The Headcase Stax thread

[Tachikoma]

Birgir, is the O1 that much more fragile than the O2 ??

Or are they both rather fragile and prone to failure?

Forget the T2, i remember you said they often caught fire.

The only time I've heard of that happening was when Darth Nut left his T2 exposed to the rain which resulted in fireworks, as you might have expected.

[luvdunhill]

no screws?

yeah, look at the MK2 and MK1 pics and you'll see where the screws are on the MK2 that aren't on the MK1.

I'm not sure about the ports, frankly I didn't notice them. I'd have to ask the owner about it, or perhaps Spritzer can comment if they'd be there (are the ports in the cable, or in the frame)?

[Anders]

There are some good pictures of the port and the mod in a thread named something like "Stax 007 Mk 2 port mod". A bit down in the Headphone thread. Very useful to save for future needs.

[wrecked_porsche]

Thank you Anders. I just saved the pics. Saw that thread before but didn't think to save the pics.

Here is that particular thread in case anyone is reading through this thread in the future:

http://www.head-case.org/forums/headphones/3724-stax-sr-007mk2-sr-007a-port-mod.html

Thanks for putting up that thread Birgir !

[Sherwood]

So are you saving your remaining T2 funds (after paying off the BHSE) for pasta or something, Birgir?

From what I've been reading about Iceland, it would appear that Kaupthing is on the verge of repossessing people's organs and wills to live.

[spritzer]

Oh man I didn't put 1 and 1 together with the fact that you are in Iceland and I read an article about Iceland recently.

Iceland plunges further into financial turmoil: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Is it really that bad?

It's very bad but we'll get through it. The banks have gone bankrupt () and the state taken over their domestic operations by establishing new corporate entities. That means billions lost for both share holders and creditors. There is also next to no foreign currency to be had in the country these days but this will get better next week.

The only time I've heard of that happening was when Darth Nut left his T2 exposed to the rain which resulted in fireworks, as you might have expected.

I've heard of a few T2's burning up with shorted transformers or nice charred bits on the PCB. Darth's second T2 fried some of the input circuitry due to a short so these are very fragile amps indeed. A lot of volts floating around, just looking for a nice clean route to ground. The old BH boards also have a fatal flaw that have claimed at least two amps that I know of.

I'm not sure about the ports, frankly I didn't notice them. I'd have to ask the owner about it, or perhaps Spritzer can comment if they'd be there (are the ports in the cable, or in the frame)?

The port is in the cable entry which is covered by a small "plug" on the Mk1 (same material as the drivers resin shell) but it is partially open on the Mk2. If you used the cover of the Mk2 cable entry then you opened up the port and created a nice "boom,boom" bass effect. Here is the plug next to the Mk1 earpiece:

So are you saving your remaining T2 funds (after paying off the BHSE) for pasta or something, Birgir?

From what I've been reading about Iceland, it would appear that Kaupthing is on the verge of repossessing people's organs and wills to live.

I'm keeping the funds in the US and Europe while all of this blows over. I own a bakery so I can just make my own pasta if I need to... We've lived through far worse then this and come out on top so I'm not worried at all.

[luvdunhill]

The port is in the cable entry which is covered by a small "plug" on the Mk1 (same material as the drivers resin shell) but it is partially open on the Mk2. If you used the cover of the Mk2 cable entry then you opened up the port and created a nice "boom,boom" bass effect. Here is the plug next to the Mk1 earpiece:

the cover isn't shipped with the replacement cable, so the MK1 cover was used.

[cclragnarok]

the cover isn't shipped with the replacement cable, so the MK1 cover was used.

So the Mk1 cover works. Thanks for the answers.

I'm keeping the funds in the US and Europe while all of this blows over. I own a bakery so I can just make my own pasta if I need to... We've lived through far worse then this and come out on top so I'm not worried at all.

You own a bakery?

I'm glad that you are still doing OK and bidding on T2's.

