dvse

I have the new Stax extension cord with cut off male plug that I used to make an HE60 adaptor and I would like to use it to recable an SR- Mk3 - what would be a good way to secure the cable as it enters earcups? Spritzer, I think you've done something similar before - any hints?

In my experience, KGSS with BG power supply caps (which may not make any difference ) is actually more 'liquid' and 'musical' sounding than the SRM-717 which can be a bit 'diffused' and 'grainy' at times. KGSS is more source dependent though, where as the 717 may help to smooth out some of the upstream deficiencies. This is all pretty subtle and unless you spend a lot of time comparing, SRM-717 is competent.

I have pretty much the same setup, and it never really sounds offensive even on poorer recordings. You can hear the problems easily but they do not detract from the musical content too much. There is a good chance that the problem is with your source - a lot of cheaper (and more expensive) digital have certain treble harshness that more resolving downstream equipment helps to reveal. Try any analogue setup or, if possible, high end digital to see the difference. Regarding the soundstage, KGSS is more focused and accurate than the Stax offerings I've heard - it may take a while to get used to, but ultimately more 'real' and enjoyable... Similar to Lambda vs. SR-007 really, although less dramatic. So give it some more time and it might grow on you.

I found the head-case Stax thread in Google.

I would suggest staying away from the Benchmark - with those Lambdas you will really hear why people complain about its treble harshness. I used to have it with SRM-717 and SR-404 / Lambda Signature and was never happy with that system. Not that the DA10 was much better, but at least not as fatiguing.

Pretty much spot on how I heard the difference between SR-007 and SR-007A but a lot more eloquently expressed, although I actually preferred the more precise soundstage of the earlier model. So I guess the evidence is mounting, unless we are all victims of groupthink

It is worth keeping in mind that while you can state an opinion, so can anyone else who disagrees with you. Just because it is generally believed that 'free speech' is important, this doesn't somehow make it all equally valid - questionable claims should require proof etc.

Insufficient flexibility of strain relief is definitely a problem, but why would they then change the way it's attached to the cup? Could the smaller spring be due to considerably thicker earpad material? Although the difference appears to be too big for that alone.

That's probably not completely unreasonable, as it's unclear what's even the broad consensus on the type of systems that should be discussed. At least stuff like 'what's the best USB DAC under $200' can be moderated away with clear consciousness and without a need to judge just how retarded a particular poster is.

The new 'high-end' ghetto seems to be sort of working...

How did it affect the sound? This is an interesting experiment on how important sealing really is! Er... Never mind, just read your earlier post. Nevertheless, any further comments would be welcome.

It's quite clear why Stax has changed the cable design - if you look at the original, the cable strain relief is not completely fixed in place - small movements over the years will very likely cause the tiny leads (or solder joints) between the cable and the driver to fail from fatigue. The new design eliminates this problem - now the driver and the strain relief are effectively one unit. But you are indeed correct - the drivers appear identical - the only change is likely to be in the aluminium cup to hold the new strain relief screws? I think it's looking quite plausible that after all this could just be variation between samples due to poor quality control?

I've tried the SR-007A with old pads and it really didn't make much difference. The shoutiness was still there in full swing. Maybe there is something wrong with this set? I would not at all be surprised if there is less consistency in assembly than before (assuming that the problem would affect both drivers to the same extent). I suppose you could try moving drivers from the SR-Omega enclosure to that of SR-007A, but soldering the tiny leads looks like a big pain.

No, very much the same.. Unfortunately the black pads don't match the champaign housing so well.

Great job with finding the port!! I tried taking off the earpads but did not want to disassemble it further...

Try it now! What are you waiting for?

I've got a SR-007A and there was some improvement in sound with 'burn-in'. I've run them at (considerably) higher than normal volume for over 2 weeks. They are a little different from the original SR-007, but roughly on the same level overall. I've listened to K701 through Lavry DA10 for quite a long time, and I can't see how your impressions can come about unless something is going wrong with either amp or headphones. Also I wouldn't put any stock into what dealers/distributors say - they usually lack even basic technical understanding and may as well be selling anything else.

This is unlikely to be helpful, but check that xlr/rca switch at the back is in the correct position. Because of the way it's implemented it's possible to get distorted sound even if it's not set right. As for electric guitars, they do sound different (cleaner) on elctrostatic headphones, although most recordings are done by putting a microphone next to the stack in the first place...

Thanks for describing your PC setup! Please compare it with P-05 if you get a chance....

I've been thinking about getting D-05 stand alone for a while... Do let us know how well it works with a computer source!

And we need the middleman why? It's possible to have moderated (or even self moderated) subforums if one so wishes. I would not be surprised if one of the large search companies does something similar one day.

This and many similar incidents with other forums highlight just how bad the existing model is - the forum maintainer effectively 'owns' the entire database and if they fuck up or lose interest it's gone forever. I would much prefer a distributed system, not unlike USENET + some aggregation sites similar to Google news.

I think you meant 'Stax'! And what's all this subversive talk about SP not being the best amps ever?

I must say that this goes against my experience of Lambda Pro and HE60 with a number of amps. I have found the latter to be better in pretty much every aspect. It is important to keep in mind that with these 15+ years old headphones we could really all be discussing intersample variation arising from storage conditions etc! The alternative of course, is that this is yet another case of otherwise ordinary headphones being brought to 'another level' by an overpriced single power amp! ; p

Damn, I was just about to edit out that potentially provocative - and as turns out factually incorrect - statement (although one would need to destructively disassemble the drivers to know just what the exact differences are)! I agree there is measurable if inconsequential difference in frequency response but if you were to compensate for that electronically - good luck telling them apart. This is likely true for other headphones as well, but the identical design make an actual test feasible in this situation. Let's not have a debate on the importance of objective testing in this thread