On September 24, Edifier released the first HIFI head-mounted headphone, which is the STAX SPIRIT S3 over-ear planar bluetooth headphone. I got this headset the first time, and now I will chat with you from all angles about my experience and views on this headset for your reference.
Unboxing & Appearance:
Let’s take a look at the packaging first. Taking the Edifier LolliPods Pro TWS earphones as a reference, we can see that the packaging of STAX SPIRIT S3 is “extremely environmentally friendly”, and the size is close to some gift boxes. The entire outer packaging adopts two colors of black and gold, which is elegant and steady.
The upper left corner of the front of the package is the STAX SPIRIT series Logo. I personally understand that these should be two symmetrical auricles, which can be said to have both beauty and connotation. In the lower left corner is the Hi-Res AUDIO (high-resolution audio) logo, indicating that STAX SPIRIT S3 meets the high-quality audio product design standards set by JAS (Japan Audio Association) and has been certified.
It is worth mentioning that on one side of the outer package, there is also the word Qualcomm aptX HD, which indicates that STAX SPIRIT S3 supports Qualcomm aptX HD wireless audio decoding. According to official parameters, STAX SPIRIT S3 can support 24bit/48KHz audio transmission even in bluetooth, which is higher than the CD sampling rate (44.1KHz), and the maximum bit rate can reach 576Kbps.
Remove the cover of the outer packaging, it is the outer box with cowhide texture and hot stamping process. After opening, there is a heart-shaped storage box inside. If the design of the outer box just makes me feel quite high-end, then the exterior texture of this storage box already has the taste of luxury.
Open the storage box, you can see that a layer of sponge is added to protect the earphones, and the inner surface is flocked.
In terms of details, the golden Hi-Res AUDIO logo on the inner right side of the headset demonstrates the powerful strength of this headset in a low-key manner. At the bottom of the left earphone is a 10W Type-C charging interface and charging indicator. At the bottom of the right earphone are the multi-function buttons that switch the volume in one, the indicator light, and the wired audio interface.
In terms of accessories, it comes with a Type-C charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, and an all-metal 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.
Soft Experience
First of all, of course, we must talk about the sound quality, but as an enthusiast HiFi headset, the Edifier STAX SPIRIT S3 is already very high no matter which point of view the sound quality is evaluated.
In fact, for headphones of this level and above, more differences are reflected in different subdivided application fields and different directions of sound tuning. So in terms of tuning style, STAX SPIRIT S3 gives me the biggest feeling that there is no style——the ultimate pursuit of three-band equalization.
In fact, this is precisely the most difficult. The uneven and non-linear magnetic field distribution of the magnetic circuit of the planar unit makes it more difficult for the planar diaphragm unit to obtain a balanced driving force than the ordinary dynamic diaphragm. But Edifier did it, and it did a very good job.
In the process of listening to songs with STAX SPIRIT S3, I randomly played Eminem’s “Stan”, which is a song that I personally like very much and I am very familiar with. When I used STAX SPIRIT S3 to hear this song at 3 minutes and 40 seconds, I clearly noticed an environmental sound that I had never noticed before.
Combined with the lyrics, I am keenly aware that it is the sound of the car’s front window wiper motor turning. After realizing that there was this sound, I immediately switched to other headphones of the same level to listen to it, and I could hear it vaguely, but due to the low frequency concealment and other reasons, the clarity was not as good as STAX SPIRIT S3.
It is impossible to tell what sound is without knowing it in advance. Interested friends may wish to listen to it with headphones. There are many similar experiences. These “new discoveries” are enough to reflect the powerful resolving power of STAX SPIRIT S3 and the powerful experience that can be brought by the excellent and balanced tri-band.
In terms of weight, with its high-tech carbon fiber shell, STAX SPIRIT S3 weighs only 330g. As a professional sound-oriented head-mounted headphone, this weight is obviously well controlled.
In terms of wearing comfort, I personally find it very comfortable. My ears are already relatively large, and they can still be perfectly covered by this headset. Coupled with the very soft and skin-like material, it brings me an almost senseless wearing experience. Because I was quite excited after opening the box yesterday, I listened to music for four hours immersively, and there was no obvious discomfort. (But this is still not recommended)
As a headset that supports wireless connection, I deliberately tested the daily performance of STAX SPIRIT S3 in bluetooth. First of all, the bluetooth delay of this headset is very low. When I play “Honor of King” with my mobile phone, I can hardly notice the time difference between the operation and the sound effect. Of course, this can be said to be the quality that a high-end bluetooth headset should have. Secondly, I was a little surprised that STAX SPIRIT S3 supports connecting two bluetooth devices at the same time. Although it is impossible for two devices to output audio at the same time, it can seamlessly switch between devices.
