The Headcase Stax thread

[nemomec]

A few of us have heard the older Stax... 

 

I remember being impressed by the SR-5NB (A.k.a. SR-5 Gold) when i last heard them.  Same drivers as the SR-X mk.3.  Slightly newer than the SR-3, but excellent nonethtless.

 

I heard also the SR-5 Gold and the SR-X mk3, but i´m more impressed with the performance of the older SR-3 New.

[spritzer]

The SR-3N was always one of my least favorite ones.  I do own mint sets of all of them though. 

[Ali-Pacha]

if you read the French forum, the manufacturer has already decided

that 1:5 transformers cause all sorts of grief, and now they are making

1:14 and 1:20 transformers.

 

As far as I understand, there are several transformers in this box : one transformer with 1:5 ratio, to be plugged on a OTL headphones amp with "medium" voltage output (around 100V, what the RKV claims), and another one (in beetween 1:14 and 1:20) to be plugged on a regular speaker amp, as for these brave old SRD boxes.

I may be french, but there are simply too much words in some posts on this french forum to extract the exact meaning of all this 

 

Ali

[complin]

Yes the SR3 was my very first set of Stax when they were launched back the and I've had most models since then! There is not much else that compares even today     

 

 

How is the quality of the other very old Stax models and there are any other experience with this nice SR-3 New?

[kevin gilmore]

so alex released his latest $4700 piece of crud

http://cavalliaudio.com/index.php?p=morestuff&stuffId=13

 

notice the LDR volume attenuator.

notice the distortion of the LDR

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/80194-lightspeed-attenuator-new-passive-preamp-134.html#post1520243

 

notice the pile of soldered in jumpers tying the 3 boards together making it absolutely

impossible to ever fix the thing.

 

at least the load for the tubes/mosfet is now more rational on a single heatsink

 

kind of feel sorry for all those llmk1 and llmk2 owners whose amps are now worth nothing...

[DefQon]

Got all the vintage SR Staxes except the SR-2, my preference would be SR-5 or Gold over the SR-3, 3N/New SR-3 and the SR-1. 

 

I feel sorry for LLmk1 and mk2 owners. 

[spritzer]

The depreciation of the LLmk2 I was just offered is in excess of 60% is less than a year so people have to be bonkers to buy this crap. 

 

I truly love the use of the 6S4A as a gain device and not the output tube.  Let's not use the component that is perfect for that role, nope let's use some high capacitance mosfets instead.  The LDR  is also too stupid to fathom and that on top of the drv134 distortion means pure win. 

[complin]

I thought Lightning never strikes twice! 

Yeh lots and lots of LL's for sale on various forums besides HF but don't sell

 

so alex released his latest $4700 piece of crud

http://cavalliaudio.com/index.php?p=morestuff&stuffId=13

 

notice the LDR volume attenuator.

notice the distortion of the LDR

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/80194-lightspeed-attenuator-new-passive-preamp-134.html#post1520243

 

notice the pile of soldered in jumpers tying the 3 boards together making it absolutely

impossible to ever fix the thing.

 

at least the load for the tubes/mosfet is now more rational on a single heatsink

 

kind of feel sorry for all those llmk1 and llmk2 owners whose amps are now worth nothing...

[nopants]

I like the faceplate, maybe he'll just sell the case to  me

[kevin gilmore]

so remember ZENITH...

 

The quality goes in before the name goes on.

(ok you have to be at least my age to remember this)

(and between 1965 and about 1980 compared to everything else it was actually true)

 

well cavalli is the reverse of that

 

The quality never goes in, but sure is a pretty box

 

It would have been so much easier to add terminal blocks on one end of each board

[guzziguy]

Ooh, HTINEZ brand amps.  I wonder if the name is trademarked.

[eggil]

First TV we had in my family was a Zenith. B&W in all its glory.

[Mr.Sneis]

On impulse I snatched up a SR-202.  At first listen it is very apparent the Lambda Nova Signature is superior as they have a significantly richer midrange and are perfect in the bass.  The 202 on the other hand is more neutral and not quite enough bass, I also think they are noticeably brighter.  The ear-side foam is rotted out on the 202's so that foam is 90% not present; not sure if these are keepers to bother with the cleanup yet!

[DefQon]

Give them too me if you dont want them, freebies are always welcome

On the other hand yes they are tad brighter and not as bassy as the other Lambdas. They in ways remind me of my late HD800's.

[spritzer]

The 207 is even brighter but for the price they are hard to beat.  The brightness is nowhere near as bad as the 507 otherwise they would get to know a hammer up close... 

[keithpgdrb]

Is there no set up that would make the 407, 507 sound right? It's so hard to understand why their flagship lambdas sound like crap. Is this the preferred sound elsewhere?

[spritzer]

It's hard to fix something like that.  It's simply Stax caught up in the "OMG this new film is awesome" BS so hopefully they will make something less glaring next time around. 

[n3rdling]

You could put some foam over the drivers, but it'd likely rub up against your ears and annoy you.  You'd probably have to make new pads for them. 

[Mr.Sneis]

Comparing lambdas to dynamics is very difficult!  Hard not to say I prefer the lambda sound but at the same time I still like many aspects of the hd800.

[DefQon]

Is alcohol ok to clean a diaphragm? I've got 2 more SR-3/New SR-3 with imbalance and no sound output problem, the diaphragm from one of them was kind of dirty but I re-coated it anyway. Sound output ok but kind of distorts on the low end if I put the volume up to high. Remember reading from the esl thread on the other site wachara mentioned cleaning with acetone or alcohol. 

 

@spritzer, I've got a SRM-3 heading my way and the board it uses is basically my Xh, what do I have to do to give it balanced input like you did with your Xh with lemo connectors?

 

Since the SRM-3 has space and using a better ps then the wallwart can it be rebuilt to provide a higher output power (think its 250-300v stock)?

Edited August 12, 2014 by DefQon

[spritzer]

Alcohol works unless the diaphragms have suffered some sun damage so they are too fragile.  Also look for oxidation on the bias contacts. 

 

That was 4+ years ago but I probably just copied what ever Stax did on the + input. 

[hhobeika]

My first post here.  A question to the Stax experts.  

 

I recently purchased a used but in pristine condition Stax SR-007 Mk1.  It sounds and looks great.

 

 Whenever it is biased though, the slightest pressure on the ear cup will generate this scratchy noise.  By slightest pressure, I mean sometimes even moving my head, the cable weight exerting the pressure might trigger the noise.  The manual warns of this and I have heard of it online, but I just wanted to know if it is normally that sensitive.  Do I have to worry that I have deteriorated transducers?  Thanks for your input.

[s_r]

Sounds like the stax fart to me. If it is then it's nothing to worry about.

[spritzer]

Yup, that would be the fart.  Could be worse that usual on that set.  I've seen some massive stupidity recently with the 007's and replacement parts. 

[hhobeika]

Thanks everybody.  That is reassuring.

 

According to the seller my SR-007 Mk1 has no repair history.

 

Spritzer, what do you mean by massive stupidity with replacement parts?  Parts installed incorrectly, wrong parts?