[dannyandelyse]

Hey Eric,

Give me a PM....I would be happy to lend you A NOS Stax Lamda Pro SRM1 mk 2 amp setup. I even can lend you the rare ED1 far field diffuser that Stax made to complete the picture. This way you can hook it up at your place and take some time to really see if this is what you want.

Dan

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Is this setup any good? http://cgi.ebay.com/STAX-GAMMA-HEADP...ayphotohosting

The SRD-6 needs to be hooked up to a power amp, it's not a stand-alone amp.

The SR-Gamma isn't pro bias, so won't work with most modern electrostatic amps.

The Gamma isn't bad, but it was lower down in Stax's range than the Lambdas and Sigmas.

 

[Duggeh]

A second hard 2020 system will cost you peanuts for the quality it provides on ebay. Listen not to the doomsayers who say that its rubbish, it may not have quite the power or finesse of the higher models, but it still utterly crushes any comparitively priced dynamic.

 

[Don Quichotte]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Considering the revealing nature of Stax what is the bare minimum for a source? My best source is the Micro Dac using either the optical input from a CD player or USB input from my laptop. Is this going to sound like crap in a Stax system?

I'm not sure others will agree, but if you buy a 3030 (="classic II") or a 313/404 Stax combo you OUGHT to find and buy a used Cambridge D300 CD player (it was the lowest Cambridge of the series before the current Azur, I guess the D300SE, D500 or D500SE should do too, perhaps even better). It would be a really small investment moneywise - I bought mine for $300 new two years ago. As a source for my Stax I prefer the Cambridge to my almost four times as expensive Apogee Mini-Dac, regardless of the IC used or the way I use the Apogee (Apogee power supply or battery driven, data fed by USB - Asio or kernel streaming - or SPDIF, mini-jack or XLR outputs).
For my ears, the Cambridge D300 / Stax 3030 synergy is simply fantastic. I posted about this before, search a bit if you want more details. I'm almost sure the current Azur line doesn't share the same sonic personality as the old D's, and I doubt the synergy would be as good.

In case you didn't get it by now, I think a synergic source is EXTREMELY important for the Stax, at least for the 3030. Much more important than going as high as possible on the detail / transparency scale. Mate it with the right source and your Stax combo will make you addicted - I'm only half joking!

 

[socrates63]

Any opinions on the Koss ESP-950 as a starter set or is Stax the preferred direction to go? There's someone at work who's looking to unload one with less than 10 hours of use for $475.

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by E.B.M.Head The SR-84 (The Baby Lambda) might also do, as it's the only electret headphone that sounds like a real electrostat.

Arguably, if we're claiming the only, but it does sound good. The SR-34 Pro uses the same driver and sounds the same. If you go Stax electret, be sure to get the later Pro version-- they have thinner diaphragms. And be prepared to use some EQ on the top and bottom ends.

Often, on eBay here in the US, Stax's socalled real electrostats go for not much more than their electret models; in that case it makes more economic sense to go for something like the SR-X Mk2 or Mk3.

 

[mikeg]

A relatively low cost, though complete electrostat headphone system is the Koss ESP/950. If you get this system, be sure to subtitute a good quality power supply (which costs about $70), in place of the wall wart that's included by Koss. A brief search of this Head-Fi site will provide more info.

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyandelyse Hey Eric, Give me a PM....I would be happy to lend you A NOS Stax Lamda Pro SRM1 mk 2 amp setup. I even can lend you the rare ED1 far field diffuser that Stax made to complete the picture. This way you can hook it up at your place and take some time to really see if this is what you want. Dan

Fast forward...

So I got in touch with Dan and he very generously lent me his rig. I'm listening to it right now and I haven't gotten much sleep in the past week and a half. I go up to my office to write a quick email and I end up listening for 2 hours. My wife must be wondering what I'm doing all night!

Impressions: very smooth, lots of details at low listening levels and a fairly balanced sound. I was expecting more aggressive highs but I almost think they sound a little rolled off in the high end. Cymbals sound silky and quite enjoyable but somehow a little unnatural. It's almost as if you can't hear the drumstick hitting the cymbal, only the sound the instant after the cymbal is struck. Mids are luscious and seductive. Lows are deep, but not overly impactful and maybe a touch flabby. I have a Larocco PRII and HF-1s hooked up through the loop out on the amp. In comparison, the HF-1s sound a bit clearer and tighter, almost as if there is a slight veil to the Lambdas. However, if you're not comparing one to the other it's not really noticeable and the overall presentation is much more enjoyable with the Stax. Soundstage is quite good for headphones and easily bests any set I've owned previously.

While this setup has its faults I think it is the best all around rig I've listened to. It represents to me what the headphone experience should be. Clear, detailed listening, with just a touch of warmth. Honestly, this was not what I was expecting as I thought I would be getting a more analytical sound.

Dan is probably not getting this setup back.

 

[Jahn]

awesome! try listening to that rig with the ED-1 off too, I actually preferred it that way, as it resulted in a signature more in line with my Grado preferences, versus the ED-1 "Sennheisering" the sound.

I swear i had it off, Danny!

EDIT- listening to Rage Against the Machine. Tom sounds like a possessed surgeon with this rig, muahahaha!

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn ...try listening to that rig with the ED-1 off too...

Uhm...what's an ED-1?

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Uhm...what's an ED-1?

it's the black one that has the light turn on when the button is pushed - uh, the diffuse button - or the power button? how many buttons were there? and was it on when the light was off? argh!

 

[edstrelow]

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=171947


Here's an ED-1 for sale.

 

[Jahn]

see? it says on/off! it doesn't say if the light on = field on, or...oh nevermind!

 

[erikzen]

Ah, it's a seperate unit. Dan didn't give me that.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen Ah, it's a seperate unit. Dan didn't give me that.

ah! [size=xx-small]y'ain't missin' anythin'!

[/size]

but btw your impressions of this rig are right on the money. it does NOT have the impact of a dynamic system, especially not that of the fabled Grado Slam. when you start riding that cymbal in a funky way, that moment of impact seems to go by so quickly, as you said - and you hear awesome decay and resolution - but not that visceral initial connection. electrostats are just plain Fast, hehe!