spritzer

We are shit out of luck on the old parts though I believe Stax has a lot of that stuff still in stock or it could be made in small quantities easily. I mean how hard would it be to make 300 normal bias Lambda cables which are 95% the same as the 207 cable? The problem with something like this is knowing the older models well enough to supply people with the stuff they need. The distributors fuck up the current lineup when it comes to parts so I have little hope for them knowing a Gamma cable from a SR-5N cable. I've toyed with the idea for so long to import Stax into Iceland but I doubt they would want their biggest critic anywhere near this. Still they could make a nice amount of money servicing the old units with minimal outlay... Ohh and thanks for that Justin. Did you ever get those 009's fixed after the NYC meet? I could take a look at them when I'm in the US next month...

I'm certain they can do a good amp but they are severely limited in terms of parts they can use, weight, power consumption and just how complex it can be. Well that and they are way too obsessed with using something "cool" and not ultimate performance. I doubt anybody thinks the 727 NO-NFB is a brilliant plan...

It's not that bad but they have probably replaced a lot of drivers over the years. Well that and headbands...that thing is just a pile of fail.

I'm pretty sure that the loose bias contact is the reason for some of the imbalance issues. Not sure why they would use such a weak mechanical contact there..

I agree, the wool is necessary to keep those drivers in check. I have a spare SR-3 somewhere so I might try something with it.

I just love his endless obsession with fucking over his customers. Make a small change, yay!! a new version which makes the old one worth even less.

Do wonder if he's finally cased up that latest tubed monstrosity. It's only been about two years on the meet circuit and never in a box...

I certainly have no wish to ever see one of these again, let alone hear one, but if anybody has pics of the new version it would be simple enough to see if anything has changed. This is Cavalli though, any claims of improvements should be taken with a container load of salt. They just lie...flat out lie.. to the consumer so why would this time be any different.

I would have to check for that but given that this an off the shelf design, any driver issue would have been quickly resolved. Also the Denafrips dac tested there is clearly different and substantially so. Rather different string setup.

Kevin and I are thinking about acquiring one as the measurements for it don't all add up. I've been looking at the USB input and I don't really see why it would be increasing the THD and I'm frankly more worried about the RCA input. Optical should just be thrown in a fire as it is garbage on everything but the coax has just a 75R resistor to ground and then AC coupled to the AKM chip. No transformers or anything like that and if you are using some odd cables, this could be compromised quite heavily. I'll try it but I might also go and get some 75ohm BNC's and do this properly.

I'd really like to try these but the feedback I'm getting isn't exactly encouraging. Terms like artificial and trying too hard have been thrown around. As for the Sonoma...it's a single ended electrostat and that will never sound brilliant.

Nope, no point in selling the MSB. As for the Carbon, I don't think anybody would classify the Penny+Giles RF15 as having anything wrong with it... My issue is a number of amps all running at the same time and thus a PITA to alter the volume of all of them for the different volume levels in different programs. Three opamps on the outputs and 50 resistors per string and 18 in the shorter ones. Imagine doing this through hole...

There are a lot of sanded parts in there so the regulators and opamps are unknown at this point. I've been listening pretty much all day and I quite like how this DAC sounds. The slightly thinner sound does give a lot more insight into the various parts of the spectrum and the separation between instruments is excellent. Voices are reproduced perfectly, quite startling actually and the bass...let's just say that the Carbon CC shines here. Not just depth but the detail...something which the SR-009's just can't do the 007's handle easily. The top end might be a stumbling block for the new, bright as all fuck, Stax sets such as the 507, L700 and 009's. Far from being bright on the 007's but the extension and presence is something else and it might push the bright squad over the top. Now the only thing I'm missing is the volume control on the MSB...

I doubt it is fully balanced as the TOTL stuff has four discrete banks but I've yet to check under the board.

It's this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/252689559326?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Though the price has gone up almost 130$ since I bought it 11 days ago. Not sure what version this is but I don't really care. I always use the USB input and the drivers were flawless as one expects from the XMOS stuff. Those are 105°C quality caps so I would expect a lot of life out of them.

So the Denafrips arrived an hour or so ago and here are some pics. First off, it can certainly hold its ground against the MSB Platinum DAC3 with the new Carbon CC and SR-007Mk1BL. Way too early for an concrete findings but resolution in the Denafrips might be a bit better, the sound just a tad more forward and maybe a tad thinner...not sure to be honest but the DAC is still dead cold. Over all the build quality is excellent, solid steel box with an aluminum front panel. All quality pieces used through out and even the mains select switch is a nice C&K unit, not the horrible open cheapo shit that's in the Holo.

I doubt I'll ever find the plug as it was molded. I might need the ratio of the transformer though at some point if my Suprex stuff doesn't have the same transformer. I might be able to squeeze a small mains transformer in there with the right ratio. Yup, the worst company ever. Their repair work is just legendary...

Nope, can't be done on those boards. You could do a second board for just the CCS but yeah... it would be a bit of work.

I'll hook up something to drive these or just fit some transformers in the earcups. Might be the easiest route...

Excellent. Looks like green and yellow feed the transformers and blue and red from each of the yellow taps goes to the headphone socket as well. Output from the transformer seems to be black and red. Red going to the PCB where a cap is added as something (compensation perhaps) and then green and blue from the small black sheathed cable go the socket. Dynamic driven off the speaker taps with a single ended electret element.... Seems reasonable.

Ahh so these came with an energizer!! I didn't crack open the drivers to check but can you shoot a pic inside the adapter? Mine came with nothing like that... Black is clearly common so all drivers driven single ended.

That is the old issue with these old units, use them and risk them breaking or just make them look odd in some cabinet.

Bloody gnomes!!!

Stax serial numbers mean absolutely nothing so you can't use them as any guide. That said, some retailers might have stock sitting for years before it is sold. Balanced and single ended should sound exactly the same and no...the wires are not at fault... Did you completely clone the - input off the + one?

Nothing yet.