Headphones - Electrostatic vs Dynamic

Has anyone done a recent listening comparison between something like a pair of mid range Stax and a top end dynamic like HD600s?
If so, what kind of result did you get?

I did a test a long time ago of a pair of Stax Lambda Pros against older HD535 refs, and the Stax stuffed them at the time.
I did wonder whether it would still be the same now.

 

Michael,

if you like Stax, no dynamic phone will offer you those qualities.

That's not to say they are worse, just a different listening experience.

 

my Stax Lambda Nova Basics stuffed my HD580s, which have the same drive units as the HD600s but without some of the treble airiness afaik.

the Staxs simply are gorgeous sounding headphones. If you want to hear what the studio engineer heard, simply just buy a set. Even the basic 2020 models are fantastic.

 

Until recently I owned a pair Of Sennheiser HE60/HEV70 phones, they were a rare electrostatic phone with a dedicated class A solid state amplifier, came out about 10 years ago.

When I bought them I much preferred them to the equivalent priced Stax set (about £900) as the Stax sounded very dull and closed by comparison IMHO. The Senn E'statics did me great service - but wanting as ever to try new things I eventually came across the Sennheiser 600s and Sugden Headmaster a few months ago. That combo has a bit more solidity to the image, e'static headphones can sound a bit too airy-fairy at times. I don't think any other headphones apart form the top of the range Sennheisers or Grados could hope to match e'statics and then only with a very good dedicated amplifier.



Only way to find out is try it yourself..... I haven't tried a pair of Stax's for quite a long time now.

 

I have Stax Lambda Nova Signatures with valve energiser, Sennheiser HD600s, and Grado SR125s.

The Stax are easily the best phones I've ever heard. About £500 secondhand, expensive but certainly worth it.

-- Ian

 

Can you use (do you need) a headphone amp with Stax phones (or other electrostatics)?

If I got a headphone setup, which I'm seriously thinking about, I'd want to run it straight off the RCA outputs from my DAC64 so I'd have to have some kind of head amp with a volume control in between. Other alternative is to run them off the RCA output from my passive pre (the RCA and XLR outputs are switchable but you can't use them at the same time).

Michael.

 

Try the AKG K1000

They are dynamic 'phones but they are more detailed than Stax and better soundstage too. Not quite as smooth but you can change the amp so the sound can be tailored. I used mine with a Cayin A-88T valve amp. Oh they use a proper stereo power amp, not a headphone amp.

I sold mine off to fund towards speakers, but I have not heard any better headphones. They may look mad but just listen too them!

I have a picture somewhere…

 

Stax phones come with an energiser (i.e., an amp), which also has RCA outputs, so you can put the energiser in the tape loop of an amp and then connect anything you would normally have on the tape out to the output, so you don't lose the use of the tape out for recording purposes. There's a variety of amps in the range, you can mix and match amps and headphones if you like. The top of the range energiser has two or three inputs and will also work as a passive pre. The valve energisers like the one I have have both RCA and XLR inputs.

-- Ian

 

Thanks Ian, presumably, these "energisers" have a volume control aswell?

Michael.

 

Yes, and a balance control too. They're just amps, really, but Stax don't seem to like that term for some reason.

http://www.stax.co.jp/

-- Ian

 

No two ways about it, the Stax headphones are superior to the Sennheisers - but they cost more and have a less than awe-inspiring external construction.

 

now I remember it, that was one the biggest factors that made me choose the SennHeiser E'statics over the Stax.... with the Stax, any head movement while listening, or any movement that made the cable move against something caused horrible agravating noise straight into the ears. And the headband creaked too if you moved. The Sennheisers (including the modern dynamic ones) are totally silent.
Again, its a long time since I tried Stax so maybe this has improved since then.

 

Last year I was the happy owner of both the Stax Omega 11 / 007t and Sennheiser HD600 with Headroom Max amp.

For me the difference was night and day - well put simply, I wanted to listen on the Stax, I was often forced to listen on the Sennheisers.

 

I own both. The Stax (SR-303 in my case) can occasionally sound thin and strident in the upper midrange. OTOH the sound is very detailed, airy and effortless. Contrary to what is often claimed, they usually sound very good with rock music.

In comparison the HD600s sound slightly too thick and bassy (to my ears, that is). The Senns are very nice and relaxing phones indeed, but the faults of the Stax do not bother me as much as the faults of the Senns.

My general impression is that with Stax I am hearing the recordings more like they were intended to be heard. The Senns have a tendency to make everything sound 'nice'.


Regards,

L.

 

noise containment is a big issue for me, one of the reasons i chose the DT100s, so looking at those Stax, however great they may sound, they fall short of my needs

might have a buyer lined up for my speakers, if it goes ahead (he's a friend so i've no problems waiting) soon i shal be making a few advances into the world of head-fi

 

I won't comment sonically as I think I may have heard a duff pair, but the 'earspeakers' of cheapest of the Stax, the 2020 Basic System, do feel rather cheap and plasticy construction wise, and can creek a bit if you more your head, which could be annoying. I wouldn't recommend buying a pair without seeing them, as for a £400 setup you may be disapointed with this side of things otherwise.

 

Have to agree, build quaity of STAX is crap.

 

Have to disagree. Before purchasing a pair I was afraid of their reputed 'creakiness', but so far this has not been a problem at all. They are actually much more solid than their looks suggest. The pleather earpads do get sweaty occasionally, however. And they look funny, to put it mildly.


Regards,

L.

 

If you want a good closed phone, you should REALLY check out the Sony MDR-CD3000. It really is a remarkable headphone, and I only really got rid of mine because they were just too good for the rest of my system, and I couldnt really afford to give them what they deserved.

 

I suppose the ultimate closed headphones would be the Sony R10 - The big brother of the CD3000.

I found a nice review of the Sony R10 vs. AKG K1000.

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/printthread.php?t=69761

As he said in the review the K1000 was not used with a tube amp which really does make them a lot more balanced sounding.