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The Headcase Stax thread


thrice

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Ah I see. Yeah I like the idea of wood. Could end up not entirely dissimilar to what Jazz did with his Electrostat 1 and Electrostat 2.

I'd want to come up with a finalised shape/size in MDF or pine scrap as well as experimenting with any damping before devoting a shiny shiny job to a man who knows his wood, so its gonna be at probably the summer before anything is set. It'll be fun playing until then though.

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The difference in the sigma earpads is that they don't have the raised bump behand the bottom of the ear is that right? I've never quite got how that works to create a proper seal.

What'd be really pimp is using an 4070 headband instead of a lambda arc of course, but I understand that they are expensive unobtanium.

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Then it's clear you need some Sigma pads in your life. PM me your address and I'll send them out on Monday.

The 4070 headband could probably be arranged. I've never seen it listed though and since it is screwed into place (from the inside of the housing) Stax may not consider it "user replaceable" and thus not sell it.

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I loved the SR-X MkIII but liked my SR-5NB gold edition a little more for the circumaural fit and soundstage (same drivers). Very good headphones that I feel can compete with my RS-1.

The O2 Mk1 with Woo GES are a definite hit, as are my Jade. I hope to get you to hear these sometime soon. Sorry you can't be at the meet next Saturday, but I am available this sunday and the sunday after the meet too.

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Here's to hoping my SR-5 Pro kicks some ass. Still looking for a donor frame.

I'm still dying to hear what my Gamma Pro sound like in a "Smegma Pro" woody cup with the SR-007 Mk1 pads that I sent Smeggy a while back. I bribed him with some free headphones and ear pads, but we've been keeping him real busy with orthodynamic builds as well, so I just have to wait my turn...

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I rewired the ESP10 a third time. Hopefully I have it right this time.

First impressions: Sounds much better on normal bias than pro bias.

But how does it sound? We have a guy in Denver with some ESP10 that might bring them to the Colorado meet at my house next weekend. I'm getting curious, but he took them apart to make them sound better and more comfortable.

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Are the ESP10 anything like the ESP9? These were definitely one of the worst headphones I've ever tried. The sound was cavernous and it felt like wearing a heavy football helmet on your head. I wouldn't spend a second modding the ESP10 if they're anything like their older brother.

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You would love the SR-X Mk3 Pro then. It takes all the good aspects of the normal bias model and better them plus adds some much needed bass presence, not a whole lot though but it goes deep, very deep, and they have a bit of a soundstage as well. You should also try the 4070 since it is a more modern version of the SR-X but they sound similar.

Birgir, would you say the 4070 is closer to the normal bias SRX Mk3 than the Pro version?

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The ESP10 in stock form is, as Birgir said, fairly euphonic, with some fat thick bass extending into the midrange that you don't really find with the Lambdas. There's a bit of it in the SR-5NB, and I'd say currently it's on the same level sonically as a SR-5NB as well. I think there's a recession somewhere in the upper mids/lower treble because the high treble sounds pretty good to me. It does sound tubby/cavernous, but only slightly, now that I've had the time to let them play in and also time to stretch out the headband, which helped with the closed-in tubbiness as well as comfort. It gripped my head like crazy in the beginning.

My ESP10 isn't technically completely stock right now, since I removed the crappy disintegrating foam inside, and haven't had a chance to replace it. In terms of mods, I'm going to need to damp the enclosure a bit to lessen the resonances and make it sound less cavernous, and I might as well swap out the stock caps for some silver micas. If possible, I will also need to find thicker pads that seal, which will improve comfort as well as sound. Right now I'm using SR-5 pads.

Is the guy coming to the meet AudioCats?

Edit: Also, the ESP10 is indeed fairly heavy.

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I have bought a normal bias version not so long ago. Sounds wonderful, but I also found it unforgiving, compared to the the LNS. Trouble is, my ears turn red even after a short listening, I tried adjusting it but the fit is just hopeless for me :(

Heh, the SR-X Pro is not very forgiving either, but I usually don't look for forgiveness: a can just doesn't have to overemphasize treble, and it will be forgiving enough. :D

Agreed about comfort, its supra-aural design can make clamping a bit painful (after 45 minutes or an hour for me). But I don't listen for longer periods when sitting down anyway, so it was fine.

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Are the ESP10 anything like the ESP9? These were definitely one of the worst headphones I've ever tried. The sound was cavernous and it felt like wearing a heavy football helmet on your head. I wouldn't spend a second modding the ESP10 if they're anything like their older brother.

They are very different and the ESP10 drivers could even be something special in the right hands. They are heavily airdamped so no etch to worry about and work just fine off the Stax Pro bias.

The ESP9 needs to TLC to sound ok but they will never even approach what Stax was doing at the time, let alone better it. Bypass all of the complicated Koss crap and open up the back of the drivers (there are PCB's directly on top of the drivers) plus some damping and they aren't half bad.

Birgir, would you say the 4070 is closer to the normal bias SRX Mk3 than the Pro version?

It's much closet to the Pro version. The bass is quite similar and so is the slightly subdued midrange (compared to the SR-007).

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I'm still dying to hear what my Gamma Pro sound like in a "Smegma Pro" woody cup with the SR-007 Mk1 pads that I sent Smeggy a while back. I bribed him with some free headphones and ear pads, but we've been keeping him real busy with orthodynamic builds as well, so I just have to wait my turn...

You lucky sob... ;D That sounds like a headphone made of complete win.

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It's much closet to the Pro version. The bass is quite similar and so is the slightly subdued midrange (compared to the SR-007).

Do you feel that the SR-007 has some midrange forwardness? Sometimes I read about "wonderful midrange" when searching about the Omega 2, so I wonder if there is some slight emphasis on it over neutrality.

As to treble, would you say the 4070 is harsher than the SR-X MkIII Pro? I am trying to figure out how the first one sounds compared to what I have heard.

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The midrange on the SR-007 has this "stand out" feature but there is nothing unnatural about for me as it isn't a constant. It has more to do with how the small soundstage "interprets" a normal stereo image which places the key instruments in front of you and in the focal point.

The treble on the 4070 is very good and certainly on par with the SR-X Pro. The 4070 is a closed headphone so you loose a bit of sparkle due to that but they are never harsh. Ruthlessly revealing, yes, but never harsh.

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