The Stax Thread III

[vapman]

Yeah, the 2BLP is a great one, I used to have one myself. When I had my last Stax system, I was very staunch about using an energizer in conjunction with a nice Crown amp 

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I love this Amp. This particular model I have was used by a Professional Recording Engineer in Canada for the better part of 30 years. It was well taken care of, and it had its caps replace within this Decade. This amplifier is so Pro that it doesnt even have a Power Switch; I use one of those Plug Adapters that people use with Coffee machines as a power switch lol. These make my JBL Studio 530s sing!

 

[greggf]

The 007 sound wonderful out of the 727II also.  That's why the STAX mafia ordered Tyll to crank the volume when he reviewed their amps, I assume because if you don't crank the volume, amping differences are minimal.  

 

[elrod]

Has anyone had their srd-7 recapped? Was it worth doing?

 

[JimL11]

  Has anyone had their srd-7 recapped? Was it worth doing?

AFAIK, the only caps in the SRD-7 are in the bias supply, which shouldn't affect the sound at all unless they are defective and have stopped working altogether.

 

[Ampeezy]

  Same. I'm still waiting for my 007s in the mail. The two times I listened to them were just lovely. Can't wait

Yup, very pleasant and transparent. I switched my optical cable out, and that was enough to make a noticeable difference in quality. I'm looking to get a usb bridge to get an I2s input into my dac. Now that should really get them singing.
 
I also noticed you have the HD800S, do post a comparison if you can. I was considering it before I came across the sr-007

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I did compare the 007s with my L300s. Both the HD800S and the 007s were a lot more spacious. I dont know for sure if the 800S beats these 007s in SS tho, but that can only be found out through direct comparison when i get it. I think no matter what, the 800S is going to have a drier, more analytical sound in comparison but thats not saying that the lowend isnt good, which it is! Honestly better extension than the L300 in the Lowest of the lows which surprised the hell out of me. There were SubBass notes i could hear in I Grieve with the 800S that I couldnt with the L300. The 007s have even better extension and more of it than both of those. Maybe the best low-end ive ever heard? Not ready to make that statement yet until i get my pair on my Amp hehe

 

[Ampeezy]

I did compare the 007s with my L300s. Both the HD800S and the 007s were a lot more spacious. I dont know for sure if the 800S beats these 007s in SS tho, but that can only be found out through direct comparison when i get it. I think no matter what, the 800S is going to have a drier, more analytical sound in comparison but thats not saying that the lowend isnt good, which it is! Honestly better extension than the L300 in the Lowest of the lows which surprised the hell out of me. There were SubBass notes i could hear in I Grieve with the 800S that I couldnt with the L300. The 007s have even better extension and more of it than both of those. Maybe the best low-end ive ever heard? Not ready to make that statement yet until i get my pair on my Amp hehe

Sr-007 bass really growls without being bloated/flabby in my opinion. Treble extension currently is not where I would like it tbh, but we will see what the carbon running at 20ma output current has to say about that!

 

[Feilong4]

My SRM-300 driver unit finally arrived today. I received my SR-407 on Monday and the 4-day wait was killing me!
 
This is my first time listening to/owning an electrostatic headphone/set up. I've heard dynamic, planars, and balanced armatures but never electrostatics.
 
First impressions on sound:
 
- Very similar tuning to AD2000X, though with more neutral tuning throughout with more bass presence 
- Vocals sounded similar to the AD2000X, though I think they sound less congested and honky on the SR-407.
- Vocals do seem to lack body in comparison to the T1's. I would listen to commentary on Youtube and notice the lack of body/bass in speech.
- Probably the best treble performance I've yet heard on a headphone; T1's treble gets harsh/hot at times, I always felt AD2000X lacked a bit in the upper treble though they had great timbre. The SR-407 never felt bright nor lacking in the treble; it seems to be very detailed while not being overly emphatic in the treble
- Bass impact seems soft; not necessarily a bad thing, but not a head-banger (which I don't recommend; more on that later)
- I might prefer bass on dynamic drivers as it's more engaging and fun to listen to
- Wider sounding than the AD2000X but not more so than the T1's
- Very good separation of instruments; I did not experience a sense of congestion between instruments like I do on the AD2000X
- Pretty easy-going sound; everything sounds "soft" in comparison to the T1's, where they seem to sound a lot more aggressive and engaging
 
First impressions on build/design of SR-407:
 
- Plastic =/
- The ribbon cable is nice and flexible, but feels a bit cheap
- Looks like an antique piece from a museum which i find good
- The "Stax fart" is pretty annoying; hard to head-bang and REALLY hard to chew with food without noise; I cannot yawn without my lactose intolerant SR-407's deciding to let one rip. It's like a fart to the mouth, but in your ears. Not very pleasing. 
- Fairly comfortable though they make my ears get hot pretty quick. Not very breathable pads. Velour pads have spoiled me.
- Comfortable amount of clamp; honestly, no complaints about clamp (though I did get a used pair)
 
First impressions on build/aesthetics of SRM-300:
 
- Other than a (what I thought to be) decent price, I liked how these can double as a headphone stand. 
- Very pleasing and simple design
- All black with red power LED light looks pretty nice
- Looks and feels very premium
- Nothing on performance as it's my first driver unit, so I can't really compare it to other driver units.
 
