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The Headcase Stax thread


thrice

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Stax did change the earpads when they moved over to the cloth dust cover so they are thinner now, too thin IMO.  Still the leather pads are the worst of the bunch so the normal black pads are a bit better. 

 

I just asked my friend to borrow my old 507's so I can do a comparison off the same amp.  I do know that the 207 trumps the 507 to these ears but it's nice to know just how much of a difference there is. 

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I remembered there a discussion a while ago about how the 507 may be uncomfortable for people with large heads and ears that stick out more than the norm.  Do these observations apply to the 207 as well?

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I remembered there a discussion a while ago about how the 507 may be uncomfortable for people with large heads and ears that stick out more than the norm.  Do these observations apply to the 207 as well?

I have a small head and tinny ears, yet I couldn't fit them inside and the top pointy part of the ear would touch the thin hard pads. Which made it impossible to wear more than 30m, it felt like wearing a grado.

Edited by Spychedelic Whale
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I have a small head and tinny ears, yet I couldn't fit them inside and the pointy part of the ear would touch the thin hard pads. Which made it impossible to wear more than 30m, it felt like wearing a grado.

 

 

 

They certainly have some comfort issues for me.  The pads are indeed too thin and the material is a bit clammy.  My head is gigantic though with them at max extension... 

 

Ah, that's unfortunate to hear. :( I also have comfort issues with with many of the headphones I've used in the past.  (Both head clamp and ears touching grills)

Edited by Nanoha
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I've got my old 507 here now and been doing some comparisons against the 207.  Very different headphones and even the sensitivity is different which makes direct comparisons difficult off the BHSE with two Pro outputs.  Still nothing that the SPL meter and some test tones can't deal with. 

 

The 507 clearly has more bass, I''d even say far too much, of the two.  It really dominates the sound in the same way that annoying *thwack* of the LCD's does.  The 207 is far leaner and more down to earth.  It can raise hell if needed but it's always a bit muted.  Still I'll always side with restraint over exaggeration. 

 

The midrange has always been the Lambda's strong suit and these are no exception but the 507 lacks here because the bass is so overbearing.  Give it any excuse to get out of control and there goes the midrange. 

 

The top end of the 507 is similar to the 009 as in it has a bite to it that isn't supposed to be there.  This gives instruments/voices a "sheen" that is quite annoying to these ears.  The 207 has a bit of this when pushed hard but at normal levels they are quite smooth.  Not up to the Nova Series standard but they do ok.  In terms of detail retrieval the 507 seems like it is superior but it really is just like the 009, abound with apparent detail.  The 207 is just as good but it's just more laid back about presenting the information. 

 

As for comfort, it is pretty much a tie as the 207 headband is better but the leather earpads of the 507 win out over the pleather.  Now the easy solution would be to just order some leather pads for the 207 but how much that changes the sound is not known.  Both pads have similar height so protruding ears will be a problem. 

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Thanks so much for the detailed comparison overview! :D  Really appreciate it as always.

 

On a tangential note, are thicker pads procurable from other places, and if so, is it possible to easily swap them in?  (Disregarding changes in sound that may occur)

Edited by Nanoha
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