The Stax Thread III
Oct 6, 2022 at 5:57 PM Post #22,936 of 25,262
That would just be one more box for me to keep track of, lol. I am box hoarder because I move so much. This is my currently stack of audio boxes for my upcoming move.

8B4B8B14-104D-446A-AD88-C14503E75CF2.jpeg

That’s not even everything!
 
Oct 6, 2022 at 8:14 PM Post #22,937 of 25,262
That wooden box just not too appealing and harder to transport, I prefer the Stax SR-007MKA or II plastic carrying case.
I like it so much aesthetically that I keep it at my desk at all times. Also that laser like , tight cutoff! It does seem to conserve the headphone and itself internally so well.. 009 users may comment on long term.
Of course it is bulky and the wood is soft, will dent easily. The 007 case is way better for transport
 
Oct 6, 2022 at 10:47 PM Post #22,939 of 25,262
You're not far off from opening a Stax museums with your current collection mate.
Haha! Enjoy the development of the stax sound over the years. 😆

Hopefully, the Omega will make an appearance in the collection. :wink:
 
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Oct 12, 2022 at 8:05 AM Post #22,941 of 25,262
Oct 13, 2022 at 2:46 AM Post #22,942 of 25,262
What’s the verdict?

It is good, great even, will try dynamat or something like it inside the cup for dampening and still messing around tuning EQ.

Clearly a trade off, sound isolation is sometimes needed, I plan to take these to Lan events.
Gamerstuff dont do it anymore for me and all my sets of cans was openback so doing this to the L300 kinda made sense :) I have not heard much TOTL closedbacks so not much reference or ground for comparizon.

I think it is very promising.
 
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Oct 13, 2022 at 2:47 AM Post #22,943 of 25,262
Me and some of the boys in the Norwegian Head-Fi Community have been working on listing all or most relevant Electrostatic "Headphones" and Energizers/Amps:

Electrostatic Headphones :
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...5oY8T0mng09QaEdkDtI10FXl_Hg/edit?usp=drivesdk

Amps/Energizer:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...lxblsdHPc-jRMIMShAC9JwVALUU/edit?usp=drivesdk

I was new in the hobby not to long ago and it seemed like a real jungle to be in with a struggle to get a grasp off all the makes and models and how it compares.

Alot of this is not exactly cornershop stuff but more boutique and custom made to order products.

Specs does not in any way tell it all, the lists are work in progress but getting an overview and discovering new makes and models and researching is alot of fun if you are into this awesome madness :)

Maybe a list of well proven builders of amps and energizers could be added with their contact info?

A comparison of the different materials used, Mylar, Sep etc and information about the thickness used in the varying models or in general a technical write up about this would be nice if possible maybe.

The links takes you to an open document with editing permissions, so far this has been going well and people can take part if they have something to add, I have them backed up and hopefully it gets to a point it can be a community thing if people find it worthwhile :)

Also posting this on Headphones subreddit and stax owners FB group etc.

There has been some great work done here, thanks to everyone for taking part (y) :)
 
Oct 16, 2022 at 4:33 AM Post #22,944 of 25,262
I present to you the Stax L300 Closedback, wanted to try something different.


That looks really cool, and it's nice to see something like that when the near unobtanium closed stax becomes rarer by the day.

Have you ever seen the internals of the sr5 gold?

1665908942375.png



It uses what looks to be micron glass foam. Very similar to the one used by cd900st by Sony. It sits directly behind the driver.

Same with the stax! Not sure if exactly same as the sigma foam, could be.

But I was caught off guard a bit as it covers the entirety of the back of the driver. I am thinking it gives it the warmth and also kills all harshness. Similar statements are for the 900st vs 7506 which does not have this paticular foam. Again, directly behind the driver.

So curious if you used some form of cotton or felt etc.

I notice with some estat there is nothing on the back of some of them (making them see through), but also for some of those models, they can be "etheral" but also thin and hot on treble.

Just something i've been pondering regarding the estat sound.
 
Oct 16, 2022 at 10:26 AM Post #22,945 of 25,262
That looks really cool, and it's nice to see something like that when the near unobtanium closed stax becomes rarer by the day.

Have you ever seen the internals of the sr5 gold?




It uses what looks to be micron glass foam. Very similar to the one used by cd900st by Sony. It sits directly behind the driver.

Same with the stax! Not sure if exactly same as the sigma foam, could be.

But I was caught off guard a bit as it covers the entirety of the back of the driver. I am thinking it gives it the warmth and also kills all harshness. Similar statements are for the 900st vs 7506 which does not have this paticular foam. Again, directly behind the driver.

So curious if you used some form of cotton or felt etc.

I notice with some estat there is nothing on the back of some of them (making them see through), but also for some of those models, they can be "etheral" but also thin and hot on treble.

