[NagoyaBlane]

For the past several years my Sennheiser HD600's have been my go to headphones. I've always liked the sound of electrostatic speakers and after moving to Japan last year, I became curious and started reading up on Stax.

Thanks to information shared on this site, I decided to find a used SRM-1 MK2 and spring for the SR404 Signatures. I was able to get an SRM-1 MK2 in excellent condition for $130 and new headphones for $340. $570 total to get into a Stax system!

When I first set up the system, I ran the source through my favorite preamp - Audible Illusions L1. It sounded good - different but not necessarily better than the Sennheisers. I also read on this forum that bypassing a preamp and running directly from the DAC to the SRM-1 MK2 would likely give better sound. When I tried this, my jaw dropped. This is easily the best sound I've heard on headphones. It seems like many users prefer tubed headphone amps with the 404's; however, I am using a tubed non-over-sampling DAC, so that may explain some of the synergy. With this combo, I'm getting extreme clarity and openness without even a hint of harshness. I was expecting that they would be open sounding but probably deficient on bass. To my surprise, the bass was more natural and deeper than what I've been hearing on the HD600s.

Interestingly, I initially had to set the volume at about 2 o'clock position to get a good volume. After around 100 hours of break-in, I'm getting the same levels with the volume set to 10 o'clock.

Now my biggest problem with this system is that I am losing sleep by staying up late every night listing to "one more".

 

[edstrelow]

Sounds like a great set-up. The SRM1Mk2 remains one of the best older Stax transistor amps although the 404's will probably sound good with any of the medium size Stax amps like the SRM1, Srm3, etc.

I have recently taken to removing the foam from the back of the 404 and other Lambdas. I feel that it opens up the soundstage and gets rid of some midrange peakiness and distortion. It's not very difficult to do either.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...ambdas-443060/

You don't want to take the foam from the front sides (next to the ears) because these are the only protection of the drivers from dust and the like, but the back of the 404 driver has a separate (mylar?) dust cover in addition to the foam, so the foam seems to be there solely for acoustic purposes, and in my opinion was a bad call by Stax.

 

[krmathis]

Congratulations with a really nice Stax system, and welcome to Head-Fi!

Both the SR-404 and SRM-1/MK2 give excellent value for money (sound wise), and pairs up nicely.

 

[vkvedam]

Thats a pretty good price for such a nice system, in UK we need to pay a lot for that setup. Anyways, congrats.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

The parts you listed add up to $470, but you said $570, and normally that rig would cost about $700 used.

 

[NagoyaBlane]

I must have been up too late listening to music... HeadphoneAddict is right, the total was $470. I'm still losing sleep due to too much late night listening.

 

[charliex]

The 404's came in today and I have them on and am listening to some CAMEL in Flac through my DacMagic and SRM-1/MK-2, and geez, these cans are bringing tears to my eyes - I ain't goin' to bed anytime soon. As in the words of Charlton Heston...""I'll give you my 'cans' when you take them from my cold, dead 'ears'!".
The clarity, speed, attack and decay on these are phenomenal, and just the bass I like, not booming, but lots of it and the mid-bass hump truly makes the spectrum so realistic and full. Unfatigueing, I can listen to these for hours (and so i will) - ta hell with marking mid-term exams, they can wait.
Stax forever bro.

 

[gilency]

I am glad to see the 404's getting good reviews. I personally loved them when I had them. Ed. I did take the foam out as you describe and the difference in sound was not much to my ears.