Stax · Electrostatic · 1968; New SR-3 from 1971
The SR-3 arrived in 1968, eight years after Stax's first electrostatic, the SR-1, along with the SRD-5 adapter and the SRA-3S amp made to drive it. Stax revised it in 1971 and sold it as the New SR-3, the same year its SRD-7 transformer box appeared. Some listings call it the SR-3N, but that's a seller's shorthand, not Stax's name. Like every Normal-bias Stax it uses a 6-pin plug and needs about 230 volts of bias, which in its day came from a box wired to your amp's speaker outputs. Stax no longer repairs it or supplies parts, so buy one that plays cleanly on both sides, ideally with a matching SRD box.
Before you plug in
Should come with it
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
Nothing model-specific is documented, but it's over 50 years old and Stax has ended repairs, with no drivers, pads, cables or headbands available. Electrostatics dislike damp and dust.
New to used headphones? How to check a used pair covers pads, cables, channel dropouts and fakes, and impedance and your amp explains what will drive it.
Buying guide
We'd buy the SR-3 with its SRD-5 adapter at $215 delivered from a US seller, since it comes with the box Stax made to drive it. Only 4 are for sale, at $175–215 delivered, so the $180–210 band isn't a market read, and three are earspeakers alone from one seller in Iceland whose titles don't say whether it's the 1968 SR-3 or the 1971 New SR-3. It won't play from a headphone jack, phone or ordinary amp, and it needs a Normal-bias (about 230 V, 6-pin) source, such as an SRD-5 or SRD-7 box wired to a speaker amp's outputs, the SRA-3S amp or any later Stax Normal socket. The SRD-4 won't drive it. Count the plug's pins in the photos (6 for Normal, 5 for Pro), and since Stax no longer repairs it or makes pads, ask for a note that both sides play cleanly and look closely at the pads.
$175.00est. delivered
The lowest delivered SR-3 here at $175, from a seller in Iceland at 98.6% with three listed. It's the earspeaker alone and needs a Normal-bias source such as an SRD-5 or SRD-7 box, so count six pins on the plug and ask for a note that both sides play cleanly.
Stax SR-3 headphones
$214.95est. delivered
The SR-3 with the SRD-5 adapter Stax made for it in 1968, so it's a complete period system at $215 delivered from a US seller. The SRD-5 runs from a speaker amp's outputs, and it isn't titled tested, so ask for a note that both sides play cleanly.
Vintage STAX SR-3 Ear Speakers Headphones SRD-5 Adapter Stereo
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$175.00est. delivered
$145.00 + $30.00 shipping
Buy It Now$145.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
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Good buy
Earspeaker alone, ships from Iceland. The title doesn't say which SR-3.
Seller: mjolnir-audio
98.6% positive
Used$214.95est. delivered
$200.00 + $14.95 shipping
Buy It Now$200.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
With its period SRD-5 adapter, from a US seller at 100%. Not titled tested.
Seller: smiller7wlp
100% positive
Used$185.00est. delivered
$155.00 + $30.00 shipping
Buy It Now$155.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 1960s, same Iceland seller, on a wood stand in the photo. Earspeaker alone.
Seller: mjolnir-audio
98.6% positive
Used$205.00est. delivered
$175.00 + $30.00 shipping
Buy It Now$175.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 1960s, same Iceland seller, on a black stand in the photo. Earspeaker alone.
Seller: mjolnir-audio
98.6% positive
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