The Stax SR-404 ranks #202 out of 479 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Stax
Prices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 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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#202 Stax SR-404: $600 Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Stax SR-404 Limited, ranked higher, rated 3.7/5 (also discontinued). See every Stax SR-404 generation.
Pros: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 75 against the Harman target.
Cons: About 9 dB less bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, which can sound thin on pop, hip hop and electronic music. Treble about 4 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones. Discontinued.
Is the Stax SR-404 right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 75).
- your taste runs warm: it scores 82 for that sound.
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 4.3 dB below target).
Skip it if
- you want more bass (about 9 dB below target).
- you need isolation or will use it in public: open-back headphones leak sound both ways.
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Back | Open |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired (Stax Pro bias 580V 5-pin) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.63 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Electrostatic |
| Drivers | 1 Electrostatic push-pull |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 75 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 47 Hz (-18.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.1 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. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 96 out of 100, up from 75.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +6.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,537 Hz | -5.1 dB | 1.58 |
| Peak | 73 Hz | -9.4 dB | 1.61 |
| Peak | 10,000 Hz | +2.1 dB | 0.27 |
| Peak | 48 Hz | +2.9 dB | 1.89 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -8.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,211 Hz | +4.3 dB | 1.57 |
| Peak | 467 Hz | +1.0 dB | 1.53 |
| Peak | 5,916 Hz | -5.1 dB | 5.68 |
| Peak | 4,683 Hz | +2.9 dB | 4.95 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -6.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 78 out of 100, up from 56.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +2.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +2.7 dB | 2.96 |
| Peak | 36 Hz | +4.3 dB | 1.75 |
| Peak | 60 Hz | -2.8 dB | 3.80 |
| Peak | 75 Hz | -9.6 dB | 2.95 |
| Peak | 426 Hz | +2.7 dB | 0.89 |
| Peak | 1,497 Hz | -3.4 dB | 3.83 |
| Peak | 4,561 Hz | +5.8 dB | 2.59 |
| Peak | 7,523 Hz | +2.0 dB | 4.77 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -7.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 72 out of 100, up from 30.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +3.2 dB | 3.31 |
| Peak | 34 Hz | +5.6 dB | 1.85 |
| Peak | 59 Hz | -2.8 dB | 3.06 |
| Peak | 78 Hz | -10.3 dB | 2.32 |
| Peak | 1,426 Hz | -3.6 dB | 4.62 |
| Peak | 2,506 Hz | +3.1 dB | 5.20 |
| Peak | 3,893 Hz | +5.0 dB | 1.11 |
| Peak | 5,885 Hz | -2.0 dB | 6.00 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 88 out of 100, up from 82.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 46 Hz | +2.0 dB | 2.16 |
| Peak | 66 Hz | -2.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 76 Hz | -5.9 dB | 4.26 |
| Peak | 451 Hz | +3.0 dB | 0.76 |
| Peak | 1,266 Hz | -1.4 dB | 3.10 |
| Peak | 1,551 Hz | -3.6 dB | 3.33 |
| Peak | 4,539 Hz | +4.5 dB | 5.02 |
| Peak | 7,487 Hz | +2.0 dB | 4.17 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 80 out of 100, up from 77.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 76 Hz | -3.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 360 Hz | +2.5 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 1,497 Hz | -3.4 dB | 3.83 |
| Peak | 4,561 Hz | +5.8 dB | 2.60 |
| Peak | 7,522 Hz | +2.0 dB | 4.81 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 65 out of 100, up from 35.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +2.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +2.8 dB | 2.96 |
| Peak | 36 Hz | +4.4 dB | 1.74 |
| Peak | 60 Hz | -2.9 dB | 3.77 |
| Peak | 75 Hz | -9.6 dB | 2.96 |
| Peak | 100 Hz | -1.9 dB | 4.49 |
| Peak | 425 Hz | +2.7 dB | 0.90 |
| Peak | 1,500 Hz | -3.5 dB | 3.66 |
| Peak | 4,708 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.56 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from AutoEQ’s measurement, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 62 out of 100, up from 60.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 76 Hz | -2.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 143 Hz | +1.5 dB | 2.17 |
| Peak | 350 Hz | +3.5 dB | 0.63 |
| Peak | 1,147 Hz | -1.5 dB | 2.24 |
| Peak | 1,465 Hz | -3.7 dB | 3.79 |
| Peak | 1,873 Hz | -1.2 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,717 Hz | +1.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,708 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.37 |
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