The Stax I thread

Just joined this forum. Just got into electrostatic these past few weeks.
jumped from a ifi micro idsd/audeze lcd2 combo from adorama to

mjolnir kgsshv-mini , stax sr009, stax sr007mk1, still using my ifi micro idsd until my gustard x20u gets here.

Haven't used this for long, but i definitely like the way everything sounds

 

Interesting times in Stax land with the passive-aggressive shit-flinging between HF hotshots and HC bigwigs, potentially heinous pricing on the commercial Carbon, new competition and the allegations of omitted microdetail (posited but not yet corroborated).

Were the HC thought leaders actually anything but infallible? Is the Carbon really priced at 4x BOM? Does the Utopia usurp the coveted seat of the SR-009 and are we Staxen really fools missing out on the finest nuances of the recordings?

Seems information moves slowly in this market or isn't widely disseminated (or both), but I'm curious to see how the answers develop.

 

I just purchased a Lambda Normal Bias and SRM-006t, waiting on arrival. I was impressed with the LNB I heard recently at the Chicago meet. Hopefully the combo works well.

 

The L700 is among/ likely the best Lambda so far, and better than most headphones out there, but still has the characteristic Lambda sound, with an upper midrange emphasis that feels off compared to the 009 and 007 (Mk1 and Mk 2.5). Also, the Omegas sound smoother. IMHO better get a second hand 007 than a new L700.

 

I've been listening to my Theta Progeny -> SRM-006t -> Lambda Normal Bias for about 2 days now and the sound is really incredible. The gorgeous tonality, clarity and holographic imaging are really addicting. The only complaint I have is a little bit of tizziness in the mid/upper treble (around 8-10KHz). On some recordings this isn't an issue at all, but on some the sibilance on female vocals and cymbals are a problem for me. Maybe I've just been listening to the HD650 for too long and I need some time to adjust. But my question to the esteemed friends in this thread - outside of EQ, what can I do to alleviate this treble harshness? Any mods, such as rolling pads or using foam/cloth on the pad side that can help with this? Tube swapping? Or do I just need a different headphone (LNS?) or amp (GES?)

 

Decided to order some SR-507 leather pads ("EP-507") to replace the relatively worn pads on the old LNB. Expensive but hopefully will help with comfort, seal, and aesthetics. May also help with bass extension based on some measurements Tyll has done. Also ordered some NOS Tung-Sol 6CG7 tubes for my SRM-006t, based on some vague comments I read elsewhere about them slightly softening the treble in comparison to the RCA Clear Tops I'm currently running.

Even without these tweaks in place, I'm finding the sound on this setup to be outstanding. I don't know why I waited so long to try an e-stat setup. The bass extends comfortably down to 20 Hz and is cleaner sounding than my HD650 or ZMF Blackwood. There's actually a very healthy bass body present here, less in quantity than the aforementioned 'phones, but I still get good rumble and impact. The mids, while not as rich and forward as the modded HD650, are very open and balanced, with maybe only a slight tip in the upper-mids (less so than other Lambas I've demoed, though). And although I'm working on a cure for the ssssibilance that rears it's ugly head from time to time, the airy, super-quick e-stat treble is really incredible with acoustic instruments. I use several tracks from Mount Eerie's Clear Moon to test new gear and they have never sounded better than they are sounding right now. I'm not saying these are better than my HD650s, but I have to admit that my HD650s have some serious competition for head-time right now.

/estatnoobrant

 

But they are better than HD650s... I haven't heard the L700s, but the LNS eats HD650s for breakfast for my tastes.

Get some cling wrap, fold it into a strip, and wrap that around your drivers. Be careful with how much you use or it might alter the balance, but this should help to dampen the treble.

 

Anybody heard a Lambda Nova Basic? I've been looking for a Nova Signature with no success, so I decided to snatch up a Nova Basic. On it's way from Japan now.

 

The Lambda normal bias is so close to perfect. The way the mids just spring to life from blackness, amazing clarity and very good soundstage... If it just had a bit more sub-to-mid bass heft and was a bit more relaxed in the 7-10KHz range, it would be pretty much perfect for me.

Wait a minute, that sounds similar to the changes I'd make to an HD800. *lightbulb turns on*

I purchased Sonarworks headphone plugin a while back when I was experimenting with my HD650s. Hadn't used it in a while. Turned it on, changed the preset to HD800 correction, set a tilt of 6dB (bass side tilted up, treble tilted down) and set the Wet to 30. Holy shit, I'm still refining my settings but this sounds incredibly good. I'm probably the only person ridiculous enough to try this setup:

JRMC / Sonarworks HD800 preset -> Wyrd / U12 -> Theta Progeny -> SRM-006t w RCA clear tops -> Lambda Normal Bias w 507 pads

I know this thread is a ghost town but I feel compelled to share these experiences.

 

Time for me to try out some vintage Stax, so the next electrostatic amp I build will have one normal bias output. A (very nice) six-pin teflon jack arrived in the mail yesterday...

 

A question to those who have listened to the L700: How different is the sound compared to the Omegas (I own the 007mk1 and the 009). I suppose the general question is how different are the Lambdas from the Omegas and which amp has better synergies with these two genres?