What options are there for a "new(-ish)" build amp that will work with a normal bias Lambda?
Or even better, will power both NB and pro bias Stax earspeakers.
Basically anything works, the SRM-T1 and its variants (SRA-3S if you can find one and have it refurbished) do a great job, there is a also mod described by JimL for these amps, which increases the power.
If you want to go cheaper, the SRM-1/MK2 Pro works well, too (I have one of those as well, but they are going to be refurbished)
Thanks for that. I didn’t even know they were called NB Lambdas but that has now opened up an interesting reading path.
I think I’d like to get a Woo GES based on what I’ve read. I’ve seen them go for a grand recently and with a different source that should be a big upgrade for a reasonable cost. What DAC would you suggest pairs with Stax? I have a Modius and a Modi Multibit and could repurpose one of those, but I was also considering an Airist. i will add he mimby to the OL Switcher this weekend and see what that does.
On my sore ears, I found a write up on Reddit that talked about what I think might be happening. I mentioned I was very treble sensitive and I think it’s because this plays high treble levels that I have not really exposed my ears to very much, and he makes he point of his ears being unused to 2-3k. I don’t really listen at high volume but I may have slightly overdone with the Stax. There’s no ringing in my eara, like from loud concerts - it feels more swollen like a cold. Anyways, I’ll heal up and try again at lower volumes. Spent today listening quietly on my EMU Teaks, which are like a warm blanket.
“The upper midrange/presence region also has a sense of «weakness» in the presentation, when you crank the headphone it sounds like it just wants to die (which could also be my ears not handling listening to 2-3k at such volumes). This is a pretty good headphone for weeb music if you don’t listen too loud.
Treble is strange, it has quite a bit of energy moving into the lower treble but then loses a significant amount of energy from 6-10k before picking up a lot in the air regions. This headphone has insane amounts of air and can be a little fatuiging because of that. The fact that the lower treble and midtreble are somewhat recessed also gives the feeling of the headphone being quite a bit warmer than most Stax despite not having that much lower midrange body to speak of.“
So if I keep my NB Lambdas until they fall apart and don’t chase an L300, is there a nice electrostatic counterpart to them? I was thinking of trying the Kaldas as a complementary pair. i like to have some targets, just for the fun of deal hunting.
Well I just call them like that, the SR-Lambda is a bit confusing.
I do not consider myself an expert on DACs, my Lavry DA11 is quite old now, been using it for almost 10 years I think and it is still good. I did some short comparisons and I heard more open and more detailed DACs, but they lacked musicality to me and I did not find the Lavry do be 'mushy', just not as clear. Also non-fatiguing.
From what I've gathered from others testing it in recent years, it is not amazing on any fronts, but it is also devoid of any faults and it scores like a 7/10 on all fronts.
So works well for me, I probably need to spend 2-3x more if I want to see a big upgrade.
So at some point I will consider moving on, but for now I can do better on the amp front instead, maybe with a KGST or similar aftermarket solution.
This is basically what an SRM-007t would be without the inherent limitation of Stax amps, namely: limited power handling of the 6CG7 tubes, lack of constant current source, unregulated power supply. So it should be a lot more powerful, we'll see in a few months, hopefully.
I heard a DIY GES some years ago and it did sound very nice with the Lambdas as well (unfortunately I could not buy it), so I can imagine a Mjolnir Octave or similar doing even better.
Yes, it might be a good complement as it looks to be a darker sounding headphone, might better for rock and stuff.
The NB Lambda is great with vocal and instrumental music like jazz, classical, etc. still just a hair brighter than what I consider normal, but it is part of its signature which gives the music a bit of 'focus' and 'euphonic illumination'. It is quite beautiful, actually.
That's why I started hoarding them, the rest of the Lambda family don't quite seem to posess this special ability.
As for volume, I discovered something weird recently: if I listen to high-dynamic range stuff like classical, and then switch to rock, my ears are more "consentient" with staying at a lower volume. If I just listen to rock, which is very compressed, then they crave for more volume (Which is of course worse, because it is constantly at that higher volume, not just for shorter periods).
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