Just something i've been pondering regarding the estat sound.
 
Oct 16, 2022 at 10:28 AM Post #22,946 of 25,262
I have no dampening inside the cup per now, thinking of trying something wool like or maybe dynamat.

I have a friend with a measuring rig and more modding know how then me, I think I will ask him to measure and tune to get his impressions :)
 
Oct 17, 2022 at 4:04 PM Post #22,947 of 25,262
It's been 15 years ever since I wanted a pair of Stax, and I finally made the jump! Got myself a pair of SR-L700's and an SRM-727II thanks to a classified listing here! Been enjoying them so far but I've been trying to get rid of PC audio buzzing.

Trying to switch some audio cables around to see if anything works, will report later!
 
Oct 18, 2022 at 4:48 PM Post #22,948 of 25,262
Hi Guys,

I spent some time with the Stax D50 and SRM-500T, figured this was the best thread to share it.


img_2319.jpg

Hi Guys,

Today we are talking about a couple of amplifiers, well, one is a DAC/Amp combo, from Stax Headphones. These are both electrostatic amps, and are nearer the entry level in terms of new pricing for desktop electrostatic amplification. The D50 is a solid state DAC/Amp combo unit, and the SRM-500T is Stax’s current entry level tube amp. The D50 retails for $1260USD, and the 500T retails for $1499USD, so they are fairly similar in their pricing. One of the main barriers for people who are interested in electrostatic headphones is the amplification needs, so I was curious how a couple of Stax’s more affordable amp models would fair in a comparison.

The D50 also includes a ESS Sabre 9018 based dac, so can be used as an all in one unit. The 500T is purely an amplifier, so does also need a DAC of some form to be used.

I tested the D50 as an all in one, and also with a couple other DACs to get an idea of its separate sections performance. With the 500T I used a Topping D10S, and a Schiit Audio Yggdrasil A2.

Now, the Stax own amplifiers get a fairly rough reputation from the DIY crowd which surrounds the electrostatic end of the headphone hobby. I’ve owned a few of those designs (BHSE, DIYT2, KGSSHV Carbon) so I was curious how I would feel about the more entry level Stax amps, and how they would perform in comparison to the more expensive DIY designs.

img_2324.jpg
D50 Front
First, lets talk about the D50 as an all in one unit. It is pretty much a plug and play solution for electrostatic headphones. I just used my laptop, direct into its USB input, and tried it with a few various headphones. As an all in one, its slightly bright, and somewhat lean sounding, but has a decent amount of power whilst also being a very manageable size. If you are looking for a decent all in one performer, and don’t have a lot of space, the D50 makes a good argument for its use in that situation. The DAC section struck me as being slightly bright and sharp sounding, and the sonics did improve using a slightly warmer and thicker sounding DAC to balance out the response between the two. With that being said, I think that if you already have a DAC on hand, the SRM-400S might be the better buy, as its amp section is supposedly slightly better than the D50’s, and costs about the same (1200USD.) I think that the D50 is best used as an all in one, and certainly has enough power for the Lambda series, and the 009S. For the 007mk2 I think I would recommend something with a bit more power on tap, as they are a very power hungry headphone. The X9000 is likely to be used with higher end amplification, but if the D50 is all you have, it would work in a pinch. As an all in one, easy to use, and compact solution, the D50 works very well with the Lambda series headphones. Their slightly warmer and less bright signature pairs well with the D50’s leaner brighter nature, and I never really had any problems with the sonic performance I was getting.

img_2321.jpg
SRM-500T Front
The SRM-500T is a tube based amp. As mentioned previously, it is also an amp only solution, and it’s a few hundred dollars more expensive at MSRP than the D50. There is a slight warmth and “tube” sound to its overall sonic signature, but its not overly gooey and thick sounding as some tube amps can be. It manages 100v less overall in terms of output power than the D50, but for the Lambda series, it worked especially well. I just found it to be a more preferable sonic signature and easy to listen to. I tried my Topping D10s which is an ESS Sabre based unit, similar to the 9018 in the D50, and that did work quite well. I’d say the performance between the two DAC units was quite similar. Stepping up to my Schiit Yggdrasil A2, the sound did absolutely improve, but spending $2599 on a DAC for a $1500 amp maybe doesn’t make a ton of sense. There was slightly more detail from the Amp section of the D50, but the overall tonal balance, timbre, and sense of ease from the 500T, to my ears, was preferable.

img_2328.jpg
D50 Rear
I think that if you need a DAC, or want an all in one, smaller unit, the D50 is the way to go between the two. If you happen to already have a DAC of some form, and are going to be driving a pair of Lambdas, the 500T is the right choice. Or, if you have a DAC of some form, but want a slightly less warm and more detail oriented sound, I would guess the SRM-400S would be the right choice. With that being said, I think the 500T makes an argument for its use particularly with the Lambda series, as they just seemed to be a really synergistic pairing.

