NEW PRODUCTS NEWS
electrostatic audio products
Provisional information
Part of a history of ultra-precision sound checking
It’s not surprising that there are many music fans and audiophiles who have never heard of the name of the audio maker STAX and are not
even aware of its existence. But even such people will have heard STAX’s work. This is because STAX products are used for sound-checking
purposes at every stage in the production process, from recording through to pressing, of large numbers of discs sold by recording companies
all over the world. They are used to check that the sound has been recorded just as intended, for example by making sure that a Stradivarius
really sounds like a Stradivarius, and to make sure that no unintended noise has found its way onto the mother disc or the stamper. This is
because there are sounds that can only be detected by the human ear and that cannot be differentiated by a measuring device in terms of
whether they are musical sounds or just plain noise. STAX devices make use of high-polymer film which is several tens of times thinner even
than food wrapping, which is itself very thin. This is the diaphragm present in STAX electrostatic earspeakers. STAX is a Japanese brand that
was the first anywhere in the world to develop electrostatic headphones of the condenser type, and we remain to this day virtually the only
company in the world active in this particular area. This is an earspeaker series whose high-range reproduction capacity has been proved especially by the appearance of SACD, DVD audio and other new-generation media. The combination that might be described as the global standard is the series leading up to the new product SRS-3050II. The new SRM-323II driver unit is compatible with media employing an increasingly wide band range. Because of the way in which the power section has been strengthened, it has outstanding playback capacity, recreating
low-pitched sounds with real presence that really underpin the music rather than constituting a mere amorphous mass, while the flawless
sounds that float above could even, if one so wished, be analyzed in terms of their very structure. Then there’s SR-303, a product in the
earspeaker lineup that focuses especially on high sound quality. And we are now releasing SRS-3050II, a product that presents the ideal combination.
SR-303: The product of limitless experience
This is the latest model in the SR-Lambda series, which houses an
elliptical unit that fits the shape of the human ear and makes use of
the same new high-polymer film diaphragm as the SR-404 Signature.
Follow-up features in respect to input signals have been improved
by brushing up the diaphragm and the cables. This is a model occupying a position at the center of the line-up that succeeds to the
smooth and high-resolution tradition of STAX earspeakers. The
rectangular unit that might be described as the precursor of universal design sends out sounds to the outer ear as a whole by means of
parallel plane waves, and it has been designed in such a way as to
emulate as far as possible the process whereby the ear perceives
natural sounds and sounds in a concert hall. What’s more, the ear
pads do not weigh down on the outer ear: an appropriate amount of
space is ensured in the periphery so as to create a pleasant listening
environment with no sense of pressure or unnaturalness.
SRS-3050II: The global standard
The electrostatic type is structured to ensure balanced operation. This means that a balance circuit
is present until the moment of conversion into air vibrations. This is the only system that makes it
possible to enjoy the sound innate to the balance system. SRS-3050II is a system based on combination with the new SRM-323II driver unit, which has a significantly strengthened power transformer, and it has permitted a major expansion in dynamic range. The simple two-stage amplifying
circuit configuration with FET characterized by high sound quality and low noise at the input stage
offers sound quality fully worthy of being referred to as the global standard.
■ SR-303 Specifications
●Type: Push-pull electrostatic earspeaker
●Frequency properties: 7 to 41 kHz
●Impedance: 132 kΩ
●Sensitivity: 100 dB
●Standard bias voltage: 580 VDC
●Static electricity capacity: 120 pF.
STAX LTD.
7-1 Chikumazawa-higashi, Miyoshi-mach, Iruma-gun, Saitama-prefecture, Japan. 〒354-0046
TEL:049-258-3988 FAX:049-258-2659
URL:www.stax.co.jp