stax earphone,why no one speak about?

[gian60]

I always had my listening room but i always had an earphone electrostatic system since 1978
In 1978 my father bought to me KOSS ESP9,then in future i had Stax Lambda,Jecklin Float,Stax Omega and now Stax 009

I listen in summer when was too hot with my tube amp,when i have few time and when i am tired to on all the system.

I find strange all the people i knew here no one never speak about Stax

You have to try to listen the 009 or the new 009S will come next month,with a dedicated amp,Stax amp are not very good,could be no bad the new 8000, and the best are the American
WOO Audio WES,Headamp Blue Hawai,from Iceland the KGSS Carbon CC and from italy Megahertz Guerra and the new Viva STX

Here is my system,
WADIA S7I
Megahertz Guerra
Stax 009
KURO cable and distributor

 

[Kefas]

Looks very good indeed.
I will listen to a pair first chance I get.
Thanks for posting.

 

[cjfrbw]

I listen to my Stax system all the time in Santa Cruz. I had a busted up pair of Stax SR507 with perforated mylar. I replaced the mylar myself and repaired the headband. The new mylar works best with "normal" rather than "pro" output. I operate it with an upgraded transformer coupler and run it with either Wavac, VFET or currently First Watt M2 amps.

It's turned out to be the best Stax I have heard, including 007 and 009 at shows. 007 a little syrupy, 009 too dry and bass light. I can't understand how my home brew mylar sounds better than the commercial Stax, but I am not complaining.

There have been discussions about Stax and high end headphones around here in the past, but this is not really much of a headphone site.

 

[Simon Moon]

Good subject.

I used to own a pair of Koss ESP9. I haven't heard them for years, but I would bet they are still as accurate as many top of the line, big $$ current headphones. Problem was, they were as uncomfortable as hell.

I also had a pair of Stax SR-404. Not as ultimately accurate as the Koss, but more pleasant to listen to.

I currently do not own any headphones. I would much rather listen to the full system. As great as headphones are, I miss the visceral impact of speakers/subs.

 

[LL21]

Gian60 - you always have great equipment!!!!! I am not surprised by your adventures in headphone audio!

I think Astrostar has/had the Stax 009s and loved them...I think he might have moved to another set of headphones only very recently...but had the 009s for many years i believe?

I have read great things about Woo and Blue Heaven (also your Kuro cable)...would love to try! Personally, i am loving the Sennheiser 650 when i am not listening to the main rig. Actually, i am reading with great interest about the Sennheiser 820 because it is basically the same headphone (but higher level)...but they enclosed the outer frame with glass to make it essentially a closed-back phone so no one can hear the music.

I am wondering if there is something DIY i can do to the 650s to mimic the same and at least lower the leakage that comes out of the headphone.

 

[Kefas]

can you desribe the stax compared to i.e. sennheiser 800 or 600

 

[Syntax]

Years ago I had the full Stax Premium units - Tube amp, the rare ED1 unit,most expensive headphones, their special recorded CD's...- but when I am honest, I was never able to follow the Hype. After a few years without I bought a CD Player for short time listening and thought, it would be a nice idea to lock it with a Stax unit. Bought one again. But, the amp is really nothing special, it is ok but not more. Mine is highly modified and I can live with it now. Thought about getting 009s but the more I think about, the more I loose interest. A bit better but after all the years... I think, the Stax people can't build a superior amp

When you are a Headphone fanatic, check out Musicman

 

[cjfrbw]

If you use Stax headphones with a high quality transformer box and "regular" high power amplifier, the sound has more vibrancy, body and bass without losing the detail.

I heard Stax 009 a couple of times at audio shows with R to R tapes 15ips and Blue Hawaii. It was very detailed, but anorexic and a bit tizzy with pale bass. I did not really care for it. Stax 007 with highly regarded 300b amp, not so hot sounding either, too slow for a stat earphone.

I think the only Stax amp that was ever really decent was the finicky, prone to failure hybrid T2, which ran hot but put out prodigious voltage swings. The standard tubed units are OK, but not that great, either.

