Over-Ear
STAX SR-L500
Not yet scored
$830
Full review dataSTAX SR-L500 vs Verum 2: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the STAX SR-L500 vs Verum 2, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
Over-Ear
Verum 2
85Outstanding
$500
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Verum 2 leads on 4 of 4 measures.
- STAX SR-L500
- Verum 2
HearWiki score
-
85
Sound
-
8.9
Value
-
9.0
Price (USD)
$830
$500
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Same generation
The Verum 2 is 9 years newer, but it is the same generation of hardware: nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. Nothing separates them on convenience features either, so the choice comes down to tuning and price. For 9 years between them, that is a thin return - treat this as a restyle rather than a new platform.
- SR-L5002016
- 220259 yr newer
Specifications
SR-L5002
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $830
- $500
- HearWiki score
- Not scored
- 85
- Released
- 2016
- 2025
- Availability
- Discontinued
- Sold new
- Driver
- hybrid
- 105 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- hybrid
- planar
- Driver size
- -
- 105 mm
- Drivers per side
- -
- 1
- Impedance
- 145000 Ω
- 8 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 101 dB/mW
- 96 dB/mW
- Active noise cancelling
- No
- No
- ANC type
- -
- none
- Transparency mode
- -
- No
- Companion app
- -
- No
- Custom EQ
- -
- No
- Wear detection
- -
- No
- Voice assistant
- -
- No
- Weight
- 339 g
- 450 g
- Detachable cable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- No
- No
- Pad material
- leatherette
- fabric
- Connector
- -
- 3.5 mm
- Balanced connection
- -
- Yes
- Call noise reduction
- -
- No
What reviewers said
STAX SR-L500
The STAX SR-L500 is a premium electrostatic over-ear headphone designed for audiophiles seeking a detailed and transparent listening experience. It combines a hand-selected thin-film diaphragm with robust stainless steel electrodes, housed in a redesigned enclosure that prioritizes comfort via a 10-click adjustable headband. The included low-capacitance HiFC cable ensures clean signal transfer to the drivers.
- Pro:Detailed and transparent electrostatic sound
- Pro:Comfortable adjustable headband with 10-click fit
- Pro:High-quality low-capacitance cable for signal purity
- Con:Requires a dedicated electrostatic amplifier (not included)
- Con:Very high impedance may limit source compatibility
- Con:No active noise cancellation or wireless connectivity
Verum 2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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