Latest News Speakers for your EARS?

Over the last 50+ years, I have been privileged to hear some very special audio equipment, but I think the most impressive demonstration I can recall was my initial session with a pair of Sennheiser HE1 Electrostatic headphones.

Given their price of $85,000, which is a considerable sum for headphones, it’s not surprising that I found them impressive. However, the fact that we carry systems in our showroom costing many times that price puts the experience into perspective.

There are numerous advantages to a good pair of headphones, and I don’t only mean you can turn them up without annoying the rest of the household. The most obvious advantage is that you eliminate the impact the environment has on your audio system. Any system, regardless of its quality, is heavily influenced by the environment it’s situated in. Move that system to another room, and it will sound different. With headphones, you remove the reflections and other environmental factors that affect sound, no matter how good the room acoustics might be.

I was also aware at the time that we were already carrying a range of headphones that come very close to the performance of the HE1s, at a fraction of the price. I, and I know many others, have long been fans of Stax, who have been manufacturing Electrostatic Headphones since 1960.

Stax has rightfully established itself as one of the exceptional headphone manufacturers in the world. Like all the finer things in life, Stax headphones (or Earspeakers as Stax prefers to call them) come at a premium price, starting at around $2,000 and going up to just over $20,000. The good news is that the performance of a top-of-the-range Stax system is closer to that of the HE1s than their prices suggest!

Are they noise-cancelling, Bluetooth, etc.? No – Stax is all about performance, first and foremost (which is why most manufacturers of quality Bluetooth headphones still include a connection cable. As convenient as Bluetooth is, hard-wired invariably sounds better).

Headphones are not for everyone, but there’s a special magic in listening to a good headphone system. You are free from distractions of outside influences, and you are much closer to the original source. In the case of Stax, and some other notable brands, the imagery and ‘air’ are exceptional, seemingly extending beyond your head. Everything is placed precisely where it should be (subject to the quality of the recording). Anyone who is serious about their audio should at least audition a Stax Electrostatic system.

I have long held the belief that the majority of Stax owners had no intention of purchasing a pair until they heard them!

If you would like to hear what the fuss is all about, drop in to our Showroom and have a listen – we have the Stax range permanently on demonstration. However – you have been warned.

Warm Regards,

Len Wallis