[MohawkUS]

My recollection was they are in the $150 range for the set in good condition without any issues. Others may have more accurate pricing.

I believe you're thinking of the standard SR-5. I'm asking about the SR-5NB, or the 'goldies'. I've been checking ebay as well as head-fi every month for the past year or so(hoping to find a broken pair so I could scrounge a new headband) but only one has come up since I bought mine. And like the pair I bought the seller wanted $350 and it sold. His was in mint condition though.

 

[madbull]

What should I get, besides an adapter (which I already have), to better drive a Sigma (normal bias)?

 

[NoPants]

Any competent power amplifier should work, the original adapters have fairly high transformer ratios

 

[dukeskd]

   
That is true and that the SR-Omega fitted with new drivers by Stax sounds awful.  They don't both to seal the baffle so mad bass all around.  Fix that though and they sound very nice but I wonder how the Mk2 drivers would sound.  Only ever heard the Mk1's...

What about the 009 drivers in the Omega 1?

 

[DefQon]

No.

 

[Solshock]

My recollection was they are in the $150 range for the set in good condition without any issues. Others may have more accurate pricing.

Question - why are these things so cheap (relatively speaking) if they rival headphones twice or more their price?  Is it just the age and durability issue?

 

[Keithpgdrb]

Commoners steer clear of electro stats because of the specialized amping needed. So that brings down demand a bit. The older models before the lambdas don't demand a huge amt of bread. Generally. People just don't know much about them.

 

[DefQon]

And they are very old as well. Some people like to buy brand new but isn't the case with the older Stax, so some issues are possible.

 

[dukeskd]

No.

Drivers too big?

 

[DefQon]

  Drivers too big?

 
I don't know, got a big fat No when I emailed the distributor here.

 

[n3rdling]

Not much reason to put a 009 driver in the Omega when the 009 has a much better housing. 

 

[Solshock]

Thanks all.  That said, how much of a jump in quality would there be when comparing an SR-5 to a stax lambda basic setup?

 

[MohawkUS]

Check out this thread here, gives you an idea of the differences in sound signature between the two(SR5nb uses the same drivers as the X III, not sure about the standard SR-5): http://www.head-fi.org/t/172611/long-meandering-comparison-of-stax-404-and-stax-x-iii-episode-i/195

From that I figured that for the music I like I'd be happier with the 5s(No X IIIs were available at the time). You'll have to wait for a more experienced member than myself if you want to know which headphone is better on a technical level however.

 

[DefQon]

As spritzer said earlier "filthy"
 

 

 

 
 
Following as per advice, left the knobs and faceplate in a bucket of warm soapy water for about 30 minutes, surprisingly it the brown/orangeish gunk came off quite easily which I thought was oxidation as it seems the anodizing has come off as well, the faceplate is literally cleaned up all of the Stax lettering and logo has come right off. Not too surprised given the SRA-3S is almost twice as old as I'am being released back in 1968.
 
Upon opening it, one of the cartridges fell right out and there is a missing 6FQ7 Toshiba tube.
 
Apart from being dirty and dusty, looks I like I have a long road ahead to re-furb this amp to it's original badass state.
 
Any idea's on what I should do with the faceplate that it has lost all of it's Stax originality? Getting lettering done and anodized is too costly for such an amp, I'm thinking getting Stax stickers printed out with matching font typesets or maybe just make a wooden frame for the side of the faceplate to give it some class?
 
Ideas/opinions appreciated.

 

[n3rdling]

That looks like it was found at the bottom of the ocean.