The Headcase Stax thread

[jp11801]

How does the O2 fair out of the SRD7/MKII, transformer box hooked up to a good amp compared to say the 717 or 007t?

[catscratch]

How does the O2 fair out of the SRD7/MKII, transformer box hooked up to a good amp compared to say the 717 or 007t?

Check back a few pages. I had a comparison of the SRD-7 Pro/Dared VP-20 vs SRM-717.

The transformer box is less transparent and more colored, and doesn't have the power to give the bass tightness and definition. For that matter, neither does the 717, but it is a very noticeable improvement on the transformer box at the very least.

However, a lot of this will also depend on the amp that's behind the transformer box. The O2 is ultimately transparent, and you will hear the qualities of your speaker amp immediately. A lot of the comparison was a contrast between the VP-20's and the SRM-717's sonic qualities.

I'd say that the 717 will have an advantage in bass control, frequency extension, soundstage size and imaging, and overall transparency over the transformer. However, the way in which the transformer is voiced - the tone, tonal balance, fullness, texture, fluidity, etc - will all depend on the amp behind it. The 717 is fairly fluid, and a tad warmish, but really it's more of a neutral/transparent amp than a warm/fluid one.

[deepak]

How does the O2 fair out of the SRD7/MKII, transformer box hooked up to a good amp compared to say the 717 or 007t?

I have been running them with a Stax SRD7-pro since I bought them in May; the integrated speaker amp is a push pull pentode amp. I've been enjoying the sound very much, though I am upgrading to a dedicated amp. But I'm not in any hurry to do so.

YMMV I usually do these hifi purchases spaced far apart, unless something is really lacking. But so far my impressions are the same as the first day I heard them, I look forward to listening to the setup every evening

[postjack]

catscratch's description is spot on. The 840a > srd7 was powerful and just slightly to the bright side. IOW, the sound of the 840a came through.

[spritzer]

I've been out of the Stax game for a few months now, and I just checked out the current US retail on an OII. Jesus! $2400? Wasn't it less then a year ago that Elusive Disc was running a special on them for $1800?

There was an intro price on the SR-007Mk2 just after it was released (2k$ if I remember correctly) and the Mk1 was discounted before the release. I should have bought a backup set but like everybody else thought that the new model was going to be better...

[catscratch]

The retail is 2.4k but I bought mine new from Moon Audio for roughly $2k. If you can bargain for a bit, you can knock the price down.

Still insanely overpriced compared to the Mk1 which is better, but somehow I doubt the low prices on Mk1's will last. Though to be fair, there are a LOT of Mk1's floating around, and you shouldn't have any difficulty finding a good pair (so far).

If I had the $ I'd snag a backup pair. I may still do that. I don't think I'll ever want another headphone again.

[spritzer]

I don't think I'll ever want another headphone again.

Famous last words... I said that once but still bought 140+headphones to try and find something that is better. Didn't happen and that same Mk1 is still here 5 years later.

[Duggeh]

You've still got more to try Spritzer. Except the Qualia, those probably don't exist in your head size

[catscratch]

Famous last words... I said that once but still bought 140+headphones to try and find something that is better. Didn't happen and that same Mk1 is still here 5 years later.

Don't get me wrong - I may not want another pair of headphones again, but that may not stop me from buying another pair of headphones again. You assume that there is a direct correlation between wanting headphones and buying them, and that logic and desires have anything in common with my actions. That's not how I roll

My main saving grace is not having enough money (for now).

[spritzer]

I've got a few yet to try but I think I'm mostly done, for now at least. I'm turning my destructive powers onto DIY and mostly amps for now.

I'm not even going to think about the Qualia since I wear a Lambda at full extension...

Don't get me wrong - I may not want another pair of headphones again, but that may not stop me from buying another pair of headphones again. You assume that there is a direct correlation between wanting headphones and buying them, and that logic and desires have anything in common with my actions. That's not how I roll

My main saving grace is not having enough money (for now).

Fair enough. It all went wrong for me when I first wondered how a Sigma sounded... then a Lambda... then a Gamma... then a....

[deepak]

I've got a few yet to try but I think I'm mostly done, for now at least. I'm turning my destructive powers onto DIY and mostly amps for now.

I'm not even going to think about the Qualia since I wear a Lambda at full extension...

Fair enough. It all went wrong for me when I first wondered how a Sigma sounded... then a Lambda... then a Gamma... then a....

You mean next comes electrostat speakers, that one's gonna hurt

[catscratch]

Fair enough. It all went wrong for me when I first wondered how a Sigma sounded... then a Lambda... then a Gamma... then a....

I'm wondering about that now. Should I be afraid?

Edit: according to my friend, it's "talk like a pirate" day. So, I have to translate my posts into pirate-ese.

I.e. - Yarr! I be wonderin' about that now. Ortin' ta I be lily livered?

