The Headcase Stax thread

[morphsci]

When there's one for sale.

Just out of general interest, where does the Woo GES stack up against the Stax offerings? Seems like there are a few of those on offer right now as people trade up to the WES.

FS: Woo Audio GES - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Have to agree with that. it sounds great with the HE-60 and very good with the Omega. But it is not a step up from the 007t with the O2. The WES does sound very good with the O2 but my listening time on one has been very limited. That being said it i8s not like the O2 & 007t is a shit combo.

[Hopstretch]

That being said it it's not like the O2 & 007t is a shit combo.

That's my impression. I'm still digging it. Hence the question about the scale of further performance gains with better amps.

Something to look forward to!

[tyrion]

Any thoughts on the GES v. the KGSS for the Omega?

[mypasswordis]

I'd love to see a frequency response graph of an O2 being driven by a BHSE someday. Here it is with a 717:

[url=http://www.geocities.jp/ryumatsuba/sr-007srm-717.html]

[Voltron]

Sorry in advance for the mega-multi-screamer multi-quote post, but easier this way than the alternative:

So, roughly how much are my O2s being under-driven by the 007t right now? Because they still sound pretty damn good.

I will accept either percentage estimates, "a lot" or "don't be a freaking douche", but am semi-serious as I've not yet had the chance to try any other amps with them except under meet conditions.

Fuckloads much. They sound nice and polite but weak and hollow out of the 007t and the GES, oops jumping ahead of my multi-quotes. The O2 have only really sounded good/decent to me on two amps: the BHSE in particular and the WES to a lesser degree.

You are still using a 007t? I see a BH in your future. It's a shame that Al will have to witness your grin, I think it was.

Ω2 + 007t => orgasmic

Ω2 + KGSS => multi-orgasmic

Ω2 + BH/BHSE => mega-multi-orgasmic

Ω + BH/BHSE => mega-multi-orgasmic screamer

:D

Perhaps what you really should be considering is how many drinks will be required this coming weekend to convince a certain out of town visitor for a loaner program?

If that equals a big number, then that much. This last weekend built up so much tolerance that I am still drunk and we didn't even drink yesterday (to speak of).

Well, OK, loaner program of one for the very tall man from Western MasNoNoNoNoNoNosetts is

The GES is nice, but it will suffer from similar problems to the 007t--it's underpowered for the O2. I wanted very much for that not to be the case, but listening to the combo at several meets convinced me.

Any thoughts on the GES v. the KGSS for the Omega?

Like Jim, I totally agree with Dinny. Is anyone in Boston going to have a GES? There is going to be a lot of stat action and would love to hear the SR-Omega on it. I really think that could be a good combo, although Jim says only good and not great like the HE60. Maybe Mike just needs a WES after all.

[Hopstretch]

Computer says fuck yeah!

[morphsci]

I guess a more appropriate description is that the GES takes the HE-60 as far as it can go IMO. The Omega does sound very good on the GES but it is capable of much more than the HE-60 and thus a WES/KGSS/BH improves the experience thus making the Omega-GES only very good.

[Deadneddz]

That's my impression. I'm still digging it. Hence the question about the scale of further performance gains with better amps.

Something to look forward to!

I'm not exactly sure how similar the Stax T1(S) amps are to the 007t, but comparing the O2 to the HE60 on the T1(S), its pretty clear that the O2 is half asleep. The HE60 on the T1(S) is much more musically satisfying at the extreme ends of the spectrum. The Midrange is the only thing better from the O2 in this setup.(the HE60 midrange is a little strange and etch'd comapred to the O2) As mentioned in this thread somwhere, more current on tap is needed from the amp to bring the two ends of the spectrum alive and that I think is the problem with the Stax amps. Not enough current for the hungry O2. I'm completely disregarding other issues like soundstage laying or detail retrieval in which the O2 lays smack on the HE60. It goes to show that even a techincally superior headphone is not neccessarily more satisfying, but obviously poor amplification dictates that result in this case.

[cetoole]

Silly Stax and their anti gray market stance really likes to make things difficult to convert the voltage on their newer amps it seems. This is Screaming Oranges's SRM-007ta, which was originally for japanese market 100v.

As you can see, they actually cut the leadouts for the 120v primary windings off quite low and filled them in with hot glue, so once the jumpers on the board mounted to the side of the case are swapped, it just doesnt work at all. Gotta fix that!

Success!

[swt61]

Cool. You should get into DIY Colin. You seem pretty handy.

[cetoole]

The worst part was actually digging all of the old glue out.

[Elephas]

I guess a more appropriate description is that the GES takes the HE-60 as far as it can go IMO. The Omega does sound very good on the GES but it is capable of much more than the HE-60 and thus a WES/KGSS/BH improves the experience thus making the Omega-GES only very good.

Dude, the "Omega" = the SR-Omega.

No one refers to the SR-007 or SR-007mk2 as the "Omega" anymore. In the olden days when no one had heard an SR-Omega, no problem. But now it seems that everyone and their cousin Vinny owns an SR-Omega and they're showing up at meets regularly.

Success!

This guy can build me an eXStata anytime!

[deepak]

The Omega sounds great on the Blue Hawaii.

And by Omega I of course mean SR-007 mk1

[morphsci]

Dude, the "Omega" = the SR-Omega.

No one refers to the SR-007 or SR-007mk2 as the "Omega" anymore. In the olden days when no one had heard an SR-Omega, no problem. But now it seems that everyone and their cousin Vinny owns an SR-Omega and they're showing up at meets regularly.

This guy can build me an eXStata anytime!

Dudette, I am referring to the SR-Omega. If I was referring to the SR-007 I would call it the O2 or Omega -2. And by that I mean the Mk I, as far as MkII, meh.

[spritzer]

Great work there Colin. I've had to do this a few too many times and I get angrier at Stax each time. I've seen this on pretty much any amp built after 2000 so there are a lot of 100V amps which are a pain to convert but not all.

[screaming oranges]

there is only one omega, and he is red.

what cables is he using there...

[Hopstretch]

TWatg, obviously.

[Hopstretch]

Received the 404LEs today. Would venture to say, on initial impression, they are very good sounding headphones. Staxen 4 eva brah.

[spritzer]

They smell good too.

Right now I'm listening to Iron Maiden - Powerslave. All tube amplification FTMFW!!!

[mypasswordis]

(most) Lambdas are good shit, man. Only one I've heard that I didn't like right off the bat was the SR-202.

[Hopstretch]

Question answered about the O2s waking up with better amplification. Toe, "Our Next Movement", Japanese drum extravaganza. 707t = flop, flap, fail. WES = boom, bam, booyah!

No going back.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Question answered about the O2s waking up with better amplification. Toe, "Our Next Movement", Japanese drum extravaganza. 707t = flop, flap, fail. WES = boom, bam, booyah!

No going back.

Poor Stretch. Same thing happened to me at RMAF with GES vs WES driving the O2, and there was no going back.

[blubliss]

Question answered about the O2s waking up with better amplification. Toe, "Our Next Movement", Japanese drum extravaganza. 707t = flop, flap, fail. WES = boom, bam, booyah!

No going back.

ruh, roh

someone needs an SR-Omega too...

[Hopstretch]

Pfft. How come those are suddenly red hot FOTM again?

[blubliss]

Stretch did you hear them or other phones on the KGSS?