Short answer: the Stax SR-L300. Both are rated 4.3/5 for sound quality (#20 and #21 of 216 over-ear headphones), and the Stax SR-L300 costs $455 against $514.55 for the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
What the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 does well: This is a rare wireless planar magnetic headphone, with Bluetooth 5.2, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support, a built in microphone and a claimed 80 hours of battery life. The tradeoff: Those measurements show a 6.8 dB dip near 6.9 kHz and the 6 to 10 kHz band sits about 3 dB low, so cymbals and sibilance come across dulled and less detailed.
Why pick the Stax SR-L300: An excellent preference score of 89 in crinacle’s measurement, among the closest tunings to the Harman target in its class. The catch: As an electrostatic headphone it needs a dedicated Stax-compatible energizer to run at all, which adds real cost and a box on the desk.
Buy the Stax SR-L300. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $59.55 less than the Edifier Stax Spirit S3.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Edifier Stax Spirit S3 | Stax SR-L300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $514.55 | $455.00 |
| Ranked | #21 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #20 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 89 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 89 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.62 dB standard deviation | 1.94 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.20 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.9 dB at 30 Hz) | - |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic | Electrostatic |
| Drivers | 1 x 89x70mm planar magnetic | 1 x oval push-pull electrostatic |
| Impedance | 24 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 94 dB SPL(A) | 101 dB/100V rms |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (329 g) | 0.7 lbs (323 g) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 7Hz - 41kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | No | - |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
Related Headphone Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Stax SR-L300:
- Stax SR-L300 vs Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa
- Stax SR-L300 vs Grado Hemp
- Edifier Stax Spirit S3 vs Grado Hemp
- Edifier Stax Spirit S3 vs HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version
- HEDD Audio D1 vs Focal Hadenys
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Edifier Stax Spirit S3: $514.55 Wireless Amazon eBay
Pros: This is a rare wireless planar magnetic headphone, with Bluetooth 5.2, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support, a built in microphone and a claimed 80 hours of battery life. The median of six hobbyist measurements on squig.link yields a preference score of 89 with a gently warm tilt, and bass holds to within about 2 dB of target at 30 Hz. The closed back keeps sound in, making it usable in offices and on transit.
Cons: Those measurements show a 6.8 dB dip near 6.9 kHz and the 6 to 10 kHz band sits about 3 dB low, so cymbals and sibilance come across dulled and less detailed. There is no active noise cancelling, and at 329 grams it is on the heavy side for a wireless headphone.
Full Edifier Stax Spirit S3 review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | No |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 80 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.62 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 89x70mm planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 89 (median of 6 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 94 dB SPL(A) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.9 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.20 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (329 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Stax SR-L300: $455.00 Audio46 eBay
Pros: An excellent preference score of 89 in crinacle’s measurement, among the closest tunings to the Harman target in its class. The open back push-pull electrostatic driver gives a wide, airy presentation, and at 323 g it is light for a full size headphone.
Cons: As an electrostatic headphone it needs a dedicated Stax-compatible energizer to run at all, which adds real cost and a box on the desk. The open back leaks sound and blocks no outside noise. The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X shares the same rating for less money and plugs into ordinary gear.
Full Stax SR-L300 review and specifications →
| Released | 2016 (10 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.94 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Electrostatic |
| Drivers | 1 x oval push-pull electrostatic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 7Hz - 41kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 89 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Sensitivity | 101 dB/100V rms |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.03 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (323 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +6.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,213 Hz | -2.9 dB | 1.92 |
| Peak | 82 Hz | -4.1 dB | 1.03 |
| Peak | 4,035 Hz | +3.7 dB | 5.20 |
| Peak | 2,474 Hz | +2.5 dB | 3.36 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,544 Hz | -3.1 dB | 5.36 |
| Peak | 225 Hz | -0.7 dB | 2.42 |
| Peak | 413 Hz | +0.2 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 42 Hz | +0.7 dB | 4.57 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons