I want to budget around $500, prefer preowned. The various models of earspeakers and energizer/ amps are quite confusing. Would like to get some pointers on what would be a good used Stax rig at this price point or under.

You should be able to score a SRM-1/Mk2 with a Lambda Pro for around 500$. These systems were sold for close to 10 years so there is a lot of them out there. The amp is a great but I'm not much of a fan of the Lambda Pro due to its recessed midrange and uneven bass/treble. The original normal bias SR-Lambda and Lambda Signature are better choices over all but the difference isn't earth shattering.

A cheaper option would be a SR-X Mk3 with a SRD-7 transformer. These run for around 150-250$ and while great can't match the bass and treble extension of the early Lambdas. The Gamma line is also an option but prices have been rising lately, especially on the Pro models, for those that just want the drivers. I'd rather have a Lambda.

I have an SRD-7/SB and SR-Lambda pros. They sound nice but they make my ears sweat for some reason (unlike my Bayre Dynamic DT100's which I can ware for 8 hours at a time). If you look hard enough though you can get yours cheep. Mine were only $8.

Also, if you get a converter box the better the amp the better the sound. I couldn't believe the difference between some of my amps.

I have an SRD-7/SB and SR-Lambda pros. They sound nice but they make my ears sweat for some reason (unlike my Bayre Dynamic DT100's which I can ware for 8 hours at a time). If you look hard enough though you can get yours cheep. Mine were only $8.

Also, if you get a converter box the better the amp the better the sound. I couldn't believe the difference between some of my amps.

The old Lambda pads do not breath at all and the damping layer on the outside makes it even worse. You can buy some SR-404 earpads which are much nicer and will breath somewhat but they aren't cheap (40-50$) and they are brown in color. Nice score finding a Lambda for 8$. :yes:

$8 O_O and I thought I got mine cheap. :(

SRX/MK3 earspeakers and SRM1/Mk2 amp for around $375?

SRX/MK3 earspeakers and SRM1/Mk2 amp for around $375?

It's not a bad deal if the phones do not have any channel imbalance and the amp has a Pro output socket as well as the normal one. Stay away if there is any channel imbalance since the driver may not have long before they bite the dust.

You should be aware that while the SR-X Mk3 is one of the best headphones ever made they were designed for monitoring so will analyze everything and do not have an abundance of bass/treble compared to the SR-Lambda. Well worth the prize though and they have plenty of fans.

I scored an SRX-Mk3 and SRM1/Mk2 normal for $325. I'm very happy with it vs my old Grado 325/RA1 rig. How can I find a 6 pin extension cable? Are these really tough to come by?

I'm going to experiment with power cords and interconnects in a couple weeks after I've become more attuned to using these on a variety of music.

How can I find a 6 pin extension cable? Are these really tough to come by?

They are no longer sold but Stax did sell a version with a 5 pin male plug and a 6 pin socket as late as 2004. These cables were round and not ribbon like the stuff they sell today. I do seem to remember somebody selling a 6 pin cable on www.head-fi.org recently so it's worth a look.