The Headcase Stax thread

[SeaWolf]

So I guess this means that like their quest to better the T2, their development of a new flagship headphone has been a failure.

[keithpgdrb]

19 hours ago, spritzer said:

The 404LE's are leather and the older shape used on the prototype Lambdas.  The 404 uses the same fake leather stuff as the LNS back in the day and the same shape as all the Lambdas used. 

I meant how are the pads on the 404LE and the airbow sc1 different.  I'm assuming the 404le pads are unattainable as well. 

[Dusty Chalk]

On 1/14/2018 at 1:42 PM, Kattefjaes said:

Ah, this is why daft questions are almost inevitable- there are many variants, and a plethora of arcane knowledge needed to navigate them.

Modified and QFT.

[spritzer]

6 hours ago, SeaWolf said:

So I guess this means that like their quest to better the T2, their development of a new flagship headphone has been a failure.

Did you miss out on the glorious T8000?  No...?    I'm sure they will release something else as this seems more of a cash-grab for me. 

4 hours ago, keithpgdrb said:

I meant how are the pads on the 404LE and the airbow sc1 different.  I'm assuming the 404le pads are unattainable as well. 

The 404LE uses the same pads as the SR-507 so they are still stocked.  The SC-1 is exactly the same as a regular SR-404 in every way to the older Signature pads would be what they shipped with.  The current brown pads are a bit different but they are all that's stocked now. 

[Kattefjaes]

3 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Modified and QFT.

This is why the world needs an evil hive mind AI, to which we can ask questions like "does SR-507 or SR-L500 sound "better"? what are the differences?" - because answering that stuff all the time must be tiring.

(Actually, what would the peanut gallery choose between those two and why? I am having itchy upgradeitis, sadly. The slightly thin bass and upper-mid shout of the 303 is EQable to a degree, but that limits my source options.)

 

[spritzer]

I hate the 507's and wish them death and destruction...  the L500 I don't mind so much. 

[wink]

How about we take up a group action by contacting Stax and requesting that all new earspeakers need to be shipped to Birger for his recommendation before release.

Or, even a "Spritzer Signature" range for the uber connoisseur of "supurb sound by Stax"..........

[Kattefjaes]

19 minutes ago, spritzer said:

I hate the 507's and wish them death and destruction...  the L500 I don't mind so much. 

Because they hurt your.. amply-proportioned cranium, or due to the sound sig?

[spritzer]

1 hour ago, wink said:

How about we take up a group action by contacting Stax and requesting that all new earspeakers need to be shipped to Birger for his recommendation before release.

Or, even a "Spritzer Signature" range for the uber connoisseur of "supurb sound by Stax"..........

Too funny...

1 hour ago, Kattefjaes said:

Because they hurt your.. amply-proportioned cranium, or due to the sound sig?

The fit is just fine bu the sound signature is just vile.  Basically, they are really really bright and forward.  If you go while back in this thread you can read where I bought a set of 4070's from Japan and they sounded horrible.  Turns out the drivers had been replaced with 507 units so...yeah.  I was quick to find a set of 404's to rip the drivers out of. 

[Kattefjaes]

Yeah, I have been wading back through the thread, but there's a lot of it, and I'm a bear of very little brain. After a while, the plot might have been lost. Possibly.

I did come across posts where people were enthusing about the 507, but clearly didn't get to the bit where you found them to be eartweeters. That's no good- not a fan of glare. Neutral is fine/ideal. I have a secret fondness for a bit of warmth, but will deny that if captured.

Once I have a better idea of folks' sonic preferences, it will make it easier to unpack why they love or hate specific signatures. Meanwhile, apologies for the dumbass questions- trying to keep them to a minimum.

[Pars]

There’s the cash grab Stax should go for... a “Spritzer Signature” line


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spritzer]

This is a good idea.  Shame Stax dislike me so much as I'm the worst fanboy ever... 

 

8 hours ago, Kattefjaes said:

Yeah, I have been wading back through the thread, but there's a lot of it, and I'm a bear of very little brain. After a while, the plot might have been lost. Possibly.

I did come across posts where people were enthusing about the 507, but clearly didn't get to the bit where you found them to be eartweeters. That's no good- not a fan of glare. Neutral is fine/ideal. I have a secret fondness for a bit of warmth, but will deny that if captured.

Once I have a better idea of folks' sonic preferences, it will make it easier to unpack why they love or hate specific signatures. Meanwhile, apologies for the dumbass questions- trying to keep them to a minimum.

