In Part 1 of Hear It Differently, we explored why the same song can feel different from one pair of headphones to the next. Now comes the more interesting question: what happens when the headphone is designed to get out of the way of the recording?
That is the idea behind a STAX electrostatic EARSPEAKER.
This is not about turning a familiar song into something it is not. It is about hearing more of what was already there: the distance between a singer and the room, the soft tail of a cymbal, the small movements inside a bassline, or the way a chorus grows without losing its shape. For many listeners, the first electrostatic session is not a technical revelation. It is a simple, unexpected moment of connection with a track they thought they knew.
The aim is not more sound. It is more of the music’s shape, space, and feeling.
A different way to create sound
Most headphones use a driver that moves to create sound waves. An electrostatic EARSPEAKER uses a different arrangement: an ultra-light diaphragm is suspended between two perforated metal plates, called stators.
When music plays, an electrical signal creates a changing electrostatic field across the stators. That field moves the diaphragm back and forth, which moves the air and creates the sound you hear. The physical explanation matters only because of the listening experience it can make possible: a diaphragm with very little mass can respond with exceptional speed and precision.
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In the system |
What it does |
Why a listener may care |
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The EARSPEAKER |
Houses the diaphragm and stators that turn the electrical signal into sound. |
It is where the fine detail, timing, and sense of openness begin. |
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The driver unit |
Supplies the EARSPEAKER with the electrical conditions it needs to operate. |
It is part of the listening system, rather than an optional afterthought. |
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The open-back enclosure |
Lets sound move freely through the rear of the EARSPEAKER. |
In a quiet room, it can support a less enclosed and more expansive presentation. |
This is why a STAX setup feels different from plugging a pair of headphones straight into a phone. A complete electrostatic system pairs an EARSPEAKER with a dedicated driver unit. For example, STAX offers the SR-X1 with the SRM-400S semiconductor driver as an electrostatic EARSPEAKER system; both components use STAX’s 580V bias standard. It is a deliberate, at-home listening arrangement, one made for the hour you choose to spend with an album, rather than the few minutes between notifications.
What electrostatic listening can bring to a familiar track
No headphone can improve a performance or rewrite a mix. Your own hearing, the recording, the source, and the room around you all matter. But the qualities STAX designs for—clarity, detail, low distortion, and an open, spacious soundstage—give you useful things to listen for.
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Listen for |
What you may notice |
A musical moment to try |
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Separation |
Individual sounds retain their presence when an arrangement gets busy. |
Follow one guitar, backing vocal, or synth line through the chorus. |
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Micro-detail |
Tiny textural cues become easier to notice without demanding attention. |
Listen for breath, the end of a drum hit, or a reverb tail. |
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Space |
A performance can feel less compressed into the centre of your head. |
Notice what seems close, distant, left, right, or just beyond the instruments. |
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Ease |
Detail arrives as part of the music, rather than as an exaggerated effect. |
Let an entire song play without hunting for individual sounds. |
Think back to “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” by The Foundations from the Off Campus listening challenge. Rather than starting with the vocal, listen to the way backing voices, brass, bass, and percussion enter and leave the frame. The question is not whether every part becomes louder. It is whether the arrangement becomes easier to inhabit.
Then try “The Bitch Is Back” by Elton John. Follow the piano through the full-band sections. Does its attack stay distinct? Can you move your attention between guitar, vocal, and rhythm section without the track collapsing into one bright mass? Finally, return to “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol / Generation X and listen for the tension between the drum pulse, guitar edge, and vocal energy. The songs remain exactly themselves; the experience lies in the extra room you may find around them.
Why STAX calls them EARSPEAKERS
STAX has referred to its electrostatic headphones as EARSPEAKERS since the company developed its first electrostatic headphone, the SR-1, in 1959 and introduced it in 1960. The name signals a point of view: this is not only about placing two small speakers beside the ear. It is about pursuing the openness, scale, and physical presence people value in a considered loudspeaker listening session.
That ambition does not mean every listen must be serious. It means a favourite pop song, a film score, an old hit discovered through a current series, or an album you have played for years can become an opportunity to listen with a little more attention. A good electrostatic session can be analytical if you want it to be. It can also simply be a way to sit still and feel closer to the music.
The SR-X1: an entry into electrostatic listening
The SR-X1 is STAX’s entry-level EARSPEAKER and is designed to connect the circular forms of the historic SR-1 and SR-X with a contemporary listening experience. Its rear-open enclosure, medium-sized circular unit, revised metal arc assembly, soft sheepskin contact pads, and 234g body weight reflect the brand’s effort to make extended home listening feel focused and comfortable. 4
Most importantly, it represents the right mindset for a first electrostatic session. You do not need an encyclopaedic knowledge of hi-fi. You need a quiet space, a few tracks you care about, and enough time to let a song play from beginning to end.
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A first-session habit |
Why it works |
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Choose music you already know well. |
Familiarity gives you a real reference point for what feels different. |
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Begin at a comfortable volume. |
Let the recording reveal its shape before chasing impact. |
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Listen for one element at a time, then release your focus. |
You can notice a detail without losing the feeling of the whole song. |
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Give the open-back design a quiet room. |
The setting is part of the experience; this is not a commute-first format. |
Not a replacement—an invitation
STAX electrostatic listening is not designed to replace every headphone in your life. There will always be a reason for a portable, closed-back, or noise-cancelling pair. The point of an EARSPEAKER system is different: it gives music a dedicated space in your day.
If Part 1 helped you hear that your favourite songs have more dimensions than you had noticed, this is the next invitation. Settle in. Choose the song you know by heart. Let it play. Then hear what else has been waiting for you.
Ready to experience it for yourself? Explore the STAX SR-X1 EARSPEAKER and a matching driver unit, or arrange an audition with an authorised STAX retailer.