Interesting impressions ... From many other comments I thought the L700 would have had the deeper bass. Which has the more comfortable pads?
The Stax SR-L500 and SR-L700 Impressions Thread
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labrat
Headphoneus Supremus
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labrat
Headphoneus Supremus
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I would like to thank you all for this thread. Firstly it is so friendly and lacking the occasional bite that is in some other threads, making it a joy to read. It is so nice to come together and enjoy our passion. My Stax life started when I was quite young and I asked my parents to pick me up a pair. We lived in Australia where hi-fi was expensive with 70% duty. In 1974 they went on a world tour and asked me what present I wanted - a pair of SR-X MK2 headphones and the SRD-7 transformer from Singapore please! I loved them.
I had not listened to serious headphones since those wonderful Stax which was back in the early 1980's and last year decided to put that right and bought the very well reviewed Audeze LCD-3F and the Auralic Taurus, fed by my Esoteric K-03x. Nice but not to my taste. I found the sound a little dark and it did not have that ethereal sound of my Stax memory. A friend who is one of the best vinyl analog equipment designers spoke really highly of the SR-507 and SRM-007tII and promised to modify the latter for me (I think this will primarily consist of a caps upgrade). For the last two months I was enjoying the SR-507 and stock SRM-007tII. While I liked the SR-507 it did not have the detail and balance I was after and then I came across this thread. From the descriptions, the SR-L700 looked to be my answer and I recently bought a pair. I think they are a wonderful headphone and extraordinary value in this age of often ridiculously-priced-for-what-you-get hi-fi (I know that high quality components in gear does not come cheap but we often do not get that but just a whole lot of mark-up). To my ears they are superior in all regards to the 507 adding a level of refinement that is so important to longer-term listening sessions and their increased quality bass gives then a balance missing from the 507. This is no criticism of the 507 which is much cheaper. For now I am keeping both with the hope that I can listen together with my daughter. Last night I listened to a Water Lily SACD, Tabula Rasa, with three superb musicians (Chen, Bhatt and Fleck) and with my lights off I was transported. My modified SRM-007tII should come this week. I am most excited. Once again thank you all for the help you gave me with this thread.
Proud owner of SR-L700 phones!
I had not listened to serious headphones since those wonderful Stax which was back in the early 1980's and last year decided to put that right and bought the very well reviewed Audeze LCD-3F and the Auralic Taurus, fed by my Esoteric K-03x. Nice but not to my taste. I found the sound a little dark and it did not have that ethereal sound of my Stax memory. A friend who is one of the best vinyl analog equipment designers spoke really highly of the SR-507 and SRM-007tII and promised to modify the latter for me (I think this will primarily consist of a caps upgrade). For the last two months I was enjoying the SR-507 and stock SRM-007tII. While I liked the SR-507 it did not have the detail and balance I was after and then I came across this thread. From the descriptions, the SR-L700 looked to be my answer and I recently bought a pair. I think they are a wonderful headphone and extraordinary value in this age of often ridiculously-priced-for-what-you-get hi-fi (I know that high quality components in gear does not come cheap but we often do not get that but just a whole lot of mark-up). To my ears they are superior in all regards to the 507 adding a level of refinement that is so important to longer-term listening sessions and their increased quality bass gives then a balance missing from the 507. This is no criticism of the 507 which is much cheaper. For now I am keeping both with the hope that I can listen together with my daughter. Last night I listened to a Water Lily SACD, Tabula Rasa, with three superb musicians (Chen, Bhatt and Fleck) and with my lights off I was transported. My modified SRM-007tII should come this week. I am most excited. Once again thank you all for the help you gave me with this thread.
Proud owner of SR-L700 phones!
Wonderful
Thank you for sharing your experience
Signed: future owner of l700....one day...
Thank you for sharing your experience
Signed: future owner of l700....one day...
goobicii
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how is the build quality of L700? is it same 70s fragile cheap plastic like 207?
ucanuup
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Unfortunately it is. I don't know what the 207 is like but build quality of L700 is quite bad. The yoke is very vulnerable and so is the leather band.
Keithpgdrb
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How odd. The cheap fragile plastic frame on my original sr lambda is fine.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
1note, thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts. It's very nice to read about how someone still enjoying Stax after all this time.
1note, thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts. It's very nice to read about how someone still enjoying Stax after all this time.
Because they still the best
And in current headphones enviroment, with "flagships" everywhere with stupid prices, they are now also cheap....
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Haha! Yes, Stax cans are indeed wonderful. & the L700 does punch quite a bit over its price point.
I think the build quality of the Stax Lambda is quite solid. It doesn't feel cheap to me. I never understood the criticism particularly since a lot of expensive dynamic and planar headphones are plasticky and fragile.
The higher end lambda are solid, example SR-507, SR-L500 & SR-L700. The Yolk on the the SR-507 & SR-L700 I know for sure is metal compare to the cheap plastic feel of my SR-207 & SR-L300. Also people are forgetting the reason the new Lambda have better sound stage & bass compared with the previous serie SR-X07 is because the housing for the pads are angled and ported.
I spent some quality time recently with the new Lambdas [L300, L500 and L700] next to the 007mk2s and 009s, paired with primarily the 353X but also the 252S for a bit.
I'll state upfront that I have a strong dislike for the 009. I just don't like the high driven tonality and that was one of the main reasons I stayed away from Stax. The 007mk2 I didn't mind but never thought purchasing it.
Well, color me red as much as I enjoyed the new Lambdas! On all the Stax amps that were there!
The L300 I think was impressive for the price but it was hard to draw conclusions as the stock earpads suck [the L500/700 pads would be a must buy IMO].
I really, really enjoyed the L500 though. Comfy and the sound was just awesome.
The L700 sounded quite similar to my ears, with similar pads at double the price. Granted, these were show conditions but I think the L500 are a steal at the price they sell for IMO.
And I did enjoy all of them from the 252S [surprisingly powerful] and only noted a tiny step down from the 353X [a touch less refined]
I can see a sub-1500$ L500 - 252S setup in my life to hold me over for a bit... Really, really impressed
Would really also be curious to listen the L300 more but the stock pads kill it
It's also interesting how not only do they all look the same, they also have the same frequency response and sensitivity. And they all do sound awesome too
I'll state upfront that I have a strong dislike for the 009. I just don't like the high driven tonality and that was one of the main reasons I stayed away from Stax. The 007mk2 I didn't mind but never thought purchasing it.
Well, color me red as much as I enjoyed the new Lambdas! On all the Stax amps that were there!
The L300 I think was impressive for the price but it was hard to draw conclusions as the stock earpads suck [the L500/700 pads would be a must buy IMO].
I really, really enjoyed the L500 though. Comfy and the sound was just awesome.
The L700 sounded quite similar to my ears, with similar pads at double the price. Granted, these were show conditions but I think the L500 are a steal at the price they sell for IMO.
And I did enjoy all of them from the 252S [surprisingly powerful] and only noted a tiny step down from the 353X [a touch less refined]
I can see a sub-1500$ L500 - 252S setup in my life to hold me over for a bit... Really, really impressed
Would really also be curious to listen the L300 more but the stock pads kill it
It's also interesting how not only do they all look the same, they also have the same frequency response and sensitivity. And they all do sound awesome too
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