[Torpedo]

....

I'm keeping the funds in the US and Europe while all of this blows over. I own a bakery so I can just make my own pasta if I need to... We've lived through far worse then this and come out on top so I'm not worried at all.

That's the spirit Good luck mate, I hope you can overcome this situation quickly.

So you need to dismantle the Ω2 MkII to get those ports covered and to have a righter bass. Didn't they listen to the cans before leaving that piece with the holes open?

[Icarium]

Pretty jealous bread is awesome.

[cclragnarok]

Pretty jealous bread is awesome.

Did you read/watch Yakitate!! Japan?

[spritzer]

the cover isn't shipped with the replacement cable, so the MK1 cover was used.

Very good to know that. The Mk2 cover has patented "boom, boom bass" and we don't like that.

You own a bakery?

I'm glad that you are still doing OK and bidding on T2's.

My family owns it but my brother and I run it since nobody else wants to. It isn't for everybody to go to work at 3am but one gets used to it.

That's the spirit Good luck mate, I hope you can overcome this situation quickly.

So you need to dismantle the Ω2 MkII to get those ports covered and to have a righter bass. Didn't they listen to the cans before leaving that piece with the holes open?

You need to remove the pads and the the black aluminum plate that protects the driver to access the port. There is a reason why Stax put in a port (to allow the ear side to breath and "fix" the fart) but that doesn't mean they should have done it. They also raised the height of the earpads which is a big no,no when it comes to planars.

Stax doing a lot of things wrong these days and it is almost as if they didn't understand what they were doing wrong. Similar things happened at Quad when they made the 988/989 series from the ESL63 since they didn't know enough to fix the right bits and made the speakers worse. It could be that some of the old engineers have retired and some noobs are messing with designs they don't understand. Well they could also just be deaf...

[Torpedo]

Too true. At Quad they even did worse when the chinese holding got the company and started to produce the 2805. A friend of mine purchased a pair, needed a replacement two days later for one speaker going mute. The replacement sounded wrong, but luckily he had the first pair at home yet. He took both pairs apart and managed to build a right sounding pair. The inner construction is pure crap. Parts, soldering... the problem with the second pair was a wrong value cap And that into a 6K euros pair of speakers.

Looks like nobody is interested in doing things right these days, it's all for the profit.

[faust3d]

yeah, look at the MK2 and MK1 pics and you'll see where the screws are on the MK2 that aren't on the MK1.

I'm not sure about the ports, frankly I didn't notice them. I'd have to ask the owner about it, or perhaps Spritzer can comment if they'd be there (are the ports in the cable, or in the frame)?

Aha, I see it. Thanks man. I will be very careful with my O2 now, I was anyhow:rolleyes:, especially with the cable.

[faust3d]

WANT BREAD

I bet with ISK as low as it is you can have it shipped to your door for just a few dollars, might be still fresh

[spritzer]

Too true. At Quad they even did worse when the chinese holding got the company and started to produce the 2805. A friend of mine purchased a pair, needed a replacement two days later for one speaker going mute. The replacement sounded wrong, but luckily he had the first pair at home yet. He took both pairs apart and managed to build a right sounding pair. The inner construction is pure crap. Parts, soldering... the problem with the second pair was a wrong value cap And that into a 6K euros pair of speakers.

Looks like nobody is interested in doing things right these days, it's all for the profit.

The quality is indeed crap on the new speakers and the dealers aren't happy. It's tough to sell a product you know will not last 5-10 years in regular use... If there was any talent even close to that of PJW's left at Quad then they could be making stunning speakers. I'd start off by perfecting the sphere ESL and put it into production...

WANT BREAD

Sucks to be you then...

[deepak]

And this will apparently be the last time Ray Kimber takes his massive four panel Sound Lab setup to an audio show :'(

[luvdunhill]

Aha, I see it. Thanks man. I will be very careful with my O2 now, I was anyhow:rolleyes:, especially with the cable.

where are the seams pointing when you listen? The problem for me is that the position I listen in causes the cable to look all mangled over time... I'm sure this is the cause of the problem.

