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Originally Posted by cyanbomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hi guys!
I'm flying to Japan on Monday for a week-long vacation. Here's my question: Stax, should I get myself a pair? What exactly is it about Stax that is so special? What kind of damage is my wallet looking at?
I'm so excited... Tokyo is supposed to be electronics heaven, and it'll be my first time. If there's anything else that I should look out for while I'm there, do let me know!
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Stax specialize in electrostatic headphones rather than conventional dynamic (magnet powered) phones. Electrostatics drivers are exteremely light and yet can be made very large. Sound-wise they are known for very fast transient response, because of the lightness, and low intermodulation distortion because of their size. Most listeners find them to have a more realistic treble e.g. try listening to a bell, and cleaner sounding overall than dynamics.
Electrostatics have also been used for loudspeakers for many decades. The speakers tend to be have very large frontal surfaces and are very expensive. Filling a room with bass tends to be a challenge for most stat speakers although this is not an issue for headphones because of the much smaller amount of air that must be moved. Some stat speakers use dynamic woofers at the bottom end.
Prices in Japan can be good but you should check the prices at EIFL and Audiocubes or AudiocubesII, which ship from Japan. before you go.
Stat phones require a separate amplifier and will not run from a conventional headphone amp (although the speakers will run from a conventional power amp).
Be wary of buying an amp in Japan because the voltages are, I believe, about 10% lower than US. Some shops sell additional transformers, although EIFL is usually able to make voltage adjustments in the amps they sell, which seems a better proposition.
So you are probably safe buying a set of heapdphones, but you may want to get an amp here or order from someone in Japan who can set the input voltage right.
The One exception would be the Stax SRM001MK2 portable phones plus amp. These run about $240.00 combined imported so if you can get a better deal on Japan you might want that. They run off 2 AA batteries so voltage issues do not arise. They have 4.5 dc input if you wish to plug them in to the wall with a wall-wart. They are a great phone and a good introduction to electrostatics at a cheap price to decide if you like their virtues.
