The Stax I thread

Cool so basically most current stax are pro bias which uses 5 prong and 580v bias voltage and normal bias uses 6 prongs. Out of the gear that I mentioned are there any recommended pairings or pieces of gear that are really great to get into electrostats?

 

The 323S is one of the better Stax-brand options. Inexpensive and competent. I actually thought it did well even with the (gorgeous!) original SR-Omega. For headphones, I like the 20x Lambdas, dislike the 40x (they have a weird mid-bass warmth). Never heard the new L series, so can't comment.

 

Alright seems like everyone is saying the 202 are liked. So I think I'll try and get a set of those. For the amp I'm thinking either 323S or 727A with the feedback mod. I'm thinking the 727 might be good if I wanted to upgrade later to something like a SR-007 or should I just save a few bucks and go for the 323S? Also if someone could tell me what they think about these prices that would be cool.
SR-202 - $250
SRM-323S - $600
SRM-727A - $950

 

Hi. Would the SRD 4 adapter work with the SR 202 ear speakers? If not, which would I need to use the 202 with my AV receiver ? Thanks.

 

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The SRD-4 is for the older Stax electret headphones, as opposed to full blown electrostatic headphones. You need an SRD-7 with pro bias (580v, 5 prong) output. SRD-6 works for electrostatics, but only comes in 230v normal bias.

 

Thanks. How would you folks rate the sound quality of the SR-40 Stax? They usually go pretty cheap on Ebay (usually come with the SRD-4 adapter).

I am looking to jump into the world of stats, but don't want something that is too inferior to say an SR-202 or SR-5. I am looking for the ultra clarity and resolution the Stax brand is known for.

 

If you want to demo the 'Stax sound' I wouldn't bother with the electrets unless you're on a very tight budget. Go for any of the cheapest Lambdas you can find (202, Nova Basic, SR-Lambda, etc).

 

Thanks, but I will still like to know how the sound of the SR-40 stacks up to the other Stax.

 

I listened to a few stax at canjam and they have silky smooth treble, but lacks impact especially in the bass and a bit in the mids. The low end electrostats are probably not worth it, something like the sennheiser HD 6X0 is much better.

Also the koss esp 950 should be on your radar as well.

 

Admittedly I've not had any experience with Stax electrets, but the vast majority of trets I've heard have nonexistent subbass, weak midbass, and coarse treble. I'd echo n3rdling, go with a lambda of your choice.

Tyll has SR-40 measurements: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR40ElectretSR4Adapter.pdf

 

Would love some opinions on the 727 (latest version) paired with the 007mk2.

I won't be able to get a custom amp and I'm torn between the 006t/L700, 006t/007mk2 (I've heard these setups) and the 727/007mk2 (never heard this and will have to buy blind).

 

Something else worth noting for those looking at older basic lambdas. Now this is anecdotal based on my own experience without confirmation from Stax, but the pads on the 207 vs previous basic models do not seem to be the same. For example on 202s with original pads, you'll find vinyl pads that are rather smooth and overstuffed, whereas 207s have pads that have a more pleather like feel and are flatter, often seen with creases.



vs



Bass response from 202s with the old style pads is not as good as 207s. Replacing stock pads with 507 pads is oft recommended. Less of a need to get 507 pads for the 207 than the 202 the way I hear it.

 

Can somebody run my through the various revisions of the Stax 007's i know there is a mk2, a 2.5, possibly a 2.8, different export models! Which one should i be looking for + serial numbers?

 

well, I'm not planning, nor have enough cash to buy any Stax headphones at the moment, but I was wondering...

80% of my music listening happens just after I take a shower, most of the times I work out, then take a shower, and take a 30 minutes to 1 hour break for music listening.
I have short hair, but even if I try to dry it with a towel for a while it'll still be slightly wet, so the question is, would it damage the headphones?
AFAIK eletrostats are sensitive to any wetness...

 

One thing I have read recently is to not use an electrostatic with moist or wet hair. So be Cautious!

 

High humidity - whether from the weather, or taking a shower, or sweating - lowers the breakdown voltage of air inside the cup. A stat headphone has to balance efficiency vs stability by using a specific spacer thickness (and to a lesser degree membrane tension). The thinner the spacer, the closer the electrode is to the diaphragm, the higher the efficiency, the greater the chance of arcing for a given stator diameter. By using the headphone in a high humidity environment you're essentially doing the equivalent of using a thinner spacer without a gain in efficiency.

It's highly unlikely you'd damage the headphones this way. There may be temporary arcing during use, but the water will eventually evaporate once the headphones sit in a more ideal environment for a while. This is unlike getting a hair in the drivers, where the arcing will remain as long as the hair provides a short until removed. If you continuously run the headphones in a very high humidity environment, there's a slight possibility that you damage the headphones depending on the coating used. For Stax this isn't a problem, it's more of an issue with vintage speakers. Most headphones also employ a dust cover which can double as a moisture barrier.

Don't sweat it.

 

thanks stax master

 

I'd also like to address this while I have the chance. I recently watched one of those Z review videos and he mentioned something along the lines of not using stats with wet hair etc 'so you don't die' or some such. This is a common misconception that really needs to go away. You won't die from your Stax. Yes, they are high voltage, however they use very little current.

The bias line runs at 580v. This is what's used to charge the membrane. First off, it's almost impossible for you to even contact the membrane. Second off, even if you do, it has a very high resistivity coating on it used to ensure low distortion (another subject). Third off, even if you contact a bias voltage point before the membrane (say, the cable), there's a 10Mohm resistor in line from the amp itself. The bias line is essentially currentless. Martin Logan's CEO is known to stick his tongue on the diaphragm to prove it's safe, and that's with a bias voltage multiples higher than what Stax is running.

The stators run at a higher current but almost always a lower voltage than the diaphragm. I don't feel like running the numbers right now, but I think last time I checked you only need a few mA per channel to run a full scale music signal at 1600vpp for the average 120pF load that a Stax headphone represents. That's an absurd level and not even close to real world listening, even for the loudest listeners. Keep in mind that most Stax have a sensitivity of a little over 100dB @ 100Vpp/1kHz. Use an SPL meter app sometime to get a rough guesstimate of your listening level. I can almost guarantee it's not 100 dB in normal conditions, and probably more like 65-85dB (the last polls we did on IRC showed avg listening level between 65-75dB). For every doubling of voltage in a stat amp you gain +6dB. Working backwards from the initial sensitivity figure to your normal listening level should give you a quick guesstimate of how much voltage you're actually putting on the stators. Be sure to account for music peaks. I think the sensitivity figure might actually be RMS, but the point still stands: you're probably not putting a ton of voltage through your stators, at least nothing close to what is 'common knowledge' on this subject.

That's the voltage side of stators. Regarding current, there are two additional protection mechanisms built in to protect the end user: 1.) the amps have current limiting resistors on the outputs to prevent harming a person, and 2.) there's usually a dust protector between the ear and stator, meaning additional voltage breakdown needed to arc to the ear. That's also assuming a pure metal stator; there are other ways to prevent that from being an issue as well.

All of this is to drive the point home that Stax aren't dangerous and 'safety' shouldn't be a barrier to entry. From the jack to the headphones, you won't kill yourself. You CAN hurt/kill yourself if you're messing around in the power supply and aren't careful. However, the same can be said about most tube amps so not really a big deal.

 

There are credible reports that some electrostatic amps underspec the bias ballast resistor, and even omit it altogether. Not Stax amps and none of the KG designs, but caveat emptor. I haven't seen this myself, but I also don't have vast experience taking apart commercial amps.