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The Headcase Stax thread


thrice

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I think I even have the schematic for the SRA-7S somewhere around here but it could also be the SRA-6S...

The later SRA-3S was a very nice amplifier also - unequivocally better than the SRA-12S I had at the time. Both of these look a bit less.....errr......industrial than the SRA-7S. Spritzer had an SRA-3S for sale a while back - I hope the new owner is enjoying it now.

I've had a few of those over the years and even modified them for Pro bias. :)

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Ah, Carl has one of those I think. I'm not sure if he's finished with the repairs.

He hasn't. It's been sitting at my place for ages as he'd asked me to double check the schematic he drew up for it. He was talking of it getting the repairs done fairly recently.

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Is there a stat headphone that sounds at least a little like the Qualia 010? (In other words, very treble-tilted.) I've been doing a sort of comparison of my OII/BHSE setup against my dynamic headphones (AD2000, Qualia, HP2....and actually the JH13 too) and have found a gaping sonic hole in the OII as far as my preferences go. To its credit, the OII can cover a huge range of my CD collection on its own but I find myself missing the treble of the Qualia when I listen to certain CDs. I did hear both the SR-Omega and 4070 some weeks ago at the NorCal meet but my memory of those headphones has faded and I wasn't using the BHSE with those (rather the WES).

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The Lambda Sigs are very treble tilted but also very forward. I like to think of them as kind of a Gradoish sound, but a lot better because it's Stax.:) So not like what I think the Qualias are like, in terms of headstage. I imagine the 4070 also is treble tilted but is also forward due to its monitor and closed qualities. Perhaps the 404 Limited that almost no one has heard yet? All of the Lambdas have more treble than the Omega 2, just for reference. And I suggest again that if you like the SR-X MkIII so much, the next logical step can only be the SR-X Pro, if you can ever find one. I'm still trying to build one, myself. Waiting on Carl.

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Hrmm, interesting food for thought, thanks. I've heard the SR-404 Limited actually though and didn't really like it, something about it didn't sit with me. I'll look into either the 4070 or a Lambda Sig then. SR-X Pro is out for me, I'd prefer to not hunt down a rare item.

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Is there a stat headphone that sounds at least a little like the Qualia 010? (In other words, very treble-tilted.) I've been doing a sort of comparison of my OII/BHSE setup against my dynamic headphones (AD2000, Qualia, HP2....and actually the JH13 too) and have found a gaping sonic hole in the OII as far as my preferences go. To its credit, the OII can cover a huge range of my CD collection on its own but I find myself missing the treble of the Qualia when I listen to certain CDs. I did hear both the SR-Omega and 4070 some weeks ago at the NorCal meet but my memory of those headphones has faded and I wasn't using the BHSE with those (rather the WES).

The Lambda Sigs are very treble tilted but also very forward. I like to think of them as kind of a Gradoish sound, but a lot better because it's Stax.:) So not like what I think the Qualias are like, in terms of headstage. I imagine the 4070 also is treble tilted but is also forward due to its monitor and closed qualities. Perhaps the 404 Limited that almost no one has heard yet? All of the Lambdas have more treble than the Omega 2, just for reference. And I suggest again that if you like the SR-X MkIII so much, the next logical step can only be the SR-X Pro, if you can ever find one. I'm still trying to build one, myself. Waiting on Carl.

Plaidplatypus brought an SR-404 Limited to the Colorado meet and I have to say it is now my favorite Lambda out of them all. And they have more treble than the O2 Mk1 without over-doing it (at least with my GES). The Lambda Signature that I used to own were a little more tizzy in the treble than the Limited, while the Pros were not so tizzy but had a midrange suckout - I had sold both of them in favor of my ESP-950 with Stax cable. The Limited however sounded closer to my SR-Lambda normal bias which I now put as my second favorite Lambda. I told plaidplatypus that I'd take them off his hands if he gets tired of them.

My Smegma Pro are also fairly bright, so you could try to get a Gamma Pro or SR-X Pro and see if Smeggy will refit the drivers into a nicer wood cup with some O2 earpads for you. They now sound better than the stock Gamma pro which were a little more dull sounding than even your SR-X Mk3 normal bias.

You could also consider an SR-5 gold edition which are kinda like your SR-X but with a better soundstage.

[EDIT] - Asr, I was typing when you posted - can you pinpoint what you didn't like about the 404 Limited?

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