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Edifier Announces the STAX Spirit S5 Wireless Planar Magnetic Headphones

TheLostSwede

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Edifier International, the award-winning audio electronics designer, announces the STAX SPIRIT S5 Wireless Planar magnetic headphones. In the 2012, Edifier acquired STAX Ltd., a company with over 80 years history, and a specialist in electrostatic headphones. The brand name "STAX" is almost considered the benchmark of electrostatic headphones. Inspired by STAX's pursuance of high-fidelity music and craftsmanship in the field, the STAX SPIRIT brand was created as a high-end sub brand for Edifier headphone products with the aim of developing more high-quality products for audiophile users.

The STAX SPIRIT S5 are Planar magnetic headphones. Planar magnetic drivers are commonly found in Hi-fi headphones and other high-end audio equipment. With their unique way of operation, planar magnetic drivers can represent a superior audio experience with rich details and impressive transient response. With solid innovation and advanced features, the STAX SPIRIT S5 packs upgraded planar magnetic drivers and the latest Bluetooth V5.4 technology into a compact and portable form-factor. The 2μm thin film and 2nd gen EqualMass wiring technology generate a performance comparable to legendary electrostatic headphones.




The Advantages of Planar Magnetic Driver
Dynamic driver reproduces sound with a cone-size diaphragm driven by a voice coil submerged in a circular magnetic field. The diaphragm has to be stiff enough to avoid partitioning during vibration, especially in high frequency band. The whole motor system is also heavy to move. The planar magnetic driver, on the other hand, features a flat, thin diaphragm with embedded wires, suspended in the magnetic gap. This design allows the diaphragm to move in a piston-like manner across the whole frequency spectrum. The diaphragm is light and has good transient response, which makes the planar driver a much better choice for sound reproduction by nature compared to dynamic drivers.

The 2nd Gen EqualMass Wiring Technology
In other headphones with planar magnetic drivers, it is common practice to address the uneven distribution of the magnetic field by using wires of varying widths on the diaphragm, aiming to achieve uniform driving force across the entire diaphragm, ensuring consistent performance.

Edifier take this approach a step further with EqualMass. By connecting a different number of wires with the same width in parallel, EqualMass achieves a uniform driving force for all parts of diaphragm while keeping its weight evenly distributed. This allows the diaphragm to move back and forth with the same motion and momentum, reducing harmonic distortion to almost zero. In the 2nd generation of EqualMass wiring, Edifier introduce a symmetric wiring structure, further enhancing the diaphragm's stability across the entire frequency spectrum.

Production Phase Auto Calibrate
To ensure uniformity in the magnetic field strength distribution across each planar magnetic driver, Edifier have developed a proprietary automatic toolset for calibrating and compensating the magnet circuitry during production. This meticulous process guarantees that every set of S5 headphones delivers sound fidelity identical to the original unit crafted by the designer.

In addition to LDAC and LHDC, the S5 supports all audio codecs under the Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, including aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless. It achieves a bit rate of up to 1.2 Mbps in Bluetooth mode, delivering high resolution (24-bit/96 kHz) and end to end low latency audio. It also supports the AAC codec, enhancing compatibility with a wider range of devices.

Thanks to aptX Adaptive codecs, the STAX SPIRIT S5 achieves end-to-end latency as low as 89 ms in Bluetooth mode, synchronizing your audio experience with the action you see on the screen. This can provide a totally immersive gaming experience.

The S5 supports simultaneous connection to two Bluetooth audio devices. Whether it's a mobile phone or a laptop, switching between devices is more convenient and seamless, allowing you to work and listen to music simultaneously.

Wrapped in genuine lambskin earpads and adorned with top-grain cowhide earcups, the S5 epitomizes elegance and refinement in both form and function. Crafted with the utmost attention to detail, its ergonomic design ensures a snug and secure fit, giving hours of uninterrupted enjoyment with no discomfort.

Download the EDIFIER ConneX App and you can select from three kinds of preset EQs and customize your personal EQ to suit your music style.

Price & Availability:
Currently, the STAX SPIRIT S5 is available for $499.99.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
 
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So, if I am seeing this right, the only reason these carry STAX branding is purely marketing? Cool. Love the brand dilution. Sure, STAX cans are insanely expensive and an overkill for 99% of… anyone, but at least they are interesting from the “work of engineering art” perspective. This? This is just mid as hell.
 
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So, if I am seeing this right, the only reason these carry STAX branding is purely marketing? Cool. Love the brand dilution. Sure, STAX cans are insanely expensive and an overkill for 99% of… anyone, but at least they are interesting from the “work of engineering art” perspective. This? This is just mid as hell.
Last I checked S3's were reviewed positively on TPU. Plus they were often discounted by around 40-50% which made them a great value.

@VSG any plans for S5 review?
 

TheLostSwede

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So, if I am seeing this right, the only reason these carry STAX branding is purely marketing? Cool. Love the brand dilution. Sure, STAX cans are insanely expensive and an overkill for 99% of… anyone, but at least they are interesting from the “work of engineering art” perspective. This? This is just mid as hell.
Edifier acquired STAX, so they're clearly going to leverage what they paid for.
If you don't like it, don't buy it.

Last I checked S3's were reviewed positively on TPU. Plus they were often discounted by around 40-50% which made them a great value.
From the one review I skimmed through, these are much, much better.
 

TheLostSwede

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I don't think they were designed for gamers specifically though. And they do have a standard 3.5 mm jack.
The question is do they operate the same way that S3 used to - they ran on battery even when connected with the headphone jack.
 

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The question is do they operate the same way that S3 used to - they ran on battery even when connected with the headphone jack.
I believe that's a requirement for this type of drivers.
 

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Last I checked S3's were reviewed positively on TPU. Plus they were often discounted by around 40-50% which made them a great value.

@VSG any plans for S5 review?
I have one here, haven't opened it yet but hopefully next week.
 
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I believe that's a requirement for this type of drivers.
Planar magnetic drivers don't require battery power. They only require power when the manufacturer only wants the audio to go through the onboard DSP. This is similar to the Audeze Maxwell.
 
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