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RE: no

The Stax F-81 efficiency is 73dB/1w/1m. And you are correct this speaker will bring ANY solid state amp to its knees. Solid state is all wrong for this speaker and this would include the Stax DMA-X2. With solid state the speaker is flat, thin sounding with no bottom end.

When I first got my F-81 I was using a 65 watt tube amp. It sure sounded good with that kind of power but peaks were limited to about 90dB or so. It was not until I put 300 watts of tube power behind the speaker that they really started to sing.

Operating correctly and given enough power the Stax is one of the most impressive speakers I have ever heard. In many fundamentally important ways it is the best speaker I have ever heard regardless of cost or technology. I simply have never heard another speaker that can do what the Stax can do and every time I have demoed the speaker people are floored with their performance. Of course then they want to buy them. Sorry not for sale. Good luck finding a pair!!

The Stax will play loud given enough power, around 98-100db with 300 watts. It has legitimate bass, throws a massive soundstage and is 3-D holographic as any speaker I have ever heard. Add talk about sweet, pure and intimate!!! If one is using a transformer-coupled tube amp a 16 ohm tap is mandatory. Lower taps will not deliver the power and you are right back to the problems of ss amps. While the nominal impedance is 8 ohms in reality I consider the nominal impedance to be about 100 ohm. It does not drop below 100 ohm until you hit 800Hz. Stax was gilding the lilly with the nominal 8 ohm rating.

100 watts minimum of tube power IMO with 300 watts being the upper limit for power handling. The speaker was not properly fused from the factory and this can cause damage to the transformer. And the power rating on the RC network components was a joke. This will cause damage to the panel.

IMO the F-83 is even better. What I wouldn't give to have a pair of F-83! Maybe someday.





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Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
  • RE: no - kentaja 08:44:15 09/13/12 (4)
    • RE: no - morricab 14:21:41 09/14/12 (3)
      • RE: no - kentaja 15:44:57 09/14/12 (2)
        • RE: no - morricab 08:14:59 09/24/12 (1)
          • RE: no - kentaja 19:19:08 09/24/12 (0)

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