In fact, there is nothing to say about the usage scenarios of the game. Although I played “PUBG Mobile” with STAX SPIRIT S3 last night and still lost, but…I must admit that this is entirely my own reason. In terms of the ability of STAX SPIRIT S3, the so-called “listening recognition” imaging capability required by FPS games is sufficient for this headset to be “downward compatible”.
Finally, although this is a standard professional-grade head-mounted large headset, STAX SPIRIT S3 is easy to drive based on the product direction that supports wireless connections. Even in the case of the bluetooth connection of the mobile phone and the sound source is not “really lossless”, the sound quality performance is enough to satisfy my picky ears.
Since there is no more professional front end in hand, I regret that I have not been able to test the most extreme sound quality performance of STAX SPIRIT S3 to share with you. But what is certain is that STAX SPIRIT S3 still has enough room for improvement to keep me refreshing my music experience, which is exactly the charm of “fever”.
Hard Power
Next, I will list some of the advantages of STAX SPIRIT S3 as a planar headphone which is very hard-core. I don’t really understand the very professional things, for your reference, corrections and supplements.
Why does STAX SPIRIT S3 use a planar diaphragm unit?
Because the planar diaphragm has an inherent advantage——planar sound. This sounding method has lower split vibration distortion and wider frequency response range, and compared with higher-end electrostatic units, no additional power amplifier drive is required.
Why don’t most manufacturers like to use a planar diaphragm unit?
Due to the magnetic field distribution characteristics of the magnetic circuit of the planar unit, the planar diaphragm unit needs to design the wiring on the diaphragm more carefully and smartly to obtain a balanced driving force. It is this demanding design requirement that discourages most manufacturers and makes it difficult to make planar headphones with perfect sound quality.
Why can Edifier make this head-mounted planar bluetooth headphone?
3.1. UniforceTM driving force wiring technology patent, balance the electromagnetic driving force by adjusting the wiring width. The wiring width is widened at the position where the magnetic field density is high, and the wiring width at the position where the magnetic field density is low is reduced and the number of wiring is increased, thereby cleverly balancing the electromagnetic driving force of the magnetic field.
3.2. Edifier innovative EqualMassTM diaphragm wiring technology, which is the advancement of UniforceTM patented technology. Different parallel connections are used for equal-spacing wiring. Different parallel methods are used to obtain different effective wire widths. Equal-spacing wiring is to make the quality of the wires carried by the unit area of the diaphragm be equal. Under the premise that UniforceTM obtains equal electromagnetic driving force, the driven mass is evenly distributed. In this way, a nearly perfect full-frequency piston-type vibration plane diaphragm can be obtained, which greatly reduces the divided vibration of the diaphragm and makes the sound restoration cleaner and more efficient. Smoother.
3.3 FluxorTM magnetic steel array patent, through the use of 45-degree diagonal magnetization, an unprecedented, wide horizontal magnetic field is obtained, which provides a more balanced drive for the diaphragm.
3.4. The patent of FazorTM acoustic component, through the reshaping of the magnetic circuit support structure, makes the moving air flow more smoothly, and greatly reduces the interference distortion caused by the interference of sound waves.
Summary:
In fact, friends who pay attention to HiFi headsets know that as early as 2012, Edifier wholly acquired the top electrostatic headset brand STAX. Since then, there have been enthusiasts speculating that the Edifier STAX headset will be released, and it has been nearly ten years. As early as 2016, Edifier invested in AUDEZE LLC, a top planar diaphragm headset brand, and it has been five years since.
After so many years, the patents of static electricity and planar diaphragm have been really thoroughly understood, after the accumulation of technology and innovation, Edifier launched this STAX SPIRIT S3 head-mounted planar bluetooth headphone. In fact, this alone is enough to see that Edifier is taking a very cautious and solid step in entering the field of high-end headphones. It can also indirectly reflect that STAX SPIRIT S3, the first HiFi over-ear headphone that was launched after years of polishing with craftsmanship as a saunterer, must be worth the price in terms of sound quality.
Check EDIFIER STAX SPIRIT S3 price:
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