Electrostatic headphones require a special amplifier. I was glancing over the hifiman site (for example) and saw that they had both types of headphones. Do both headphone styles have the midrange dip that I have seen when reading about headphones. my hearing already has a dip in that area, so probably don't need headphones adding to that. Not really in the market since this year will be about my main audio system. I was just curious
If it helps i have both MrSpeakers Ether and Stax SR-L300Ltd HPs I can say that especially for the Stax increasing the volume doesn't bring distortion it brings more details and nuances and oddly it doesn't feel louder and for my ears the Stax do not have any mid-range dip .....thats not to say that technically they don't but i don't hear any what follows are not my words but they do some up well what i feel and hear for both these hps The Ether is marketed as “an open-back planar magnetic headphone that delivers exceptional sound quality and effortless comfort that can be enjoyed for hours on end”. The maker’s goals were to create their best sounding, most comfortable, and most attractive headphone to date. What sets Ether apart is its proprietary planar magnetic driver that with help from planar speaker pioneer Bruce Thigpen (Eminent Technology) has undergone “V-Planar surface processing”; a form of knurling to create zig-zag folds similar to those in an accordion. This allows the driver to move linearly as a flat plane instead of an arced surface, it is also said to improve its excursion compliance and acceleration, thus reportedly delivering improved dynamics, extended frequency response and lower distortion. The left and right drivers are hand-matched to +/-1.5dB, and production quality is apparently such that rejections account for a tiny 5%. Ether certainly impresses on paper with a frequency response of 16Hz to 20kHz (+/-3dB). In addition to being 96dB/mW efficient, Ether has been configured as a portable device-friendly 22 Ohm load and is easy to drive with amplifiers that like to deliver current into low impedances. No fewer than six descriptors are required to encapsulate Ether’s sophisticated personality; neutrality, transparency, resolution, speed, separation and spaciousness. Out-of-head is an oft-used phrase when favourably describing a headphone’s ability to render a soundstage with perceivable dimensionality. Plugging Ether in for the first time is more akin to an out-of-body experience, such is the scale of width and depth of soundstage it creates. Instruments float individually in their own distinct planes, distanced like the planets in our solar system, each shimmering with a unique palette of hues in what seems like a galaxy of inky blackness. The space and quietness between notes is just as beguiling as the delivery of the notes themselves. Listening to Ether is indeed quite an ethereal experience. This otherworldly vibe is helped on a practical level by Ether being so comfortable to wear that it is easy to forget you have a sonic contraption on your head. Even extended listening sessions remain free of the slowly building sense of claustrophobia experienced with many other headphones. A welcome lack of microphonics, the occlusive creaks and rustles that afflict all headphones to varying degrees, also contributes to this sense of tranquility. Ether is evidently voiced with tonal neutrality as a priority. It is exceptionally linear with no discernible peaks or dips in the frequency response; a purist’s dream you could say. Its uncoloured tonal palette does not however make it bland to listen to, quite the opposite in fact. No one aspect grabs the limelight. Instead, the entire soundscape is exceptionally well lit in a way that allows all elements to shine with natural clarity. Low frequencies are resolved cleanly with excellent speed and extension. The bass is nuanced and has distinguishable tones and textures that are often disguised as a homogenous ‘thump’ in many other headphones. Mids display slightly more of a light and airy presence rather than a hefty and palpable one, which helps to maintain Ether ’s majestic openness. The human voice, piano, and strings are all suspended sufficiently above the bass registers to avoid instances of smearing. High frequencies are nothing short of scintillating. They are rendered grit-free with surgical precision and are exceptionally detailed, but do not aggress with gratuitous splashiness or etching. The effect of their smooth extension is akin to a well-implemented super-tweeter in a loudspeaker system, in which the treble takes on an airy atmospheric quality that also improves the articulation of the low and middle