen more threads recently where $300-600 is becoming "entry level" or "mid-fi" and nobody wins there except for dealers.

 
Thankfully, STAX is one of the most sensible high-end headphone manufacturers. Heck, personally I like their entry-level headphones more than anything I've heard from any other company at any price. It doesn't seem likely that the SR-009 successor will cost much more than its predecessor.

 

[obobskivich]

Thankfully, STAX is one of the most sensible high-end headphone manufacturers. Heck, personally I like their entry-level headphones more than anything I've heard from any other company at any price. It doesn't seem likely that the SR-009 successor will cost much more than its predecessor.

That's what I'm honestly hoping for. Bonus points if it actually improves on the SR-009's performance (and the press picks up on that) - it'd make a lot of the silly expensive stuff look sillier.

 

[SeaWo|f]

While I really hate the needless inflation of the highend market as much as anyone else here. Lets remember when the 009 was released and where pricing was for highend headphones in general was at that point. Stax is as much to blame as anyone that has followed for where we are today. I am not sure what their motivation would be to come in undermarket. They are still the biggest volume seller of estats(by a gigantic margin), the only seller with a full line of estats and any new HP at the top for them will be low production. Oh and the only people who make waves(at least in the media) when they come in to compete does so well into the 5 digit range. 
 
I would not get your hopes up. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  While I really hate the needless inflation of the highend market as much as anyone else here. Lets remember when the 009 was released and where pricing was for highend headphones in general was at that point. Stax is as much to blame as anyone that has followed for where we are today. I am not sure what their motivation would be to come in undermarket. They are still the biggest volume seller of estats(by a gigantic margin), the only seller with a full line of estats and any new HP at the top for them will be low production. Oh and the only people who make waves(at least in the media) when they come in to compete does so well into the 5 digit range. 
 
I would not get your hopes up. 

 
The Sennheiser Orpheus HE 90 (with HEV 90 DAC/amp) originally sold for $12,900 in the early 1990s. (That's over $22,000 in today's dollars.) STAX continued to sell their headphones at comparatively cheap prices. I can't think of a reason why they would ever price any of their headphones at five figures. They're just not that type of company. And by the way, they've been around since 1938. Their philosophy of high fidelity at (relatively) reasonable cost is well established.

 

[SeaWo|f]

Its a nice line from them, and when they started is by definition besides the point. But they were the ones that priced the 009 at 5k back in what 2011? Senns releasing a one off in the 90s that was never meant for general public consumption should not negate this fact. The price in that time for totl dynamic and planar headphones was 1kish if my memory serves me correctly. 
 
Also the HE90 was sold as a system and a 009 + BHSE is what 11k today so the HE 90s is only double a totl stax setup today. For myself 10, 20 is not going to effect me either way. I am just not going to pay it. The wife already complains to much about my yearly watch and motorcycle expenses.. well and i have a 4 shelf thing for my powercoditioner, amp, dac and headphone stand that is at the same level as my desk. If I added a taller one it would throw off the decor of my home office.. this would also cause the wife to complain.

 

[obobskivich]

Its a nice line from them, and when they started is by definition besides the point. But they were the ones that priced the 009 at 5k back in what 2011? Senns releasing a one off in the 90s that was never meant for general public consumption should not negate this fact. The price in that time for totl dynamic and planar headphones was 1kish if my memory serves me correctly. 

In 2011 a TOTL dynamic can was around $1500-2000 (random examples: Fostex TH-900, Ultrasone Edition 10), and that's stayed pretty consistent for most of the last 15 years. The "new comers" to the field are the genre of $5000+ products, five figure products, and $1000 products becoming the new $300-500 segment. I don't think its reasonable to say the SR-009 mediated any of that, especially when the price has come down significantly since launch (if I'm not mistaken, STAX more or less "bet the farm" to develop the SR-009, which was part of why the price was so high initially).