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At US$900, this is a fair-to-good buy, landing well above the US$599 median but below the US$1,114 75th-percentile comparable. It is not a bargain on price alone, but the complete headphone-and-amplifier pairing makes the valuation sensible if “tested working” means both channels are clean and balanced.
The Lambda Professional remains a highly regarded electrostatic headphone: open, detailed, fast, and notably accurate through the midrange and bass. The SRM-1/MK-2 is a pure-class-A, discrete amplifier with both 580 V Pro and 230 V Normal bias outputs, making it useful with a broad range of Stax earspeakers. The main practical check is age-related service history—especially channel balance, hum, bias operation, and any crackle—but verified operation and original cables or dust covers would make this a particularly attractive package at US$900.
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.
