[arnaud]

well said @nepherte

 

[shabta]

I think people are taking this too unnecessary extreme levels. I own Stax headphones for over a decade. None of them have failed me so far.

What I do to keep them safe:
- Keep them in the original box when not listening to music, or
- Put them on a (Stax) headphone stand with (Stax) cover when not listening to music
- Plug them in the amp after it is turned on and plug them out before the amp is turned off (with volume all the way down)
- Discharge the drivers after use by touching the pins on the Stax connector that terminates the cable

Everything else seems overkill to me. And yes, I'm also living in a climate with an average yearly humidity of 80+%. I do drink (coffee, beer, whatever) while using the heapdhones. I listen to music right after takinga shower, My wife often vacuums the place while I'm using the headphones. No I don't use any de-humidifier, or any other fancy stuff that was mentioned. But it sure looks cool.

Sure, you can be unlucky and have a failing driver. These things seem to happen more frequently with newly released models. YMMV

My experience exactly, except I use a different wooden stand. Also it's generally bad idea to leave any headphone plugged in at all times. But with estats it's best practice to disharge after use by unplugging and touch the pins as you described.

 

[Crashem]

I definitely think some stax headphones are more sensitive than others. I have had 009 for going on 8-9 years. Never had any issues with imbalance or anything else for that matter. Mine have sat on my cancans stand constantly when not in use. No other babying done.

 

[DougD]

There should be more warnings

1. Stax Covers is a must or back into box
2. Don't vacuum or dust near headphone.
3. Don't use after shower.
4. Don't drink coffee, tea or soup near headphone.
5. Don't squeeze earpads together. I see lots of people do this. Its so annoying and a potential danger to driver.
6. Try not to use metal headphone stand or anything like that. Only wood stands.
7. Don't plug, unplug, plug, unplug, plug headphones alot.
8. Leave plug connected to amp when not using. If unplug use stax cap to protect pins.
9. Don't off amp with high volume on.
10. Pets, hair, heat, cold, and shaking head is not good.

These are the 10 stax commandments.

I have 3 Lambda models, plus an original SR-X Mk 3 from the 70's. I've never done any of those things. The only precaution I take, like I do with all headphones, is that I lift them carefully with two hands.

 

[tumpux]

… and I dont think that later stax models have more channel imbalance. We just hear it more nowadays because there is a platform to whine about it when it happens.

 

[BTD1]

… and I dont think that later stax models have more channel imbalance. We just hear it more nowadays because there is a platform to whine about it when it happens.

Not whining. Just asking a question and seeking information. Thank you.

 

[protoss]

Like the Codes of Hammurabi, all commandments will not be taken seriously, but they should. I have over ten electrostatics that is well covered and shielded from dust and moisture.
The post before said his wife vacuum while he wears stats is a nightmare. Having a cup of hot steamy tea or coffee is a no-no for me. Beer or whiskey or cold drinks are all fine. I'm having one right now listening to 007MK1 and typing this.

 

[catscratch]

Stax dust covers are pretty good and dust should rarely be an issue unless the dust cover has been damaged in some way. Humidity is also rarely an issue, plenty of people use Stax without air conditioning in very hot and humid regions and they're fine. The thing to avoid most is direct sunlight, that'll kill the drivers pretty quickly. Also, you obviously don't want to wear them with wet hair or get moisture in them somehow, you don't want to drive them too loud as that can arc the drivers and burn holes in the diaphragm, and you generally want to treat them gingerly as you would a precision instrument. But going to extreme lengths isn't really warranted imo.

Channel imbalances have been a known issue for a while sadly, the 009s suffered from them, 007As and Mk2s have suffered from them ever since the 2014/2015 revision, and I'm not surprised the X9000 can suffer from them too. I think Stax have reduced the frequency of the issue, so it just seems like you've had some bad luck. As far as Audeze goes, they've definitely had their fair share of QC problems in the past but the customer support is pretty good so they should take care of you.

