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Stax celebrates 85 years with portable bundle

In honour of its 85th anniversary, Stax has packaged its SR-003 MKII earbuds with the SRM-D10 portable DAC amplifier, and added a sweatshirt and a pin to the package.

By / 12 August 2023 - 8:00 am
Stax celebrates 85 years with portable bundle

Electrostats are hardly the first thing you think of when you hear the word “portable”. But that’s exactly what Stax offers in the form of the SR-003 MKII earbuds, and also the SRM-D10 portable amplifier with built-in DAC. Which is the world’s first battery-powered, portable DAC amplifier for electrostats.

Stax 85 Jumper & Pin
A sweatshirt with a pin is included in the anniversary edition. Photo: Stax

High voltage

What’s special about electrostatic headphone operation is the high output voltage required. Often up to 600 volts! Unlike dynamic headphones, which only need 2-5 volts. The SRM-D10 delivers 100 volts on the output, while it can deliver 200 volts in short intervals. That’s modest if you plan to take your Stax SR-009s on the go. But it should be more than enough to power a pair of earbuds like the SR-03 MKII.

When Stax turned 80 in 2018, they celebrated with special limited edition SR-L300 and SRM-353 amplifiers, both in black colour and with a gold plaque. And also a black version of the top model SR-009s.

Stax 85 SR-oo3 mkii-enhanced
Stax SR-oo3 MKII. Photo: Stax

Stax 85 years

Stax doesn’t make as much fuss about their 85th birthday, as both SR-003 MKII and SRM-D10 are of the regular type. What makes them special is that they are packaged as a set and come with a sweatshirt and a pin. These are what make the system (slightly) special.

Stax has also released an e-book in honour of the 85th anniversary, which is free for everyone to read. You can download it here.

Stax 85 SRM-D10-enhanced
Stax SRM-D10. Photo: Stax

Stax SR-003 MKII and SRM-D10: Price and availability

The Anniversary package costs $1,140. You must have a US or Canadian address to order the Anniversary system directly from the Stax website. Otherwise, contact your dealer.

 

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