Question about Stax Lambda Pro Headphones

Thanks for those links, Al. Man, I had no idea. I have to admit that those amps look very interesting. For now, I am content with my Stax amp; but.....

Al's comments are on the money; as usual. I too am a long time user of both the Lambda Pros and Lambda Signatures. Before replacing the SRM-1/MK2 with the SRM-T1 as Al did, I used a Dynaco ST70 to drive the Pro's via the Stax Energizer (adapter). The results were excellent and I preferred the sound over the sound with the SRM-1 which, while very good, sounded clinical and too tipped up in the highs for my tastes. I can't imagine any problems with any decent tube amp. The SRM-T1 is excellent with the Pros and is the way to go; they show up used on a fairly regular basis. Mine is actually the SRM-T1S; essentially the same but with balanced inputs as well as RCA and slightly different cosmetics. Good luck.

BTW, Al, what are your feelings about the ED-1? I like mine very much, but have always been mystified about the claims of improvements in the spatial qualities of the sound. I don't really hear that, but do hear significant improvements in timbre and tonality and a little in dimensionality.

I am sure that Al can do a much better job of explaining this, but my understanding is that it is not simply an issue of connectivity (cable/plug) compatibility. The Stax tube headphone amps are designed specifically to power their headphones; I don't think that, for electrical reasons, any other tube headphone amp would work. I have seen and read about one or two one-of-a-kind tube amps made by hobbyists for use with Stax cans, but am not aware of any made commercially other than the Stax amps. Additionally, I would not assume that a good tube headphone amp (even the Stax; as good as it is) is a sonic improvement over the SRD7 with a good tube power amp like your AR. IMO, if you are primarily a headphones listener and if you can live with the somewhat subtle sonic degradation to the sound from your main speakers as a result of using the SRD7 (I couldn't), then it seems to me you already have the best, or very close to the best, possible sound from your Stax cans.