2. headphones
  3. 169629-365

Electrostatic headphone amplifier recommendation

Finding a reasonably priced electrostatic headphone amp is proving harder than I thought.  It seems like everyone likes the blue Hawaii  for my stax 'phones (SR 009) but at $6k!  Yikes!  I'm hearing mixed things about Staxs own amps, that they can be a little noisy.  Looking to spend less than $2500 ( used).  

russellrcncom
chowkwan
167 posts
 

To: russellrcncom

True Blue Hawaii is expensive at $6K but the Stax/Blue Hawaii combo is a bargain compared to Sennheiser Odyssey or HiFiMan Shangri La which are order of magnitude pricier. I have doubts whether they're better sounding. The Stax009s/Blue Hawaii is killer with Stax 009s airier than Stax 009. The 009 is great but the s gets you over the top.

tweak1
3,663 posts
 

this might be a great alternative

https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/lsa-headphones

label19
36 posts
 
Can anyone share their experience with the LSA's? Walter is so skilled at copywriting that I'm simply skeptical. But perhaps it's an excellent deal for the price.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
tonykay
1,301 posts
 

If you are looking for a venue for serious comparison, you'll find it at a hi-end stereo show. Obviously, it may be a while before one actually happens but generally there are most manufacturers of both headphones and driver units. They are worth waiting for if you are planning to make an expensive purchase (even $2500).

More to discover