Article · Published 2026-10-29
Demograf Tantal, STAX SRM-T8000 and HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE: tube amplifiers for electrostatic headphones
Electrostatic headphones need an amplifier that most hi-fi systems do not have: a high, fixed bias voltage and an audio signal of several hundred volts on each stator. This guide puts the Demograf Tantal next to the STAX SRM-T8000 and the HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE, three amplifiers with tubes in the signal path. It sets out what each is, its outputs, size, price and warranty, from published data, and then suggests how to decide. It does not rate the sound: we have not measured or listened to the SRM-T8000 or the Blue Hawaii SE.
Tantal, SRM-T8000 and Blue Hawaii SE in short
- What they are. The SRM-T8000 and the Blue Hawaii SE are dedicated electrostatic headphone amplifiers. Tantal is a single-ended class A amplifier on 3C24 triodes that drives loudspeakers, ordinary headphones and, through a STAX-type output, electrostatic headphones from one chassis.
- Tubes. Tantal uses two 3C24 triodes with tantalum anodes in its output stage. The SRM-T8000 is a hybrid: two 6922 tubes at the input drive a solid-state class A output stage. The Blue Hawaii SE retailer page does not list its tubes.
- Outputs. The Blue Hawaii SE has two STAX Pro-bias (580 V) outputs; the SRM-T8000 retailer page does not state the number of sockets; Tantal has one STAX-type output beside 6.3 mm and 4-pin XLR sockets and loudspeaker terminals.
- Price. The SRM-T8000 is listed at $6,090 and the Blue Hawaii SE at $6,995 to $7,995 new. Tantal is made to order from about $21,100.
Specifications side by side
| Demograf Tantal | STAX SRM-T8000 | HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Single-ended, pure class A amplifier for loudspeakers and headphones, with an electrostatic output | Electrostatic headphone amplifier, hybrid: tube input, solid-state class A output | Electrostatic headphone amplifier |
| Tubes | 2 × 3C24 (tantalum anode) output; 2 × 6Zh4 input (other types optional); rectifier 2 × 6D22S | 2 × 6922 in the input stage | Not listed on the retailer page |
| Electrostatic outputs | One STAX-type output (labelled E-Static) | Electrostatic output (number of sockets not stated on the retailer page) | Two STAX Pro-bias (580 V) outputs |
| Other outputs | 6.3 mm and 4-pin XLR headphone sockets; loudspeaker terminals, 3 W per channel at 8 Ω | None listed | RCA and XLR pre-outs |
| Output voltage | Not published | 470 V RMS maximum (1,330 V peak to peak) | 1,600 V peak to peak |
| Inputs | Analogue RCA (balanced XLR on request) | Two RCA, one XLR, one slot for a future input | Two RCA, one XLR, input selector |
| Volume control | ALPS potentiometer (stepped attenuator optional); ground-lift switch | Not stated on the retailer page | 24-step DACT attenuator or ALPS RK50 |
| Mains | 100, 120 or 230 V, set at order time | 120 V, 60 Hz (US version as listed); 95 W | 100, 110–120 or 220–240 V versions; 180 W |
| Weight and size | From 45 kg; from 450 × 450 × 250 mm | 7.3 kg; 320 × 103 × 395 mm (w × h × d) | Amplifier 6.4 kg, 394 × 343 × 216 mm (w × d × h); separate power supply 7.7 kg |
| Warranty | One year (extra +1 or +2 years) | Not stated on the retailer page | Three years, parts and labour |
| Price | From about $21,100, made to order | $6,090 | $6,995 to $7,995 new, by volume control |
| Made in | Kazakhstan, by Dmitriy Gubchenko | Japan | USA |
STAX SRM-T8000 and HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE data and prices from the HeadAmp website, headamp.com, read on 29 October 2026 (HeadAmp makes the Blue Hawaii SE and sells STAX); sizes in inches and pounds converted to millimetres and kilograms. Tantal data from our model page and the price list of 27 October 2026 (the model page shows the current price). We have not measured or listened to the SRM-T8000 or the Blue Hawaii SE. STAX, HeadAmp and Blue Hawaii are trademarks of their owners, with which we are not affiliated.
One chassis or a dedicated amplifier
The largest difference is not a number but a role. The SRM-T8000 and the Blue Hawaii SE are made only for electrostatic headphones, and the Blue Hawaii SE adds pre-outs so it can sit in a system as a preamplifier. Tantal is an integrated amplifier first: two 3C24 triodes in single-ended class A, 3 W per channel into 8 Ω for sensitive loudspeakers, and headphone sockets for dynamic and planar models, with the electrostatic output built in as standard. If you listen only to electrostatic headphones, a dedicated amplifier is the direct route; if you also want loudspeakers and other headphones on the same tubes, Tantal covers them in one chassis. Our guide to electrostatic and planar headphones explains why the two kinds of headphone ask for different things from an amplifier.
Bias, connectors and voltage swing
Current STAX headphones use Pro bias, about 580 V, on a 5-pin socket; older models use Normal bias on a 6-pin socket, and other makers have their own standards. The Blue Hawaii SE lists Pro-bias outputs; on Tantal the electrostatic socket and its bias are agreed before the build starts, so tell us which headphones you use. The published output voltages of the SRM-T8000 and the Blue Hawaii SE, 1,330 and 1,600 V peak to peak, describe how much signal each can put across the stators; we do not publish this figure for Tantal, and owners' notes on Tantal with the STAX SR-007 and SR-009 and the Sennheiser HE 90 are collected in owners on Tantal with electrostatic headphones. Electrostatic outputs carry dangerous voltages: use only the correct plug and never open such an amplifier yourself.
Size, warranty and price
The STAX and HeadAmp amplifiers are compact production models: 7.3 kg for the SRM-T8000, two boxes of 6.4 and 7.7 kg for the Blue Hawaii SE, with prices of $6,090 and $6,995 to $7,995 and, for the Blue Hawaii SE, a three-year warranty. Tantal is a large amplifier, from 45 kg, made to order in Kazakhstan and assembled, tuned and measured by Dmitriy and his team: the lead time is 6 months or longer and a 50 % deposit reserves your place in the queue, with the balance due after the measurement report of your unit, before shipping. Shipping and insurance are paid by the buyer and shown as a separate line in your quotation. The price is about three times higher, and what a tube amplifier costs and what you are paying for sets out where that difference comes from.
How to decide
- Name your headphones. Write down the model, its bias standard (Pro or Normal) and its connector.
- Decide what else the amplifier must drive. Electrostatic headphones only, or also loudspeakers and dynamic or planar headphones.
- Check the space and the mains. A 7 kg box, two boxes of about 14 kg in total, or a 45 kg amplifier; confirm the voltage for your country.
- Compare warranty and service. Three years, one year with an extension, or not stated: ask before you order.
- Ask for a written quotation. With delivery to your country shown as its own line.
Questions
Can an ordinary headphone amplifier drive STAX headphones?
No. Electrostatic headphones need a bias voltage and a signal of several hundred volts, which an ordinary headphone socket cannot supply. Adapters that run electrostatic headphones from a loudspeaker amplifier exist, but the usual route is an amplifier with an electrostatic output.
Does Tantal have Pro bias?
The electrostatic socket on Tantal is a STAX-type output, and the bias and connector are agreed before the build for the headphones you own. Tell us the model when you write.
Where can I see all amplifiers with an electrostatic output?
The electrostatic headphone amplifiers page lists Tantal, which has the output built in, and the models that take it to order.
Write to us by e-mail or WhatsApp with your headphones and the rest of your system, and we will tell you plainly whether a Tantal fits.