The Headcase Stax thread

[kevin gilmore]

these Chinese guys are a riot. gotta love the packaging.

 

I think this is the third thing I have gotten from china that was

packed in a pampers box. Man they must be making lots of

babies...

 

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0560.jpg

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0561.jpg

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0562.jpg

 

 

absolutely standard off the shelf case you can buy on ebay

 

all transistors on the 8 big heatsinks and the 4 small ones are 2sc4686a

 

Q9,10,Q25,Q26  are 2sa1156

 

Q12,Q13,Q28,Q29   are 2sc2705

 

Q3,Q4,Q19,Q20 are   2sa970

 

R7,R8,R49,R50 are 300k 1 watt

 

power supply pass fets are irfbe30

 

power supply zener drivers are  2sa1831

 

100% a kgss with the kgsshv output transistors.

Edited May 12, 2014 by kevin gilmore

[Jon L]

Sticking the HD800 on a WA5 is a bit like sticking the SR-009 on the Liquid Lightning, having a highly resolving transducer dumbed down by a highly colored amplifier. 

 

 

Didn't the "highly resolving" SR-009 push all the wrong buttons for you, in which case a nice colored amp may not be such a bad thing 

[spritzer]

I do like the build quality over all.  Pretty nice parts and the correct ballast resistor for the phones.  Even carbon comp like Stax still use. 

 

The transformer is 230V only so that is not good for US users.  Still, easy enough to swap out. 

 

So the second Chinese copy this year, we must be doing something right. 

[spritzer]

Didn't the "highly resolving" SR-009 push all the wrong buttons for you, in which case a nice colored amp may not be such a bad thing 

 

That's an issue with the bright nature of the phones, something which I know can be fixed without taking a sledgehammer to the top end.  I'd have no reason to use the 009 if it mean making them less resolving... 

 

Just so it's clear, I've never felt the 009 offered any resolution bonus over a well fitted 007.  It's even the opposite as the 007 just gets out of the bloody way and is in no way apparent. 

[Dusty Chalk]

 

these Chinese guys are a riot. gotta love the packaging.

 

I think this is the third thing I have gotten from china that was

packed in a pampers box. Man they must be making lots of

babies...

 

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0560.jpg

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0561.jpg

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/dsc_0562.jpg

Maybe that's just their way of avoiding detection -- don't they have a quota of babies over which they're not allowed to ...er...continue reproducing?

[kevin gilmore]

by the way, its a real made by stax, stax jack. with the stax logo on the plastic

on the inside. stax always refused to sell those jacks to us, we had to make

our own. justin's jack are clearly superior...

beats the hell out of a llmk1 or llmk2 for less than 17% of the price.

[nopants]

any details on the "first" kgss that spritzer alluded to? This seems like a pretty convincing buy. 

[rx79ez08]

Definitely very interested now. How did you guys manage to buy from Taobao?  Through an agent or directly from the dealer?

[Sherwood]

Taobao, as of last week, accepts a few more payment options.  It's not just Chinese bank account or Alipay account, now.  

 

Shipping overseas is still tricky, but not so tricky that they're about to turn down a sale.  I'd say buy on Taobao like the locals do -- right from the seller.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Sherwood

[luvdunhill]

Just so it's clear, I've never felt the 009 offered any resolution bonus over a well fitted 007. It's even the opposite as the 007 just gets out of the bloody way and is in no way apparent.

Yup agreed.

[spritzer]

by the way, its a real made by stax, stax jack. with the stax logo on the plastic

on the inside. stax always refused to sell those jacks to us, we had to make

our own. justin's jack are clearly superior...

beats the hell out of a llmk1 or llmk2 for less than 17% of the price.

 

Stax really don't want to sell the sockets so not sure where this guy is getting them.   They are genuine alright and the newest spec. 

 

 

any details on the "first" kgss that spritzer alluded to? This seems like a pretty convincing buy. 

 

First KGSS?

 

Definitely very interested now. How did you guys manage to buy from Taobao?  Through an agent or directly from the dealer?

 

I used Cart100.com but there are a lot of deputy services out there.  Cart100 have been great on the two occasions I've used them, even reminded me that China is 230V so there might be a problem with that. 

[dcpoor]

I think nopants is referring to

So the second Chinese copy this year, we must be doing something right. 

 

 

What was the first Chinese copy?

[spritzer]

The KSA-5.  Nobody had completely reverse engineered it until we did so.  Speaking of which...

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KRELL-ksa5-Class-A-8W-8W-amplifier-in-case-220V/271466031172?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222003%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D6872961694781196531%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D20131003132420%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D151276393019&rt=nc

 

Not very subtle in their thieving...

[n_maher]

Ugh, the goddamn locking Neutrick jack strikes again!  Otherwise, holy heck that seems cheap even when you factor in the $99 shipping.

[kevin gilmore]

I wonder why the Chinese have not cloned the llmk2...

 

maybe I will eventually publish the kx-r schematics.

[Audiojunkie]

I wonder why the Chinese have not cloned the llmk2...

 

 

 

Thanks for the laugh!

[dcpoor]

http://s.taobao.com/search?q=KRELL+ksa5&searcy_type=item&s_from=newHeader&source=&ssid=s5-e&search=y&spm=a1z10.1.1996643285.d4916901

 

1080 Chinese Yuan equals

173.38 US Dollar

 

geez, wonder how much shipping would be from these taobao listings.

Edited May 13, 2014 by dcpoor

[spritzer]

The shipping for the KGSS was just over 113$ for a 6.5Kg package.  The transformer is a Talema unit so odds are that it has dual primaries. 

 

We are famous...

 

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.72.YKuenw&id=37960660378

 

 

I wonder why the Chinese have not cloned the llmk2...

 

maybe I will eventually publish the kx-r schematics.

 

I say a new project with a new thread.  Make it easy for them... Seriously, the only thing stopping us are those damn P-channel Jfets.  Are any of the Fairchild parts usable? 

[dcpoor]

Thanks for the shipping info.

 

How much work and cost would it be to modify the KSA5 clone or Chinese KGSS for USA/115V usage?

[kevin gilmore]

the kgss is a single primary winding. It would need a different transformer.

or maybe the company sells it with a 110v transformer

[padam]

the Chinese KSA5 on ebay has the option for 110V (I guess it cost a bit more)

[livewire]

Wow! A genuine Krell crafted from pure Chinesium.

[Sherwood]

Don't scratch it too hard.  Upside is that it is soldered properly and built to spec.

[DefQon]

Don't scratch it too hard.  Upside is that it is soldered properly and built to spec.

 

Probably better so then the Cavalli stuff. If they ground that IEC outlet. 

Edited May 14, 2014 by DefQon

[Sherwood]

Chinese companies usually know how to get a good product from Chinese manufacturers.  I imagine these will be made as advertised, though possibly with used caps.