[Bubblejuice]

  They require bulky energizers to be used at all, and amplifiers to sound good at all, restricting them solely to home usage. Lots of people are on the go with their music these days, what with the iPods and all.

I know it's been while since this comment, but i'm not too sure about that. I never imagined myself walking around the mall with my LCD-2s when I was buying them. My LCD-2 are my at home only, with dedicated amp headphones. I assume people looking into Stax would think of them likewise.

 

[hpeter]

.. even if somebody would ignore the wear size...
Stax has open drivers, outside noise will add to music. You do not want this, believe.
Reason why are open, is the sensitivity to comb filtering IMO.

Correct word of this thread should be "not widespread" instead of unwanted

 

[max symphony]

Because they aren't wireless I think..smh

 

[Shure or bust]

Stax where'd the bass go ? Non-existent

 

[hardpike]

Stax are the best by miles

 

[Restia]

009 is the closest to Orpheus, not to the best sound. Actually, 009 is not that expensive. If you have 10K to spend on headphones, and you want to settle a matter on one go, then probably 009 set is the best choice. However, if you want some low imp dynamic headphones to perform at the same level, you probably need much more. Obviously, just one go on headphone field is too boring, isn't it?

 

[DJ The Rocket]

Zero isolation with an IEM needing a bulky energizer kinda doesn't help with the fit issues.

I've never understood why isolation is automatically assumed to be a positive thing. It has an important place in headphonedom, sure, but unless there's a specific reason I need to block out noise, I loathe wearing isolating headphones and IEMs. I think it's antisocial to starkly cut yourself off so much, and sounds worse besides

Electrostatics shine at high frequencies and low levels - NOT a good choice if you listen mainly to MP3, as these compressed impersonations of recordings will get mercilessly exposed for what they are. The better the signal into electrostatics - the better the sound quality.

Your last sentence is correct, obviously, but your beef with the entire mp3 format is misinformed. Studies have repeatedly shown that 256kbps and above are sonically transparent, you cannot tell them apart from lossless. Neither can I, nor anyone else. I don't know specifically that these tests were run on Staxen Boxen, but it's not like Stax is the only revealing game in town.

Obviously this is assuming discipline to never compress a file that was previously uncompressd, and that it was encoded using appropriate settings etc. These concerns or similar ones apply to any digital format, so it's hardly unique to mp3.

Stax or any electrostatic can not rally deliver in that department

I don't know what a "basshead" is or what they would like, but I listen to EDM where the bass is the most important part of the spectrum. In my opinion and experience, the low end is where the Stax Lambda models I've heard stand out the most. Lots of headphones have excellent mids and/or highs, but bass seems the hardest part to do at a high level. I've never heard anything that can match electrostatic bass. It's clear, articulate, and effortlessly detailed and textured and precise (and I only own the entry level Lambda Pro, which is said to sound flabby in comparison to more expensive Stax). Granted, I'm fine with trading impact for articulation, but I don't think I even have to. Sure, dynamic drivers can slam a little or so they say, but I'm so spoiled by the Lambdas that almost any dynamic headphones sound ill-defined and one note to me, and usually not even the right one note.

This has had a huge effect on the kind of music I go for. A lot of the stuff I liked before getting my stax rig has embarrassingly simple basslines, but ones that sound good and loud in low-end cans. The music I'm most excited about now sounds fantastic on electrostats, but boring on dynamics because they can't reproduce any of the nuance, so it just gets left out.

I'm learning that some high-end planars (the Mr. Speakers Alpha Prime, for instance) can get respectably close to electrostatic bass quality, provided they're paired with a great amp. But I've never owned a true TOTL amp so I don't know how high they're capable of getting. This is what's motivating me to learn to make my own DIY amps, so I can afford to try more of them

 

[hpeter]

EDM can be a PITA on STAX, reason is the ability to reproduce faithfully (not muffling) harmonics and microdetails to n-th degree.
After EDM session i listen to smooth music, just to calm the "bruised" ears.
Yeah, EDM- lots of synth, sharp sounds

 

[Alan Holvey]

I have found out that if I hook up my 35 or so Stax headphone system to the record out output of my Audio Research LS27 tube line stage that they will then sound far superior than hooking them directly to the audio source itself. In other words my Stax SR5 gold headphones/Stax SRM-1 MK 2 tube system, hooked up thru my Audio Researh LS27 will turn them into much superior audio reproduction. In fact they will sound so much better that it will totally amaze you. As my audio system itself is right next to my right side that Iam thus able to use such a set up. From a financial standpoint, as a good older Stax system can be obtained for only a few hundred dollars, that from a financial standpoint nothing else can come close. Of course if I had an ultra expensive top of the line current Stax headphone ssytem, possibly even a ballanced system, they of course would also be improved to an even greater extent. But if you, lke myself, are still using say an 35-40 year old Stax headphome system you will be amazed.

 

[Alan Holvey]

I have also found a way to improve the sound of a Stax Electrostatic headphone system with its energizer. Presently I am using an Oppo 205 connected directly with a half meter pair of MG Audio Design top of the line ballanced interconnects to my Rega Orisis integrated amplifier. I connect the Rega Orisis to a Stax SRD7sb energizer. But instead of connecting the SRD7sb directly to the speaker terminals of the Rega Orisis, I have added a one foot pair of the MG Audio Design's tpof the line speaker wires. If you study the Stax energizer boxes, all they are lacking is a true top of the line short pair of speaker wires to enable the Stax "system" to really do their stuff. Before using the MG Audio Design speaker wires I first used a one foot pair of about a 9 year old Shunyata's then top of the line speaker wires. It really worked. Just like adding a top flight pair of speaker wires to a top end regular pair of stereo speakers. The Stax are, in their own words, "ear Speakers" so the addition of tp quality speaker wires will effect them the same as with regular speakers. Just ask Michael Fremer if top end speaker wires makes a difference for his own audio system. Anyway just a tip. I first tried it using a 50 watt per channel Audio Research tube integrated amplifier. I am using the 160 watt per channel Rega Orisis as I mainly use headphones for rock and roll. I live in a small one bedroom apartment. I have heard briefly a $2000 Audiezeeze headphone driven by the Bryston class A headphone amplifier and find that my 35-40 year old Stax systems can still give them a run for the money.