spritzer

Most linear PSU don't really mind the fluctuations on the power grid but in truth there aren't any up here and if you use a dedicated line there isn't any other gear messing with the juice. I'm very interested in his thoughts on electrostatic amps and it seems you have turned him over to the dark side... Btw. I'm working on buying the Apl 3910 player that is on Audiogon and having it shipped to Alex for 32bit dacs and the ECC99 output stage. I would have bought a NWO but I just invested a bundle so it will have to wait. The Denon should tide me over until then.

It takes real skill to come up with a new output stage and while swapping out a few parts is a positive change its far from cost effective. There is plenty of value built into these cheap Chinese players so it gets balanced out but bypassing the output stage might push the player up a level or two.

Those Parts Connexion mods seem to just involve changing parts and no redesigning.

It's exactly the same. It even says SRM-T1 on the PCB.

First off, 6moons is a horrible source for anything but pretty pictures though there is one or two reviewers with some sense. When it comes to Stax there is a wealth of choice and you can either have the new models, pick up a vintage system or mix the two. The 4040 is a clear step up from the 3050 but I've never liked the 006t amps as much as I like their older brothers, the T1, T1S and T1W. The 313/323 are good amps but they can be a bit cold in the wrong system but we are talking about 500$ amps here so they can have faults. Another option would be to pick up a used SRM-1 Mk2 Pro amp, preferable with a "C" serial number above 5000 and use it with either the 303 or 404 earspeakers. The older amp is very different from the 313/323 and IMO sounds quite a bit better and it has more power. It runs pretty hot so that might be an issue but the tube amps do that as well. On the phones side then the SR-303 is the sweet spot of the range. The 404 is more refined and better but the difference is hardly worth 100$. On the used market you can find any one of the previous models but prices are very high right now, even higher then what the new models cost so unless you stumble across some local deal it's hard to find any of the Lambdas/Gammas/Sigmas at a reasonable price. I would personally get a used amp and new phones and spend the rest on other aspects of the system. Better IC's and PC's help quite a bit and you could also do some mods to the amp and upgrade it's internal wiring and connectors.

Cool!

I'm also looking into some form of Stax amplification that is less compromised then the Stax amps at a similar price. THe SRM-Xh is Pro only though there is a normal solder tag on the PCB but I didn't test it. Stock it was available without a bias supply and Pro only as a part of the Spirit system. The one without a bias supply was marked as "Electret Energizer" or something like that.

If you can post pictures of the insides of both adapter and headphones I might be able see what's what. If they are normal electrets then they can be used with a Stax transformer but the low output driver could also be near death.

The SRD-7 has it's own colorations but they have many positive traits over the cheaper amps, namely dynamics and they are much smoother. Plug in the BH and the transformers become a distant memory... The 313 and 252 share some of the circuit but the PSU in the 313 is of course much bigger with higher voltage swing. The new amps are much, much better and can be had for 150$ or less from Japan. They are almost always in the combos but selling a SR-202 wouldn't be too hard.

You should always start at the wall with a good PC and then try some of these filters. I've tried a bit of them (PS Audio, Shunyata, Chang, BPT) and none were as good as a direct connection to the wall or connected though my silver wired extension box. While they are there they do more harm then good but can have benefits when there is a lot of pollution on the mains. The EMM gear all have a switching PSU so they will benefit from some power filtering/regeneration as it filters out some of the noise the player is pumping out. The HEV90 could also benefit from a filter as if memory serves me, there is a switcher in there. Cables will make of break most systems but this becomes a big issue when it reaches a certain performance point. This is pretty far from being subtle and they only way to stay sane in the cable world is to stay away from the "major manufacturers" and either go with smaller companies or DIY.

Neil is just going through the motions of using a CDP with a linear PSU instead of a switcher. Removing all power filters is a necessity.

You need to access the player from each side and some plugs would be nice for the holes. Even a simple metal plate with the tubes and inputs engraved into it.

Those mistakes are there to learn from. I've blown up 1 KGSS board and a PSU all because I soldered in the wrong resistor in the wrong place. It was really impressive when it went up in smoke...

There is no best while some tubes are better then others it mostly depends on the implementation. The ECC99 is a very linear tube with a lot of power as it was designed for 300b driver duty. I would gladly use either a ECC99 or a 6H30 instead of the normal text book stuff most companies use. You are the only one... The only reason most modders mount the tubes through the top plate is because they are using PCB's and want to minimize the p-p wiring as it is more expensive.

I doubt they could relocate the tubes as there wouldn't be any way to open up the player with the tubes on top. Some internal structure could be made but I just don't get the point. The 6H30 is good but the ECC99 is a better tube in many regards.

The DACT is the only choice at it's price level though you could maybe buy a switch and do it cheaper but it's so much more work. The next step is P&G then there is the RK50 and a Shalco fitted with some esoteric resistors like Riken or AN Tantalum.

You are both nuts...

I would call him reckless as he put the fate of his company in the hands of fragile electronics with no backup. All electronic components will fail and it is pretty irresponsible to assume otherwise even if it was for only a short while during upgrades.

Ahhh, so you've received it. Congrats! These small Stax amps are perfect for office rigs.

I think the upgrade was something like 1200$ over the stepped attenuators but I'm not sure. They can be found for about 900? and the 2 deck units for 400?. It sounds cleaner then anything I've ever heard. The RK27 is very grainy and colored by comparison and so are the DACT steppers. For me it's mostly that I can't deal with the steps as there is never the right volume level and that gets old really fast. Yes, they are Black Gates WKZ caps. If you have to use electrolytics then they are on the short list of candidates.

The electrets work with any Stax amp or adaptor, 5 or 6 pin. Just be careful with the volume as excessive level aren't good for them.

Nope but I have borrowed one from a friend to try out. Massive beasts. It's the same that Headroom uses in their amps if you don't want the steppers (and pay the premium)

Hehe didn't see your post. Funny that we both used the same picture as I had to dig around on my server to find it. + Those are my very beautiful NOS Sigma Pro's. My first Gamma Pro's were mailed to me today... The RK50 cost around 1000 Euro's but it's worth it.

The SET wasn't supposed to be there. My bad! The input stage is single ended and all triode but it could use some work.

I think this one is since 2005, back when life was a whole lot simpler. Justin...