[mulveling]

The 007 and SGL Sr. are the hardest to drive stats I have ever owned, most other stats aren't in the same boat. The 007 is just ridiculous. I wasn't a big fan of it until I got the T2, it easily made the biggest difference of any headphone. I think the CRBN after those two is next in line, and then the x9000 (which really, isn't that hard to drive).

That said, I've always had reserve stat amps on hand in case anything happens to my main amp. Over the past few years, I've had the SRM1-MK2 and the T1s. Even with the 009, there is no mistaking the difference in dynamics with a better amp. There is a quantum leap in performance between any stax amp that I've heard (fyi I have not tried the 717 or T2) and the BHSE for example. I mean quantum leap, no hyperbole (clearly this is hyperbole lol). I simply would not own a TOTL stax headphone without one of the notable, capable amps.. which is a bit different from my perspective of dynamics. I.E. an affordable GSX Mini or similar can power just about anything decently.

Yep I remember hearing the Stax 727a amp, and it was like a bad joke compared to any of KGST/KGSShv/BHSE. Having a backup isn't a bad idea. I really like KGSShv for that since IMO it's the first amp (as per affordability) capable of driving the heck out of 007 and ES1a (these have the exact same sensitivity to my ears). So I'll probably always keep around my old as dirt 500V onboard IXYS KGSShv -- I'm quite fond of it and tonally it's more similar to T2 than all other KGSShv flavors (again IMO).

And exactly -- traditional dynamics (moving coils) are so freaking easy to drive. A GSX mini will have power reserves you would never even dream of approaching there. I'm not as familiar with the hard to drive planars, but the mini still drove the heck out of Susvara when I had them.

 

[gammi]

Got a little something in the mail today...
Can't listen yet because my adapter parts I ordered over a week ago still haven't arrived.

 

[catscratch]

Somehow I don't think Stax will be making bluetooth headphones any time soon, nor is electrostatic tech something that the mainstream cares at all about. What they could do though, is fix up their amps, implement CCS mods into their tube amps, drop underperforming turds from their lineup, make headphones that don't have channel balance issues, voice their headphones properly and not with a 5db bump at 1khz, make Lambdas that actually fit human heads without needing mods, and offer competitive prices instead of experimenting with how much the market will bear.

But, you know, if a tree falls in the forest and all that...

 

[protoss]

implement CCS mods into their tube amps, drop underperforming turds from their lineup, make headphones that don't have channel balance issues, voice their headphones properly and not with a 5db bump at 1khz, make Lambdas that actually fit human heads without needing mods, and offer competitive prices instead of experimenting with how much the market will bear.

All great fixes. Hope they listen...

 

[aokman]

Somehow I don't think Stax will be making bluetooth headphones any time soon, nor is electrostatic tech something that the mainstream cares at all about. What they could do though, is fix up their amps, implement CCS mods into their tube amps, drop underperforming turds from their lineup, make headphones that don't have channel balance issues, voice their headphones properly and not with a 5db bump at 1khz, make Lambdas that actually fit human heads without needing mods, and offer competitive prices instead of experimenting with how much the market will bear.

But, you know, if a tree falls in the forest and all that...

The electrostat community would have far more success overall if it encouraged new manufacturers entering the market segment instead of dumping on every product that isn’t niche hand made I think… Topping and Dan Clark have been more recent examples but also seen it in so many other threads with expensive amps…

It will grow the starter user base with more entry level offerings and open the market segment up further and make it more enticing.

More market saturation means more R&D budgets and more products maturing from generation to generation as manufacturers gain real world experience. This will then bleed through to the high end offerings…

 

[protoss]

Stax mafia, there is no stax mafia, will chew and spit out any new manufacturer. The mafia will viciously attack dan clark's stats, topping or anyone if they do estats wrong. Just visit other sites, and you get the picture. Plywoodman will always get yelled at by me.

 

[aokman]

Stax mafia, there is no stax mafia, will chew and spit out any new manufacturer. The mafia will viciously attack dan clark's stats, topping or anyone if they do estats wrong. Just visit other sites, and you get the picture. Plywoodman will always get yelled at by me.

Oh I got the picture lol, I went around in circles for many months reading thread after thread when I got my first estats a couple years ago…

The conclusions I drew was that his 6k amplifier is better than their 6k amplifier unless you ask the next person who will say the complete opposite. Meanwhile no one would agree on a testing regime and pit every amp against each other and go all in. When someone with very high end analytical equipment even attempts lab measurements, they’re torn apart for doing it wrong.

