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Are there speakers after Stax?

I just got a chance to listen to my new Stax SRS-4040
Signature System II, and it blows away any speakers I have ever heard. It has its own dedicated, direct-drive tube amp (006t) and the full-range electrostatic drivers use a diaphram that is actually lighter than air.

The coherency and balance is outstanding, as is the transient response. But the delivery of fine, inner nuances and minute details is simply mind boggling. No speaker I have heard even comes close to what these baby's can deliver -- and this without highlighting any particular segment of the audible frequency spectrum. The bass is ultra quick and smooth, the midrange, beyond compare, and the high frequencies the most delicate and detailed that I have ever heard.

I may find it difficult to go back to speakers after hearing what this system can do. When you don't have to deal with room reflections, bass anomalies, and controlling vibrations/acoustic feedback, not only is there a true performance advantage, but the price/performance ratio is much better.

I know that some 'philes shun cans, but after my session last night, I feel these folks are missing the boat.

In a couple of months I'll be moving out of state and looking to buy new reference speakers for my new home. As fine and detailed as my InnerSound Mk-II speakers were, the Stax SRS-4040 system seems to be an order of magnitude better. I really don't think there are any speakers that can compete at this level, but I'm open to suggestions. Does anyone else feel this way???
plato
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I'm the happy owner of SRM1/SR5 (SS) combo that realy tells simple truth that there is no such speaker as STAX. I can just only imagin what it could soud with the tube drive unit.
audiokinesis
2,734 posts
 
Plato

One of my Sound Lab customers was using full-sized (80" tall by 35" wide) Millennium-1's in a 12-by-12 foot room. At a listening distance of six feet or so, that's almost like listening to a giant pair of electrostatic headphones, isn't it??

Plato, I think the Sound Labs will probably come closer than any speaker to approaching the articulation of the Stax's, because they use the thinnest diaphragm of any electrostat (to the best of my knowledge). That being said, those Stax headphones are unbelieveably articulate.

As far as room size goes, 12 by 12 is a wee bit on the, ah, cozy side - but Sound Labs can work well in an unusually very wide variety of rooms because their voicing is less dependent on fine-tuning the relative contribution of the room's acoustics. This is because they generate a tonally correct reverberant field, which is something of a rarity among loudspeakers, but very common among live, unamplified musical instruments.

Yeah the Sound Labs are pricey, but from time to time I have used/demo models available. Check with me when your piggy bank recovers from the move and (I presume) Stax purchase!

Best wishes,

Duke

PS - By the way, are you the real Plato? If so, I really like something you said a long time ago: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". I try to live by that.
wmcmanus's avatar
wmcmanus
171 posts
 
I've been spending a lot of time with my Stax Omega II system of late (which uses the Stax 007t amp). I find this setup to be significantly better than the 4040 system which I have heard but not owned, especially in terms of it's uber amazing bass extension. The Omega II system is a big jump in cost for the 4040 and perhaps not worth it if you don't do a lot of headphone listening.

Another recommendation, which in some ways sounds even better than Stax, would be the AKG K-1000 earspeakers. These are, quite literally, electrostat speakers hanging from, but not touching, your ears! You want to talk about detail, oh my God! Because they are earspeakers and not really headphones, they throw a soundstage that cannot be touched by any "true" headphone. In fact, they connect to amps like regular speakers do (i.e., not through the headphone jack). Some people have actually added a subwoofer to their K-1000 setup!

The K-1000's retial for $700 but can sometimes be found in the used market for around $400 (although rarely). They're hard to drive so you would need either a good headphone amp (such as an Audio Valve RKV Mk II) or possibly an older receiver. There are many threads about the K-1000's at www.head-fi.org that discuss what amps/receivers do a good job driving them.

Suffice it to say the K-1000's are an experience unto themseves, and will open your eyes, drop your jaw, and make your head shake in disbelief in much the same way your Stax system has done.
plato OP
1,543 posts
 
Duke,

Thanks again for your comments. I'm sure my new audio room will be larger than 12 x 12, or I won't be buying that house. :) I may check in with you once I am settled.

Wmcmanusm, thanks for your information as well. I may go to the Omegas eventually, but as you noted, they are quite expensive. The 4040 system seems to do what I like, so I'll probably enjoy it for a while. If I find someone in my area (central NJ, soon to be Tucson, AZ) who owns the Omegas and/or the 007t, I'll be sure to arrange an audition.

This is the first time I've heard about the AKG-1000. From what I've read so far, they use dynamic drivers, not electrostatic. Also, they are not supposed to sound their best with the stock cable and you need a complete high-end system, from source to amp, to use them. Still, their open-air design that allows interchannel crosstalk (like speakers) is intriguing and I will have to check them out sometime.

Happy Listening!
wmcmanus's avatar
wmcmanus
171 posts
 
Plato, you're absolutely right that the K-1000's use a dynamic design. I've just gone to the AKG website and it says as much - which is all the more reason to be amazed at their lightning quick transient response and detailed resolution - they sure look and sound like electrostats!

The K-1000's are incredibly inefficient and require at least a 10 watt amp to drive them (a lot in headamp terms), so this would jack up the investment cost for you - because unfortunately, Stax amps cannot be used on anything but Stax earspeakers. The K-1000's do best with a beefy tube amp such as the RKV (my choice) or a nOrh SE9 (the amp of choice for many happy head-fi'ers). Also, since they are so revealing, cheap sources need not apply - so I agree that you should ideally mate the K-1000's with an entire system that is in the same general class.

Other factors to consider are that 1) the K-1000's, to most people, are not terribly attractive. OK, they're really wierd looking creatures! and 2) they are totally open in design so the listener can easily be distracted by other noise in the room (and obviously you would distract others around you as well) - just in case that is a factor.

Oh, but do they ever sound so sweet - if I had to keep just one set of cans, these would be the ones!
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