[spritzer]

You mean next comes electrostat speakers, that one's gonna hurt

Tell me about it. I'm already sizing out amps to drive the first speakers to buy, Quad ESL63's. The only thing holding me back is that I need a bigger space and the housing market up here hasn't imploded yet. It will when all those foreign loans start to tick...

I'm wondering about that now. Should I be afraid?

Edit: according to my friend, it's "talk like a pirate" day. So, I have to translate my posts into pirate-ese.

I.e. - Yarr! I be wonderin' about that now. Ortin' ta I be lily livered?

Blah pirates were a bunch of wussies. I am a direct descendant of the Vikings so I'll just speak Old-Norse. Too bad you couldn't understand a word...

I'd certainly be afraid but the market has changed quite a bit since I started. Back then I could pick up a Lambda for 100$ and a Sigma for 250$. This isn't even possible in Japan anymore.

[GPH]

Quick question for OII owners, what's the best place to buy Mk1 pads at a decent price?

[Asr]

Quick question for OII owners, what's the best place to buy Mk1 pads at a decent price?

Audio Cubes II - High Fidelity Audio Products

[Tachikoma]

EIFL's supposed to be much cheaper. Audiocubes II used to be reasonably priced.

[Elephas]

The Qualia in largest size is supposed to be huge. And there's that custom Singlepower headband that Icarium has.

I don't think spritzer would like the Qualia if he considers the SR-007 the most neutral-sounding. I'm guessing he would prefer the R10 over the Qualia. Anyway, I don't know how the SR-007 sounds with a BH.

Out of all the dynamics I've heard, the Qualia is definitely the one that competes with and maybe even exceeds electrostats in details, speed and soundstage.

[spritzer]

I didn't care much for the R10 so I have no will to try the Qualia. There are only a handful of headphones that I'm actively searching for now and all are almost impossible to find. Next step are speakers and to try and get better amps for the Stax Omegas. I did go at this all wrong by spending a lot on a pile of headphones when I should have concentrated on the amp. Oh well, live and learn.

[catscratch]

The Qualia and the R10 are two very different animals. They don't sound alike, and the Qualia is a lot more electrostatic in its presentation. I can't really say which one I like more since it's been ages since I heard them.

The Qualia certainly rocks in all respects save tone. Its tone is definitely wrong, but it's been too long since I heard one to exactly define how its tone is wrong. It does compete with electrostats in detail; it's one of those headphones that tends to bring inner detail to the forefront, so it's very difficult to tell if it's actually more or less detailed than, let's say, the SR-007, from memory, especially since the 007 tends to be very polite with its detail. In terms of speed, the Qualia is without a doubt the fastest dynamic I've ever heard, but it's still not quite as fast as a 'stat. Still, it's in a different league from most dynamics, period. Its tonal balance is just about perfect, bass is extended, tight, and very impactful, and soundstage is very massive, if a bit artificial.

I really like the Qualia (and I like very few dynamics), but I'm not going to take a gamble on getting one used. If you don't have the perfect fit, you have shit for sound. It's as sensitive as an IEM when it comes to fit. I was, however, very much thinking about one when they were still in production. Good thing my wallet never really let me do it.

[Elephas]

Tonally, the Qualia seems to lean a bit too cold for me, but it is very good in other respects, such as tonal balance, details, imaging, soundstage, bass quantity etc.

Rihanna - Umbrella (Remixes) sounds good with the Qualia, less so with R10.

I take back what I said. I think spritzer should buy one and listen to Rihanna - Umbrella (Remixes) on repeat until he becomes convinced that the Qualia is better than the SR-007.

[Fungi]

[url=http://earsp.web.fc2.com/kako-e/lambda/sr-lam.htm]STAX

[spritzer]

That's the damping material also found on the Lambda Pro but no other Lambda model. Removing it will give you more transparency and better bass output but the difference is subtle. Removing it will also expose the upper midrange hardness which was the reason Stax put it there to begin with. I wouldn't try to replace it with anything but the thin mineral wool that Stax used.

The Lambda is IMO the best normal bias Stax and the others will give you a different flavor but not necessarily better. A good step up would be the Lambda Signature, more transparent with deeper bass and more control.

[Fungi]

Thanks spritzer.

[Smeggy]

I'm finally getting a good listen to the Beyer ET 1000 and I like a whole lot! I think it sounds better than the Lambdas and stock Gamma or SR-X. Pretty damn impressive for a one-off old dog. I wasn't expecting it to sound anything like it does. They did a damn fine job of tuning it to my tastes, how did they know?

[Fungi]

I'm finally getting a good listen to the Beyer ET 1000 and I like a whole lot! I think it sounds better than the Lambdas and stock Gamma or SR-X. Pretty damn impressive for a one-off old dog. I wasn't expecting it to sound anything like it does. They did a damn fine job of tuning it to my tastes, how did they know?

They tuned you to their headphone.