frequencies. As a result, Ether ’s transient response and micro-dynamics are superb. I was highly impressed by how good Ether sounded through all of the devices I tested. It is however a headphone that scales exceptionally well, and it rewards with increased performance, most notably resolution and soundstaging, each time you improve the quality of your upstream equipment. Likewise, Ether transparently reflects the particular sonic flavour of your gear, however it is not a finicky performer. Each system I paired it with revealed different characteristics, none of which were necessarily undesirable. Through portable Apple devices Ether rewards with an unexpectedly rich and immersive listening experience. I have honestly never heard my lowly iPod sound so good with AAC files! My main stereo setup unsurprisingly revealed a smoother and more refined tonal palette with an expanded soundstage. The biggest differences were however exhibited when Ether was paired with Schiit Audio’s latest Mjolnir 2 balanced hybrid tube headphone amp and Gungnir balanced multi-bit DAC. This combo offered the most open, transparent and resolving presentation. Instrument textures were fleshed out and spatial cues revealed to greater extent than any audio system I have auditioned thus far. MrSpeakers’ Dan Clark speaks highly of the synergy between Ether and this particular Schiit Audio pairing, and with very good reason it seems. Further audible improvements were noted each time a single-ended linkage in the system was replaced with a balanced one. This is perhaps not that surprising, since equipment with an inherently balanced design usually sounds best in this mode of operation. Switching Gungnir’s outputs and Mjolnir 2’s inputs from single-ended to XLR unlocked even more clarity, spaciousness and dynamism in Ether . Similarly, switching Mjolnir 2‘s headphone output from single-ended to XLR yielded an almost equally sizable improvement. So if your system is optimised to run balanced, MrSpeakers’ XLR cable should reveal its full potential. Stax SR-L300 Oh my! What a surprise. I have had a couple of open back headphones in the past and none of them were my cup of tea. They seemed dull and not as exciting as my IEMs. Once I put on those babies, I knew I wanted them. Take note that the energiser seems to have a big impact on the sound, especially the impact of the lows, and the SRM 353x is a superb (although not TOTL) 1,300€ energiser from Stax. The overall signature is detailed. Very, detailed! You WILL notice details that otherwise go unnoticed. I listened to a podcast on these, and man!, I could hear the tongue lolling around in the mouth of the speaker. It also feels absolutely natural, with a linear response throughout and a life-like soundstage. Questionable recordings are the enemy of the Stax. For the first time, I actually questioned some details in the mix "why is this here, this feels out of place". Extension in the lows is great, by my hearing it goes down to 15-20Hz easily. The sub-bass will not shake your head or make your heart flutter but it is present and well integrated in the music. It provides low key instruments with life and authenticity and the mids with weight. However, it has ultra-low decay and is incredibly detailed and fast with NO bleeding into other regions whatsoever. Midbass slam is present but again, not world-rocking levels. Just right, is what I'd say, and for the reviews surprisingly accurate and hefty. Treble extension is incredible. Highs go up way higher than my hearing and are lightning fast. The amount of detail is just incredible. Songs like Pink Floyd - Time actually make your ears tingle with excitement.Yes, the highs are high and energetic. But they are not harsh or etched. Just smooth and effortless. The mids are weighty and lifelike. Vocals are realistic and intimate. The soundstage is not tremendously wide, but very realistic and IEM-level intimate. Positioning is accurate and an excellent sense of space is provided. I have yet to throw a genre at it, which did not suit the L300 LTD. Well hoping this gets the thread off to a decent start and helps a little in your quest
So buy both? Excellent reviews. Thank you. From what I read the Stax (electrostatic) would be the more detailed of the 2?
I can’t compare as I only use the Stax but they are incredibly detailed and revealing. They seem very natural sounding as well.
I only have Stax so can't offer any real insight other than I've had them since the 1980s. Other headphones come and go, the Stax stay.
I had the HiFiMan Sundara and now the Arya Stealth. I don’t really hear any midrange dip. The Arya sounds good. Am very pleased with it.
