spritzer

Not substantial but it helps when using the 007's at crazy levels. That said I'm going to see how the amp is at lower voltage but higher current.

You got lucky there. I'm chasing ghosts in one HV channel I haver here as it makes a nice sssssshhhhh sound that changes all the time. All the front end has been replaced and everything checks out fine but still can't find it. Bloody annoying...

The HE90 uses tensilized Hostaphan C aka Mylar C same as the Stax sets. The only real difference is the thickness of the stators and their damping abilities. The Senn stators are easily 3-4 times thicker than the Stax ones and that will change the sound a lot. Not sure why they did that as most ES designers frown on this.

Ouch... that always puts a dent in the day. As for the current, first plans were always to make this an offboard design only but the circuit is so bloody linear that it behaved just as well at currents that work on the onboard sinks.

Now this does depend on volume level but the faults are always there, higher voltage swing just shines a spotlight on the issues. Same with the SR-Omega, they are fine at lower levels but fall apart when pushed hard. The top end is artificial as it focuses on the plankton too much. Neither the SR-Omega nor the SR-007 could be accused of being low in detail and the 009 just sounds forced. The honk is similar to the one in the SR-404. It's not the age old etch but a clear resonance or a side band of one. It just gets worse and worse the harder you push them over whisper quiet levels. Now this bothers some people more than others and I'm firmly in the first camp.... As for the bass, there is a clear shelf in the bass so it doesn't extend as fully as it should. On the scale of issues this pales to the HE90 though...

I've tried really hard to like the 007BL but after owning 6 sets I just gave up. I'll see if I can find an old 007 and send it for some comparison time in the US. I do see why Stax changed the design though as these are an utter pain to work on. The cable mounts from the back of the driver and the pads, arc and headpad don't last very long. I also agree with Todd that the Mk2 (2.5) has some plus points but it's the upper midrange shout that kills them for me. Same thing with the 009, sure the bass is messed up and the top end is rather artificial but if it wasn't for that "honk" then I'd still have a set. The urge to retry the 2.5 has cropped up as I can't just write them off as being doomed to sound this way. Still that will have to wait as there is just so much crap to do...

Since this has been discussed a lot lately, which Mk1 is also quite important as they got progressively worse over the years. They kept simplifying the assembly, the design and the materials used. So the first sets sound the best to me and my personal set is a early 712xx but fitted with drivers from 7002x. There was a major change to the design sometime around the 71xxx mark (ca. year 2000/2001) with new materials, new drivers and a bunch of small changes but they weren't as good. With the SZ1 things got worse and the 007BL is by far the worst of the lot. Not sure why though but the Euro distributors all complained about QC issues and the sound being inconsistent. The truly odd bit is that some of the later sets sound as good as the early 71xxx units but some sound not all that good. Very odd...

The SR-Omega second only to the 007. The Omega is a bit loose around the edges so the bass is a bit overblown, the treble a bit too wild, the soundstage isn't as well shaped as it could be but as a whole it is stunning. They really do require a BH or a T2 to work perfectly though.

The 007 always wins...

That's how I do it if I have enough conductors in the umbilical. Otherwise I just starground on each side with one shared link between them.

All the time, Jacob is too cheap to spring for a radio... If it is mono FM then it could be picked up in some form.

That will drive you mad with loktals. Huge problem with the smaller pins...

I'd leave them open and look for shorts on the boards.

This should be here, Kingsound M-10 internals: http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0425.jpg http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0426.jpg http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0427.jpg Hello Stax SRA-12S/SRM-1 Mk1 clone done very badly. B+ 588V and with a very stupid bass boost circuit. Again the PCB is supposed to act as a heatsink, not the best idea in the world.

Trafo this close to the volume control will cause problems.

Gotta love that plate cap not connected to anything.,..

Paid the extra shipping owed.

My post reference was aimed at complin and not you. Now what we really could need at some good new Stax amps. The p-p figure is easy to determine based on the plate voltage and the tube parameters (Rp mostly) but that said, it doesn't really tell the whole story. Most of these amps can't be adjusted for max voltage swing for the particular tubes installed so it can be a ways off. Speaking of whacky Stax amps... I've been cooking up a plan for a while now to make a tiny one. Just got some boxes and they are 150x90x45mm (D, W, H) and I'm going to try and cram an Egmont in there... Transformer and tubes on top but the rest has to be crammed in there. XLR's are too big so this has to be RCA only...

Check out post 8317... The SS is stator to stator so pretty much p-p. That thing has to be pretty much the same circuit as the M-20 and I posted it some pages back. Not a bad circuit but 2400€? Ehhh... no....

I prefer to use a hammer but yeah, that is possible. The problem with the Mk1 pads was the foam as it just didn't last long enough. It would get too soft and then the pads were useless. My Mk2 pads are fine after 5 years now though so a proper improvement for one from Stax.

Aren't the brown pads just the same stuff as they sold for the Mk1? If they come in a nice EP-007 box then it is something different but otherwise it's just the same old pads.

Only thing I'm concerned about with Kerry's boards are the STN9310 temp given what I'm seeing in the onboard amp. Might need to add some more area for heatsinking but only actual tests will verify that. Give me through hole parts anyday so I very much doubt this is going to happen.

Yup, better replace everything.

No, makes very little difference.

Depends on where you buy it and what specs you ask for.