LCfiner
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 1, 2009
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I bought moodyrn's old Stax setup a little while ago on the forums and thought I'd chip in with some impressions. it's an SR-407 earspeaker with an older T1-S energizer. For reference, I also own an HD800, Grado RS1 and Denon D7000 (and have owned a PS1000, LCD2 and HE5-LE)
I was feeding them with the RWA Isabellina DAC (unbalanced out) and listening to mostly 256 AAC iTunes plus a few FLAC demo songs.
The Stax combo sound very, very good. However, to my surprise, the soundstage is not very large and doesn’t create a real “out of the head” experience as I was expecting from the electrostatics. For that sensation, absolutely nothing I’ve listened to can match the HD800. These are about on par with the D7000 for soundstage - good, but not otherworldly.
But this less expensive setup than the HD800 provides similar amounts of detail and speed and has absolute wonderful tonality. It’s not quite as bright as the HD800 and sounds incredibly lifelike and natural. For a 600 dollar headphone (when new), it’s ahead of other headphones that I have used in that price range or above. But, of course, it also requires that pricey, specialized “energizer” to run, so it’s hard to make it a budget hifi setup.
Compared to the RS1 and D7000 I have here, the Stax is more neutral in its presentation but it still has a very musical sound. I think there's a very slight bump to the lower midrange to make things sound a bit more euphoric but I wouldn't bet money on that. it's just my impression. It has a very prominent midrange similar to the RS1 but it sounds less congested and more lively. the treble is also not as pronounced as the RS1. The bass on the Stax has much less impact than on the D7000 (or even the HD800) but that only reveals itself as a negative on a few tracks (eg: the opening beats on Janelle Monae's "Sincerely, Jane"). For the most part, I prefer the less emphasized bass on the Stax to the D7000. The D7000 are my "fun" cans.
I've been listening to a lot of Loreena McKennitt the last few months and her voice and all the varied percussion instruments sounds absolutely amazing on these. the sense of "being there" for the live performances is stronger with these than with ay other headphone I've used, aside from the HD800. Again, the only issue is the soundstage of these albums is very wide and deep on the HD800 but more closed in with the Stax.
My biggest issue with the headphones right now is comfort. They press more tightly on the sides of my head, in front of my ears, than I really like and the pleather pads and lack of air circulation makes my ears feel rather warm. The HD800 is much more comfortable and that’s real important to me. but I've found the last couple days that the Stax get more comfortable if I move the headband closer to the front of my head.
I bought these thinking they could replace my HD800. They can't do that as they don't replicate the soundstage or comfort of the HD800 (I'm not sure if any headphone can replace what I love about the HD800). But since I like these so much compared to other midrange dynamic cans I've owned, I don't think I could sell them, either. I'd be more willing to sell the D7000 and RS1 and keep the Stax around as a secondary bedroom setup (the amp is too large to keep on my desk with my computer, speakers and the Isabellina). oh, decisions, decisions. I'm definitely keeping all of them for the time being. If I cull anything from my lineup, it won't be for a while.
I am definitely glad I picked these up. It seems like a real step up from similarly priced dynamic headphone/ amp combos. This little, midrange SR-407 and the 20 year old amp driving it easily ranks as second for the best music I've heard on headphones. That's quite a feat.
I was feeding them with the RWA Isabellina DAC (unbalanced out) and listening to mostly 256 AAC iTunes plus a few FLAC demo songs.
The Stax combo sound very, very good. However, to my surprise, the soundstage is not very large and doesn’t create a real “out of the head” experience as I was expecting from the electrostatics. For that sensation, absolutely nothing I’ve listened to can match the HD800. These are about on par with the D7000 for soundstage - good, but not otherworldly.
But this less expensive setup than the HD800 provides similar amounts of detail and speed and has absolute wonderful tonality. It’s not quite as bright as the HD800 and sounds incredibly lifelike and natural. For a 600 dollar headphone (when new), it’s ahead of other headphones that I have used in that price range or above. But, of course, it also requires that pricey, specialized “energizer” to run, so it’s hard to make it a budget hifi setup.
Compared to the RS1 and D7000 I have here, the Stax is more neutral in its presentation but it still has a very musical sound. I think there's a very slight bump to the lower midrange to make things sound a bit more euphoric but I wouldn't bet money on that. it's just my impression. It has a very prominent midrange similar to the RS1 but it sounds less congested and more lively. the treble is also not as pronounced as the RS1. The bass on the Stax has much less impact than on the D7000 (or even the HD800) but that only reveals itself as a negative on a few tracks (eg: the opening beats on Janelle Monae's "Sincerely, Jane"). For the most part, I prefer the less emphasized bass on the Stax to the D7000. The D7000 are my "fun" cans.
I've been listening to a lot of Loreena McKennitt the last few months and her voice and all the varied percussion instruments sounds absolutely amazing on these. the sense of "being there" for the live performances is stronger with these than with ay other headphone I've used, aside from the HD800. Again, the only issue is the soundstage of these albums is very wide and deep on the HD800 but more closed in with the Stax.
My biggest issue with the headphones right now is comfort. They press more tightly on the sides of my head, in front of my ears, than I really like and the pleather pads and lack of air circulation makes my ears feel rather warm. The HD800 is much more comfortable and that’s real important to me. but I've found the last couple days that the Stax get more comfortable if I move the headband closer to the front of my head.
I bought these thinking they could replace my HD800. They can't do that as they don't replicate the soundstage or comfort of the HD800 (I'm not sure if any headphone can replace what I love about the HD800). But since I like these so much compared to other midrange dynamic cans I've owned, I don't think I could sell them, either. I'd be more willing to sell the D7000 and RS1 and keep the Stax around as a secondary bedroom setup (the amp is too large to keep on my desk with my computer, speakers and the Isabellina). oh, decisions, decisions. I'm definitely keeping all of them for the time being. If I cull anything from my lineup, it won't be for a while.
I am definitely glad I picked these up. It seems like a real step up from similarly priced dynamic headphone/ amp combos. This little, midrange SR-407 and the 20 year old amp driving it easily ranks as second for the best music I've heard on headphones. That's quite a feat.