img_2329.jpg
500T Rear
In comparison to the (sometimes much) more expensive DIY options, these two Stax models aren’t awful. I think that the difference between the two categories of amps has been overblown over the years. Are the good DIY builds of the BHSE, and KGSSHV Carbon better? Yes, they are. They are more powerful, supply better, more detailed and seemingly faster performance, BUT, if you are using a pair of Lambdas or easier to drive electrostatic headphones, and just want to enjoy them without breaking the bank (as much…,) some of these Stax own amp designs do the job perfectly well.

The D50 is a nice, all in one combo unit. It isn’t very large, it looks nice, and would fit in on any modern computer desktop. The SRM-500T fits the more traditional look of Stax amplifiers, being long and narrow. It has the preferable sonic performance to my ears, but does have slightly less power and detail than the D50. Really, I think it depends on your needs, sonic preferences, and the headphones you will be using with it, as to which is the better choice for your uses.

img_2325-2.jpg
Size Comparison
I think the main take away I have from my time with these two amplifiers is this – Don’t let amplification needs, and the supposed drop in performance in Stax’s own amps vs the popular DIY designs stop you from trying out electrostatic headphones. If you are simply curious, and buy a pair of L300, and pair them with the D50 or SRM-500T, it would let you try out electrostatic headphones, and see if you like them. You can always buy more expensive things later on should you end up really getting into the hobby, but the Stax amps are more affordable, and still let you drive your headphones to let you hear what they are all about. With the Lambda series in particular, I’ve found they don’t scale as high as the Omega series with more expensive amplification, so maybe a 500T would be all you would ever need.

I’d certainly recommend trying out the Stax amps if you are a beginner, and I really enjoyed my time getting to know a couple of them. “Theres always a bigger fish” as Qui-Gon Jin would say.
 
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Oct 18, 2022 at 10:18 PM Post #22,949 of 25,262
Hi Guys,

I spent some time with the Stax D50 and SRM-500T, figured this was the best thread to share it.


img_2319.jpg

Hi Guys,

Today we are talking about a couple of amplifiers, well, one is a DAC/Amp combo, from Stax Headphones. These are both electrostatic amps, and are nearer the entry level in terms of new pricing for desktop electrostatic amplification. The D50 is a solid state DAC/Amp combo unit, and the SRM-500T is Stax’s current entry level tube amp. The D50 retails for $1260USD, and the 500T retails for $1499USD, so they are fairly similar in their pricing. One of the main barriers for people who are interested in electrostatic headphones is the amplification needs, so I was curious how a couple of Stax’s more affordable amp models would fair in a comparison.

The D50 also includes a ESS Sabre 9018 based dac, so can be used as an all in one unit. The 500T is purely an amplifier, so does also need a DAC of some form to be used.

I tested the D50 as an all in one, and also with a couple other DACs to get an idea of its separate sections performance. With the 500T I used a Topping D10S, and a Schiit Audio Yggdrasil A2.

Now, the Stax own amplifiers get a fairly rough reputation from the DIY crowd which surrounds the electrostatic end of the headphone hobby. I’ve owned a few of those designs (BHSE, DIYT2, KGSSHV Carbon) so I was curious how I would feel about the more entry level Stax amps, and how they would perform in comparison to the more expensive DIY designs.

img_2324.jpg
D50 Front
First, lets talk about the D50 as an all in one unit. It is pretty much a plug and play solution for electrostatic headphones. I just used my laptop, direct into its USB input, and tried it with a few various headphones. As an all in one, its slightly bright, and somewhat lean sounding, but has a decent amount of power whilst also being a very manageable size. If you are looking for a decent all in one performer, and don’t have a lot of space, the D50 makes a good argument for its use in that situation. The DAC section struck me as being slightly bright and sharp sounding, and the sonics did improve using a slightly warmer and thicker sounding DAC to balance out the response between the two. With that being said, I think that if you already have a DAC on hand, the SRM-400S might be the better buy, as its amp section is supposedly slightly better than the D50’s, and costs about the same (1200USD.) I think that the D50 is best used as an all in one, and certainly has enough power for the Lambda series, and the 009S. For the 007mk2 I think I would recommend something with a bit more power on tap, as they are a very power hungry headphone. The X9000 is likely to be used with higher end amplification, but if the D50 is all you have, it would work in a pinch. As an all in one, easy to use, and compact solution, the D50 works very well with the Lambda series headphones. Their slightly warmer and less bright signature pairs well with the D50’s leaner brighter nature, and I never really had any problems with the sonic performance I was getting.

