[swbf2cheater]

Who do electrostatics sound so good you ask...well...of course because
 
 
 
THEIR POWER LEVEL IS OVER 9000!!!!

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
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I agree.  A lot of the benefit is from a very low mass driver.
 
However, I think the best implementation of electrostatic technology is with speakers.  Most electrostatic speakers are dipoles, so you get an amazing soundstage with them; something the headphones don't give you.
 
Further, electrostatic speakers cost less than the headphones.  Used Quads cost less than most Stax models and since they have an internal bias supply, you can amplify them for much less than a pair of Stax.  So if you like the electrostatic sound, you can go with speakers for less money and better sound quality.

I highly doubt that underlined bit, if you know where to shop.
 
I just saw a set of Superex electrostatics sell on eBay with a transformer box for around US$122. (They're said to be based on Stax SR-3 drivers, to some extent.) Then there's my own Stax Lambda and SRD-7/SB, which ran me $250. Maybe that's just dumb luck, but I haven't seen any Quad, Martin Logan, or Acoustat pair of ESLs near that price range. In terms of the transformer boxes requiring speaker amps...well, so do the ESLs.
 
Still, there's no denying that for whatever reason, the headphones command a premium (and mostly because of the prerequisite amplifiers that cost just as much, if not more; at least dynamic and ortho headphones don't force you to get a dedicated amp to use them at all).
 
As for the better sound quality...wouldn't that depend just as much, if not moreso, on the very room they're in? Most of us don't have a room built to home theater specifications, and given that ESLs are dipoles as you said, the room acoustics would be extremely important, would they not? (It's one of the big reasons I can't just have loudspeakers in the computer room.)

 

[gordon0986]

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Great descriptions of the electrostat sound. One criticism I'll level, though, is that the depth of the sound feels pretty flat to be compared to something like a properly driven HD800. A properly selected tube preamp can help with that (for the O2 and reportedly for the SR009) but it's still not HD800 class, IMO.

The Eddie Current Electra may be a step apart from the pack when it comes to soundstaging, and there should be more prototype impressions over the coming months.

The first time you hear a SR007/SR009, you might not be wowed immediately. If you do come across a high-end Stax rig, queue up some music you're familiar with, close your eyes, and try to listen without any stress of needing to move on right away. The sound that comes from Stax electrostats remind me of the build quality and design of a really well-crafted piece of electronics, like something from Apple or German automotive engineering. You'll notice that they do everything 'right', but it's in such an effortless way that you take it for granted until you make an effort to manually dissect the composition. The LCD2 and HD800 are more exciting (and far less finicky about chain) from the get-go, but you should be able to pinpoint their limitations after you spend some good time with a stat setup. I have no experience with the Senns yet, but I've heard great things about the HE60 and HE90.

Cost is a big issue, but just as much is how finicky stats are about the chain. With a suboptimal setup, some will find them detailed but detached, uninvolving, and emotionless. It took me a lot of tweaking and trying out different devices until I finally got to something I really like, and I still have more tube rolling ahead of me. It's amazing when you finally get there, but for me anyway, it took awhile doing a lot of research and experimentation before I finally got to the point that I could enjoy the music and stop focusing on my setup's weaknesses. I don't think stats are a good idea for people looking for a plug-and-play solution like the Bifrost->Lyr->LCD2.

I don’t own any of the stax headphones but I know I’ll take my Nectar hive X over any headphone I own easily. I heard they are better then the L700 especially when it comes to bass. Don’t know about the SR 009 but I’ve been enjoying the heck out of them. It’s a different experience when putting on electrostatic headphones

 

[JackarlTwo]

That's one way to wake up an 11 year old thread.

 

[gordon0986]

That's one way to wake up an 11 year old thread.

Haha I didn’t even look up what year this was posted just came up in my hifi comment section