Whether a planar magnetic or electrostatic headphone has a midrange dip or recessed midrange depends on the tuning of the particular headphone model, not the technology. You can find planar magnetic headphones with and without a recessed midrange. You can find electrostatic headphones with and without a recessed midrange. There are fewer choices in electrostatic headphones. Your choices will be more limited and the electrostatic headphone with the tuning you want may or may not exist. There are many many more choices for planar dynamic headphones with a wide variety of tunings. The high-end planar magnetic headphones are now approaching or matching the detail style and presentation of electrostatic headphones. Thinner and lighter driver membrane and better magnets and better design has narrowed the performance and detail gap between planar magnetic and electrostatic. Back in the old days your choices for electrostatic headphones would be Stax or Stax or Sennheiser (Orpheus or baby Orpheus). Now there are more choices for electrostatic headphones. Stax is still the dominant player. But now we have HiFiMan, Audeze, Dan Clark Audio, Sonoma, and others. Compared to the old days we now have a wealth of choices for electrostatic headphones. But still not that many. Electrostatic headphone systems are also expensive. The good amps are expensive. The good headphones are expensive. Good amps that I like are over $3K. Good electrostatic headphones are $3K to $5K or even more. It's expensive. HeadAmp has a good selection of the current electrostatic headphone options to give you an idea of what's out there in the electrostatic world: Electrostatic Headphones Another electrostatic option would be the Warwick Sonoma. Their entry level system is only $5K. Comes with amp/dac and headphones. The tuning is flat for mastering and recording work. No midrange dip. Warwick Acoustics Sonoma M1: Sonoma M1 Electrostatic Headphones + DAC
Yes your right it’s detailed but never bright and unless the recording streamed or cd or record has sibilance then these have never strayed into it .. nor have they a tinny sound as the review said if the source is good then these are too .. and details are heard I have a cd of Sinatra on stage in Japan and I can hear him flick the Mike cable out as he walks about the stage now it only a brief moment or two but man it brought the whole thing so much more to life for me the stax get me to close my eyes and feel right there with the artist performance.. I know your focus this year is the main system but in time and when budget allows i’d highly recommend exploring some stax hps
like most of my kit it’s been acquired over time with the Ethers being older than the Stax .. I keep and use the Ethers more for casual listening now as they plug into any HP amp or indeed are currently doing duty with a Marantz OSE 6000 Ki CDP that I use when working at times .. I’ve found the Stax addictive for very pleasurable more concentrated listening sessions and they need and have their own special amp wether to buy both has to be your call as you can see they are both keepers for me and the Stax replaced the Ethers in pecking order
My Stax SR5/SRD6 combo is the oldest audio component I have. Circa 1980 as a birthday gift. They are in amazing shape and work just fine. Not a lot of bass but the sound becomes addicting when they get warmed up. These are the old 6 pin connectors.
Cool rig and yes …..no Stax are ‘Beats’ HPs that many teens seem addicted to as they are tuned for bass hence the name I guess but I’d not swap for all the tea in china
There is a headphone measurement database here: In-Ear Fidelity – Headphone Graph Database With graphs for different headphones. Including many planar magnetic headphones and electrostatics. You can look at the graphs to get an idea if a headphone may have a midrange dip or may not. But keep in mind that there is more to headphone performance than just the frequency response graphs. There's also distortions and phase and things that won't show up in any measurements. Two headphones with very similar frequency response graphs can sound very different. Here's a graph for the HiFiMan Arya Stealth planar magnetic: Hifiman Arya Stealth – In-Ear Fidelity No midrange dip. Here's the Sonoma Model One electrostatic: Warwick Acoustics Sonoma Model One (M1) – In-Ear Fidelity No midrange dip. Here's the Audeze LCD-x planar magnetic: Audeze LCD-X – In-Ear Fidelity There's some midrange dip which is common to many of the Audeze headphones Here's the Audeze LCD-5 planar magnetic: Audeze LCD-5 – In-Ear Fidelity No midrange dip, but it's $4,500 Here's the Stax SR-L700 electrostatic: Stax SR-L700 – In-Ear Fidelity No midrange dip Here's the Stax SR-007 electrostatic: Stax SR-007 – In-Ear Fidelity A bit of a dip or recess
If you want to know what's going on with your rig/turntable/cart, Stax will tell you! Nothing to hide!
$3000 Stax 700 headphones and tube amp. Site unseen of course. This would only be after I had my listening room fully setup. Probably a few years. who knows what my opinion will be then (or cost)
I have Stax SR-009S headphones—I don’t think you can beat Stax’s transparency and details. I don’t notice any midrange dip. The entire frequency range sounds very natural and realistic.
The SRD-6 is an adapter between a virtually any normal stereo amplifier and one of the older non-professional bias Stax headphones (230V bias - compared with the more modern professional bias voltage of 580V).
Don't discount the electrostatic bargain of the Koss ESP-950. At $999 including energizer and leather carrying case ESP950 I haven't heard them by the way, but if you can find a pair to audition it would be interesting to find out what they sound like.
It may be better to consider the Warwick Bravura now, as it overcomes some of the minor criticisms of the Model One: Warwick Acoustics Bravura M1 Headphone System - The Absolute Sound As a Model One owner, I can attest to its sonic neutrality.
Neat! I didn't know about the new Bravura. So the Bravura is a new headphone. Is the system still using the same energizer/DAC?
