The Headcase Stax thread

[purk]

Thanks Birgir for bringing it up.  Forgot to turn off the BHSE & T2 several times myself actually.  That's another great reason to own the Carbon one day.

[DefQon]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KINGSOUND-M-03-Portable-Electrostatic-Headphone-Amplifier-Ampli-casque-Silver-/151732354104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_71&hash=item2353f3fc38

[themad]

For those brave enough, it is cheaper here:

http://www.moon-audio.com/king-sound-m-03-electrostatic-portable-headphone-amplifier.html

[spritzer]

Who wants to bet that it has a simple chip amp with a couple of 1:100 transformers in there? 

[DefQon]

Spritzer what's the cap diameter size you use to use to cover the 6th pin on normal bias outputs after the pro-conversion? (Or better yet, a link to one on ebay if that's where you get yours from).

 

Thanks

Edited August 1, 2015 by DefQon

[spritzer]

I got mine from the bathroom refurb at my parents place.    They were used to plug unused holes for the shelf mounts.  No idea where to get them... 

 

In Stax news, I was just running a Sennheiser Unipolar 2000 off a KGSSHV.    They distort so something is up but will check some more.  They also don't work well off the Sennheiser box so something is wrong. 

[DefQon]

Ok no problem.

 

Aren't the Unipolar fixed electrets?

[spritzer]

Nope, bog standard two pole units with huge drivers.  The film isn't even pre-tensioned but rather there is a large aluminum ring in there with some springs which tension it.  Pretty crazy... 

[JimL]

DefQon said:

 

"What's the cap diameter size you use to cover the 6th pin on normal bias outputs after the pro conversion?"

 

I use a #4 nylon screw, superglued in place

Edited August 2, 2015 by JimL

[nopants]

SR-Omega arrived, sounds pretty nice on the BHSE. I'll wait to use the Megatron after I retreive my loaned-out Yggdrasil,  but I have high expectations.

[nopants]

"in case of SR-009, you cannot order replaceent pads only.

If you want it, you need to send SR-009 itself as asking its after-care service of ‘replacement pads’.

I don’t know how much it costs."

these guys are getting smart

[spritzer]

The pads are a dog to replace so I get where they are coming from plus the recent move to limit gray market stuff.  Still a shitty move... 

[nopants]

yeah I totally get it, but you'd think they'd want our dirty foreigner money to fund other things like R&D...it's not like they aren't already marking up for things like 007 pads.

 

Anyways I couldn't wait so I hooked up the megatron to my AR-T segue. Pretty nice, it might be the heat output but I might prefer it as an Omega amp to the BHSE. Birgir have you experimented with swapping pads? That's why I was looking into those 009 pads at all. Have you tried subbing anything that has a similar diameter?

 

I have some 007 brown pads but making foam fillers for those is a royal pain.

[spritzer]

Those pads are actually a bit of a hybrid as the foam is from a 007.   It was completely lost on the originals so I sacrificed some new 007 pads to save them.  

 

The mounting on these pads is an utter pain to deal with so swapping pads isn't easy. 

[catscratch]

If they were really getting smart, they'd normalize prices across regions, or at the very least make them more fair, and make sure their regional distibutors are at least competent. I get that they're a small company and all but when dealing with you is a pain, you're hurting your business regardless of what you do. Sure they have to cover distribution costs, but they need to understand the importance of customer good will.

 

Would be nice if we could source 009 pads regardless. Though maybe public forums aren't a place to disclose where.

[nopants]

I mean in the context of omegas I could probably bs something by changing the inner foam for the ep007 pads, and those seem to be the easiest to get nowadays...

Edited August 4, 2015 by nopants

[DefQon]

How much are 009 replacement pads anyway? $200?

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mjolnir-Audio-KGSSHV-Electrostatic-Amplifier-for-STAX-Headphones-/321823951596?hash=item4aee33caec

Edited August 5, 2015 by DefQon

[nopants]

I heard 140 EUR so you're probably in the right ballpark

I like the information pamphlets, exquisite printing of Birgir's website

Edited August 6, 2015 by nopants

[Laowei]

Stax USA quoted me $350.

[nopants]

but those guys are criminals

[Hopstretch]

If they were really getting smart, they'd normalize prices across regions, or at the very least make them more fair, and make sure their regional distibutors are at least competent. I get that they're a small company and all but when dealing with you is a pain, you're hurting your business regardless of what you do. Sure they have to cover distribution costs, but they need to understand the importance of customer good will.

Stax commercial logic always makes me think of the dwarves from Oglaf ...

 

[DefQon]

Ohh hahaha that was a funny read.

[jib]

Just wanted to thank Birgir for my new kgsshv. It sounds wonderful. The727ii was nice but I can't go back after listening to the kgsshv. Just running Airbow sr-sc-11's right now but plan to upgrade to the 009's eventually. Pavane and sp25 table as source.

[4tray]

I won some sr-x mark 3 with a old version srd7 on ebay. The pads are disgusting and rotting. I will not spend 60$ on new pads though, I see they are 84mm according to audiocube so I ordered a set of 80mms and a set of 90mms from China $12 total. These headphones look like they've been sitting around for ages so any tips for getting it back in action? Also the headband is super dirty, really gross. How can I get it off to wash it. It smells bad and looks greasy.

[judo]

I had a normal bias sr-x mk3 too for years not much used and I always thought I would buy a gamma pro and convert it to a pro. A few months ago I bought the gamma it was almost as new except the headband dyeing (as spritzer usually tells), but with a serious imbalance. I let the bias on for a night but it did not get better even worse so I set it aside I thought I would inspect the holes on the diaphragm later. After a few days I tried again and the imbalance was smaller than I remembered then it got worse again. I thought it is not the holes or the coating but some contact problem. So I took apart the left driver the diaphragm was intact and I think the cause was the bias contact on the metal ring of the diaphragm I bent it a bit and the gamma lived again. This is the first thing why I wanted to tell this sometimes it is so easy.  
Then I had not the heart butchering this beautiful little gamma so set it aside again. Finally a few days ago I made the transplantation and the patient lives and sings so the ending is happy. Of course I have read all the posts about the transplantation on head-case and head-fi, googled a lot. I found the post from spritzer how "seal the baffle" with blue tack and it works the sr-x got better yet not only in the bass but at all.
BUT !!! do not do this mod if you want to take apart your sr-x again because you can not. The blue tack is bloody strong maybe I used a bit more than needed. I almost ruined the headphones because I wanted to check something on the driver. This was the second thing I think it is worth telling.