The Stax I thread

Alright so I'm considering diving in and trying something in the world of e-stats. What is a good thing to start with that will let me get an idea of whether or not I'm a stax kinda guy? The two most obvious things on my list are ESP950 and SRS2170 both complete setups that can be had for well under 1k new or used. I could also consider the SR-L500 with a "cheap" used amp. Just looking to keep the whole setup under 1k for sure.

 

Does the srd7 need a good speaker amp to drive it? The only speaker amp I currently have in my desktop setup is a cheap lepai, I'm guessing I'd need something better.

 

Is this an ok price? Should I go for it or be a bit more patient and also investigate other possibilities?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/805159/stax-lambda-w-srd-7-extension-cable

 

That one is sold. But the price is way too high anyway.

I bought it from him for a lot less. He's the one who shipped it without any padding.

 

Oh bummer, sorry to hear that.

 

Hi guys,

I'd like to try electrostatic systems. I went to ebay and purchased 2170 setup, then the seller said he did not have it in stock. so I did ask him for a refund.

My current headphones are PSB M4U1 and Hifiman HE-400S.

Now I am looking for a setup for less than 1K. should I search for another 2170? any recommendations ?

 

The 2170 is very good, but you might be able to snag the individual headphone and an amp separately for cheaper. The 307-507 are not worth the extra money IMO, and I consider them to have a worse tuning than the 207. The original SR-Lambda normal bias sounds lovely, but it is usually going for more than I would be willing to pay for a headphone that old. For the older series, I've heard good things about the SR-202, but I haven't personally heard it.

Don't forget about looking for a good deal on an ESP-950. It's very good while having a warm forgiving tone, and should come with it's own amp. It also gets noticeably better out of the Stax amps if you ever want to upgrade (you will need a Koss to Stax Pro adapter).

 

Have you looked for a 2170 on PriceJapan? The exchange rate has deteriorated recently, but it should still be an inexpensive set.

 

Thank you all for your suggestions. unfortunently 2170 is out of stock on price japan and nearly anywhere else.

The price of 2170 has gone up, the cheapest one I can found cost 650$ and don't know if the seller even have it.

 

Porta Pro > 207 in everything but detail and treble extension. The 207 is only an okay headphone

 

I've owned the HE60 for a few years. It's a very fast headphone and handles transients extremely well. It doesn't require much amping and sounds good on anything from lower-powered stat amps all the way to the BHSE.

The soundstage isn't as deep as the 007 and 009, but I find it easier to pick out details with the HE60. It's also less fatiguing for me than the 009. It does a nice job of being articulate without the excessive brightness. It is a bit colored but not so much that it's distracting. If you can handle HIFIMAN headphones, then the HE60's coloration won't be too much.

The HE60 pairs fantastically with classical, jazz, and acoustic music. It doesn't deal with modern overly compressed recordings very well, and wouldn't be my first choice for EDM or metal. It's not an ideal headphone for bassheads--but that generally goes for stats in general.

Anyway, it's an interesting headphone and worth checking out. It exemplifies that 'airy' quality associated with stats.

The SR-Omega is another really interesting headphone, but unfortunately pricey.

Definitely agreed on the 007 vs. brighter headphones commentary. It shows pretty poorly at meets given its innate characteristics (especially the MK2). Glad to hear it still has its fans over the years. The MK1 with the original drivers is still my favorite stat

 

I finally heard my Lambda Pros through an actual electrostatic amp, I believe it was a Stax 727, instead of the energizer. Definitely a significant difference, though I actually ended up disliking it: though there was an improvement in basically everything, I also finally heard the etching in the higher frequencies that I have read about, and though it wasn't terrible on the Lambda Pro, it took away that comfy euphony I've been enjoying with my not-adequately-driven Stax, and cancelled out the other improvements by introducing that one element of unpleasantness. I'm looking for good deals on better e-stat headphones, though, so eventually I should be able to upgrade my rig and decide if I want to pursue all of this.

 

Are you using the microzotl with the energizer? and second question ; is it very far behind the Stax amp ?

 

I am. It is definitely a significantly less resolving setup than the Stax amp, but I've gotten used to the rolled off sound of the energizer. Probably with more listening, especially if A/Bing, I would end up preferring the electrostatic amp. While a pair of inexpensive Lambda Pros would be worth keeping with the energizer+MZ2, as they do sound very nice and still attain an accuracy that competes with my other headphones, I'm no longer interested in going up the electrostatic headphone ladder unless I had an amp to match.

 

By Mk2.9 do you mean the latest revision? I'm seriously considering changing an upcoming LCD-3 I'm getting in the mail to trade to an SR007 though as of now I only have an SRD7 + Master9 to power it.

 

Yes, the Mk2.9 is the unofficial name for the latest revision. Stax seems to quietly tweak all its models, and has hit a high point with the 007 about 12-18 months ago. Buying a 007A from PriceJapan optimizes the probability of getting the latest revision because its source dealers should have the highest inventory turnover in Japan.

Never heard the SRD7, so can't comment on how it performs. In general, the 007 is supposed to work better with higher output current amps. Something about reproducing some frequencies more faithfully at >18mA per channel, but I don't know how that was ever measured. I am about two weeks out from finishing a Carbon build, and can post something on this thread when I have had a chance to compare it to the (much lower current) KGSSHV and KGST I made last year, as well as the 252S I have lying around.

 

Alright so I don't totally understand stax compatibility. I'm looking at the SR-202, SR-404, and SR-L500 for headphones and looking at SRD-7 normal bias, SRM-1 MK2, SRM-323S, and SRM-727A for amps. Which of these are compatible? Also what type of amp is compatible with koss when using an adapter?

 

All those headphones that you mentioned require a pro bias (580v) output. I think the Koss runs most optimally at around 600v, but pro bias is close enough with no risk of damage. Make sure that it is the SRD-7 Pro or Mk2 (mixed bias) that you are getting. It will have slots for 5 prongs (pro) rather than the older 6 (standard). The SRM-1 Mk2 comes in normal only, mixed bias, and pro only, so make sure that it has at least one pro bias output. All the other amps mentioned are pro bias only.

Some people may also be selling a normal bias SRD-7 or amp that was converted to pro bias. This is an option, but you are putting your headphones at the mercy of the competency of the modder. Anything modded by Spritzer/Birgir should be safe.