[autoteleology]

Wow, I just got an SR-50 on eBay. I'm really excited because I haven't been able to find any information on these whatsoever. They seem to be extremely rare. I just hope they don't have dust in the drivers or channel imbalance or something terribly wrong with them... though I could always just cannibalize another electret to repair them, since all the other electrets are cheap and plentiful.

I'll be sure to do my part and write a thorough review on these once I get them, if they work properly. I actually happen to have their open-backed cousin, the SR-40, in my possession as well, so I can review how the closed-back design changes the sonic signature.

I still can't believe that nobody else but pre-tards bid on them. I hope I didn't miss something in the listing.

 

[DefQon]

That money could've been put forward to a vintage stat.

 

[nick n]

Quote:

Wow, I just got an SR-50 on eBay. I'm really excited because I haven't been able to find any information on these whatsoever. They seem to be extremely rare. I just hope they don't have dust in the drivers or channel imbalance or something terribly wrong with them... though I could always just cannibalize another electret to repair them, since all the other electrets are cheap and plentiful.

I'll be sure to do my part and write a thorough review on these once I get them, if they work properly. I actually happen to have their open-backed cousin, the SR-40, in my possession as well, so I can review how the closed-back design changes the sonic signature.

I still can't believe that nobody else but pre-tards bid on them. I hope I didn't miss something in the listing.

Good work on those ! Sometimes a person gets lucky.
Yeah that SR-50 uses the 40 drivers so easy enough swap out after if they do have issues. Just 4 wires and they open up like nothing. The damping cubes inside are interesting also. ( post here for pics )
 
I wonder why more don't show up since they had to have made a fair number of them.
 
PS:
That "portable" adaptor unit is sort of interesting also.
I saw something interesting on those ones you got, they had shiny cups like they had been polished almost. Mine have the unpolished matte finish to them. Interesting that there is that little difference there.Just noticed the serial # on those is # 2131, mine being  # 575, so could be they thought the matte picked up too many scuffs? Just something extra of interest there with that subtle variation.

 

[autoteleology]

That money could've been put forward to a vintage stat.

 
Why do that, when I can contribute meaningfully to the exploration of Stax's history? There is just about no information about these on the entire internet, and I tried a general search on Head-Fi, the entire for-sale forum, both Stax threads, AudiogoN, eBay, and a pretty thorough Google search. Nothing but a couple of tidbits that anyone with a brain can see just by looking at the unit.

I think Head-Fi deserves a little better than that.

 

[autoteleology]

By the way, those pictures you have of the SR-50 are very neat. Your unit appears to be in very good condition.

I wonder if it would be possible to do modding to the damping material to improve the isolation or possibly even to change the sound signature for the better. I also wonder why said pictures didn't come up when I was looking through the forums.

 

[nick n]

I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS.

 
Buried in the Orthodynamic Roundup thread maybe.
 
 or searched using SR50 instead of SR-50???
Anyhow I had thought about that also , but just never got to it. Should be easy enough to swap various cup damping things out quickly though. I still have too many projects, and since they really don't bother me soundwise that will be far later if at all.
 
Curious to see the insides on your set.
 One thing to think about, since the Stax drivers in these 40/50 units are identical construction and same OEM as the Audio Technica 705/706 models they can be swapped as well. The advantage to this is that the AT units are pre-damped under their rear struts with the funky yellow biscuit micron glasswool stuff. The Stax ones do not have this integrated driver damping from the factory.
 
How that would change the sound who knows in this closed arrangement, and is it worth the extra cost to find out... I suppose one could toy around with adding their own yellow biscuit direct-damping in ( or something else ), but good luck tucking under those reinforcement struts, you'd have to simply put it in the gaps on the Stax driver rears

 

[autoteleology]

I always try to use algorithms like the one that Ken Rockwell uses to make money on his site, so I had that covered and more. Maybe I just ignored the thread because I didn't think anything useful would be in the orthodynamic thread, of all places.

 

[vid]

Vintage 'stat = vintage 'tret. In any case, one should hardly put down explorative spirit, DefQon.
 
The ortho roundup thread has a lot of things, including softcore porn. It pays to browse it occasionally.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

 
Why do that, when I can contribute meaningfully to the exploration of Stax's history? There is just about no information about these on the entire internet, and I tried a general search on Head-Fi, the entire for-sale forum, both Stax threads, AudiogoN, eBay, and a pretty thorough Google search. Nothing but a couple of tidbits that anyone with a brain can see just by looking at the unit.

I think Head-Fi deserves a little better than that.

Yeah but the thing is the Stax electrets are nothing special unless you're collecting and 99% of the time sellers demand more than what it's worth on buy it now classifieds. 
 
The attention here is on real stats and most of it have been elaborated on already in the old and the new Stax thread.

 

[autoteleology]

The ortho roundup thread has a lot of things, including softcore porn. It pays to browse it occasionally.

 
Ehehe, that's quite amusing. I'll definitely have to take a look at it now...

 

Yeah but the thing is the Stax electrets are nothing special unless you're collecting

 
Ah, but the SR-50 is special - it is one of only two closed-back earspeakers that Stax has ever made, and it is also the only closed-back Stax electret. Not to mention their rarity (even if it is an artificial rarity) as something for sale. They've never been sold on Head-Fi before as far as I can tell, and that's really saying something for something as well-known as Stax, and as common as a typical Stax electret.

 

[vid]

Were electrets not meant as entry-level stats? They'd be right at home in this thread about entry-level Stax, I feel.

 

[DairyProduce]

Regardless of how rare etc. it is, I just want some impressions on how it performs

 

[DefQon]

If it reallyis using the sr40 electret transducer imho a normal bias Lambda will be night and day better. That said if you wanted to buy something rarer from Stax buy there dynamic transducer headphone.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Now I'm really regretting making my move too early in the search for another Normal bias SR-Lambda...
 
Seems to be my luck with eBay in general. Get what looks like a good deal at the time, a better one comes along later. This one will undoubtedly cost more once the auction ends, but it's the CONDITION that counts here.
 
Still, maybe one of you can take a potshot at that and hopefully come out victorious.

 

[autoteleology]

Still, maybe one of you can take a potshot at that and hopefully come out victorious.

 
I've been watching that since a few minutes after it was listed. I'm definitely going to do all I can to get that unit (I already have a spare pair of filters to replace the beat-up versions).

As for deals, I know how you feel all the way. I got a really great condition SRM-1/MK2 in the For Sale forum for $450, and not a day later, someone puts one up for sale in better-than-new condition (modded caps) for $350.