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US$400 is a fair asking price, sitting just above the US$381 median and below the US$425 75th percentile for recent comparable listings.
The SRM-T1 remains a respected direct-drive Stax amplifier, combining FET input circuitry with a tube output stage and supporting both 580V Pro and 230V Normal earspeakers. Its presentation is prized for transparency, speed, and a pleasing tube-borne dimensionality, making it a strong entry into classic Stax amplification. The main qualification is age: these units date from the late 1980s, so verified operation, quiet tubes, stable bias, and evidence of sensible power-supply servicing matter at this price. With clean performance and suitable accessories, it is a solid, defensible buy rather than a bargain.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Stax traces its origins to 1938 in Tokyo, Japan, when Naotake Hayashi founded Showa Kouon Co., Ltd. in Chiyoda-ku. Initially focused on wax disc recording, metal master production, and audio equipment for film soundtracks, the company evolved through the postwar era. In 1950, it launched its first high-frequency condenser microphone, adopted by NHK, and renamed itself STAX Co., Ltd. in 1963, honoring its pioneering Stax-1 mic. A brief suspension in 1995 due to economic pressures gave way to revival, preserving its legacy under family leadership.
The brand specializes in electrostatic headphones, known as "EARSPEAKERS," debuting with the world-first SR-1 in 1960. This innovation spawned enduring lines like the SR series, produced for decades with incremental refinements for superior resolution and staging. Stax complements these with dedicated electrostatic amplifiers and select accessories, eschewing conventional speakers, turntables, DACs, or cables to hone its transducer expertise.
Stax commands a niche high-end position among audiophiles and professionals, revered for unmatched transparency and fidelity that rivals cost-no-object loudspeakers. Its 85-year heritage cements it as a boutique icon in electrostatic technology, far from mass-market fare, appealing to discerning buyers seeking pinnacle sonic transduction.
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