Stax has always been somewhat of an exclusive club compared to other manufacturers. Just getting their headphones to work requires a completely different type of amplifier (an energizer).

Another barrier to entry has always been the price. Stax headphones are not cheap by any stretch, and when you factor in the cost of an energizer, it becomes a tough pill to swallow. They’ve tried to alleviate this by offering certain package deals, such as the Stax SRS-3100 and SRS-X1000. This tackled the energizer issue and “helped” the cost issue (still around $1000)

In 2015, Stax launched their “Advanced Lambda” series with the introduction of the L700 and L500. The L700 used the more advanced driver of the two, seemingly trickled down from the 009 flagship of the time.

The L700 wasn’t cheap, coming in at about $1,400 before tax and shipping (no energizer included!). The high price tag, combined with some of the worst build materials for a headphone at that price, made it a tough sell for anyone trying to get into the Stax ecosystem. Stax did offer the L500 for about $830 and later the L300 for around $430. Still, getting trickled-down 009 tech was expensive, and Stax needed a way to get units moving.

In 2018, they introduced a limited edition L300 — a sort of Frankenstein headphone. It combined parts from the L300, L500, and L700, most notably taking the drivers from the L700 and the pads from the L500. They only made 800 units, priced at $899. While still expensive, it was a bargain compared to the original L700, and it had the added benefit of being a rarer, more exclusive product.

So what happens when an exclusive company makes an exclusive headphone? Let’s find out.

The build of the L300 LTD is…cheap. I hope you like plastic, because that’s all you’re getting here. It is an improvement over the previous-generation Lambdas, whose plastic felt even cheaper — but still, this is not a build you admire. The gold accents on each side are a nice touch, giving the headphone some visual flair, but they don’t hide the basic construction.

The headband is the same as on the original L300 — and it’s not great. The L500 and L700 both used a far superior headband design that let you click and lock it into place. The L300 and L300 LTD use a self-adjusting strap that can start slipping over time — a problem I experienced with the original L300 and which remains here.

Thankfully, you can replace the headband if it becomes too annoying (though it’s not cheap). The upgraded headband will cost you around $230! A big ask honestly so I wouldn’t fork over the cash unless you really find it necessary

The cable is the same as the standard L300 cable — typical Stax feel — and unfortunately not replaceable like on the newer MK2 versions of the L500 and L700. Some people claim the cables make a difference, however, I doubt it.

Being all plastic does have its perks — the L300 LTD is light, which helps with comfort.

The L500 pads are a major improvement over the original L300 pads, which were practically unusable for long sessions because your ears would touch the driver. The L500 pads help a lot, though if you want a perfect fix, I’d recommend upgrading to L700 pads. (Honestly, Stax should have just shipped them this way to begin with.)

The headband still hurts comfort slightly, since it requires frequent readjusting if you have a larger head or lots of hair.

Still, overall, the L300 LTD gets a pass in the comfort department. I can wear it for hours without any serious issues.

The L300 LTD has some bass roll-off due to an imperfect seal created by the pads. In the past, Stax Lambda pads were glued on — great for sound, terrible for replacement. Nowadays, pads are easier to replace, but the trade-off is worse sub-bass extension.

The bass rolls off hard, and EQ alone can’t fix it.

Enter the Blutac fix:

By applying Blutac in strategic places behind the pads, you can dramatically improve the seal and flatten out the bass response. It takes just a few minutes, carries almost no risk, and makes a huge difference. (Plenty of tutorials online.)

After applying Blutac, the bass on the L300 LTD becomes much better and can even take to a bit of EQ for added sub-bass rumble. It won’t beat an LCD-X, but it’s still great — especially for an electrostatic headphone.

Many Stax fans are mid lovers — it’s all about the vocals. And yes, the L300 LTD has very solid vocal performance. Like many electrostatic headphones, it features a very prominent elevation in the 1k–1.5kHz region.

Some listeners love this forwardness, while others find it too much.

Personally, I feel like I should dislike it , but I actually enjoy the flavor it brings. Some tracks sound particularly unique and engaging; other tracks can feel a little intense. Thankfully, you can EQ this away easily if needed.

There also is a major scoop in the 2kHz to 5kHz range. This doesn’t seem to bother me much as I have never loved the intensity of the harman target in this range.

There’s a small peak around 6kHz that didn’t bother me, and a few minor dips up to 10kHz — but no aggressive peaks that make the headphone sharp or fatiguing. Past 10kHz it has decent presence which can result in a sense of “air” to some people which I do enjoy many tracks.

