The Headcase Stax thread

[nopants]

stepped attenuators? say it ain't so

[Audiojunkie]

...so I've had my new SR-009 for two days and I've already started to modify them. 

 

First for the good stuff, these aren't as fucking bright as all the early units I've owned/had access too.  They can be a tiny bit too hot at times but this a marked difference to the earlier sets.  This also means the odd reverberation with voices is also mostly gone.  The bad news is though that the bass has a large gap in the FR simply missing and the imaging is far from good.  Coming off a steady diet of SR-Omega and modified SR-007 SZ2 these two factors are all too apparent.  There is a strong center image but it lacks the cohesive soundstage of the two older models.  I suspect the earpads are to blame for most of this as they are virtually flat compared to the steep angle of the SR-Omega.  As for the bass, it's either down to the diaphragm or there is a small port hiding somewhere in there.  I suspect it is the latter as that "made in japan" piece is highly suspect. 

 

Ohh and this is a set that came from Price Japan and guess what, no channel imbalance.... 

 

Just curious what the differences are between the SR007Mk1 (SZ1....) and the SR007A (SZ2-18XX)? Is it worth picking up a pair of the latter?

Edited October 22, 2014 by Audiojunkie

[spritzer]

I prefer the highly modified 007A but the difference is slight.  They will how ever last much longer, no cable issues and all that. 

 

stepped attenuators? say it ain't so

 

Hell no that they will be used... ever but how cool is it to have some of Single Power's finest. 

[Audiojunkie]

I prefer the highly modified 007A but the difference is slight.  They will how ever last much longer, no cable issues and all that. 

 

 

 

Thanks!

[nopants]

so the spritzer-preferred 007 can be obtained in all black? maybe I need to hock my mk1s...

 

did you do any other mods outside of port plugging (to the mk1s)? what mods are you exploring on the 009s? 

Edited October 23, 2014 by nopants

[kevin gilmore]

I have a singlepower quad step attenuator. Even more valuable than a pair of dual's

 

And every bit as equally fucked.

 

The solder job is typical Mikhail.

[Jon L]

...so I've had my new SR-009 for two days and I've already started to modify them. 

 

First for the good stuff, these aren't as fucking bright as all the early units I've owned/had access too.  They can be a tiny bit too hot at times but this a marked difference to the earlier sets.  This also means the odd reverberation with voices is also mostly gone.  The bad news is though that the bass has a large gap in the FR simply missing and the imaging is far from good.

 

Ohh and this is a set that came from Price Japan and guess what, no channel imbalance.... 

 

I can't say I have noticed "odd reverberation on voices" or channel imbalance with my SR-009, but what serial numbers are considered "early" units?

[DefQon]

I was more jesting at the HF thread on the imbalance issue where nobody has the slightest clue and it has been suggested that PJ sets are somehow different... 

 

 

I can't help but get this slight feeling of betrayal when I look at this pile of shit and the epic work ahead of me... 

 

 

You know Singlepower had some very nice cases for there amplifiers (SDS XLR, ES1 and ES2 above) shame the same quality couldn't be applied to there innard worksmanship and circuitry. 

 

Those panels look really thick.

[wink]

More important, is that a book on saltine bread at the back.

 

I can live without music, but I find I need food to continue my mortal existance on this celestial orb.

Edited October 23, 2014 by wink

[livewire]

More important, is that a book on saltine bread at the back.

 

I can live without music, but I find I need food to continue my mortal existance on this celestial orb.

 

Looks like an aluminium plate on (sal)tine bread. Them bookz iz underneeth.

[arnaud]

I was more jesting at the HF thread on the imbalance issue where nobody has the slightest clue and it has been suggested that PJ sets are somehow different...

It turns out people having issue with 009 assume (and so does pj btw) that it's necesserily a bad 009. Turns out the recent drama on the HF thread was a faulty amp and not a faulty phone... For some reason though, the amp did not get fixed, and no way to check the repair bill as "PJ needs to protect their sources" for equipment.

Otherwise, am surprised about the change in tonality between tour current 009 pair and the original. Stax would not seem the kind to alter the voicing, esp. not the 009. Would be worth sending to Tyll for measurement against the other 3 pairs he has in his dbase.

One thing I noticed on mine though is that pads are starting to flatten, certainly can't imagine they'll last 10years...

Arnaud

[johnwmclean]

Is this the mod that takes a perfectly fine 009 and turns them into a dark sounding 007 mk1?

[kevin gilmore]

all of mikhail's monster cases (es2,ss1,sds xlr etc) have real problems.

and of course the rest of his chassis are trouble too.

 

#4-40 holes tapped to shallow in the .25 inch thick sides, causing the screws

to crack etc... plus the rusting screws... most of the time i put into the ss1 was

on a mill and lathe using carbide bits to remove and fix the holes.

