So which are the good models ? Are there any ?
If even the SR-404 model has a rather nasty midrange ?
Why does the much cheaper SR40 sound better than the lambda pro ?
Is it the driver or the implementation ?
I believe that one of the problems is the plastik cabinet on the back of the driver at a greater distance.
It gives interferences.
On the SR40 it is very close, so the interferences occur at a much higher frequency.
If even the SR-404 model has a rather nasty midrange ?
Why does the much cheaper SR40 sound better than the lambda pro ?
Is it the driver or the implementation ?
I believe that one of the problems is the plastik cabinet on the back of the driver at a greater distance.
It gives interferences.
On the SR40 it is very close, so the interferences occur at a much higher frequency.
The original SR-Lambda, Lambda Signature, Lambda Spirit (Pro Classic in Europe) and the Nova series are all excellent and the same goes for the very rare Airbow SR-SC1. The newest series is a bit of a step back as while they do many things well, they overlay a certain texture on everything which I can't stand. The same can be said about the new SR-007 Mk2 but I found a way to bypass most of the damage Stax did to the sublime SR-007 Mk1.
The electret models do sound quite nice and their faults are minor compared to many headphones out there. You may well prefer the slightly thicker sound of the electrets so something like a SR-5NB or even the older SR-3 would be a better match to your tastes. Just because they are low bias, doesn't make them bad by any means. Even the original Stax, SR-1, is stunning even by todays standards even if it turns 50 this year.
The plastic housing isn't doing the Lambda drivers any favors but I've never bothered to have something better made. I must admit that I'm more focused on getting better amps since that's the real limitation.
The electret models do sound quite nice and their faults are minor compared to many headphones out there. You may well prefer the slightly thicker sound of the electrets so something like a SR-5NB or even the older SR-3 would be a better match to your tastes. Just because they are low bias, doesn't make them bad by any means. Even the original Stax, SR-1, is stunning even by todays standards even if it turns 50 this year.
The plastic housing isn't doing the Lambda drivers any favors but I've never bothered to have something better made. I must admit that I'm more focused on getting better amps since that's the real limitation.
spritzer said:
Yes, the SR40 is a bit thick and dark, just the opposite of the lambda, but I find it more pleasant.
Out of curiosity I tried a few things, among them, I attached breadboards ( the circuit boards with the little holes ) to the original grills ( I cut out every second bar already ) and it sounds much better, more mids and less peaky highs.
That is what the SR40 has got, a plate with small holes.
I think I will try different speaker grills with different hole sizes.
Do you know any tweaks to the SRM1 ?
Maybe bypassing the PSU lytics with film caps ?
I had a pair of homebrew 4'x1' panels a while back. The outside of the perforated steel was coated well but the insides were not. Anyway, late one night I was listening and saw a small daddy long leg crawl up the speakers and walk out on the panels. Within a few inches it simply poofed into smoke. Amazingly instantaneous, near silent, complete destruction of that poor thing. It was late, I had a few beers in me, and I was 6 feet away, but I'll never forget it.
Just fyi.
Just fyi.
Tosh said:
Touching the stators of an ESL can be very dangerous, especially when you are playing music. Most of the ESL speakers are made of painted or coated perforated metal. If the paint doesn't do a good job of insulation, you are about to touch something with very high voltage. Please be very careful.
spritzer said:
So again, a lambda pro signature won't have the peaky highs and the hole in the midrange ?
I start to read through the monster threads at head-fi and it seems there are contrary opinions about the lambda pro.
Anyway, I have found a trick to tame the highs of the lambda pro and I like the sound now.
I will report after some fine tuning.
Do the latest models still have too bright highs ???
There is a certain inherent brightness to the Lambda design but it does vary from model to model. The Lambda Signature is often said to be bright but some of it is due to it being under amped. The 1um diaphragm isn't as stable as those that are thicker so you need more voltage to keep it in line... well that's the theory at least. I did have great results with my old Blue Hawaii amp (now sold and I'm waiting on a Headamp BHSE now) where the "etch" in the top end all but disappeared while being present on amps like the SRM-T1.
The new models have a rather nasty upper midrange peek which overshadows all the good aspects of the phones. I'm afraid that only rebuilding the drivers from scratch will fix it so I've ordered some 1.4um mylar to do just that. I still need to find a beat up donor set to experiment with as the chance of failure is quite high.
As for the monster threads, you have me to blame for that to some extent. 10%+ of the posts are mine...
The new models have a rather nasty upper midrange peek which overshadows all the good aspects of the phones. I'm afraid that only rebuilding the drivers from scratch will fix it so I've ordered some 1.4um mylar to do just that. I still need to find a beat up donor set to experiment with as the chance of failure is quite high.
As for the monster threads, you have me to blame for that to some extent. 10%+ of the posts are mine...
Okay , here is the tweak that removes the peaky highs from the Lambda Pro:
You need a self adhesive plastic tape, the kind that is used for isolation is good, 17mm x 45mm.
Take a sheet of 2mm foam, the kind that is used in front of the drivers of headphones, cut out a piece that fits in front of the driver but is a bit larger so that it will be fixed by the ear pad.
Attach the tape in the middle of the foam, following its shape so that it looks like it is a oval ring radiator.
Put the foam in front of the driver with the tape towards the driver.
No need to disassemble the headphone.
Together with the SRM1 mkII pro amp it sounds very good now.
Please report back here if you try it.
I have another tweak, later...
You need a self adhesive plastic tape, the kind that is used for isolation is good, 17mm x 45mm.
Take a sheet of 2mm foam, the kind that is used in front of the drivers of headphones, cut out a piece that fits in front of the driver but is a bit larger so that it will be fixed by the ear pad.
Attach the tape in the middle of the foam, following its shape so that it looks like it is a oval ring radiator.
Put the foam in front of the driver with the tape towards the driver.
No need to disassemble the headphone.
Together with the SRM1 mkII pro amp it sounds very good now.
Please report back here if you try it.
I have another tweak, later...
I should have a Lambda Pro in a drawer somewhere (lacking an arc) so I'll have to try that one day. I do concur that damping the front of the Lambda drivers is the way to go since you can only go so far damping the back. FYI here is a picture of a SR-404 I modded:
The blue and white material you can see in the right hand corner, inside the earpads, is a type of fiber paper which serves as the inner damping layer. I used two layers which fit neatly in the pocket on these new earpads. The bright blue stuff is synthetic felt. Next project will be the brand new 30th Anniversary Limited Edition SR-404 of which Stax will only make 1000 numbered units.
The blue and white material you can see in the right hand corner, inside the earpads, is a type of fiber paper which serves as the inner damping layer. I used two layers which fit neatly in the pocket on these new earpads. The bright blue stuff is synthetic felt. Next project will be the brand new 30th Anniversary Limited Edition SR-404 of which Stax will only make 1000 numbered units.
spritzer said:I should have a Lambda Pro in a drawer somewhere (lacking an arc) so I'll have to try that one day. I do concur that damping the front of the Lambda drivers is the way to go since you can only go so far damping the back. FYI here is a picture of a SR-404 I modded:
The blue and white material you can see in the right hand corner, inside the earpads, is a type of fiber paper which serves as the inner damping layer. I used two layers which fit neatly in the pocket on these new earpads. The bright blue stuff is synthetic felt. Next project will be the brand new 30th Anniversary Limited Edition SR-404 of which Stax will only make 1000 numbered units.
On the backside I have only loose silk for damping and thin foam sheets for dust blocking, every second plastic bar is removed on the housing to reduce reflections.
Try a strip of plastic tape on your blue/white sheets...
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