[Sound Eq]

Greetings

Can I ask which is better as an amp Stax D50 or stax 353x for L300 limited edition

 

[BenF]

Greetings

Can I ask which is better as an amp Stax D50 or stax 353x for L300 limited edition

D50 sounds quite warm, so unless you want your headphone to sound warmer, look elsewhere.

 

[nastypoker]

I just received my L700mk2 + D10 + 353x and am just going through my test playlist.

So far, I couldn't be happier!

 

[PointyFox]

I think the L700MK2 is right up there with the TOTL dynamics and planarmagnetics, only getting beaten by a few much more expensive electrostatics. In terms of "scalability", the more power you have the better the bass extension from what I can tell.

 

[batfier]

Question from a broke STAX lover who likes to crank up the volume.

I've got the L300 and the SRM-252S, I'm super happy with the L300... I just love them but on any busy track or with deep bass I get distortion starting at medium volume... I can't get past 1-2 o'clock, past 3 it's unlistenable due to crazy amounts of distortion specially on industrial or anything with deep beats.

It is being fed from a Topping D50s in line out mode (2V).

I EQ the L300 +1-4dB on average in the bass and mid bass region (frequencies between 10 and 150). I tried lowering the gain in certain frequencies to see if that would get rid of the distortion but I basically have to bring it almost all the way down to be able to crank up the volume without any distortion.

Is this an amp limitation? What options do I have?

1. Will replacing the wall wart for another one at 12V 0.7A or 12V 1A fix the issue? I read somewhere in the STAX threads that the included wall wart (12V 0.5A) doesn't deliver enough power to the SRM-252S, that changing it for a 12V 0.7A (1A or anything higher) improves the voltage swings (and decreases the volume distortion at high volume). If replacing the wall wart to what extend will I be able to increase the volume without distortion? Right now it's 2 o'clock where the distortion starts to appear, a new wall wart will take me to 3, maybe 4 if so?
2. Will getting a SRM-353X fix the issue? There's a local one up for grabs for 600USD, and the guy will throw in a Kaldas RR1. Don't know the reason why is he letting it go, but I wouldn't mind another set of cans and two amps.
3. I also have the option to get a D50 locally for about 600USD.

Any other recommendations within the same price range new or used? I just want to be able to crank up the volume...

Also I have some electronic skills, so with proper documentation I would be able to mod the SRM-252S if there's any mod to get more power out of it.

One last question, is there any chance of damage to the L300 if I listen to them at high volume? With EQ I tend to listen to 2-3 o'clock as I'm just increasing bad and mid bass and lowering gain, so the volume effectively goes down overall and I need to crank the volume to 2-3 o'clock on my 252S to get be able to achieve "high" volume levels, which isn't nowhere near deafening when EQed and the gain is lowered 7-9dB.

not sure, if it helps with your distortion issue, but when using EQ, I highly recommed using EQ settings, created against a target like Harman AE/OE and with professional equipement, like e.g. from "oratory1990"

https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets
=>L300 LTD is part of the list

I'm using the Harman AE/OE settings for the 009/s and I'm really happy. Its sounds much more realistic to me and I can hear much longer, even louder with much less fatigue.

 

[Sound Eq]

D50 sounds quite warm, so unless you want your headphone to sound warmer, look elsewhere.

that is really interesting that D50 sounds warm, which is very welcomed

The question is it powerful enough, to drive from example stax 007mk2, or 009s in case one wishes to upgrade to one those headphones later, or would the stax 353x be a better choice. I know many say stax 007mk2 needs a very powerful amp, so that is why i am asking.

 

[Tugbars]

D50 is weaker than 353X.

 

[Sound Eq]

D50 is weaker than 353X.

but both have Maximum Output Voltage: 400V RMS

 

[BenF]

that is really interesting that D50 sounds warm, which is very welcomed

The question is it powerful enough, to drive from example stax 007mk2, or 009s in case one wishes to upgrade to one those headphones later, or would the stax 353x be a better choice. I know many say stax 007mk2 needs a very powerful amp, so that is why i am asking.

D50 will drive 009/009S just fine, won't drive 007.
Anyway, making the already dark sounding 007 even warmer would be a bad idea.

 

[Sound Eq]

D50 will drive 009/009S just fine, won't drive 007.
Anyway, making the already dark sounding 007 even warmer would be a bad idea.

but is the 353x more powerful than D50, as I saw both are having same Maximum Output Voltage: 400V RMS

 

[BenF]

but is the 353x more powerful than D50, as I saw both are having same Maximum Output Voltage: 400V RMS

I have no experience with 353x, but if both are 400V RMS, then they should be equally powerful.

 

[PointyFox]

I've heard a few people/companies calling it an "improved 353X". So there's some disinformation going around.

 

[Sound Eq]

I've heard a few people/companies calling it an "improved 353X". So there's some disinformation going around.

was not good enough for ur stax l700 mk2, what are you using now

I got the chance to buy a used stax 353x for 600 usd but wonder if maybe th D50 is a better choice, in both scenarios I will use another dac

 

[Eich1eeF]

I have no experience with 353x, but if both are 400V RMS, then they should be equally powerful.

No. Power is the product of voltage and current - slightly complicated by the fact that we're discussing AC into a capacitor. So what's the max current for the 353x and the D50?

 

[PointyFox]

was not good enough for ur stax l700 mk2, what are you using now

I got the chance to buy a used stax 353x for 600 usd but wonder if maybe th D50 is a better choice, in both scenarios I will use another dac

I thought it was excellent, however I was unable to A/B it at the time with other energizers.