[FCJ]

Does anyone have any experience with the Stax SR-X MK3s? I have a pair, and except for the bass what I expected versus what I've been hearing is completely different. I expected a really bright top, but what I've been hearing is much smoother.

I've also found that the SR-5 (same vintage, roughly 20-25 years old) is a much more accurate and better phone.

 

[j-curve]

Never heard 'em, just thought I'd drop in a photo from here.

 

[dchan88]

I have been using SRX-III for more than 20 years. Now I also got ETY-4s with Meta42.

With the SRX, you get better sense of ambiance, but dynamic and bass is lacking when compare to ETY-4s. The SRXIII is also very sensitive in the high frequency region, a clean source and amplification is mandatory. One way to get better bass from SRXIII is to increase the thickness of the earpad, which will increase the volume between your ears and transducer, but too much space will make the sound fuzzy.

Now I use ETY for most of my listening. It provides more details, better dynamic, accurate bass and better sense of music flow.

 

[aural_injection]

Hey folks,

I've got a pair bought second hand many years ago. With SRD7/SB "self-energiser?". Didn't get a book with them.

Always sounded a bit bass light but somehow tight enough. Then I read somewhere (could've been here...) that you're supposed to turn em up really loud to charge up the diaphragms. Wow what a difference. More efficiency, more bass and more enveloping sound. Treble possibly smoother.
Q. How loud should I turn them up initially? They seem to get better the louder you go but I don't want to burn them out (couldn't afford to replace them), or kill my Dynaco ST-150 used to drive them...


Pads are nearly dead... no, make that dead - they're very thin and falling off.

Have temporarily fitted some sponge rubber about 14mm thick which I cut in an oval shape that goes around the ear (pinna?). I stuck it on offset upwards a bit so the centre of the diaphragm is roughly centred on the ear canal.
Bass does seem fuller - might be due to the extra thickness as mentioned. When I listen loud I sometimes do feel there's some fuzz.
Q. What does everyone think of my pad ideas? Might need some felt on the exposed metal areas.
Q. Has anyone tried making boxes say like Lambdas or Sigmas - does that give a more frontal image?


Cheers,
Gerry

 

[John Buchanan]

New pads are available here:
Audiocubes

 

[aural_injection]

Thanks for the link John.

Any guidelines as to how loud to go to charge them up? Should I use a dB SPL meter?

They seem to need a charge every 15 mins or so for top performance - is that about normal?

I seem to recall a dealer warning me many years ago to be careful not to destroy my hearing with my new toys. Didn't quite get what he meant until I learned of the need to charge up and they started to really work properly...
How many dB are the SRXs capable of btw?

...trying not to think of all those less than optimum listening hours wasted too...

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[John Buchanan]

You might want to have a look around for either Stax SRA 3S, SRA 12s, SRA 14s, SRM1 or SRM1 Mk 2 Professional to power your SRX Mk III set. There were lots of these sold by Encel in Victoria (and probably the equivalent in Sydney as well as Vince Ross in WA). These don't require turning up the volume to charge the diaphragms (and neither should the SRD7 once it has initially kicked in).

 

[aural_injection]

Many thanks for the advice John.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Lloyd297]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCJ Does anyone have any experience with the Stax SR-X MK3s? I have a pair, and except for the bass what I expected versus what I've been hearing is completely different. I expected a really bright top, but what I've been hearing is much smoother. I've also found that the SR-5 (same vintage, roughly 20-25 years old) is a much more accurate and better phone.

I covered this a couple of months back in a thread: Stax - Old versus New. It's in the archives, page 118, thread 29338 if you're interested.

 

[Bullseye]

Hi guys,

Reviving thread here because of this:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f10/fs...system-427406/

Do you guys this this is a good price for it? Or should I not bother if I am waiting for HF-2?

Oh and I could not fin the Head-Fi archives, lloyd297, wanted to search for that.

 

[padam]

If you don't mind the supra aural comfort (or the lack of it) it is quite good. And if you have a bad source or bad speaker amp, it will cruelly show all the weaknesses but in the right system it can be quite amazing what it can do, especially considering the price and age.

Update, found the old comparison: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/lon...sode-i-172611/

 

[Bullseye]

Thank you for that. Will read it. The about the supra aural comfort is it somethig similar to the grado comfort?

 

[Bullseye]

Oh, and by the way the pictures are a bit blurry, so I can't really see the lettering on the holders. (talking about the FS thread)

 

[padam]

It's just the photo being a bit blurry. Having new pads is also good, my own pair used to have old pads and it was unbearable, after I replaced it was better (but still far from comfortable). Only issue is that it may start to develop a channel imbalance after a time (who knows, maybe never).

 

[Bullseye]

Why should it start a channel imbalance? Does it have to do with electrostatic?