The trick with Stax is getting the detail and speed without losing the body, tone, or bass so it can be a bit of a dance.

However, nothing hangs a sound image in space through headphones like a good Stax rig.

 

[gian60]

Yes,T2 seems the best amp,but you have to listen the 009 with mosfet amp KGSS Carbon CC,bass very deep,very detailed mid and high but natural and with big power,could be the best choice today
Will listen in future the new Viva STX

 

[mulveling]

Most people will need a KGST (cheaper) or Blue Hawaii SE (expensive) to really enjoy the 009 - both are powerful tube amps, which pairs very well with this particular headphone. At the BHSE level, I prefer the 009 to any other headphone I've ever heard (I still own and love this setup). The 007 is the hardest Stax to drive; it hits its stride only with a powerful SS amp like the KGSShv Carbon. Both the 007 and 009 demand top-class amplification, which sadly the Stax-made amps (and most other manufacturers, for that matter) can't come close to providing. The Lambda series headphones are quite good and much easier to drive; this makes them a good choice for budget minded and starter Stax systems - however the Lambda models over the years seem to be very hit or miss. Research an agreed upon "good" model if you want to go this route. I own and really adore the L700 from the current line, and though I haven't heard the L500 and L300, they've been garnering good ratings too.

And I love the Sennheiser HD600/HD650 series (I've been into headphones for 15 years and this line was my start), but they and the HD800 aren't on the same level of performance as a good Stax setup. And for the seekers of the ultimate - KG DIY T2 with 009 or Sennheiser Orpheus is the best headphone setup I've heard, by no small amount. There is no way a Carbon will match it. You just have to hear it to believe it. I have a local friend with this gear. The Orpheus sounds much more spectacular on this T2 than with its matching amp or even a Headamp Aristaeus.

 

[dctom]

yeah I had a set of SR-007 and SRM-007t valve energizer. I found them very detailed but rather involving not much bottom end. Seems you needed to use a different amp to get the best out of them.
I built a modded pair of Denon d5000s as described on head-fi. Found these much more satisfying to listen to, probably slightly less detail, fuller richer sound with much better bass.

 

[gian60]

The sr 007 is very very good but is too hard to drive.
stax amp cannot drive,In Italy or sell or change amp but difficult is to find an amp that drive well 007

 

[Stacore]

I find strange all the people i knew here no one never speak about Stax

Cause everyone who has them is busy listening, Gian
I own O2MkI, Sigma, and Lambda Pro
I mainly use O2MkI+SRM717 but recently started thinking of upgrading the amp to Blue Hawaii.

Cheers,

 

[mulveling]

Yes, 007 Mk I is hardest to drive by far. My first few Stax experiences were years ago; I heard the 007 Mk I (there was no Mk II back then) driven by an old Headamp KGSS, which is predecessor to the KGSShv and then KGSShv Carbon. The KGSS system sounded dynamically flat and un-involving, especially compared to an ATH-L3000. Unfortunately this experience kept me away from Stax for years. It turns out that the old KGSS is only just slightly better than the Stax-made amps, which explains why it fell flat. These headphones take a BIG jump with the KGSShv (this is where it actually starts to sound dynamic), and then another sizable one going from KGSShv to Blue Hawaii SE or KGSShv Carbon. Then there's that one final performance jump with a KG T2, where the big three (007, 009, he90) actually start to sound much more alike than different (each driven to their ultimate capacities).

That's why I recommend Lambdas until you can get to the KGST / KGSShv amp level.

 

[Stacore]

Mulveling, I use the modest SRM717 and never actually heard any KGSS or BH. But wouldnt say my setup is dynamically flat. I guess the source matters here too not only the amp.
Any link to the KG's incarnation of T2?

BTW my ambittious plan is to make one day my own design monster amp with PP2A3 with lots of swing, 2-stage minimalistic DC coupled path, huge PS etc.
Most parts are there.

Cheers,