The Stax Thread III

[jgazal]

(...) IMO no headphone will ever, simply by its nature of being a headphone, be able to match the physicality of a full size 2 channel setup or a live performance. And I am not just talking about bass.

(...) my comment about speakers was not meant to imply they do everything better. Just what I find most defining of them.

(...) Never is such an strong word...

Very skilled scientist/engineers/entrepreneurs are offering products to reduce that performance disparity.

Hopefully in the long term headphones and speakers will perform similarly with very little user intervention required.

 

[Pahani]

Ha Ha, like it. I am also OUT. It isn't just the treble thing with the 009s. It is the odd 'etherial' and 'floaty' presentation, with less guts and thrust than big speaker rigs. I got off on the detail thing for a few years, but grew to try and avoid it in the end. It failed to convince me it was music, rather a very clever hifi representation of the music, a stethoscope if you will. YMMV and granted this is my personal view. Each to their own.

BUT for me to jump back in, the liquid mids of Planars would need to be matched, as would the incredible bass detail and slam, and the drive and dynamics. Damb, lots left to fix then....in my totally personal view of course. Plus lets not forget there are NO current Stax amps that get close to Planars on a 'standard' amp. I just don't get why Stax don't fix that aspect? Are they worried the drivers can't take it? No idea, but I never understood it TBH.

I just got into the speaker world about a year ago. BUT my focus is HT multi-ch, and not 2-ch. Totally different focus from yours. My 2-ch fix is still serviced by my headphones (in a separate room).

I spent $5K on twin subwoofers a couple months ago. The subs I went with extend to 13hz, but more than that, with a FR of +/- 3dB throughout the entire range. Subwoofage for HT applications is ALL about the sub-20hz extension and the attendant couch and room shaking to increase the immersiveness. I tell ya what, there's precisely zero chance of any headphone ever made giving me a back massage at 15hz or below

They are completely different focuses (2-ch speakers vs multi-ch speakers), and you can go completely crazy for each approach! I'm just getting started, and have a long way to go. So far, I'm happy with my choice of focusing on movies for my HT system! Headphones, 2-ch speakers, and multi-ch speakers are sorta like apples, oranges, and bananas.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

Circlej*****g all the way with the usual Stax-addicts suspects

Ali

 

[tumpux]

Ah the joys of this place.. after a day of discussing vaporware(009s) and unobtainum amps(T2) I was almost convinced I was missing out. But the rats are asleep and I'm 45 minutes into a listening session and I can't see how I am.



I think I will be ok. I will pull myself through somehow.

I wonder if sticking 4 pieces of input stage tubes behind the EL34s will turn escalate your amp into an unobtanium.

 

[ScareDe2]

I just equalized my k812 based on the Stax 009 graph and by far it is the most transparent equalization than I achieved so far.
Sounds very clean. Much better than the Harman target.

 

[graben]

009S and a new DAC got announced (SRM-D10). Can't wait to give it a listen next time I'm in Japan.

They are both expected to be for sale in the middle of June.
460,000 yen for the 009S and 90,000 yen for the DAC.
https://stax.co.jp/2018/04/24/009s_d10/

https://stax.co.jp/products/sr-009s/

https://stax.co.jp/products/srm-d10/

 

[Hi-Fi-Apricity]

Oh man, now the waiting game to actually hear the 009S and first impressions to roll in. My hopes as of now are a 009 with a bit more lowend and possibly a bit more physical sound.

 

[padam]

Looks like the D10 portable amp/DAC is the first product from Stax that's not made in Japan.
Not sure how I feel about that at this point.

 

[staticdynamo]

STAX New model SR-009S https://stax.co.jp/products/sr-009s/ will be released in June, which will be made in Japan.
STAX SRM-D10 https://stax.co.jp/products/srm-d10/ will be released in June, which will be made in China.
Both will be released in the middle of June.
Sorry all information pages are in Japanese.
I made a reservation of SRM-D10. Cheaper than I thought. 90000 yen (without tax).

 

[tumpux]

Looks like the D10 portable amp/DAC is the first product from Stax that's not made in Japan.
Not sure how I feel about that at this point.

It is expected. If Stax wants to survive, it needs to create a more accessible and relevant product lines.
I think D10 is relevant with current market demand of something more integrated and transportable. Pricing wise, Stax also need something more accessible to attract new users.

Like my product design professor always say, if you don't understand something, it was not designed for you.

 

[staticdynamo]

Yet no information of SR-002's cover and ear pieces.

 

[Jerseyboy]

STAX New model SR-009S https://stax.co.jp/products/sr-009s/ will be released in June, which will be made in Japan.
STAX SRM-D10 https://stax.co.jp/products/srm-d10/ will be released in June, which will be made in China.
Both will be released in the middle of June.
Sorry all information pages are in Japanese.
I made a reservation of SRM-D10. Cheaper than I thought. 90000 yen (without tax).

SR-009S available for pre-order on Stax USA site at USD 4,600 !

Can't find European pricing yet....

 

[AnakChan]

The stator of the new SR-009S is etched twice and is gold plated. The material itself is the same as the original SR-009 stator. The housing is also a little thinner - not so much the flat bit but the concaved bezel is not as deep. The black mesh guard is also no longer just a flat round piece. It is now raised on the edges to a flat plateau that is level to the rim of the housing. All else remains the same - the earpads, headband, cable, etc.

Sonically it's different from the SR-009 rather obviously. I was joking with Sasaki-san (now retired from Stax but still there) that this should be SR-010 rather than SR-009. It's really not a minor difference. It's a little bit more dynamic, cleaner, and a snappier crisp. It sounds somewhat more energetic.

 

[Rossliew]

More energetic = brighter in general?

 

[padam]

More energetic = brighter in general?

No, it is the opposite, warmer, fuller, you can check for a few more impressions collected here.