chow 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2006 whats the different btw a dynamics or electrostats headphones? whats the pro/cons? how they works and how to differentiate? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil-zen 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 (edited) Well most phones on the market now are dynamics. If you walk into a shop and see headphones, 99.9% of the time they are dynamics. Electrostatics only appear when you look for them. Dynamics work using the conventional magnetic cones to push air and thus producing sound. The magnets only 'push' the diaphragms. Plugs are the normal 1/4 or 1/8 inch type. Can be connected or adapted to anything as long as there's a single ended output with volume control. Electrostatics do not use the conventional plugs. I think most of them have 5 to 6 pins. The reason is because 2 pins on each channel are used for 2 electrodes. In between the electrodes is the diaphragm. Only 1-2 microns thick, the mylar diaphragm needs to be biased to gain a positive charge. The bias voltage (230 - 580V depending on age and manufacturer) is provided for by 1 or 2 pins. The electrodes are postive and negative so when a signal is applied, one electrode will push and the other will pull. So it is "push pull". Due to the need for a bias voltage and signal for both electrodes, they require a special amp also known as energisers or drivers. The most common manufacturer of electrostatic headphones is Stax. Sennheiser also had 2 models, Koss several and a few other small companies. BTW there are differences between electrostatics and electrets. Electrets uses a permanently biased diaphragm that may lose charge over time. Edited April 29, 2006 by evil-zen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil-zen 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 http://www.stax.co.jp/ENG/HOW-ESP.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aaron-xp 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 (edited) How about balanced armature drivers? Edited April 29, 2006 by aaron-xp Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chow 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 this shall be a sticky. so is a electrostats better or dynamics? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil-zen 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 Don't know anything about armature drivers though... Well it depends on your taste and whether you can get them cheap or not. Electrostatics are cheaper from Japan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
afbug 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 How about balanced armature drivers? They're hearing aid drivers. How it works, i not sure. You can try asking Ety or Westone. They make hearing aids too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chow 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 Don't know anything about armature drivers though... Well it depends on your taste and whether you can get them cheap or not. Electrostatics are cheaper from Japan. whats the hearing sensation of dyna and stats? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil-zen 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 Well I have 2 pairs of stax headphones now and they don't sound like one another. Dynamics don't sound similar either... The only thing I can say about electrostatics are they seem more effortless than dynamics. Effortless and ethereal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chow 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 so stats is better than dynamics? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Absolute0 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 so stats is better than dynamics? I think electrostats are not better than dynamic per se, but because of the generally higher price of electrostats, it's only natural that they sound better than most less expensive dynamic phones. A heads-on between the Sony R-10 (supposedly the best dynamic phones around) and the Orpheus (the king of electrostats) would be interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil-zen 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 Well... Ethereal to a person can be diffuse sounding to another. Stax cannot really manage as much bass as some dynamics so if you are a basshead, then go for the dynamics. Why don you give them a try? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
afbug 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2006 Don't know anything about armature drivers though... Well it depends on your taste and whether you can get them cheap or not. Electrostatics are cheaper from Japan. whats the hearing sensation of dyna and stats? I got no experience with electrostat headphones but i heard electrostat speakers briefly before. They're real quick and accurate. Very good sound staging and stereo imaging too. Plus they're slim. But i think they can sound a little bright and fake at times. My experience is brief with them and it was sometime back. So take my comments as a pinch of salt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmk 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2006 Electrostatics (reference to Stax): Pros - v highly detailed, good soundstaging, out of head sound (Omega). Cons - lack of dynamics (compared to dynamic cans), cost, cannot change amp (except within Stax line). Dynamic cans: - well this one really depends on which can you are referring to, but for the price of a Stax, you could get a few dynamic cans, unless you get things like the L3000, R10, or one of those other exotics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chow 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2006 is a stats suitable for movies? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
