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The age matters: the SRM-T1S is a discontinued early-1990s hybrid Stax energiser, not a current-generation headphone. At £425, though, this is a strong deal: it sits well below the £548 25th-percentile comparable, against a £671 median and £692 75th percentile. The price is especially attractive if the listing is genuinely for the amplifier rather than an earspeaker.
Its appeal is the distinctive tube/solid-state presentation, balanced XLR input, and compatibility with both older normal-bias and later Pro-bias Stax earspeakers. That flexibility and the T1S’s reputation make it a worthwhile entry into classic Stax ownership. Given its age, confirm quiet operation, both bias outputs, channel balance, and whether the original tubes remain healthy; serviced or recapped examples command more confidence. Even allowing for that due diligence, £425 leaves useful headroom for maintenance and reads as a buying opportunity rather than merely a fair price.
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.
See all Stax listings on RADAR.
