List of vintage electrostatic headphones?

[Racket Scientist]

I'm thinking I'd like to track down some vintage electrostatic headphones to rebuild. I'd like to have a list of high quality phones to put on my Ebay shopping list. What I'd like to achieve is something approaching Stax quality on the cheap. Anybody got a list you can offer, or other advice? Thanks.

[chinsettawong]

I'm not sure about the sound quality compared with Stax. But Lafayette electrostatic headphones is not bad.

Wachara C.

[beun]

Jecklin Float. Still looks super spaceage.

[spritzer]

Lafayette, Realistic, Magnavox, Marantz and a few others were all made by Stax but are not electrically compatible with any Stax gear nor do they share the same connector wiring. Sound quality is also not nearly up to the Stax standard which is why the Stax name never appears anywhere.

Micro-Seiki/Inifinity sets pop up occasionally and while not built by Stax, they had a hand in the design. The electrostatic models will need new diaphragms as the old ones deteriorate with age.

Koss made the ESP6, ESP7, ESP9 and ESP10 (I've seen pics of an ESP8 but never owned one) which range from being very uncomfortable to being torture devices and never sound quite up to snuff. The ESP10 is good once you hook it up to a direct drive amp and do some structural mods to the earcups. They also all need to be refurbished now and the ESP9 is a true PITA to work on given how it was built. The ESP950 is technically a vintage set since it has been made for 20 years now so if you can find one of those cheap, jump on it.

Jecklin Floats are good but most need major refurbishing done at this point. Very expensive too.

[beun]

Audio Technica used to make electret headphones. An old friend of mine used to own a pair, sounded pretty good as I remember.

[spritzer]

They aren't half bad. Stax used the same drivers but I have no idea who actually made them...

[Steerpike]

How old is 'vintage'? I've always liked the AKG K340

[Calvin]

Hi,

one should not forget those beutifully designed Sennheiser Orpheus plus tube amp (HE90+HE90V) and its little brother (HE60+HE60V).

jauu
Calvin

[spritzer]

The Sennheiser's are quite good but hardly budget with the HE90 fetching 8k+$ and a mint HE60 (which almost none are) fetching close to 3k$. Insane prices and I for one like the HE60 off a powerful amp (Blue Hawaii or SRM-T2) more than the HE90.

[Marveloudio]

Originally Posted by spritzer

Lafayette, Realistic, Magnavox, Marantz and a few others were all made by Stax but are not electrically compatible with any Stax gear nor do they share the same connector wiring. Sound quality is also not nearly up to the Stax standard which is why the Stax name never appears anywhere.

Micro-Seiki/Inifinity sets pop up occasionally and while not built by Stax, they had a hand in the design. The electrostatic models will need new diaphragms as the old ones deteriorate with age.

Koss made the ESP6, ESP7, ESP9 and ESP10 (I've seen pics of an ESP8 but never owned one) which range from being very uncomfortable to being torture devices and never sound quite up to snuff. The ESP10 is good once you hook it up to a direct drive amp and do some structural mods to the earcups. They also all need to be refurbished now and the ESP9 is a true PITA to work on given how it was built. The ESP950 is technically a vintage set since it has been made for 20 years now so if you can find one of those cheap, jump on it.

Jecklin Floats are good but most need major refurbishing done at this point. Very expensive too.

Hi Canthecanguru

why not using EQ to make a StaxLaPRo sound like a Sennheiser Orpheus ???

I have also the Stax Signature , sound like **** compared to the StaxLaPro , but I ask myself if it can be EQ`d to the sound of my SLP`s?

I never read anythink about equalisation of headphones , ignorant conservatism?

just thinKing ...