Stax SRM-T2

[insyte]

Congrats on the amp Spritzer. Im really hoping someday I can get to listen to this dream amp.

[pabbi1]

Sweet jesus, look at all those 2sc3381... good thing I have ~100 onhand... ;-)

And, oddly enough, a bunch of 2sc3675... but, no, I have no business doing this build, unless I happen to have some of the iron onhand.

[nattonrice]

This is very impressive work guys!

[Dusty Chalk]

Anyone up for a discrete version?

[spritzer]

I just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm listening to the T2 now. This thing is simply massive, too big for my equipment rack as a matter of fact....

[Torpedo]

I just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm listening to the T2 now. This thing is simply massive, too big for my equipment rack as a matter of fact....

LOL Congratulations, looks like customs weren't a problem How do you like it?

[kevin gilmore]

Time for a bigger equipment rack. Might as well get it now, you will need

it later anyway.

The power supply is quite a dense brick at 35 lbs.

[spritzer]

LOL Congratulations, looks like customs weren't a problem How do you like it?

Not free but I'll manage. It's coming up to operational temp now and it sounds sweet. Perhaps not the same bass monster as the BH and if anybody says the SR-007 are dark after listening to this, then they are deaf.

Time for a bigger equipment rack. Might as well get it now, you will need

it later anyway.

The power supply is quite a dense brick at 35 lbs.

I'll have to build something out of the heavy duty wood we use as tables in the bakery with a sturdy frame. 3" thick wood should hold up pretty much anything...

[Voltron]

I just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm listening to the T2 now. This thing is simply massive, too big for my equipment rack as a matter of fact....

LOL Congratulations, looks like customs weren't a problem How do you like it?

Yeah, why so coy?!

[Torpedo]

Not free but I'll manage. It's coming up to operational temp now and it sounds sweet. Perhaps not the same bass monster as the BH and if anybody says the SR-007 are dark after listening to this, then they are deaf.

Grreaaattt Glad you like it, looks like it's been worth the wait and the hassle Now time to get a new stand

[Torpedo]

Yeah, why so coy?!

Sorry?

[Voltron]

Sorry?

He must have posted his comments while I still had my post open. Didn't see his initial impressions until just now.

[Torpedo]

hahaha, now I get it I'm kinda slow today

[Anders]

Happy end, this amp finally found its best home!

[spritzer]

The first post was made about 3 minutes after the relay had turned on the red power led but over all this amp is very quick on its feet, a bit up front and lacks a bit of the bass might of the BH. Detail is excellent but the little voice inside my head already hates that RK27 sitting there... I know it's crazy but I can't help it. It's a bit mazing just how much detail the APL can dig up even out of some 1969 recordings made here in Iceland in very primitive equipment. The soundstage is typical SR-007, huge when called for and small when it should be. Everything has its own space and instruments are layered one on top of the other.

[deepak]

The bass on the BH is sweet. What 1969 Icelandic recording are you listening to? Mind sending a copy of it my way in the package

[spritzer]

It's a compilation CD of all the best songs recorded in the last 50 years, most are crap but there is true gold in between. This one in particular shows some true Hammond organ skills. I'll see if I can't... ehhh... share it.

Btw. Kevin wasn't kidding that this thing runs hot. I just measured 55

[spritzer]

One thing to add, the amp still has all the "stock" tubes in place. That means cheap 6dj8's with even cheaper EL34's. Kevin donated some nice Sylvania 6dj8's and I bought a quad of Mullards on ebay plus this amp really needs some XF2's. Included with the amp were also some of those red JJ tubes. Who decided that red or blue EL34's was a good idea?

[spritzer]

The temp seems to have stabilized and I'm measuring 62

[kevin gilmore]

62C == 144F yes hot enough to cook eggs

Even the krell does not get that hot.

listen to some great music and cook dinner at the same time.

I did not get the red JJ coating on those things either.

[spritzer]

It's roughly 14

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I'm not sure if the amp can run kt77 tubes, but I'm really digging the Genalex KT77 reissue tubes in my el34 headphone amp. Before that my favorite new tube was the jj kt77.

Biggie.

[kevin gilmore]

The kt77's will definitely fit horizontally. Sure looks like they will fit vertically too,

otherwise just leave the top off.

spritzer needs to punch a hole in his rack, and put in a quiet fan to push air

from the bottom thru the top of the thing.

the reason the T2 may be a little bit light in the bass could be that the tubes

are only running at 5 watts each, and i definitely would not turn up the power

any higher in that chassis. The BHSE runs the tubes at about 10 watts.

The diy T2 will have lots more heatsink and it will be easy to dial up the power.

Edited August 15, 2009 by kevin gilmore

[spritzer]

KT77's should fit but now that I'm using XF2's... it's not something I have to think about. I also swapped in Sylvania 6DJ8's and any forward nature is gone now, replaced with nothing but pure awesome! I blame the EL34's that I was using, made in the USSR comrade!!! They do look a lot like the RFT tubes so perhaps the tooling went even further east in the late 80's.

As for the rack, it is a Target unit with a steel frame and glass shelfs which I got for free. The amp is sitting on top of it within reach of a window blowing in some crisp arctic air.

With better tubes the bass has a come out bit more but not as much as the BH could dish out. The chassis is certainly running on the limit of heat dissipation but the DIY amp shouldn't have a problem with 10W.

The sound out of this amp is simply sublime though, vocals have the stunning presence only a well fed SR-007 can deliver and the soundstage is simply massive with plenty of depth.

[Icarium]

Huh there are Targets in Iceland? Crazy.