STAX D10500 Headphone System

About the SR-L500 MK2 Earspeakers

The STAX D10500 Earspeaker System is here and what an amazing offering it is. STAX Earspeakers offer a listening experience well beyond that of conventional headphones and really do need to be heard to be believed.

With this D10500 System youll be able to experience beautiful electrostatic sound on the go. This is thanks to the SR-L500 MK2 Earspeakers and more importantly the portable SRM-D10 electrostatic headphone amp which drives them. 

The first SR-Lambda series was introduced in 1979 and it has further developed into a new-generation SR-Lambda with its newly designed enclosure - the new SR-L500 MK 2 advanced Lambda series Earspeaker! The MK 2 now features a removable headphone cable as well as an upgraded & strengthened aluminium head band assembly.

Top Quality Sound Element: Hand selected thin-film diaphragm as well as tough stainless fixed electrodes has been employed for the SR-L500 MK2 sound element. Thus, rich deep bass response, delicate high frequency and soothing mid-range has been achieved in a balanced manner.

10-Click Type Headband Assembly: The headband (ARC) assembly of the SR-L500 is equipped with 10-click slider mechanism for head pad height adjustment adopted from the SR-009. Once adjusted, the slider always maintains its optimal position to make readjustment unnecessary. This enables you to enjoy hours of pleasant music listening with utmost comfort.

New Low-Capacitance HiFC™ Cable: High performance pure copper HiFC™ developed by Hitachi is used in the core wires. HiFC has a similar sonic characteristics to the wire used in the SR-009 with 6N high purity 99.99999% copper wires. The entire cable is arranged in a flat, wide format configuration to lower the capacitance between each wire and finished with the most suitable structure to drive the earspeaker. This cable is now detachable for added convenience.

High-Quality Synthetic Leather Earpads: The carefully hand crafted, flexible synthetic leather ear pads contribute greatly to the wearing comfort and allows for hours of listening in absolute comfort.

About the SRM-D10 Energiser

It was only a matter of time before STAX developed a two-in-one DAC/Driver Unit for its svelte electrostatic headphones. And right on cue comes the SRM-D10.

A versatile model, the D10 brings high-performance audio not only to PCs and Macs but also outdoors and on the move. And of course, the driver electronics are tailored for STAX headphones. So what you get is a compact high-end package that will take your music files to another level.

Portability is assured thanks to the D10's built-in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack, yet so compact and portable it will slip easily into a pocket. The D10's chassis is exquisitely built, but it's also sturdy and rugged to withstand the grind of being moved about from place to place.

Features are many, as you'd expect from a heavyweight brand the calibre of STAX. They include an XMOS USB interface with support for up to PCM 384kHz & DSD128. The D10's ESS ES9018 DAC is also no slouch. It uses TI OPA1642 ultra-low distortion op amps to get that delicate bit stream to where it wants to go without a hint of loss.

STAX has also given the D10 an impeccable high voltage amplifier, so you get perfect drive across all frequencies and consistent top-shelf sound. Internally the D10 sports audiophile grade components in every nook and cranny of its sleek aluminium housing. And yes, the D10, of course, carries the standard STAX 5-pin connector to be used with any of its headphones.

Why Electrostatic Headphones?

Electrostatic headphones operate on a different principle than conventional "dynamic" or "moving coil" designs. In a conventional headphones there is a coil of wire inside a magnet, generally glued to a stiff cone or dome that's held in place with a springy suspension. This makes in more difficult to re-create detail in playback due to mass. Or to put simply there are more heavy moving parts.

Pioneered by STAX in 1959 – an electrostatic design works by placing a static (non-moving) electric charge on a film that floats between two perforated metal plates. When audio voltages are applied across the plates, static cling and repulsion causes the entire film to move by itself. This film is so thin, it effectively weighs less than the air around it, and has no resonances or energy storage which leads to distortion inherent in moving coil speakers.

These factors are some of the reasons why STAX Eelectrostatic Earspeakers sound so much better than conventional designs. During play back the listener is experiencing minimal interference from the headphone speaker itself, in turn bringing you that much closer to the original artist's performance.

Main Features & Specifications

SR-L500 MK2 Headphones

• Design: Push-Pull Open Back Oval Electrostatic Earspeaker Headphone
• Detachable Signal Cables
• Frequency Response: 7 - 41,000Hz
• Electrostatic Capacitance: 110pF
• Impedance: 145 kΩ
• Sound Pressure Sensitivity: 101dB/ 100V r.m.s 1 kHz
• Maximum Sound Pressure: 118dB/ 400Hz
• Bias Voltage: 580V DC
• Ear Pads: High Quality Synthetic Leather
• Cable: HiFC parallel 6-strand, low-capacity special wide copper cable, 2.5m full length
• Weight: 453 grams
• Manufacturer's Warranty: One Year

SRM-D10 Headphone Amp

• Design: Compact electrostatic headphone amp/DAC
• Power: Battery-powered, rechargeable Li-ion built-in battery pack
• Battery Operating time: 4.5 hours (analogue input) / 3.5 hours (digital input)
• DAC: High-resolution Digital-to-Analog converter, supports up to DSD128
• User selectable line-in and USB DAC
• Build: All-aluminium chassis
• Outputs: 5-pin PRO bias Stax earspeaker output
• Inputs: Micro USB digital input, 3.5mm analogue input
• Supply voltage: DC 14V (charger included)
• Frequency response: 20Hz - 40KHz (+0dB,-3dB)
• Rated input level: 230mV (100V output)
• Harmonic distortion: <0.025% / 1KHz-10KHz
• Input impedance: 10 KΩ (analog input)
• Maximum output voltage: 200Vr.m.s / 100Hz-10KHz
• Power consumption: 6.4W (USB input) 5W (analog input)
• Recommended operating temperature: 0-35°C, <90% RH (No condensation)
• Dimensions: 75(W) X 32(H) X 141(D) mm
• Net weight: 450g
• Voltage: 100-240V/50-60HZ
• Manufacturer's Warranty: One Year

Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.