The STAX Principles

The important things are…

1. Earspeakers are not affected by the acoustic characteristics of the listening room, standing wave or unwanted sound reflection. Therefore, STAX playback sound is extremely accurate.

2. Since the earspeaker has almost no air load, the sound diaphragm can be lightened. Therefore, excellent transient response can be obtained.

3. Earspeakers place the transducer diaphragm very close to the ear . So every detail of the music can be heard.

As you learn more about STAX earspeakers, these features become more evident.

Technical features

1. All STAX earspeakers are operated electrostatically.
An electrostatic transducer is a push/pull device that can transduce twice the information in a given time span than a dynamic type transducer.

2. The electrostatic element employs a high polymer film of several microns thick as the diaphragm for far less mass than paper or mylar cones or metal type diaphragms.

3. Since electrostatic elements do not use magnets, they are free from magnetic hysteresis distortion that is prominent in dynamic type headphones.

The electrostatic transducer adopted in the STAX earspeakers consists of two parallel-arranged fixed electrodes and several microns thick (less than 2 microns) high-polymer film diaphragm suspended in the middle of the electrodes. The low-mass film diaphragm is supplied with the biasing voltage from the energizing adaptors or from the driver unit.

When the fluctuating voltage of the audio signal is applied to the electrodes, the diaphragm is pulled by the electrode which has the opposite charge of the diaphragm’s and simultaneously pushed by the other electrode which then has the like charge of the diaphragm’s.

  

The continuous flow of alternating voltage in interpretation of audio signals causes the diaphragm to vibrate in faithful compliance with the amplifier output without time lag, assuring undistorted sound waves. This is why the STAX electrostatic earspeakers sound so good.

Hou to use (Connection)

STAX earspeakers are designed to be driven by STAX drivers only.

Please see illustration below.