Stax SR-009

The Ultimate Stax is out! The SR-009

Marcus
News Releases

In their March bulletin Stax of Japan, famous around the world round for their range of electrostatic wonder cans, announced the SR-009 system which is to be their new top-of-the-line Electrostatic headphone. And what a looker it is!

Specifications from the bulletin are as follows:

Diaphragm

A newly developed sound element adopts in the SR-009 is a new high polymer ultra-thin film material called super engineering plastics, which is reinforced and much thinner than conventional engineered plastics.

Electrodes

New electrodes named MLER (Multi Layer ElectRodes) have been developed, using ultra-precision photo etch and high-tech heat diffusion.

Enclosure

Abundant use of precision machined light-weight aluminum

Cable

Silver plated, High purity copper wire 99.9999% (audiophile grade)

Earpad

Newly designed, hand-crafted lamb leather for hours of comfort.

Headband

Newly designed 10-click slider mechanism for optimal wear and comfort. Also used in SR-507

Stax SR-009 Specifications

  • Type: Push-pull electrostatic circular sound element, open-air type enclosure
  • Frequency Response: 5-42,000Hz
  • Capacitance: 110pF (including cable)
  • Impedance 145kohm (including cable at 10kHz)
  • Sound pressure sensitivity 101dB / input 100Vr.m.s / 1kHz
  • Max sound pressure level: 118dB / 400Hz
  • Bias voltage: 580V DC
  • Earpad: Genuine leather (Lamb)
  • Cable: Silver-plated 6N (99.99999%) OFC low-capacity wide cable 2.5m
  • Weight: 596g, (454g without cable)

STAX is also introducing silver-plated extension cables to replace the current extension cables.

  • SRE-925S 2.5M
  • SRE-950S 5.0M
  • Silver-plated 6N (99.9999%) OFC parallel 6-strand, low-capacity special wide cable, 5-pin male/female

Though as always these are premium products with premium prices and for your decadent tendencies, these beauties will set you back over $5000 or $5250 to be precise for the headphone alone.

  • SR-009 Retail $5250
  • SRE-925S Retail $250
  • SRE-950S Retail $450

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Marcus
Editor
Marcus is the Founder & Owner of headfonics.com which started in 2011, and a former contributing music journalist to European regional printed newspapers in the late 1980's and 1990's. Prior to the start of Headfonics Marcus was the admin of the Headphiles national audiophile forum from 2009 to 2012.

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5 Responses

  1. It’s fantastic you have managed to get your hands on an sr-009, I would surely love to try one out!

    1. Frankly, being so satisfied with the SR 007, I expected the SR 009 to be better.  But, WOW!  It was another dimension!

  2. While the several hundred hours of “break-in” was ongoing, I selected from my library a collection of vocal, solo instrumental, chamber, orchestral, symphonic and jazz of various colors to be used during my audition adventure.  All of this music was downloaded from several online “high-resolution” sites.

    Being experienced with headphone listening since the early 1980s, and exclusively so since the mid 1990s with earlier STAX equipment, I can state that my experience with the STAX SR 009 and the WOO AUDIO WES combination was a “mind blowing” revelatory immersive experience.  Prior to receipt of these new headphones from STAX, my system included two SR 007 MKII “phones.”

    Vocal performances, solo and small instrumental groups (classical or jazz), symphonic and orchestral pieces, the oft-used phrase “you are there” is supremely accurate.  The articulation, blending, harmonics, dynamics and presence of each performance are startling.  An example of what I am trying to portray is this:  Consider that during a live performance you leave your seat for a visit to the rest room.  Upon your return to the auditorium, as you open the door and enter, the on-going performance leaps out at you and you are enveloped by an infinity of sonic stimulus.  Suddenly there is no longer anything between you and the music.

    The depth and speed of the bass and the presentation its inner details are extraordinary.  The wallop of the tympani and gigantic drum in Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” may not move your flesh, but it sure will “jiggle” the stuff between your ears.  The mid range is smooth and airy and absolutely convincing.  In Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony (movement #1, “Boisterous Bourree”), the power of the massed strings has earth tremor dimensions.  Further, the dynamic keyboard attacks in Minoru Nojima Plays Liszt (Mephisto Waltz #1) have the power of cannon reports.  As you progress up into the higher registers the “air” and detail continues and the freedom from congestion of massed strings and chorus of multiple other instruments is breathtaking, and given past experience, unexpected.  In sum:  Magical!  Of course, these references assume that the high-resolution recordings are well recorded and contain the requisite digital information, and that the playback equipment is up to the task.

  3. I wonder what is the lowest cost amp to drive the SR-009 and preserve its sound quality?

    1. It is a good question, but with it being a Stat your choices are not free flowing. Some have commented on other sites that the Stax SRM-323S amp is a good choice with good power for the sr009.

      The Smyth ‘Realiser’ processor is another add on which reportedly offers a very good multichannel soundstage recreation experience from headphones (Stax phones have been recommended by Smyth)

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