I got one of the first 507's (way back in 2012 I think) and hated them from day one. 

[wink]

If the term "Spritzer Signature" doesn't float their boat, how about "Gilmore Gold Grade"....?    What's not to like...?  

[SeaWolf]

I'll just leave this here

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/electrostatic-headphones-perun.837230/

[spritzer]

Yeah...these.  According to some they are the second coming but any discussion about them is banned on some of the largest forums in Russia so probably plenty of shilling going on.  To me they look like a bad DIY project...

[SeaWolf]

Well they are wood and what looks like coat hanger so that will have the hipster crowed locked up. It also looks like he has a diy stats amp/stand made of wood. 

[spritzer]

The amp is a real glorious piece of shit.  So of all the amps out there that they could "borrow" they picked... drumroll....the Koss E/90!!! 

[SeaWolf]

Speaking of diy headphones-ish spritzer, you still recommending blutack for port mod?

[DefQon]

1 hour ago, SeaWolf said:

Well they are wood and what looks like coat hanger so that will have the hipster crowed locked up. It also looks like he has a diy stats amp/stand made of wood. 

Looks like they just copied what Wachara did when he made his Omega and HE90 clones years ago.

Smells like they will be a piece of shit and suffer some driver problems as they look very cheap and DIY'ish.

[JimL]

3 hours ago, spritzer said:

The amp is a real glorious piece of shit.  So of all the amps out there that they could "borrow" they picked... drumroll....the Koss E/90!!! 

Probably because it's the cheapest amp around.

[zolkis]

Looks like e-stats are getting new and new competition. Not bad per se. Of course a lot of sub-optimal designs may come out first, especially long-term durability may be an issue. The question - as always - is not as much how good they are now, but how fast will they improve (well, change).

For instance, Phenomenon made a rather big jump in quality between membrane v2 (that AFAIK only Spritzer and I had) and v3 (I don't know who else than me has it).  The v3 measures almost exactly as the 009 except in the upper mids/treble where it's smoother and sounds even better.  Compared to v2, there is more bass impact and more relaxed sound. However, the designer hasn't stopped and has bold plans on what to do next. Looks like a complete driver redesign every few months or a year, while even v2 was very good (with different than stock pads). Quality of execution may not be as high as Stax, but there seems to be a lot of competence in chemistry and physics. Don't underestimate things for granted. Of course, also don't take things for granted. Nobody knows yet how durable these new products will be. 

I don't know anything about Perun,  but I might be interested 2-3 iterations later... at least they compare it to the 009. Well, one area where the 009 is hard to catch is sensitivity: they sound much louder than MrSpeakers or Phenomenon.

Even more so, I'd be interested in commercial headphones Wachara would make...

Also, it would be nice to see a new Stax Omega range... not even a rumour out there?

[chinsettawong]

As much as I love making electrostatic headphones, I don't think that I will ever make them for money.  I'm just too busy with my work, and I really prefer sharing my knowledge and encouraging people to try to build them by themselves.  I am willing to share everything of my design with everyone.  Just let me know if you're interested to build.

By the way, making a pair of good sounding electrostatic headphones isn't that difficult, but to make them as efficient as Stax headphones is not so easy.  Until MrSpeakers and Phenomenon can make their phones to sound as loud as Stax, I would say that they still have a lot to learn.

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by chinsettawong

[jose]

Guys, I need advice.

Yesterday I got a SR507, physically they are in very good condition, they have a box and the correct documentation although they are used. When I connected them, the right channel is almost not heard.

I have read that it is a recurring problem in some models but I don´t know if it has a solution or why it should be. What I can do? Do I return them to the seller? 

 

I'm a bit frustrated 

[alcofribas]

8 hours ago, zolkis said:

 

Quote

Also, it would be nice to see a new Stax Omega range... not even a rumour out there?

What about a new take on the Sigma, for the aural claustrophobes among us?

 

[spritzer]

2 hours ago, jose said:

Guys, I need advice.

Yesterday I got a SR507, physically they are in very good condition, they have a box and the correct documentation although they are used. When I connected them, the right channel is almost not heard.

I have read that it is a recurring problem in some models but I don´t know if it has a solution or why it should be. What I can do? Do I return them to the seller? 

 

I'm a bit frustrated 

Could be static buildup due to shipping.  That has happened a few times for me and it should clear up.  Could also be something wrong with the driver...hard to tell.