spritzer

Pffft cryo is for weaklings with no god-like powers. I popped in some lava for a warmer tone.

The 727 also uses singles so they've at least moving over to singles. It also looks like they are color coding them to make assembly easier. Look at the "dual" in the first stage is red but the other one is black... Btw. I just spent the last 30 minutes replacing the cable on my trusty SR-007. The right side became intermittent today and while it was probably only one of the ribbons failing I had a spare cable so on it went. It's about the same amount of work to just replace the whole thing as to troubleshoot the old one on the headphones but now I have to wait 200 hours for them to sound good again...

There will also be a mini ES-1 coming too (once I have some free time to draw up the PCB) which will only use triodes. It's a mix of those two but more like the BH. It has a softer touch as it shows the drawbacks of lesser headphones not quite as brutally as the BH and the same goes for cheaper sources. Now whether this will be translated into the DIY amp is hard to say since they aren't direct clones. I'm not sure how the HE90 would fare with the T2DIY but I'd guess it wouldn't be a great match. They need a sympathetic amp and besides a slight extra midrange presence I'd say the T2 is pretty much ruler flat. The SR-Omega should be an excellent match just as the SR-007 is. The stock Stax T2 has a rather simple R-C-R-C PSU design for the high voltage part and runs the EL34's at 10W each. The DIYT2 will use fully regulated and tracking PSU's for the high voltage and run the EL34's at 20W each, same as the BHSE. Now what this can be a good and a bad thing depending on what people prefer their amps to sound like. Take a KGSS and SRM-717 comparison, the circuits are very similar and yet some people don't like the KGSS and like the 717. The Stax amp has a similar PSU to the T2 while most KGSS amps use the same PSU as the old BH amps i.e. fully regulated.

Personally I don't view neutrality as such a clear cut definition. No transducer will ever be perfect so there is no such thing as ultimate neutrality, simply can't exist. Both of these headphones come closer then most and the 4070 does sacrifice a bit of bass bloom compared to the 007 but I do think it was intentional. It does give you a cleared "view" of the bass notes. It sure must be fun to have the 4070 strapped to your head all day for work... Still the SR-X isn't exactly comfortable either...

I never had any issues with the KGSS bass quantity. The BH is better in every way but then again it should be. Btw. There are pics up of the new SRM-600LE. New twist on the T1 circuit but it could be pretty interesting.

I've never found them to be cold or sterile and the same goes for the SR-X Mk3 Pro. They are monitors so very little character of their own but that's something I like.

I really should get started on the Vulcan... The T2 is the front end of the SRX design (aka the fabled ES-1/ES-2) with the output stage of the BH.

There are at least 47 out there so we have a goal to reach...

Don't be so hard on the 4070. It does say monitor on both earcups for a reason and they were meant to replace the SR-X Mk3 Pro.

It does have MOAR voltage swing then most...

Like Nate said, any illusions that this could be built on the cheap should be dropped ASAP. The tube sockets alone are 160$ and the boards ~250$ for the set. Then you have to find a lot of rare parts and match them.

Good to hear that he isn't there just for drinking... Please compare the new SR-404LE pads while you're at it...

I tried and failed to make the HE90 work with the BH so your finding's don't surprise me one bit. For what it is worth I fired up the ES-1 earlier tonight for the first time in a month and it struck me how dull/glossed over it sounded driving a SR-202. The slightly etched character of all the Lambdas is clearly presented on the T2 (though in a non-offensive way) but the ES-1 glossed over it all. Now my amp is pretty different from yours but still it's food for thought... \ The max voltage rating of the H2 is 200V and the components inside each ear piece are only rated at 250v. Current is clearly the name of the game here... Don't give him any ideas....

It would be easiest to just buy a set of new pads and use the fabric inserts. Be sure to treat the old earpads with a vinyl cleaner to make them a bit softer.

The midrange is a bit prominent but other then that it is ruler flat neutrality to my ears i.e. unimpressive. The slight lack of bass heft works in favor of those phones which are a bit loose in the bass in the first place (Lambdas and probably the SR-Omega as well). So it doesn't suck, far from it.

Hmmm, those sweep tubes could work in an ESP amp...

Other then the midrange, the T2 isn't really impressive. Well there is the sheer size of this thing too... I've been using for most of the weekend driving the SR-404LE and the Lambda is really growing on me. I sure hope I have the strength not to sell it since a unit with this low a S/N will be worth quite a bit in the future...

That is the shared ground balanced cable... very high tech.

Exactly.

1/2W PRP's can handle 500v and are relatively cheap so they make up the majority of the resistor with a few Rikens thrown in where PRP's weren't available. The 5W resistors are Mills. The only resistors I'm a bit worried about are the 5.1k/1W output units which will see the full fury of this beast... \

Yup, "hey look at me" treble is just annoying...

Not with me picking resistors. I wonder how much it would cost with just Riken resistors...

True. For what it's worth the stock cable is made by Belden ...

Yup and also offer a delux cable which just has some fancy nylon on it at 200$ extra.