 

[BTD1]

Stax dust covers are pretty good and dust should rarely be an issue unless the dust cover has been damaged in some way. Humidity is also rarely an issue, plenty of people use Stax without air conditioning in very hot and humid regions and they're fine. The thing to avoid most is direct sunlight, that'll kill the drivers pretty quickly. Also, you obviously don't want to wear them with wet hair or get moisture in them somehow, you don't want to drive them too loud as that can arc the drivers and burn holes in the diaphragm, and you generally want to treat them gingerly as you would a precision instrument. But going to extreme lengths isn't really warranted imo.

Channel imbalances have been a known issue for a while sadly, the 009s suffered from them, 007As and Mk2s have suffered from them ever since the 2014/2015 revision, and I'm not surprised the X9000 can suffer from them too. I think Stax have reduced the frequency of the issue, so it just seems like you've had some bad luck. As far as Audeze goes, they've definitely had their fair share of QC problems in the past but the customer support is pretty good so they should take care of you.

Thanks so much for your understanding comments. I ordered a dust cover today and I will use it going forward. For someone so new to estats, I have had some bad luck, but as you point out Audeze is a good company and it has been a positive experience dealing with them for CRBN repairs. If it turns out I need to send the x9000s into Stax for repairs, then that's what I have to do. I have plenty of excellent headphones to listen to in the meantime, so I am not going to fret about any of this. It is what it is, and so many of you have been really helpful as I have attempted to figure out the somewhat unique world of estats. I'll report back in a week or so on whether the channel imbalance has cured itself.

 

[catscratch]

When I say "dust cover" I mean the dust cover in the drivers themselves. Dust should not get in. But using the Stax headphone cover with the stand surely cannot hurt. If dust does get in, it will cause a low-level squealing noise that you'll hear with no music playing. Now as far as the channel imbalance, discharge them into your hand and let them sit for a few days, then plug them in and let them bias for a while. Normally they should bias basically instantly, but do that a few times and see if it goes away. If it doesn't, contact Stax.

It's annoying given the waiting time and shipping, but what can you do these days...

 

[BTD1]

When I say "dust cover" I mean the dust cover in the drivers themselves. Dust should not get in. But using the Stax headphone cover with the stand surely cannot hurt. If dust does get in, it will cause a low-level squealing noise that you'll hear with no music playing. Now as far as the channel imbalance, discharge them into your hand and let them sit for a few days, then plug them in and let them bias for a while. Normally they should bias basically instantly, but do that a few times and see if it goes away. If it doesn't, contact Stax.

It's annoying given the waiting time and shipping, but what can you do these days...

Great info. Will follow your suggestions and hope for the best. Many thanks.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I have only had dust issues with older models--original 007 MK1 and one of my HE60 pairs I no longer own. That said, I use a nearly airtight drawer that's well protected with cushioning, with humidity packs thrown in. I simply cannot have Stax Dust covers in my home. I can't do it lol

I would agree with others, I personally have less concern with newer models, as a lot of manufacturers have taken previous issues into account. But given the ever rising prices, I do get why people want to take as much precaution as possible.

 

[elton7033]

There should be more warnings

1. Stax Covers is a must or back into box
2. Don't vacuum or dust near headphone.
3. Don't use after shower.
4. Don't drink coffee, tea or soup near headphone.
5. Don't squeeze earpads together. I see lots of people do this. Its so annoying and a potential danger to driver.
6. Try not to use metal headphone stand or anything like that. Only wood stands.
7. Don't plug, unplug, plug, unplug, plug headphones alot.
8. Leave plug connected to amp when not using. If unplug use stax cap to protect pins.
9. Don't off amp with high volume on.
10. Pets, hair, heat, cold, and shaking head is not good.

These are the 10 stax commandments.

i really need to get use to
7. Don't plug, unplug, plug, unplug, plug headphones alot.

my robot vaccum cleaner just so use to get it self tangle with headphone cable so everyday when the robot start cleaning i unplug my stax...

 

[Mufti]

How many units are out in the wild?

 

[justin w.]

200 worldwide, 50 in North America?