The Stax I thread

I haven't heard the SR-009, I started a thread last week inquiring about it. I had the 007 (mk1) with an older Headamp KGSS. I am mostly referring to its use with classical music where unamplified instruments have a real world reference. In this regard I found the HD600 to sound more truthful to what I hear when either I'm playing or at the orchestra.

 

Good thing the HD600 is a terrific headphone, and I don't intend to part with mine, no matter what Stax rig I build. But while we're on the subject of "classical", the bass roll-off of the 600 makes the pipe organ sound a bit lean, whereas the 007 and 009 both can make the lower registers thunder as they properly should. Give Marie-Claire Alain's full Bach cycle a listen, let me know what you think.

 

Not a fan of organ music TBH

After having the 007 mk1 I don't think there is much that would change my views on them. I keep going back to Tyll's review of the SR-009 which draws me to them; he and I pretty much exactly agree about the HD800 (modded or not) and 007 MK1, which makes me want to try the 009 even more.

 

OK get the SR-009. I just got them new around $3100 off of eBay for a US Warrantied pair from a seller who appears to be Yama's. But I don't see them on there anymore, maybe they only appear from time to time, maybe they don't want to be caught.

If you get it off price-japan with shipping and fees I'm thinking it will be more money, and with no US warranty.

 

I've owned the L700 for around a month now, side by side with the LCD-X and the HD800. It is without a doubt my favorite headphone out of the three though I feel like my three sons excel in different fields respectively. I drive all three with a AGD Master 9 + Schiit Gungnir Multibit with the SRD7 modded for the L700. I would recommend it as an intermediate to the SR-007 or SR-009. I think i'tll fare well.

 

I think that I am going to splurge on a SRM-727II. Are there detailed instructions on the feedback mod that includes necessary parts? I'm stepping a bit outside of my comfort zone, and I want to make sure to get this completely right the first time.

 

Check out the posts here http://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/8703-the-srm727-thread/

 

I'm really curious as to how the SRD7 fares with other amps. Also how the L700 compares to the SR007.

 

I prefer my SR-L700 to my SR-007 Mk2 with my Yggdrasil and KGST. I can listen longer and enjoy without fatigue my SR-207. My every night headphone is my SR-009.

 

I decided to go for it with a Stax setup. Picked up a new SR-007A and got a good deal on a used 727 II w/feedback mod (thanks @Mr.Sneis! ).

The SR-007 is a great headphone - it has HD800-level clarity, detail, vocal magic and general refinement while offering a different presentation. Warmer, slightly thicker, more intimate, very cohesive sounding. HD800 is more open and airy with harder hitting bass. They make good complements.

A couple interesting points I found regarding amping:

• The 727 sounds better to me using the SE inputs. With the balanced inputs there is more bass and it's a little out of control. The SE inputs are more neutral and cleaner.
• Inspired by @OJneg I put an XLR connector on an SRD7 pro and ran it from the headphone output of my mjolnir2. It works great - the sound quality is about as good as with the 727. The mids are more forward on the SRD7, the 727 has more bass extension.

So if you want to try Stax but are discouraged by having to buy a new amp, just get an SRD7! Mine was $100 on ebay. (Edit: make sure to get one that has pro bias output)

 

Is your 007a modded? There's a blue tack bass port mod you can do, I think it tightness up the bass, ahould be easy to do. I heard a new and stock 007a once and it just didn't compare well to the mk1.

 

I'm kinda stuck between deciding on the L700 or 007a as my main stat. Stock, I think I would enjoy the L700 a bit more, but I would use the blu-tack mod along with Bill-P's ear pad swap. It seems to make quite the improvement.

 

Isn't the SRD-7 normal bias?

 

There is a pro bias version, which is the one I have. There is also a mk2 version that has both pro and normal bias.

It's also possible to mod a normal bias SRD7 to give pro bias, but I don't know the details.

 

I have an SRD7-SB that I just had modded by a local guy to have one pro bias and one regular bias output. This is my toe-dip into Stax, so I have a normal-bias SR-Lambda and a Lambda Pro (hitting myself for not buying Mr.Sneis's LNS before I got the mod done), which I have connected to my MicroZOTL2. I've also tried it with the ZOTL10, which puts out 10+watts with EL-84s, which gives you more headroom but didn't sound as good - harsher and slightly sibilant compared to the 1-watt Micro, which keeps you between 1-3 o'clock on the volume pot but sounds very natural, with the SRD7's purported rolling off feeling more comfy than lacking - though this is speaking from a point of not having heard them from a proper amp. Having listened to higher end Stax only once before, briefly at CanJam, and only sitting at the SR-009 + BHSE long enough to really form an impression, old Lambdas through an SRD7 are a completely different experience, of course, but the setup is at least as pleasurable to listen to as the HD800, HD650, Ether-C, or ZMF Omni, which are the better headphones currently hanging out in my apartment. This is also probably due to their physical comfort and that I've been listening mostly to acoustic jazz, which matches the Lambdas' tone very well. I'm probably bringing this little Stax setup to Newport as a novel thing to have hooked up, in case anyone is going and is curious.

 

@willsw I'm bringing a BHSE and a 007A w/ Spritzer mod to CanMania this yeah, you can get some more sweet, sweet Stax time then. Well, when you're not manning your table of course.

 

I'll get one of the manufacturing guys to come up that day. I'm sure they want to see the show. I'll just keep giving them a thumbs up across the room when they're trying to call me over for questions.

 

I have a repair question:

I bought a pair of Stax SR-Lambda's from some guy on Head-Fi.

Anyway, I cannot understand why people have no idea about packing items for shipping. He put the headphones in an unpadded plastic bag/mailer and then put them in a box inside another box. So, there was zero bubble wrap or padding of any kind.

Well, by putting the headphones in a bag with no padding, the bottom part of the left ear cup got pushed into the inside of the right ear cup and made two big "dents" in the inside wire mesh of the right cup/driver. So now the wire mesh screen is pressed pretty hard against the driver over a pretty large area.

I didn't notice this at first when I plugged in the headphones to try them. What I heard was a sound like a motorcycle engine idling and the increasing in "RPMs" so to speak. After a minute or so, the sound can subside, but if there's a loud passage of music, or I push or move the ear cup, the motorcycle sound will start up again.

I am guessing the wire mesh is pressing on the driver hard enough to short the driver?

Regardless, they don't work. Fortunately he agreed to refund me the money for the headphones. And he was so bummed about the damage that he said to not even bother sending them back. He just didn't want to deal with them any more.

So, my question is, is there any way to repair or pull that wire mesh out? I would think, even if I could hook something onto the mesh and pull, it would take a lot of force to bend the mesh back out. The wire mesh seems pretty sturdy.

Then I would also be afraid of damaging the dust barrier when inserting a hook to pull out the mesh.

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on repairing the driver, let me know.

Thanks,
-Darin

 

@Out Of Your Head , you're going to want to get in touch with Spritzer and @n3rdling , they might be able to help you out.

 

I've seen that happen on a few of those older sets before. It sounds like the problem is arcing. If you want to send them over, I can take a look at them. Just ship in any empty double box of your choice.