Over-Ear
Focal Stellia
84Great
$2999
Full review dataFocal Stellia vs STAX SR-X9000: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the STAX SR-X9000 comes out ahead with an HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: STAX SR-X9000 - Outstanding overall at around $5050.
Over-Ear
STAX SR-X9000
88Outstanding
$5050
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Focal Stellia
Sound9.0
Value6.0
STAX SR-X9000
Sound9.5
Value5.0
Specifications
| Spec | Focal Stellia | STAX SR-X9000 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Price (USD) | $2999 | $5050 |
| HearWiki score | 84 / 100 · Great | 88 / 100 · Outstanding |
| Released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Audio | ||
| Driver | dynamic | electrostatic |
| Driver size | 40 mm | - |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-40kHz | 5Hz-42,000Hz |
| Impedance | 35 Ω | 145000 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB/mW | - |
| Wireless | ||
| Bluetooth | none | - |
| Codecs | SBC | - |
| Multipoint pairing | No | No |
| Battery | ||
| Wireless charging | No | - |
| Features | ||
| Active noise cancelling | No | No |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 435 g | 432 g |
| Water resistance | none | - |
| Detachable cable | Yes | - |
| USB-C | No | - |
| Balanced connection | Yes | - |
What reviewers said
Focal Stellia
The Focal Stellia is a premium closed-back headphone that pairs a beryllium dynamic driver with a luxurious build, delivering outstanding clarity, detail, and separation across a wide frequency range. It is easy to drive from standard sources, making it a versatile high-end option, though its neutral tuning may not always deliver the most lively or emotionally engaging sound. Its price and weight position it firmly in the flagship category for serious listeners.
- Pro:Excellent detail and instrument separation
- Pro:Easy to drive from most devices
- Pro:Luxurious, well-crafted build
- Con:Very expensive for most buyers
- Con:Neutral sound can feel uninvolving at times
- Con:Heavier than many competitors
STAX SR-X9000
The STAX SR-X9000 is a top-tier electrostatic headphone that excels at revealing fine detail, ambient cues, and instrumental nuance, delivering an exceptionally transparent and spacious soundstage. It offers outstanding speed, transient response, and realism, making it ideal for classical and spatially demanding music. However, it requires a dedicated energizer/driver unit, pushing the total system cost far beyond the already steep headphone price.
- Pro:Exceptional detail retrieval and transparency
- Pro:Huge, three-dimensional soundstage with precise imaging
- Pro:Fast transient response and realistic timbre
- Con:Requires separate electrostatic driver unit
- Con:Very high total system cost
- Con:No noise cancellation or wireless convenience
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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