spritzer

That stuff is just too funny. So let's start at the beginning, 1k in series with the output is better than nothing (Cavalli, Woo, Kingsound etc.) but it should be around 5K. How 1K is similar to 5K and offer the same protection is beyond me. Does anybody at Hifiman understand Ohm's law? There are indeed two 2M resistors on that board. When I initially wrote that I had only looked at the amp board and was still trying to untangle the mess of this build. Still that should be 4.7M but 4M is close enough. Also, while the amp is very reminiscent of the SRA-10S... it does have the opamp input. You know what amp is based off the SRA-10S and has an opamp inputstage? The SRM-001... aka the 1995 portable amp. Yup there are some similarities there as well. So the output stage uses FQPF4N90C's as can be seen here: ...and the datasheet is here: http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/149/FQPF4N90C-195517.pdf Go down into Dynamic characteristics and there we have output capacitance, typical 65pf. So the headphones are roughly 130pf or so and you have two of these per driver. Yup, stellar job of keeping the Cob low. For reference, the 2SC4686A used in the KGSS and KGSSHV, 2.2pf. So the output capacitance here is just about 30 times higher. Same goes for what Stax have used for years. Also, notice the black cans on the source pins, those are inductors for some reason. Inductance and capacitive loads don't really mix, just look at the train wreck that is the Woo WES. For any laymen reading this, many know about the 10 times rule when matching sources to amps. The goal there is for the input impedance of the amp to be at least 10 times higher than the output impedance of the source. Same goes for preamps into poweramps etc. Same thing applies here, how do you think the amp likes driving the capacitance of the headphones when it first has to overcome its own output Cob? Bottom line, if anybody like JimL wants to take a look at the Jade2 amp, I'll send it to you for free. The only things I did to it was simplify the input wiring, as it makes no sense to go from the sockets to the amp PCB, then to the volume control, then back again. I also redid the earthing of the amp as it was very lacking for CE safety requirements. One more thing that amuses me endlessly with Hifiman is that familiar Chinese trait... victim hood. I still remember it well at Canjam 2010 when somebody gave Tyll a set of HE-5's (I think) to measure and Fang freaked out. It was his own personal set so he could do what ever he wanted with it but Fang did not approve. That speaks volumes about his character. I'm all for right being right but what about addressing the flat out lies in the specs, that a few parts were not properly soldered to the boards or that I'm sure the same crap applies to the 50K$ Shangri-La. They certainly use the same cable...

So I guess blue is the new black? I broke down and got a 009BK... I know I'm weak but we all knew this would happen. What's funny is that after 6 sets of 009's that have gone through here, these are a bit different. They are still bright and the bass is mehhh but they are not as bright as my other set and the bass is improved. Could be unit to unit variation but that's not the norm with Stax so I'm curios if they have updated the 009's a bit. More listening to come...

For me there is no comparison between Stax and Hifiman, I have my issues with the Stax amps as they desperately need to modernize them and for me, some of the headphones just sound "off" but there no denying the quality. Now the new Stax amps from China, D10 and D50, don't really fall under this as they are experiencing major issues.

The problem with all the new drivers is the extra chassis around them and the very cramped space inside the Sigma. The x07 drivers might fit but I'd have to verify it...

I've been on HF since the beginning (though I registered an account in 2002) and now there is nothing good there. It's just endless hype, shilling and no substance at all. I used to get depressed when I read through the Stax thread which was always the last bastion of sanity but those days are long gone...

Ahhh it's on HF, no way I'm going to that cancer of a site ever again.

Hifiman reliable? The markup must be super high on them for spout such nonsense...

Pretty much the latter. You can tell by listening but yeah...Stax suck in this regard.

Hard to say, serial numbers with the O2's mean nothing...

I would be very skeptical of anything he says as replies like that just ping every BS meter there is. It's an age old audiophool trend to look past crap build quality and every other indicator because "the sound is so good" but it rarely holds any water. The bottom like is for me, the L700's will probably be playing just fine in 30 years but can we say the same about the Jade?

Ok that shit just made my day. In terms of build quality, sound quality etc. there is no comparison between those two. The Jade is just garbage by comparison. Gotta love people "helping" though...

We could do a simple switch mode unit...

Yeah and manufacturers not giving two shits about the safety of the user

I hope these will be better made...

Nope, should never be a problem.

I just love how ghetto that is.

So I've had the Massdrop version of the Koss ESP/95X sitting here for probably a month but not spent any time with them. I know I'm awful... That changed today so first some pics: Let's start with the any real change from the stock Koss version, the earpads: Now the stock pads are terrible but these are somehow worse. Cheap and nasty fabric covering the same nasty foam...yeah they went into the trash. Get some Vesper earpads but more on that later. As for the amp, well here are some internal pics: This is the same as the last unit I opened, stock 1990 amplifier board but the new PSU board. It's the same circuit, they just had to update it for new parts such as the new nasty volume control. Now for some impressions of the phones. The cable situation is the same as before, rather short cable and then they supply an extension to make up for it. As if anybody is ever going to use these as portables... So I ripped out the stock cable and fitted a wide PC-OCC Stax unit and angled Vesper earpads. I also removed the foam they have on the baffle as the Vesper pads come with some dust protection. Now this is more like it, here is the true king of budget headphones. Granted you have to spend the 500$ for the set and another 200$ for new cable and earpads but that's still the same as Monoprice is asking for their very mehhh set. The angled Vesper pads I got were a custom order and they really add something to the set. The imaging is improved and the slightly smaller cavity really helps them spring to life. They are a tiny bit top heavy now but that helps them really, makes them feel more alive. All in though, very much recommended and nice to see this 30 year old design still shine. One small caveat though, this set which is one of the first from Massdrop did ship with some dust inside the right driver so they are no noise free. One kinda expects that from the ESP950 though so it doesn't bother me too much.

So much pressure!!!

More extension really, better bass, better top end and slightly superior imaging.

I will be getting a set.

I would rather tap off the B+ via a voltage divider.

Good luck with that.

Proof that FR graphs are useless as we all know?

The dust cover is inside the driver shell.

Given the SR-Omega is in 100% working condition (which isn't given at their current age) the Omega is warmer, with looser bass, more rolled off top end and the imaging is far less precise. A lot of this though depends on the earpads which were always an issue with the Omega.