The Headcase Stax thread

[mypasswordis]

@ Tachikoma: Hm, if I wanted to replace the cable, I would go with buying Duggeh's Lambda Pro cable. Spending 100+USD on a cable for a headphone I got for not much more just isn't something I would do.

@ Spritzer: Yes, I thought about cutting a bit of the front baffle but that would require too much effort and basically ruin the enclosures. Are you sure that removing damping would help, as opposed to adding more?

The other options require me to buy more headphones, and I have too many already, and never enough money... Also, Gammas, not to mention Gamma Pros, are actually fairly rare. Or I haven't been looking too hard. Does the SR-X both forgo the angling of the drivers and the acoustic lens?

[spritzer]

It's a whole different ballgame damping 'stats where less is usually more so you can try swapping out the wool with something else.

The SR-X has a metal grill to protect the driver but they sit right on the ear.

The Gamma's aren't really that rare and can be found quite cheap if you look hard enough.

[Duggeh]

@ Tachikoma: Hm, if I wanted to replace the cable, I would go with buying Duggeh's Lambda Pro cable. Spending 100+USD on a cable for a headphone I got for not much more just isn't something I would do.

I'm asking about $50 if the exchange rate hasn't twitched, not $100.

[mypasswordis]

Yes, I know, Duggeh, which was why I was considering buying from you. A new extension cable is around $100 for the 2.5m version, and I have to cut off the extension plug and strip wires and do all that messy stuff to the cable just to be able to use it.

Thanks, spritzer, I'll try that out, and be on the lookout for a Gamma. My Stax collection is slowly growing...

[spritzer]

My Stax collection is slowly growing...

That's how it starts but before you know it you have 50 Stax phones and no idea how you got there...

[Dusty Chalk]

...unless you keep a spreadsheet.

[spritzer]

I've only been so organized with the stuff I've been selling the last year or so and it is a frightening read coupled with all the post office receipts. \ Do any of you keep a detailed list of what you have bought and at what price?

[mypasswordis]

I should start doing that, actually. I remember roughly how much I paid for all my headphones and even have exact amounts for the more recent purchases.

---

And done, my net spending is currently at roughly $1493 for headphones+amps only. Yikes.

[pabbi1]

I've only been so organized with the stuff I've been selling the last year or so and it is a frightening read coupled with all the post office receipts. \ Do any of you keep a detailed list of what you have bought and at what price?

No, because it is a fucking waste of disc space... I barely keep a list of BOM on new builds, which is almost irrelevant, as I don't use all those parts anyway.

[Tachikoma]

@ Tachikoma: Hm, if I wanted to replace the cable, I would go with buying Duggeh's Lambda Pro cable. Spending 100+USD on a cable for a headphone I got for not much more just isn't something I would do.

The Lambda Pro cable looks exactly like the SR-5 cable, except the 5-pin connector so I'm not sure if its going to make a difference at all.

[mypasswordis]

Well, mine has the old cloth-covered cable instead of the flat cables on Lambdas, which reportedly sounds worse. I just don't know how much worse. I don't really believe in recabling making much of a difference in dynamic headphones, but there's definitely a technical benefit to a flat cable for electrostatics in the form of low capacitance. I wish mine came with a flat cable in the first place, or that I could get my hands on another SR-5 Gold with one and compare, but wishful thinking does me no good. I'm using a SRM-1/MkII (B version) to amp them.

I haven't watched GITS in so long.

[mypasswordis]

Apparently I can't edit my previous post anymore, so I'm double posting.

Hey spritzer, the right channel on my SR-Lambda has developed a low level buzzing. It only is audible after it has built up bias, and is there until I discharge it. Would this be due to a poor grounding connection or something? How do I fix this?

[spritzer]

And done, my net spending is currently at roughly $1493 for headphones+amps only. Yikes.

That's nothing, one Omega at best.

No, because it is a fucking waste of disc space... I barely keep a list of BOM on new builds, which is almost irrelevant, as I don't use all those parts anyway.

I always buy more parts then I need and always forget I have them later on. Earlier today I bought some 600 LED's which I'll probably forget about in a year and buy some more...

The Lambda Pro cable looks exactly like the SR-5 cable, except the 5-pin connector so I'm not sure if its going to make a difference at all.