 

not to pick on someone, but this

http://www.head-fi.org/t/739437/fs-audio-technica-l3000s-singlepower-sds-xlr#post_10983524

 

i mean you gotta be kidding. I would not buy that amp if it was $500.

maybe $250 with shipping. Just to put the guy out of his misery.

(i know someone else that has one of these and wants to dump it)

 

but really what can you do to the thing.  In balanced mode its really only useful

for very high impedance headphones, there is no phase splitter etc.

A 60+ lb boat anchor.

Edited October 23, 2014 by kevin gilmore

[johnwmclean]

Can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. But $10,000? No bloody way.

[spritzer]

so the spritzer-preferred 007 can be obtained in all black? maybe I need to hock my mk1s...

 

did you do any other mods outside of port plugging (to the mk1s)? what mods are you exploring on the 009s? 

 

My 007A's have the pots plugged, use Mk1 springs and I did some small mods to the earpads.  Due to the new headpad on these the correct fit is even more crucial than with the Mk1. 

 

I can't say I have noticed "odd reverberation on voices" or channel imbalance with my SR-009, but what serial numbers are considered "early" units?

 

Early would be from the early months of production.  Serial numbers mean nothing at Stax. 

 

 

It turns out people having issue with 009 assume (and so does pj btw) that it's necesserily a bad 009. Turns out the recent drama on the HF thread was a faulty amp and not a faulty phone... For some reason though, the amp did not get fixed, and no way to check the repair bill as "PJ needs to protect their sources" for equipment.

Otherwise, am surprised about the change in tonality between tour current 009 pair and the original. Stax would not seem the kind to alter the voicing, esp. not the 009. Would be worth sending to Tyll for measurement against the other 3 pairs he has in his dbase.

One thing I noticed on mine though is that pads are starting to flatten, certainly can't imagine they'll last 10years...

Arnaud

 

There is indeed nothing wrong with the phones, well not a long term thing anyway.  It's just a combination of the metal stators, the film and its coating which is at fault here but it is a more frequent issue than with most other sets. 

 

Stax have always continuously tinkered with the designs over the production run.  The 007Mk1 is actually three different headphones which just share the name for some reason. 

 

Is this the mod that takes a perfectly fine 009 and turns them into a dark sounding 007 mk1?

 

The 009 aren't perfectly fine (far from it actually) and my 007's aren't dark either.    When Bob was here on Monday and Tuesday we chatted about the 007 and he said he didn't like them.  Fair enough but it was also clear that the fit was never good for him so I taught him how to make them fit perfectly.  When he gets back then we'll see if the better fit changes anything for him. 

 

The end result should be what the 009 could have been, an improved SR-Omega.  To tackle the imaging the only thing I can do is to stuff the pads on the back.  Well either that or just replace them or the stuffing.  The bass is a bigger issue as there is clearly a section of the upper bass missing plus a suck out of the lower bass.  There has to be an opening somewhere but I'll give it a week until I start ripping them apart... 

[Tachikoma]

Surely a bass suck out would show up on FR measurements though? Do you think its just your pair or 009s in general?

[spritzer]

009's in general.  It's been noted from day one that they can't do bass like the 007Mk1/SR-Omega. 

[blubliss]

I think it's his ears 

Edited October 23, 2014 by blubliss

[spritzer]

Don't make me come over there!!!!   

[n3rdling]

Reverb would also show in the CSDs

[chinsettawong]

I bought a pair of SR009 a few months ago, and I noticed that the phones weren't as sensitive as the pair I heard when they first came out.  I think Stax might have increased the spacer thickness just a little.

[guzziguy]

Don't make me come over there!!!! 

 

And make you drink red vodka! 

[spritzer]

Reverb would also show in the CSDs

 

If the reverb is prominent then absolutely but if it is only occasional and thus tied to certain forces acting on the diaphragm then it wouldn't show up. 

 

I bought a pair of SR009 a few months ago, and I noticed that the phones weren't as sensitive as the pair I heard when they first came out.  I think Stax might have increased the spacer thickness just a little.

 

Nice to hear that I'm not alone.    I can't be sure about the sensitivity without a set for direct A-B as my source has a volume control and people keep messing with it... 

[Dave R]

I got my 009's in 2011 [ I also got them from PJ and have had no problems with this imbalance that others have said [ on HF ] they were getting ]  so I'm wondering, if Stax might've increased the spacer thickness, which in turn might be making them less sensitive, could the spacer thickness be altered on the earlier models ?

Edited October 25, 2014 by Dave R

[spritzer]

I'm sure Stax would sell you new drivers for (knowing Stax) 6k$ or so outside of Japan.  No way to retrofit something like this as there are no spacers in that sense.  Then we have the issue of actually opening up the drivers compromises them in terms of dust. 

 

The end result for me though is that the 009 sounds good off the KGST which means the KGSSHV Carbon will be even better when we get around to it.