Not even close. The new orthos can't touch the top electrostatics. They still sound like dynamics regardless of their planar drivers. Also, there is a new Stax coming out btw, the C32.
As you expected, the problem is the high initial investment needed to get an electrostatic system. Next is that it is difficult to find a place that will let you hear some good electrostats. Another problem is that you can't just buy the headphone and plug it into what ever you own. There's also very few good electrostatic amplifiers to choose in this market.
I don't know about you, but I've been seeing a lot of demand for Stax lately. My guess is that people are realizing that at the prices they pay for the top tier dynamic systems, they could consider electrostatic systems. $1800 for a Sennheiser HD800? I got a used Stax Omega 2 for $1600 and no matter what amplifer you plug the HD800 in, they will never sound as elegant, effortless, and have the mid range reproduction as the Stax Omega 2 nor any ortho/dynamic for that matter.
Dynamics have their advantages in a more impactful presentation of music, but in another sense, it sounds more pressured, while electrostats sound more dispersed. It's good to have both in your system, but to me, it's not really questionable which headphones are better.
electrostatic HPs have a lot to offer at many price levels and sound sigs but have their limitations and risks, and these are somewhat more apparent for cheaper/older HP. (still not quite sure if people can use them with evaporative cooling or high humidity either, sounds like a no even for the new 'humidity resistant' sr-507 by the recent posts in the new stax thread. ). The other problems I personally had was clipping at higher levels than I needed for some classical on weaker driver units (SRM-252, SRM-300) (won't happen to many though, usually people's ears bleed first from the levels I listen to)
You have the brighter 303/404, the more neutral 202, the very decent 404LE and the new x07 series, the Omegas and the up-coming C32?
The entry level 252a system can be had for very little ($400ish)used and offers a better performance in some aspects than dynamics (bass extension and amount not being one of them, first thing you'll think will be 'effortlesshighsandmids'). Used driver units and Lambdas or SR-404/303 are probably next up at 600-1000 depending on the condition/models. Aside from the mids etch and brightness that not everyone likes and still not quite right bass do very well for vocals, orchestral and even rock (at least my 404 did, albeit being boomy but nto very deep in the low end).
Many consider Omegas to be somewhat dark, but then comment on the 'omgbestbassftw'
Probably the best overall price/balanced sound (and similar level components) system would be something involving a SS driver unit and 507 or 407, and it'll likely be around 1.2-2.0k used <-> new. (by the same token you can probably get a 30 y.o. SRM-1/mk2 and fairly used Omegas)... or the slightly funner and more suitable for casual listening SR-404LE...Or a tube unit, but that'll likely be used.
Keep in mind that buying used is not risk free, and probably won't be good if things break (and you could be in some cases buying 20-30 year old used things for > $1k). Local distributors/repairers will skin you alive (and are dangerously not very honest for the money they charge, at least in Australia (lie through their teeth about testing before sending your things back when there's clearly a dead resistor in pro-bias section), or technically good (forget to replace one of the 4 electrolytic caps that's 30 years old). Shipping them back to Stax is probably no better, at least price-wise.
Don't get me wrong, I'll probably never go back to dynamics for mids (and since getting SR-507 for most other genres, including those that need representative bass). LCD-2, HD800, T1, etc aren't really winning in any aspects for orchestral classical or soloist + orchestral or strings or voice.
last but not least - 4070 is the only closed ESHP. And they seem to have a very specific sound signature that's errr, well, 'monitor' like, and not really to everyone's taste to be put mildly.
Interestingly, I find Beyer DT48e with EQed up bass to have a fairly similar mids/highs area (404ish). But they have bear hug comfort and 'really nice' awful pleater pads/headband...
but yea, I wouldn't mind trying a pair. I got scared off buying them because people at the time were citing a lot of problems (some sort of squeaking noises and channel imbalance)
