New Stax headphones and energiser for around $1 000

[Soria Moria]

You can now get a Stax headphone and energiser for only $1 000.
The SR-X1 headphones for $535

NEW! STAX SR-X1 — Stax

NEW RELEASE STAX SR-X1 Earspeakers

staxaudio.com

The SRM-270 energiser

STAX SRM-270 — Stax

NEW RELEASE , ships in 1 week The newly developed SRM-270S driver unit, setting a new benchmark for entry-level electrostatic audio system.

staxaudio.com

Anybody here planning on getting these? I'd be interested to hear your opinions on them!

 

[frix]

heard this at high-end munich.
Not impressed, very thin and sharp sounding
Not sure how much EQ can help here

 

[Soria Moria]

heard this at high-end munich.
Not impressed, very thin and sharp sounding
Not sure how much EQ can help here

How was your listening environment?

 

[frix]

oh they had actually a closed off cabin.

 

[Svperstar]

I've gone full electrostat. I actually have a KGSSHV Carbon in the mail right now. I don't see how this is better then the L500mk2 for starter Stax.

 

[PBSequence]

I listened to them in Munich.

They’re quite different from the lambda series, less bright with a bit more midbass from what I experienced. However, they didn’t seal great on my head, so low-end response will be variable.

I definitely think the L500 is more interesting: the lambda series, despite its tonal flaws, sounds quite different from most other headphones which makes them intriguing.

 

[Soria Moria]

I don't see how this is better then the L500mk2 for starter Stax.

Neither do I until I see measurements. But I'm waiting for that. I do find these better looking at least.

 

[Miiksuli]

Neither do I until I see measurements. But I'm waiting for that. I do find these better looking at least.

Here you go: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/stax-sr-x1-new-entry-model.971680/page-9#post-18151610

They seem decent. Beated the SR-009S.

 

[Miiksuli]

I'm tempted to buy. But it cost almost like 700€ in Finland. It's same price as the new HiveX to buy it overseas. But not sure if it's worth it. What you guys think? Should modding or eq make it better than HiveX? Sajeev has done a good job on the bass, but there is a slight problem with the treble. It's my favor headphone for fps gaming. It's ultra fast and clean and low distortion.

 

[Soria Moria]

I'm tempted to buy. But it cost almost like 700€ in Finland. It's same price as the new HiveX to buy it overseas. But not sure if it's worth it. What you guys think? Should modding or eq make it better than HiveX? Sajeev has done a good job on the bass, but there is a slight problem with the treble. It's my favor headphone for fps gaming. It's ultra fast and clean and low distortion.

View attachment 372917

SR-X1 looks better sounding here.

 

[Miiksuli]

@Soria Moria Yeah 1.5-2 kHz looks better and 6-8 kHz but HiveX got more lower frequencies. You still need to EQ both. Should I pull the tricker?

 

[Soria Moria]

@Soria Moria Yeah 1.5-2 kHz looks better and 6-8 kHz but HiveX got more lower frequencies. You still need to EQ both. Should I pull the tricker?

I'd get the Stax. It looks cool.

 

[Miiksuli]

I'd get the Stax. It looks cool.

I have already HiveX. I could do a comparison. I can always return if I don't like at all.

 

[PBSequence]

I ended up buying a pair. My Stax energizer is sitting on my desk anyways and I thought it'd be nice to have an electrostat that is suitable for more casual daily use (my 404 seems too fragile for that and is odd to wear).

To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the price: in Germany, they come in at 695€, together with the amp they would be well above 1k. Build quality is Stax-typical, they feel extremely cheap due to being lightweight, however construction generally seems reasonably good (metal yokes to hold the cups, plastic feels ok). The lack of headband padding is only a minor issue since they are so lightweight. One problem for people with large ears is going to be the small size of the ear pads, my ears fit just barely, but comfort is ok overall and I get a decent seal even with my glasses on.

As for the sound, my only point of comparison is the 404: they are a bit brighter overall, but the Stax-typical upper-mid bump appears smaller to my ears. Generally they are bright headphones (strong upper treble) but I find them a bit less sharp than the current Lambda series. The bass is similar to the 404 and therefore a bit more pronounced than on the current Lambdas. Hoping to see more measurements in the future because I think they might be one of the more neutral Stax in the current lineup. Subjectively speaking, I always got a weird imaging experience on Lambda earspeakers, the X1 doesn't quite do the same thing.

I think they are quite exciting as entry-level electrostats for those interested in what electrostatic headphones can sound like (not magic, that is for sure).

Obviously, they'd profit from EQ, but I haven't looked into that yet.

 

[Soria Moria]

I ended up buying a pair. My Stax energizer is sitting on my desk anyways and I thought it'd be nice to have an electrostat that is suitable for more casual daily use (my 404 seems too fragile for that and is odd to wear).

To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the price: in Germany, they come in at 695€, together with the amp they would be well above 1k. Build quality is Stax-typical, they feel extremely cheap due to being lightweight, however construction generally seems reasonably good (metal yokes to hold the cups, plastic feels ok). The lack of headband padding is only a minor issue since they are so lightweight. One problem for people with large ears is going to be the small size of the ear pads, my ears fit just barely, but comfort is ok overall and I get a decent seal even with my glasses on.

As for the sound, my only point of comparison is the 404: they are a bit brighter overall, but the Stax-typical upper-mid bump appears smaller to my ears. Generally they are bright headphones (strong upper treble) but I find them a bit less sharp than the current Lambda series. The bass is similar to the 404 and therefore a bit more pronounced than on the current Lambdas. Hoping to see more measurements in the future because I think they might be one of the more neutral Stax in the current lineup. Subjectively speaking, I always got a weird imaging experience on Lambda earspeakers, the X1 doesn't quite do the same thing.

I think they are quite exciting as entry-level electrostats for those interested in what electrostatic headphones can sound like (not magic, that is for sure).

Obviously, they'd profit from EQ, but I haven't looked into that yet.

I'd be curious to hear your results after EQing. I know that after enough boosting electrostatics just crash and burn completely so I'm wondering how far this one can be pushed.

 

[PBSequence]

I'd be curious to hear your results after EQing. I know that after enough boosting electrostatics just crash and burn completely so I'm wondering how far this one can be pushed.

I never had huge issues with EQing my electrostatics, but that may differ from model to model and I admit to not being much of a basshead. I was interested in finding this out though. The X1 sounds good enough in the mids and highs to me, but it needs a bit more low end, and that's all that I've tried so far.

I've added the classic Harman bass shelf at 105Hz and another lower at 52 for subbass compensation to see how far I can push up the bass. It was surprisingly good: the bass was punchy and got low and loud enough to actually make the headphones vibrate slightly. I was able to push it to 15dB over my regular listening volume (which is medium, admittedly), however, the subbass response did still appear slightly deficit, although better than on the 404. I can't get them to have a subbass response like, for example, my modified Fostex T50RP, but it is satisfying enough for me.