I see the same audiophile stuff in every market segment when you reach a certain point, all high end products become purely subjective hearsay reviews and somehow immune to any form of critical lab measurements.

Meanwhile when you started looking at more reasonable offerings like Lundahl transformers everyone goes quiet about doing some head to head testing or showing comparisons.

It was great to see Techpowerup take a stab at this recently I must say…

 

[oneguy]

The electrostat community would have far more success overall if it encouraged new manufacturers entering the market segment instead of dumping on every product that isn’t niche hand made I think… Topping and Dan Clark have been more recent examples but also seen it in so many other threads with expensive amps…

It will grow the starter user base with more entry level offerings and open the market segment up further and make it more enticing.

More market saturation means more R&D budgets and more products maturing from generation to generation as manufacturers gain real world experience. This will then bleed through to the high end offerings…

Counterpoint: the Kaldas RR1 wasn’t torn apart by them. The CRBN didn’t fair too badly too IIRC.

 

[number1sixerfan]

The electrostat community would have far more success overall if it encouraged new manufacturers entering the market segment instead of dumping on every product that isn’t niche hand made I think… Topping and Dan Clark have been more recent examples but also seen it in so many other threads with expensive amps…

It will grow the starter user base with more entry level offerings and open the market segment up further and make it more enticing.

More market saturation means more R&D budgets and more products maturing from generation to generation as manufacturers gain real world experience. This will then bleed through to the high end offerings…

Largely agree with this. Which is why I get excited every time there's a new stat headphone offering. The only thing is that some of the manufacturers, whether intended or not, end up offering stats that are more planar like.. which at least for me is just a bit disappointing. If you're going to take a leap, I expect the electrostat qualities to be there--extreme detail, holographic spacing and separation, etc.

But again, I agree with your main point to a very large degree for sure.

Stax mafia, there is no stax mafia, will chew and spit out any new manufacturer. The mafia will viciously attack dan clark's stats, topping or anyone if they do estats wrong. Just visit other sites, and you get the picture. Plywoodman will always get yelled at by me.

Very true. The stax mafia crew tends to be really contentious, which really just ultimately serves no one in the long run.

 

[aokman]

Counterpoint: the Kaldas RR1 wasn’t torn apart by them. The CRBN didn’t fair too badly too IIRC.

Yet the Dan Clark Corina was torn apart before it was even released to market based on a character profile of someone at a booth and noisy environment listening…

 

[aokman]

Largely agree with this. Which is why I get excited every time there's a new stat headphone offering. The only thing is that some of the manufacturers, whether intended or not, end up offering stats that are more planar like.. which at least for me is just a bit disappointing. If you're going to take a leap, I expect the electrostat qualities to be there--extreme detail, holographic spacing and separation, etc.

But again, I agree with your main point to a very large degree for sure.



Very true. The stax mafia crew tends to be really contentious, which really just ultimately serves no one in the long run.

Thats why I like variety in the market to be honest, everyone has a flavour they like so whatever resonates with you

I personally find anything I listen to (regardless of cost) wears thin after a while so I need to change things up and go on another adventure so I welcome some other takes on estats that aren’t cookie cutter clones.

One reason I have old and new amplifiers, dynamics, planars and estats but would rather stay in the estat world these days…

 

[oneguy]

Yet the Dan Clark Corina was torn apart before it was even released to market based on a character profile of someone at a booth and noisy environment listening…

No forum or group is perfect and each has its strength. There’s noise over there for sure just like on head-fi. Just got to tune it out and search for the signal (when they do make good points).

 

[aokman]

No forum or group is perfect and each has its strength. There’s noise over there for sure just like on head-fi. Just got to tune it out and search for the signal (when they do make good points).

I do tune them out now, but its a lot of noise to dig through for people to handle when entering the estat market

 

[alota]

I do tune them out now, but its a lot of noise to dig through for people to handle when entering the estat market

True.until last year I was in awe of what I read and the prices. this year I acted on my own and finally entered this world

 

[protoss]

Tuning anyone out is a useless baseless immature attitude.
That is one of the worst habit, a human trait a person can have! Period.

I seen, read and heard a person with a HE1, Hifiman SR, and top tier gear say some of the most amateur schiit ever. Absolute newbs, with expensive items.

if you disagree, just call them out and debate in a civil way.