My biases:
- I tend to lean towards brighter headphones, though I can appreciate warm headphones like the HD600
- I really like my vocals, specifically female vocalists
- I listen to a little bit of everything, though more of electronic, hip-hop, vocals, soundtracks, and J-pop.
- I'm broke, so I think I see diminishing returns real quick. 
 
 
My takeaway from this:
- Build of SR-407 is ehh
- Female vocals sound great
- Best treble presentation I've yet heard (of course, I haven't heard all)
- Easy-going sound
- Driver unit looks very cool
 

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

 

[astrostar59]

1. Feilong4
2.  

Congrats in entering the world of Stax! I would think the amp will need to burn in, so expect some improvements over the next few weeks.

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

  Sr-007 bass really growls without being bloated/flabby in my opinion. Treble extension currently is not where I would like it tbh, but we will see what the carbon running at 20ma output current has to say about that!

Thats really hard for me to understand. My 007 has great treble. Not as pronounced or sparkly like the HD800S, but its very fast and detailed regardless. I know you possess the MK1 007s but with the new driver, so they should sound pretty much the same to the 2.5s right?

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I got my Stax this morning, and after letting my Stax run for several hours on my Woo x Bryston, i have some quick thoughts on these vs an HD800S. (w/Jot)
 
Song used: On The Coldest Winter Night ~ Kamelot
 
Bass Extension: Stax 007 = HD800S
Bass Amount: Stax 007 >> HD800S
Midrange period: Stax 007 >>>>>> HD800S
Treble Extension: HD800S = Stax 007
Treble Amount/Sparkle: HD800S > Stax 007
Treble Detail: uuuuuuuuuuuuuh don't make me decide.
Instrument Separation: Stax 007 > HD800S
Imaging: Stax 007 > HD800S
Soundstage: HD800S >>>>>> Stax 007

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

  My SRM-300 driver unit finally arrived today. I received my SR-407 on Monday and the 4-day wait was killing me!
 
This is my first time listening to/owning an electrostatic headphone/set up. I've heard dynamic, planars, and balanced armatures but never electrostatics.
 
First impressions on sound:
 
- Very similar tuning to AD2000X, though with more neutral tuning throughout with more bass presence 
- Vocals sounded similar to the AD2000X, though I think they sound less congested and honky on the SR-407.
- Vocals do seem to lack body in comparison to the T1's. I would listen to commentary on Youtube and notice the lack of body/bass in speech.
- Probably the best treble performance I've yet heard on a headphone; T1's treble gets harsh/hot at times, I always felt AD2000X lacked a bit in the upper treble though they had great timbre. The SR-407 never felt bright nor lacking in the treble; it seems to be very detailed while not being overly emphatic in the treble
- Bass impact seems soft; not necessarily a bad thing, but not a head-banger (which I don't recommend; more on that later)
- I might prefer bass on dynamic drivers as it's more engaging and fun to listen to
- Wider sounding than the AD2000X but not more so than the T1's
- Very good separation of instruments; I did not experience a sense of congestion between instruments like I do on the AD2000X
- Pretty easy-going sound; everything sounds "soft" in comparison to the T1's, where they seem to sound a lot more aggressive and engaging
 
First impressions on build/design of SR-407:
 
- Plastic =/
- The ribbon cable is nice and flexible, but feels a bit cheap
- Looks like an antique piece from a museum which i find good
- The "Stax fart" is pretty annoying; hard to head-bang and REALLY hard to chew with food without noise; I cannot yawn without my lactose intolerant SR-407's deciding to let one rip. It's like a fart to the mouth, but in your ears. Not very pleasing. 
- Fairly comfortable though they make my ears get hot pretty quick. Not very breathable pads. Velour pads have spoiled me.
- Comfortable amount of clamp; honestly, no complaints about clamp (though I did get a used pair)
 
First impressions on build/aesthetics of SRM-300:
 
- Other than a (what I thought to be) decent price, I liked how these can double as a headphone stand. 
- Very pleasing and simple design
- All black with red power LED light looks pretty nice
- Looks and feels very premium
- Nothing on performance as it's my first driver unit, so I can't really compare it to other driver units.
 
My biases:
- I tend to lean towards brighter headphones, though I can appreciate warm headphones like the HD600
- I really like my vocals, specifically female vocalists
- I listen to a little bit of everything, though more of electronic, hip-hop, vocals, soundtracks, and J-pop.
- I'm broke, so I think I see diminishing returns real quick. 
 
 
My takeaway from this:
- Build of SR-407 is ehh
- Female vocals sound great
- Best treble presentation I've yet heard (of course, I haven't heard all)
- Easy-going sound
- Driver unit looks very cool
 

nice amp. I kinda just want one for the Aesthetics he he. Also, use a McDicks' straw from your happy meal to break the seal

 

[Ampeezy]

  Thats really hard for me to understand. My 007 has great treble. Not as pronounced or sparkly like the HD800S, but its very fast and detailed regardless. I know you possess the MK1 007s but with the new driver, so they should sound pretty much the same to the 2.5s right?

Treble is quite good, but I guess i'm being a tad anal lol. There is always room for improvement is all i'm saying 

 
Enjoy them