It's the same OFC cable. If it had gold plated pins then it would be the rare black PC-OCC cable.

Hey spritzer, the right channel on my SR-Lambda has developed a low level buzzing. It only is audible after it has built up bias, and is there until I discharge it. Would this be due to a poor grounding connection or something? How do I fix this?

There is some debris stuck inside the driver causing that buzzing. The bad news is that the Lambda drivers are almost impossible to disassemble and then put back together to clean it out. \ Try discharging the driver and blowing into it but that's about the only thing you can do.

[slwiser]

I went into an audio show room yesterday that had some very high end speakers and setups. I listened well and was duly impressed. I was listening for that fabled soundstage that comes with any speaker setup, for positioning, etc. On leaving, the proprietor handed me a copy of a test CD that he had made up that we were listening too. I took it home and proceeded listening to my KGSS and SR-007MkII.

From this I now have a new appreciation for my KGSS and SR-007MkII. It really has a great sound, much like a 20,000$ speaker setup. The only thing the headphone setup can't do is move the floor but other than that the SR-007MkII is nothing short of amazing to me.

[Elephas]

I asked the Japanese eBay seller who sold me the SR-404 earpads for a set of SR-007 brown pads, and received them today. The seller said they are Spanish leather. They cost $135, roughly the price at Audio Cubes 2.

The installation was surprisingly quick and easy. I think the Mk2 is more difficult because of the placement of the metal ring.

The material quality is quite good, very smooth and soft. I got my SR-007 used more than a year ago, so I've never had new Mk1 earpads. This set is similar to the old set but looks and feels better.

They do have a very slight odor, that is quite pleasant and reminiscent of real leather.

I admit it's likely that they are real leather. But, it might also be possible that they are a very high quality pleather. Anyway, I like them and they are extremely comfortable.

In case I was horribly wrong about the Mk1 pads not being real leather, I'll shut up about this topic and hope everyone forgets about this episode of the Omega2 Earpad Debate.

[deepak]

In case I was horribly wrong about the Mk1 pads not being real leather, I'll shut up about this topic and hope everyone forgets about this episode of the Omega2 Earpad Debate.

[spritzer]

It's a truce then. The pads do look worse as they age but clean them with some leather cleaner/conditioner and they look like new.

[Elephas]

No, no truce! I win, everyone else should surrender!

The Mk2 pads are better than the Mk1 pads, nya nya nanynany nyah!

But both are better than the Jade earpads. The Jade pads are real leather, but they aren't very good quality. They are a bit stiff and hard.

The words stiff and hard should not be associated with earpads, IMO.

Earpads should be soft, smooth, creamy, pillowy, cushiony, all-enveloping, warm, slippery, tight-fitting, wet...

Ahem. Er, excuse me, I'll be right back, just going to take care of something real quick, bye.

[Sherwood]

The words stiff and hard should not be associated with earpads, IMO.

Baby Elephant:

His soft, smooth, creamy, pillowy, cushiony earpads get him all stiff and hard.

[Dusty Chalk]

You need the words "catholic" and "highschoolgirl" in there somewhere.

[Sherwood]

Baby Elephant:

His soft, smooth, creamy, pillowy, cushiony earpads get him all stiff like a Catholic and hard like a highschool girl.

You need the words "catholic" and "highschoolgirl" in there somewhere.

FIFM:D

[HiWire]

There is an old pair of Stax SRM-30's sitting at an audio store. Are these any good?

[mypasswordis]

If you mean an SR-30 electret, not really, unless you can get it for cheap. I think SRM is the designation for solid state Stax amplifiers.

[Elephas]

Why are the HD650 and SR-007 similarly dark-sounding? How did Sennheiser end up with the HD650 sound, which is completely unlike the HE90 or HE60, and instead is more similar to the SR-007?

If the O2's are darker-sounding than every other Stax, and practically every other headphone besides the HD650 and a few others, doesn't this mean that the O2's are dark?

[Smeggy]

Your logic is impeccable my dear elephas, though I've never heard an O2 so cannot verify. It does seem to be the impression I get though many deny this is the case. However, many say the Senn isn't dark either, even though it is.