Overall, the L300 LTD has a dark and laid-back treble presentation compared to other electrostatic headphones I’ve tried. This tuning has led many listeners to really enjoy the L300 LTD and L700, while others — who prefer more traditional estat sound — may gravitate toward the L300 or L500.

I’ve heard people describe the soundstage of many Lambda-style headphones as “tall” — and I can understand what they mean. The same often gets said about oval-shaped Hifiman headphones as well.

With the L300 LTD, I get it. It doesn’t sound super “deep,” per se, but it does sound grand — almost all around you. It’s also a very open headphone, and that openness definitely contributes to the effect.

It’s not the widest staging I’ve ever heard, but it stages farther and feels bigger than the OG L300, which comes across much more intimate.

I’m still a big believer that frequency response is the primary driver behind perceived soundstage, and when comparing measurements between the L300 LTD and the OG L300, what I hear lines up with that belief. Still, is it possible that driver size — and maybe driver length — plays a role as well? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s an interesting question.

The L300 LTD is a solid performer — especially with the Blutac mod.

I know many people will look at the stock measurements and immediately write them off — and honestly, I get that. The stock tuning is something some listeners will love and others will find odd.

Thankfully, the L300 LTD takes EQ extremely well. Never be afraid to EQ headphones — it’s free and can make a huge difference!

If you can find a pair and are willing to invest in an energizer, I’d definitely recommend giving the L300 LTD a shot. In fact, it’s been a consistent favorite among many of the people I’ve had try it.

To my ears, the L300 LTD is just plain better than the 404 LTD (or Signature). I’ll admit — I’m not a fan of the previous-generation Lambdas, which is definitely a hot take in the Stax community.

The 404 LTD sounds a bit off-putting to me stock. It has a noticeable upper-midrange peak. Where the L300 LTD’s forwardness ends around 1.5kHz, the 404 LTD extends all the way to 2kHz, shifting the emphasis farther to the right — and sounding worse to my ears because of it. Not to say that the 404 LTD sounds bad, it just feels like it needs more room.

With EQ, the 404 LTD becomes much better and genuinely enjoyable. It also benefits from a flat bass response all the way to 20Hz stock. Still, out of the box, the 404 LTD sounds shoutier and more in-your-face, while the L300 LTD is more laid-back and stages bigger.

Lastly, I found the 404 LTD’s pads to be too small and uncomfortable — which doesn’t help.

Winner: L300 LTD

These two headphones are very similar, so I’ll keep it brief.

The major differences are:

• Comfort (L700 Mk2 wins, thanks to a better headband),
• Cable (L700 Mk2 has a removable cable),
• Slight tuning differences.

The L300 LTD is slightly more forward and has slightly better bass response — but overall, the difference is minor and could easily come down to driver variation.

Winner: Tie

The Audeze LCD-X (2021) is probably one of my favorite headphones — mainly because it takes EQ so well and absolutely slams in the bass department.

Its biggest issue? Weight — it’s heavy.

Both the LCD-X and L300 LTD have more laid-back treble presentations. However, the Stax has a more mid-forward presentation, while the LCD-X leans darker and bassier.

I generally dislike the LCD-2/3/4 models, but for whatever reason, I found myself really enjoying the LCD-X.

For the average listener, the LCD-X is probably the better buy:

• Easier to find,
• Easier to power,
• Incredibly easy to EQ.

The only real downside is its weight.

Unless you’re absolutely in love with mids and don’t like EQ’ing much, I’d probably stick to the LCD-X.

Winner: LCD-X

(From StaxHeadphones.com)

• Type: Push-Pull Open Back Oval Electrostatic Earspeaker Headphone
• Frequency Response: 7 - 41,000Hz
• Electrostatic Capacitance: 110pF (including cable)
• Impedance: 145k Ω (including cable, at 10kHz)
• Sound Pressure Sensitivity: 101dB / 100V r.m.s. 1 kHz
• Maximum Sound Pressure: 118dB / 400Hz
• Bias Voltage: 580V DC
• Left & Right Identification: "L" and "R" indicated on the arc assembly Left channel cable is marked with a solid line. Right channel is marked with a dotted line.
• Ear Pads: Genuine Lamb Leather (direct skin contact), high-quality synthetic leather (surrounding portion)
• Cable: Silver-coated 6N (99.9999%) OFC parallel 6-strand, low-capacity special wide cable, 2.5m full length
• Weight: 0.8lb without cable / 1.1lb with cable