question about stax headphone or electrostatic headphone in general

[samurai_dota]

Hi Everyone

I am a new guy to electrostatic headphone world. I have just bought a stax headphone. However, I hear some hum noise on one of my driver. I wonder whether there is something wrong with the headphone or not. I did some research and noticed that we will hear hum noise for all electrostatic headphone during winter time or cold weather. Is it right?

thanks

[swt61]

Paging spritzer!

I think that they're susceptible to hair on the drivers too, but I'll wait for spritzer to chime in. He's the expert.

[samurai_dota]

so is it true that we will hear hum noise during winter for stax headphone?

does your headphone have this kind of problem?

thanks

[Voltron]

My Stax do not hum in the winter, but they whistle Dixie when it's hot.

They shouldn't hum, but check for hairs sticking into the membrane and make sure whatever amp or transformer isn't the problem by trying them out on somebody else's setup if you can.

[samurai_dota]

I can't try it my headphone with anyone else because all my friends use dynamics amp . Let 's me try to private spritzer

what is Thiels??

[Voltron]

Duck! There's a shovel headed right for the back of your head!

[samurai_dota]

;D

[Smeggy]

Thieils are small suppositories.

Reks is full of them

[Dusty Chalk]

You probably either have a ground loop or a shielding problem. I suspect since this is your first electrostatic that the amp is new, too, yes?

[mypasswordis]

I had buzzing in my Lambda once... turned out to be some dust or other something. I never knew since I just blew on it lightly for a bit and the problem went away. I should keep it under a dustcover when not using them but I'm too cheap.

[spritzer]

I got your PM but I might just as well post it here. Electrostatic drivers make noises when something is wrong but the headphone drivers we use do not suffer from any bad effects due to the weather or the season like their speaker counterparts. The winters are pretty mild up here but I've never had any issues.

The hum is then definitely not normal so the first thing to do it the check if it really is the headphone that is causing the problem. You didn't say what driver you were using so a tube slowly dieing could produce a hum sound or some other part of the system could be at fault.

If the headphones are at fault then hum usually points to the bias leaking as some debris inside the driver will cause it to produce a static sound and even oscillate violently in very bad cases. This being an SR-Omega I would start off tightening the bolts on the back of the headphone. There are 5 hex bolts on the rear screen and of those two are fakes. bolts nr. 1,3 and 5 are used to secure the driver in place so tighten them but don't apply too much pressure. If that doesn't solve the problem then I would remove the earpads and secure the screws hidden underneath them. To remove the pads you have to loosen pins inside them with you fingernail. It's a sleeve that goes into the housing of the headphone and when the pin is inserted it expands.

If none of this helps then it might be a problem with the bias connector on the drivers. The two stators are connected by soldered lead wires but the bias is connected by a mechanical connection which could go bad over the years. The cables inside the earcups could also have gone bad or the main cable but both are strong and not prone to fail.

Now you could also have some dust inside the drivers so while you are working one them check the dust covers for any tears or holes. The best way to do so it to reflect light off the membrane as any non-reflective spots will be a sign that something is wrong.

I had buzzing in my Lambda once... turned out to be some dust or other something. I never knew since I just blew on it lightly for a bit and the problem went away. I should keep it under a dustcover when not using them but I'm too cheap.

Your too cheap to use just about any plastic bag?

[Torpedo]

My Stax do not hum in the winter, but they whistle Dixie when it's hot.

....

I wouldn't like to be next to a hot headphone whistling Dixie to me

[Bond]

Hey Guys getting back into e'stats picked up a SRM-007t Japanese version. Came with step down transformer and it sounds much better then my 353 I had. I wish I kept my beautiful shiney blue BHSE my Perun Rock would really kick more ass. So I'm having a problem on my left driver of my Perun Rock. It takes almost an hour for the static/crackle noise to start happening. It is localized above my ear. What sucks I just got my new used, cool that it's a Japanese version amp today. I have been waiting for awhile. This amp is to get me through my choices of amps out there. No money for BHSE or I wouldn't hesitate. 

So back to the discussion is the static I'm hearing caused by the coating? 

[spritzer]

It is likely due to dust or some other debris inside the driver which is shorting between the film and the stator.