STAX - SRS-3100

Hi there, if you are considering pulling the trigger on the SRS-3100 system, please have a look at a small snippet of my experience with them:

After spending thousands of rupees on different types of headphones & IEMs over the last 10 years, I was finally in a space where I sought something which can be considered to be 'endgame' gear i.e. something which will satisfy my expectations and requirements on the reproduction of sound and prevent me from loitering around the market for new gear within a week or month of purchasing it. I prefer genres like rock, post-rock, ambient, down-tempo, classical, vocals and not into EDM, or hip-hop which would be enhanced by bass heavy headphones.

I had come across Stax a few years ago but was always put off by the price tag. However, after having researched on the way they reproduce sound (electrostats) and the (few) reviews available online, I decided to pull the trigger.

Some of the issues regarding the build quality are true and you would not expect them to be all plastic. Having said that, I felt that with a bit of care it should be manageable. The cable is long, heavy and sturdy and in general the system is not meant to be portable and best enjoyed when connected to your desktop/laptop in a fixed place. The 'energizer' unit is sturdy and made of metal and is responsible for driving the headphone appropriately. Do note that the headphone does not have a 3.5mm jack and mandatorily requires an amp/energizer to drive it. The energizer unit is powered using a 12V adapter and gets a bit warm over prolonged usage but that's nothing to worry about.

The headphones themselves are pretty comfortable to wear in my case contrary to the reviews available publicly. The pads are thin indeed but I did not face discomfort over long term usage (2-5 hours) however, your mileage may vary depending on the shape and size of the ears. The clamping force is not very strong and in general provides a comfortable fit. The headband can be further adjusted as needed to achieve the fit needed. To summarize, the headphone needs to be handled with care and you may face some discomfort over long use (I didn't).

Coming to the sound, I will refrain from using technical jargons and instead stick to describing the experience in simple words. As told above, my music taste does not involve music requiring heavy bass (which the headphone lacks). However, the bass response is tight, responsive and appropriate without overpowering the entire experience. Considering the music I listen to, I found it to suffice without leaving me wanting for more. The mids and highs are exceptional and music which has been mastered/recorded well really shines! Hearing music with vocals makes you feel like the singer is sitting right next to you. Binaural and stereo effects and other minor nitty-gritties in the song are prominently reproduced and I got to re-discover and enjoy a lot of tracks from my old catalogue. The music sounds airy with lots of detail and overall a huge leap from what I was used to!

Being open-back headphones, they offer no isolation whatsoever and consequently leak considerable sound outside and hence best enjoyed in a quiet room without too much ambient noise.

Having used the system for around a week, I can confidently recommend the Stax SRS-3100 to anyone who seeks to hear music as intended by the folks mastering//mixing them with pristine clarity.

Happiness experienced on all frequencies. Super happy, HPZ did well delivering very quickly. Stax is a brand and experience that has been, will be and shall be referred to best sonic experience one money can buy.

I started my Audiophile journey by purchasing Fiio Q1, expecting it would improve my music listening experience. But unfortunately I could not hear any difference. Hence I brought Audio Technica ATH-MSR7, still could not hear noticable difference. Then I moved to Chord Mojo, still was not able hear noticable difference for the price I paid. Then kept trying Tin hifi T2, KZ - ZS10 PRO, BEYERDYNAMIC - DT 770 PRO, iBasso - DC01 with Balanced cable with Tin hifi T2.

I had started to believe that my hearing are not meant for audiophile gear, as I can't make out the difference between the gears I had purchased. As a last try, and as part of my collection, I thought I will buy a mid range audiophile headphones. Contacted Headphone Guru to talk about Auduze LCD-2 Classics vs LCD-X. First Varun called me and checked my preferences and schedule another call with senior member. To my suprise Raghav called me. I was also interesed in Stax, so enquired about STAX as well with Raghav and Raghav also suggested my STAX. Immedialy placed order for SRS-3100 combo.

Man they just awesome. Songs I had listened, earlier sound allt ogether different in very possitive way. There are minute details in the songs which I had never heard. Now I am able listen to songs they way they were meant to be listened to. Finally a music gear which made me feel money well spent.

Listen to dilbur[Satyameva jayate] song, on other headphone, you will feel the recording is not great, but listen through STAX it will reveal the real sound in the song.

Totally sold to STAX