STAX SR-X9000 - Electrostatic Open-Back Headphones

The SR-X9000 is the new flagship headphone that marks the pinnacle of Stax electrostatic headphone production.

An important technological advance is the “MILER-3” (Multi-Layer-Elect-Rords) – a four-layer fixed electrode that combines mesh electrodes and conventional etching electrodes that are crimped by thermal diffusion bonding.

The newly developed manufacturing technique matures through 20 years of accumulated research and development, enabling a rigid structure resistant to resonance while smoothly evolving the sound transmission characteristics compared to conventional multilayer fixed electrodes.

A history of product development: The circular wire mesh once mounted on the SR-X was one of the ideal electrodes to reduce the effects of air resistance and reflections and increase sound permeability.

However, there has been a major obstacle in installing wire mesh electrodes in products because they lack strength and are prone to resonance which causes the playback sound to become muddy.

In 1990, the original SR-Ω was developed with the goal of increasing the size of the wire mesh; however, the manufacturing technique was in its infancy as it was not practical to produce stable products.

As a matter of fact, there were only a few SR-Ω pairs ever made.

The SR-X9000 diaphragm is made of an ultra-thin engineering film that is 20% larger than the previous SR-009S. The mass of the diaphragm has been reduced to create lightning-fast response speed and a wide high-frequency response range that takes headphone listening to a whole new level.

The diaphragm is made of ultra-thin super engineering plastic film. With near-zero weight saving, a great transient characteristic is realized. From the base to the high range, the linearity of the sound is improved. The diaphragm area is increased by 20% compared to SR-009S. This breakthrough realizes the widest sound field ever.

The audio unit casing is made of sturdy machined aluminum. This new design firmly fixes the audio unit and completely eliminates unnecessary vibration. The sound wave from the unit flows more smoothly. The improved acoustic characteristic inside the casing makes the sound clearer and not affected by sound reflection.

The protection net that is installed parallel to the sound element generates direct reflections that have a bad influence on the sound. This problem has been solved for SR-X9000. The protection net has pillars of different lengths in front and back. This design changes the height of the space between the sound element and the protection net. So the protection net cannot be parallel to the sound element, and the reflection angle is completely controlled. The sound wave flows smoothly.

The main material of the arc assembly is upgraded to stainless steel. The arc assembly is more tolerant to torsion, and the speaker fits the ears more stably. The material of the head pad that directly contacts the skin is genuine leather. The position can be adjusted by the slider parts with the 9-step click system.

The material of the ear pads is genuine leather (sheepskin) which has excellent breathability and softness. Genuine leather makes the speaker fit your ears for a long time and you can fully enjoy the high-quality bass and vivid sound. It also reduces fatigue and you can listen to music comfortably for a long time.

The main cable material is 6NCu ultra-pure annealed copper wire (φ0.14×3). The cable material around the core is silver-plated annealed copper wire (φ0.08×9). So the high and low frequencies are improved. The cable can be changed (removable). 2 cables (2.5m and 1.5m) are provided, and you can choose the cable according to your listening style. The case is made of “paulownia wood” which has low thermal conductivity and humidity control ability.