Having listened to the 202/252 for a few long days and nights, I'm totally gobsmacked by the sound. For the first time, I'm listening for hours with my eyes closed, having the feeling of watching a movie, or wanting to jump into the soundfield. Having owned a dozen dynamic phones, I've never experienced that illusion. The Stax remind me of Vermeer—from a distance, his paintings give the impression of having almost hyperreal detail. For me, the Stax do the same thing, even on so-so recordings, and while I know that it's in part an illusion (like the Vermeers), I can't get enough of it. Honestly, I cannot imagine going back to dynamics.
Of course, the mind begins to imagine even better things. I'd love a little more body and musical flow, and even more dynamics. And okay, a tad more bass wouldn't hurt. I'm planning to replace the pads with the leather ones from the 404LE, but still not sure about amp upgrades. Looking through the massive Stax thread, I get the feeling that the sonic differences between Stax amps aren't huge in absolute terms, and the prices certainly can be high. I know the srm-252 can easily be improved upon, but does putting a thousand dollars into a better amp for the Lambdas make sense? Similarly, is there much to be gained from moving from a 202 to a 404LE? Or is the only meaningful way forward the 02/tube amp?
But really now, the things have pleather pads and everyone here complains of sweaty ears, so it must be something the designers took into account.