img_2321.jpg
SRM-500T Front
The SRM-500T is a tube based amp. As mentioned previously, it is also an amp only solution, and it’s a few hundred dollars more expensive at MSRP than the D50. There is a slight warmth and “tube” sound to its overall sonic signature, but its not overly gooey and thick sounding as some tube amps can be. It manages 100v less overall in terms of output power than the D50, but for the Lambda series, it worked especially well. I just found it to be a more preferable sonic signature and easy to listen to. I tried my Topping D10s which is an ESS Sabre based unit, similar to the 9018 in the D50, and that did work quite well. I’d say the performance between the two DAC units was quite similar. Stepping up to my Schiit Yggdrasil A2, the sound did absolutely improve, but spending $2599 on a DAC for a $1500 amp maybe doesn’t make a ton of sense. There was slightly more detail from the Amp section of the D50, but the overall tonal balance, timbre, and sense of ease from the 500T, to my ears, was preferable.

img_2328.jpg
D50 Rear
I think that if you need a DAC, or want an all in one, smaller unit, the D50 is the way to go between the two. If you happen to already have a DAC of some form, and are going to be driving a pair of Lambdas, the 500T is the right choice. Or, if you have a DAC of some form, but want a slightly less warm and more detail oriented sound, I would guess the SRM-400S would be the right choice. With that being said, I think the 500T makes an argument for its use particularly with the Lambda series, as they just seemed to be a really synergistic pairing.

img_2329.jpg
500T Rear
In comparison to the (sometimes much) more expensive DIY options, these two Stax models aren’t awful. I think that the difference between the two categories of amps has been overblown over the years. Are the good DIY builds of the BHSE, and KGSSHV Carbon better? Yes, they are. They are more powerful, supply better, more detailed and seemingly faster performance, BUT, if you are using a pair of Lambdas or easier to drive electrostatic headphones, and just want to enjoy them without breaking the bank (as much…,) some of these Stax own amp designs do the job perfectly well.

The D50 is a nice, all in one combo unit. It isn’t very large, it looks nice, and would fit in on any modern computer desktop. The SRM-500T fits the more traditional look of Stax amplifiers, being long and narrow. It has the preferable sonic performance to my ears, but does have slightly less power and detail than the D50. Really, I think it depends on your needs, sonic preferences, and the headphones you will be using with it, as to which is the better choice for your uses.

img_2325-2.jpg
Size Comparison
I think the main take away I have from my time with these two amplifiers is this – Don’t let amplification needs, and the supposed drop in performance in Stax’s own amps vs the popular DIY designs stop you from trying out electrostatic headphones. If you are simply curious, and buy a pair of L300, and pair them with the D50 or SRM-500T, it would let you try out electrostatic headphones, and see if you like them. You can always buy more expensive things later on should you end up really getting into the hobby, but the Stax amps are more affordable, and still let you drive your headphones to let you hear what they are all about. With the Lambda series in particular, I’ve found they don’t scale as high as the Omega series with more expensive amplification, so maybe a 500T would be all you would ever need.

I’d certainly recommend trying out the Stax amps if you are a beginner, and I really enjoyed my time getting to know a couple of them. “Theres always a bigger fish” as Qui-Gon Jin would say.

Great reviews! I was always curious about the D50 since it's a "portable" amp and I'll have to check it out some day at a meet or something. I definitely can't wait to get into the higher end cans that Stax offers. The first time I heard the Omega 2s over a decade ago, I thought, "these are the best headphones I have ever heard." That was with the KGSS.

Now there are even better options (or so I've heard) for headphones and amps but they are so much more expensive. I'll be saving up and I've even been thinking about stepping into the DIY audio world to not only save a bunch of money but also learn more about electronic components, how to work with PCBs, and all the other fun stuff involved with it. Your review has definitely nudged me towards that direction!
 
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Oct 19, 2022 at 5:26 PM Post #22,950 of 25,262
I'm restocking my electrostatic stash after abandoning them all back in 2010.

For running X9000s and Audeze CRBNs, what are the absolute best options that are actually available?

The Carbon CC is at the top of my list. I love the Kerry T2 but it is not readily available that I'm aware of and the $14K price is bonkers, The BHSE excited me back in 2010 but after being around them for 15 years, the mystique has somewhat worn off (I know they are fantastic and have been improved considerably through the years). I love Woo but don't really feel that they are at the top of the Stax game (I could be wrong). I have the skills and machining resources to build something but ack the time so that's not an option unless it literally arrived as a complete bill of goods including finished chassis.

Am I missing anything? Possibly something from Kevin Gilmore (I'm not sure if he is building anything these days).

And if anyone is getting rid of something special, let me know.

Thanks!
 

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