SPIRIT S5 HEADPHONES FROM STAX

A new pair of wireless Planar Magnetic headphones from the headphone giant? Paul Rigby just had to take a listen

The story so far. 

I have been a long-term fan of Stax owning a couple of their classic electrostatic-based headphones including the high-end 007 model. 

Then back in December 2022, I was shocked to learn that the company was releasing a new pair of wireless headphones called the Sprit S3. Priced, at that point, at £329, I was suitably surprised at the sound quality from a form factor that I do not normally associated with sonic perfection. 

Then I wasn’t surprised because, well, Stax.

Now? Stax is back with a new and even more expensive pair of wireless models, suitably known as the S5, presented in black. I have no idea what happened to the S4s but I am told that the company does sometimes skip numbers or they might release certain pieces of hardware only in Asiatic territories.

Compared to the S3s in aesthetic terms? The S5 designs are slightly chunkier in form factor. The headband is slightly thicker, slightly more substantial, the ear cups are slightly larger with a redesigned outer ear cup. The button and socket interface is also been rejigged. 

So let’s get into some details. As I say, we are looking at Planar Magnetic driver technology here used in conjunction with a Qualcomm QCC5181 Bluetooth v5.4 chip that supports a range of codecs including aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, LHDC, LDAC, AAC and SBC. A goodly selection, therefore that will please just about everyone who is serious about Bluetooth play. And Bluetooth offers a 10m range, incidentally. Pairing of Bluetooth was both fast and efficient. 

YOU’RE CANCELLED!

Using a dual microphone noise cancellation system, the headphones support multipoint connection and switching between music play, video and calls on two different devices simultaneously.

Charged via a USB-C port, the headphones offer around 80 hours of play in between those charges and can be controlled via the ConneX app, available from the usual places. 

In terms of sockets and buttons? Well, I mentioned that USB-C charging socket. On the opposite ear cup is a 3.5mm socket for wired play in case your battery dies or you wish to hook the headphones up to a home HiFi system. The power button sits in the middle of a volume rocker switch while a separate Bluetooth pairing button sits alongside. 

As for comfort? For my admittedly large head, I found the S5 headphones marginally more comfortable than the S3s. The larger ear cups suited me while the headband was just a tad more comfortable. Different head sizes and shapes might trigger different conclusions, however. 

In the box, you also receive a second pair of replaceable ear pads offering a lighter, mesh-like design instead of the heavier, lambskin default fitted out of the box for Summer use, cooling the ears. Alongside that is an earpad tool that looks like a guitar pick. This dinky little thing helps you to remove and swop out the ear pads. The ear pads click on and off the main chassis with a bit of effort but not too much. There are four snap fixings on each earpad which I found relatively easy to manoeuvre.

So how do these headphones sound? Let’s have a little listen and find out. 

SOUND QUALITY

For the sound tests I wanted to look at wireless and wired play. The wired option is there, why not test it?

SOUND EFFECTS & EQs

To begin, I connected the Spirit S5s to my iPhone 15 via the AAC codec and played a lossy version of Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me. There are EQs available via the app described as Sound Effects, a refreshing honest description, I have to say. Moving from Original to the Monitor setting, flattens the response but does have the effect of pushing the vocals forward, dampening the surrounding music while the Dynamic option boosts bass. The Customised option takes you through to the user-definable EQ screen where you can dial in four gain sliders, bandwidth and frequency. 

I stuck with the Original option for the period of this test. 

Separated from the rest of the Effects options is low-latency Game Mode which accentuates the mids and treble a little but if low latency is your priority and life in death in the arena of combat is first and foremost, for example, check out this option. 

MESH PADS

I then swopped the default lambskin ear pads with the bundled Summer-style mesh ear pads and blimey yes, the mesh designs certainly do cool down the ears. Quite a bit, actually. 

In this configuration, in terms of sound, I found the sound to be a rather recessed. I felt the need to hit the Customised EQ option and enhance each frequency there to bring the music back too life again although this did require lots of fiddling with the settings but if hot ears in the Summer are your nemesis, at least you have a possible solution here. In pure sound terms, though? I stuck with the original lambskin pads.  

vs STAX S3s

I turned to my Astell&Kern Kann Alpha DAP as a sound source. I played the Fleet Foxes’ For a Week or Two, a slow-paced, harmony-rich song with basic percussion, piano at 24bit/96kHz. 

Straight away I was impressed, even with the basic percussion which offered a more complex sound, even from its basic repetition. While the vocal harmonies had a deeper, richer bass tone. The upper midrange area offered more insight and an impressive reverb response that traveled all over the larger soundstage. The piano especially sounded larger, more resonant while the sustain from each key strike appeared to travel further. 

WIRED MODE

I wouldn’t see the Stax Spirit S5s as wired mode headphones. That is, I wouldn’t use the S5s as my primary wired headphones. They are excellent as wired backups when the need arises. For example, when the S5 battery dies and you still want to listen to your DAP source or if you’re home and you want to listen to your home HiFi on a casual basis as opposed to a serious listening session.

I compared the S5 with the Sennheiser 620S wired headphones via a DAP and the Sendy Aiva red headphones connected to a home HiFi and I found both of those had a far more coherent, better structured sound output than the Stax S5s. 

But look, that point of the Stax Spirit S5s is wireless play. That’s why you would buy them in the first place and in wireless mode, they are truly superb performers. 

IN COMPUTER MODE

I then returned to wireless mode and paired the S5s with my iMac to replicate an office environment and played the title track from the Nick Drake album, Pink Moon at 24bit/96kHz. Again, that overall balance from the detailed mids and treble and the meaty bottom end impressed. Drake’s delivery used a close mic technique. The S5s tracked that rather closed in, claustrophobic presentation very well indeed.

Playing the the more dynamic and high-energy track, Carousels from The Doves, again at 24bit/96Khz emphasised just how much these headphones can rock if you let them off the leash. Bass can let loose via the S5s, if you allow it. There’s weight and impact from the lower frequencies that, combined with the informative midrange and treble can provide a rather epic and grand presentation. 

CONCLUSION 

Easy to use and comfortable, the Spirit S5 wireless headphones prove to be a worthy successor to that company’s wireless S3 model. In terms of basic sound quality, the S5 design is a definite step up the sonic ladder. 

Sure, the backup, wired mode is sonically underwhelming but the S5s were not specifically designed for wired use, even though its nice to have that option. Hence, they should only be judged as wireless designs. 

And in that mode, the Spirit S5s are brilliant wireless performers, offering a neutral yet dynamic performance with plenty of midrange an treble detail to burn plus a rock solid bass performance. Highly recommended. 

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STAX SPIRIT S5 HEADPHONES

Price: £500

Website: www.edifier.com

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GOOD: wireless mode, easy to use, comfortable, big bass, informative upper frequencies. 

BAD: wired mode is…fine

RATING: 8

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