The Stax I thread

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by knerian, Mar 28, 2016.

  1. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    The Stax amp made a true difference to be honest but not to the point to make me fall in love with the Koss :). As you wisely stated it's not my Chicken Salad. That's it.
     
  2. DrForBin

    DrForBin Friend

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  3. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    A few points to consider...

    1. That listing above is a pretty good deal. I paid around $1k USD for my SRM-717 years ago, and they've only gotten harder to find since. The wooden stand and dust cover would probably add another hundo, which leaves the SR-507 for roughly $350, which is less than what the entry level Lambdas often go for. Not to mention you get the PayPal fees and shipping handled if you live in the US.

    Keep in mind that the SR-507 (predecessor to the new L500) is one of the most aggressive and forward sounding Lambdas. It's a little chili pepper, with a hotter upper end that I find more fatiguing with long listening sessions. The SRM-717 should calm it a bit, though not as much as one of Stax's tube amps,

    2. The new L300 isn't just a replacement for the SR-207; it's also a replacement for the SR-307 and SR-407 too. The entire Basic, Classic, and Signature line of yore replaced by a single model? It's gotta be something special for Stax to do this.

    3. Those who are interested in the SRM-717 but can't seem to track one down: consider going with the newer Stax SRM-727. In stock form it falls short of its predecessor as it has a weird coloration thing going on, however a simple modification to the feedback loop will fix the issue and transform it into one of the best Stax amps of all time: a true successor to the SRM-717.
    I've heard that Justin at HeadAmp can even do the mod for you if you buy the amp from him.

    4. The best introduction to e-stats IMHO has always been the Lambda series. The best introduction to the Lambda series, in turn, is the Basic system (be it the one with the 202, 207, or L300). It should give you a good idea of what e-stats stereotypically do well and what they might do less well according to your needs.
     
  4. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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  5. caputphone

    caputphone New

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    Would it be worth purchasing the L300 if you already have the 207? I have the 1270 pair, and while I enjoy them immensely, the low end could use a little more movement.

    I'm not for spending more than around $1500 CAD on any one headphone, so that puts the 009 and 007 out of range for me, so I don't even want to listen to them.

    I really enjoy my bass, but I also don't want bloat. I have the Shure 1540's and I can't listen to them anymore because of the poor bass compared to my other headphones. I've got the Pro900, TH-900, Elear, T5P.2 and SE846 which gives you a good idea of the sound I like.

    Which Stax headphone would be the natural upgrade from the 207 based on my preferred sound signature?
     
  6. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Honestly I'd say "none".
     
  7. caputphone

    caputphone New

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    So basically the L300 is probably what I am looking for if I want a bit better everything and increase the bass response a bit.
     
  8. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    The only stats that have bass impact approaching a good ortho or dynamic would be the Jades, but those can only be found used these days and... they aren't built well. At all.

    The 404LE has a bit more bass quantity for a Lambda IIRC, but I think the L300 is better overall.

    Also you never know what the future holds: rumors are that Stax is going to retire the 007, and the SR-009 continues to go down in price. If Stax makes a new flagship, that would put the 009 in the 007's former spot. You might be able to find a used pair within your budget in a year or two.
     
  9. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    I agree, I've always thought that the 404LE has good bass impact from the Lambda line-up, but it's not like the thump thump of the TH-900.
     
  10. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    My new babies:

    image.jpeg

    The original SR-Lambda, normal bias with Stax's older round cable.

    These sound so buttery smooth and non-fatiguing. Thick. Rich. And yet curiously enough they sound open and airy at the same time.

    Hooked up next to them is my old pair of SR-303s. Going back to the Lambdas with their slightly hot treble, I just immediately wanna put the Sigmas back on lmao.

    Also for those curious, the amp is the W version of the SRM-T1. Stock tubes were replaced by some other Japanese tubes I can't recall off hand. Got it a while back during my early head-fi daze.
     
  11. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Aren't you just rolling some STAX this week!

    Sigmas for the win! They look like they are in great shape! How are the pads? The originals on mine were flat as pancakes... uncomfortable and not much help for the sound. Replacing them was a win.