[deepak]

where are the seams pointing when you listen? The problem for me is that the position I listen in causes the cable to look all mangled over time... I'm sure this is the cause of the problem.

Isn't the cable entry independent of the rotating pads? The pads and the cable entry/metal rings rotate separately?

The seam is angled slightly towards my temple and the cable entry still comes out at an angle similar to most headphones; almost straight down.

[luvdunhill]

Isn't the cable entry independent of the rotating pads? The pads and the cable entry/metal rings rotate separately?

The seam is angled slightly towards my temple and the cable entry still comes out at an angle similar to most headphones; almost straight down.

hmmmmmmmmmmm........... perhaps I'm an idiot... (goes to check)

[wrecked_porsche]

The problem for me is that the position I listen in causes the cable to look all mangled over time... I'm sure this is the cause of the problem.

What position is it in? Could you describe it a little more? I'm curious...

Thanks.

Here you go Jacob:

Its bread and its STAXed. Enjoy.

[faust3d]

Isn't the cable entry independent of the rotating pads? The pads and the cable entry/metal rings rotate separately?

The seam is angled slightly towards my temple and the cable entry still comes out at an angle similar to most headphones; almost straight down.

Correct, the headphone housing spins independently of the pads, so the best positioning can be archived. I listen to my O2 like this:

I assume you guys have similar positioning to get the best seal.

[wavoman]

Just finished installing my first Stax rig: Sprtizer-mod 007a's (purchased from Spitzer, who else?) powered by KGSS formerly tkam's, which wouldn't have happened without HC, so double thanks to tkam.

Source is a Bang & Olufsen CDP. Kimber SE IC's, Zu Power Cords, Tara Power Conditioner, Cardas Isolation Blocks. Looks fantastic, the wife approves. This is a private listening station for classical music. No glitches, everything worked right out of the box which doesn't always happen (nothing was purchased new).

First two CD's were Tchaikovsky 4th, Gatti leading the Royal Phil, on harmonia mundi, and Greig Violin Sonatas (I listened to #3) on naxos, Kraggerund/Kjekshus.

OMG! In the 1st movement of the 4th, near the end where the opening theme is re-introduced, it always sounds like so much noise, even with my fave dynamic phones (beyer 880/600-ohm, powered by hybrid SS/tube amp, EF-1 from Head-Direct, using RCA sidegetter 12AU7). With the 007's I can pick out individual instruments, and can hear a sharp attack from the drums.

Way cool.

My life is going to turn into one big dynamic vs 'stat experiment. Over the next few months I am going to get to hear the same CD's with a Beta 22, and with Senn 600s and Grado RS-1000s. Recabled/balanced too. I am also going to be able to try a 717, and Lambda Sigs, and an HE60. I plan to keep good notes, and if I have anything interesting to say, I will post.

Thanks again to tkam and Spritzer.

[Fungi]

That's an epic "starter" Stax rig.

You'd need incredible dynamics to even be a contest, and I'm not sure the HD600 and GS-1000 are it.

[wavoman]

...You'd need incredible dynamics to even be a contest...

Good point! I should have mentioned the dynamics. In the middle of the first movement there is a very quiet part with these little just-so hits on the tympany -- never have I heard it sound so perfect, even live at the Philly Orchestra ('cause people make noise with their programs and fidget and cough). Just transcendant!

As for it being a nice "starter" rig -- ah, the power of buying used! I learned this from HF and HC ... would never have realized that used is better than new, not just cheaper. Could not/would not have spent the bucks to buy stuff new. I owe the community a big "thanks". Plus I got to hear Stax and such at CanJam and the meets. It was all risk-free! And what I didn't know but needed to, I asked via PM's and every PM got answered.

The folks here and at HF are as amazing and great as the gear.