The Stax thread

[Carl]

Well our discussions of all things Stax and electrostatic related seem to have died down recently, so in the interest of perking things back up a bit, here's a thread for it.




Okay then, to start us off; compare and contrast:

 

[krmathis]

Nice collection you got there. Five Gamma Pro's, right?

I entered the world of Stax Headspeakers two weeks ago, and have noticed that there are barely any Stax or electrostatic related discussions around here.
Seems like most head-fi'ers use dynamic headphones for the time being... Go figure!

 

[jaybar]

carl, why not include the Omega's in your discussion. Can you add a picture of them so folks will note to include them.

Thanks,

Jay

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis I entered the world of Stax Headspeakers two weeks ago, and have noticed that there are barely any Stax or electrostatic related discussions around here.

Mesmerized by Patricia Barber out of my 005, unable to write coherently.

Seriously, listen to "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", just the last 2 Minutes or so. This is what these phones were made for. Incredible.

 

[akwok]

Yes! Post pictures of the SR-Omega w/ box, please!

Nice cans, Carl.

 

[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis Nice collection you got there. Five Gamma Pro's, right? I entered the world of Stax Headspeakers two weeks ago, and have noticed that there are barely any Stax or electrostatic related discussions around here. Seems like most head-fi'ers use dynamic headphones for the time being... Go figure!

They seem to come in waves. There is a definite, solid fanbase around here of the SR-007, and they're plenty talked about if you look. However, there isn't much information on the older models, or the lower currently made Stax models. Most people, when moving up the headphone chain, don't seek out electrostats until they're near the top, because they sort of view the SR-007 and the Sennheiser HE90 as arguably the best headphones ever made (along with the MDR-R10, the K1000, the ATH-L3000 and a few others, but it's generally recognized that electrostats can do certain things beyond the level dynamics are capable of). So you really miss out on the discussion of models such as the SR-202, 303, and 404. Not to mention the 4070. People just don't recommend the lower ones much, so people don't really consider electrostats until they get into the upper echelon, and then they really only consider the top of the line models. It's really a shame. I'm actually planning on picking up some older Stax models on eBay soon along with a transformer and putting some reviews out there. We'll see.

 

[SimpJee]

I love my SR-001's, use them at work mainly and thankfully it's fairly quiet, otherwise the lack of isolation would be a problem.

Ah well, one day I hope to get the Omega II's, but maybe when I can afford them there'll be something better out

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis Nice collection you got there. Five Gamma Pro's, right?

It's not my collection. I'm insane, but not insane enough to buy every single one of the Alfa and Gamma series. It's not 5 Gamma Pros, there's 4 different headphones there. Alfa Pro, Alfa Pro Excellent, Gamma, and Gamma Pro.

I just lost an auction for an Alfa Pro Excellent yesturday. I'm pretty miffed about that.

Quote:

I entered the world of Stax Headspeakers two weeks ago, and have noticed that there are barely any Stax or electrostatic related discussions around here. Seems like most head-fi'ers use dynamic headphones for the time being... Go figure!

Do a search, there's been a fair bit of discussion, it's just been a light couple of weeks recently.


Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybar carl, why not include the Omega's in your discussion. Can you add a picture of them so folks will note to include them.

We can discuss whatever we want, so if you want to talk Omegas then go ahead.

 

[TomH]

Little Stax Lambda love here... decades of flawless performance and always a wow factor. After trying every flavor of dynamic I could afford to buy, I always come back to the electrostats for the best listening experience. Surely, today's crop of good amps and updated dynamic designs are better than ever, but still not there, just something missing IMHO.

 

[Jahn]

Another nod for the Lambda Pros and the SRM-1/MKII, they haven't let me down yet, even at two regional NYC meets, the National meet, and quite a few minimeets! It's a trooper!

 

[[AK]Zip]

I really enjoy my Stax SR-001 combo which I use mainly as a bed rig, but still I enjoy it greatly. If I ever get a chance to buy a pair of Stax Omega I will jump in it.

-Alex-

 

[fierce_freak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oliver Mesmerized by Patricia Barber out of my 005, unable to write coherently.

Is that the SR-005a? I had that for a while...absolutely stunning and didn't leave me wanting for much. I got a chance to try out the SR-404 with SM-313 today and that was quite nice, too. Still not sure if I preferred the SR-404 or the SR-003 out of the SM-313 better.

 

[lmilhan]

My Lambda Pros/SRD-7 being driven by my Pass Labs Aleph 3 kicks all sorts of ass. They even give my K1000s a run for their money, and that's saying a lot...

 

[humanflyz]

As another Lambda Pro Signature/SRM-MK1 owner, I am chiming in to say that I really like that setup. Between my Stax setup and my dynamic cans, I feel no real urge to upgrade my cans. In fact, I feel so content with my current headphones that I'm just trying to build a setup around them instead of trying out other headphones.

 

[J-Pak]

I can recommend the SR-404 as an excellent headphone. I haven't thought of upgrading since I've got them, although I would like to audition an Omega 2 after a year or so.