    Do you have the pro-bias Sigma to compare? If not, I'm sure we could arrange something.... I haven't sent the Bravos yet so I could add them to the box.
     
  12. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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  13. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    Yup, I've had the Sigma Pros for a while. Got 'em before the prices went absolutely bananas.

    These normal biases are indeed in great shape for their age---pads included---though they don't have the original packaging like my Pros do. They only came with that weird fabric ziggurat that Stax used for all the Sigma models. Seems like everything 'bout the Sigmas is weird, including the Tetris packaging.

    Oh, and the original foam in deteriorating, but that sorta thing is inevitable with vintage Stax. I'm just glad they don't smell like 30 years of forehead grease, shitty aftershave, and pet odors.

    Thank goodness for small miracles.
     
  14. knerian

    knerian Friend

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    717: Last year I got an SR-007mk1 and SRM-717, both for $2100, and then our own @velvetx bought and sold an SRM-717 last year as well. I think if you just keep your eyes open and are patient you should be able to get one.

    I bargained and haggled with my seller so it's not like these were in high demand.
     
  15. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Once I get my other 717 fixed and reliable I'll be putting one of the two back into the wild.
     
  16. JimL

    JimL Tongues KG's hairy starfish for fun

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    The SRX Plus should have significantly better drive capability than the GES or Octave, which is basically a GES with a differential input stage in place of the original single-ended stage. The big difference between the two is that the output stage of both the GES and Octave uses plate resistors of around 47 kilohms whereas the SRX Plus uses a cascoded current source which has an effective impedance of over 150 megohms. This means that the GES/Octave uses the majority of its current to drive the resistor whereas the SRX Plus uses the majority of its current to drive the headphones. The current source has so high an impedance that it is essentially invisible to the driving tube. That makes a big difference in distortion and drive capability. DIY builders who have substituted a current source for the output resistor, for example in the Egmont design, report significantly improved bass and overall detail.
     
  17. caputphone

    caputphone New

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    Yeah, I really enjoy my TH-900s, but the 207 is something special. I mean, it is so much cheaper than the TH-900 yet I don't feel that it falls behind it when I am listening to them. They don't feel like a $500 headphone, minus the amp.

    More extension on the low end would really round out the sound to me, and would basically make me consider selling some of my other headphones.
     
  18. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    @caputphone : Maybe you consider to use a good digital EQ to add the bass you want to your 207 :)
     
  19. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    I took the time to dismantle the HE-60's this weekend so that I could replace the o-rings and the rubber that the drivers sit on. One of the o-rings was in fact broken and the other was stiff and reay to snap. The large rubber rings that the drivers sit on felt fine, but since I had enough spares available I wanted to replace them as well in case they were starting to get stiff as well.

    I also replaced the badly worn earpads.

    The result? Oh yeah, they're back! Everything has tightened back up. I was expecting an improvement on the low end, but a sparkle on the high end has returned as well. These headphones are really darned good.

    If you have a pair and the o-rings have not been replaced, by this time they are almost certainly either broken or so stiff that they are not performing as designed, and your headphoneis not sounding as good as it can. It's worth changing them. I checked mine only a couple of years ago and they had not broken so didn't change them out. I probably should have.

    For those that are going to do this work, a few words of caution:
    • The tiny phiips head screws that need to get removed in order to pull the grill side of the headphones off are really, really easy to strip. And they will be really hard to remove if you've never had them out before. You need to be sure that you get the absolute right sized screw driver and then keep excellent position and pressure when removing them or you will tear them up.
    • When you’re working on removing and installing the screws you’re likely to hold the whole cup in one hand. Be careful not to point load the grill screen or it will buckle. You can easily push it back out from the inside, but if you are almost done assembling it means you have to break them down again... don't ask me how I know this.
    Other than that, it’s pretty easy to do work on these. I didn’t have a need to mess with the drivers. I just inspected them for any large debris or damage… none noted so they just went right back in.
     
  20. Malabargold

    Malabargold Flipper

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