The Headcase Stax thread

[justreadingup]

1 hour ago, lunaticbastard said:

i expect v4 is around the corner

When I inquired about their headphones, I was told by Phenomenon, anytime there is a driver upgrade (v4?) Phenomenon does the upgrade free of charge, but the buyer is responsible for the shipping costs. So why would you sell them and buy new headphones when the driver upgrade is free of charge? I'd think you'd be much better off paying the shipping costs for the upgrade rather than buying the new (v4?) headphones, no?

[lunaticbastard]

1 hour ago, justreadingup said:

When I inquired about their headphones, I was told by Phenomenon, anytime there is a driver upgrade (v4?) Phenomenon does the upgrade free of charge, but the buyer is responsible for the shipping costs. So why would you sell them and buy new headphones when the driver upgrade is free of charge? I'd think you'd be much better off paying the shipping costs for the upgrade rather than buying the new (v4?) headphones, no?

no idea then. how much this canorum cost anyway? 

[justreadingup]

13 minutes ago, lunaticbastard said:

no idea then. how much this canorum cost anyway? 

My apologies.

I mis-directed this post. I thought you were the one selling your Phenomenon headphones (but it was @rico.) I had thought it was you, and th reason for selling was because you suspected a (v4) was right around the corner, which is why I posted about their free driver upgrade. Sorry for the confusion.

[zolkis]

Imagine Stax would have an upgrade policy... it would be wonderful.

When I assumed the risk for getting Phenomenon I didn't even know upgrades were going to be free. Definitely it was a nice gesture (from a guy who was very open about these being experimental prototypes).

Yes, IIUR the v4 driver is imminent, but I am so happy with the v3 + my pads that I might skip one or two (so far it looks like 2 upgrades per year, might slow down to one). The next step for me would be to get the current (or better) sound with stock (thicker) Libratum pads in order to make it more comfortable.

For costs, one should ask Phenomenon directly. Besides, what looked like @rico's irony was actually taken factually :).

While I do understand that Spritzer's (and my similar) encounter with the v2 raised suspicion, I encourage people to try v3 or higher versions. I recommend the Libratum shape, since it can be used with the [reversibly modified] 009 pads (and others) as well. I am pretty sure people would like it. I am not saying it would obsolete the 009 or 007 for that matter, everyone should judge it on their own. IMHO even with the stock pads the sound is very competitive with the top Stax, and the modded 009 pads elevate it quite a bit above - also giving an opportunity to a fair driver-to-driver comparison with the 009, using the same pads (with or without the dust grill; the Libratum does not use dust cloth).

[lunaticbastard]

1 hour ago, zolkis said:

Imagine Stax would have an upgrade policy... it would be wonderful.

When I assumed the risk for getting Phenomenon I didn't even know upgrades were going to be free. Definitely it was a nice gesture (from a guy who was very open about these being experimental prototypes).

Yes, IIUR the v4 driver is imminent, but I am so happy with the v3 + my pads that I might skip one or two (so far it looks like 2 upgrades per year, might slow down to one). The next step for me would be to get the current (or better) sound with stock (thicker) Libratum pads in order to make it more comfortable.

For costs, one should ask Phenomenon directly. Besides, what looked like @rico's irony was actually taken factually :).

While I do understand that Spritzer's (and my similar) encounter with the v2 raised suspicion, I encourage people to try v3 or higher versions. I recommend the Libratum shape, since it can be used with the [reversibly modified] 009 pads (and others) as well. I am pretty sure people would like it. I am not saying it would obsolete the 009 or 007 for that matter, everyone should judge it on their own. IMHO even with the stock pads the sound is very competitive with the top Stax, and the modded 009 pads elevate it quite a bit above - also giving an opportunity to a fair driver-to-driver comparison with the 009, using the same pads (with or without the dust grill; the Libratum does not use dust cloth).

it is. but i don't know how many stax had for their drivers revision through out their productions,let's say 007 or 009.if they had many, it would be nice to offer free upgrades but yeah free upgrade definitely a nice gesture

you bought the canorum v3 right? how much did you pay for it if i may ask? some people don't like share their personal email address to vendor/retailer/stuff like that just to ask the price of their products, just because there is a chance they might get spammed

[zolkis]

I've got the Libratum 2 in spring 2017, spent the summer trying to fix the perceived midrange emphasis I heard (in the end I managed doing it and sent back the result). It has been upgraded to the v3 driver in the end of 2017: the whole driver was changed IIUR, also the covering metallic grills, and the ear pads. Basically only the housing + cable stayed the same. A friend got the Canorum 3 and and we have compared them (see my previous post for that).

In principle, I won't share the price, especially since it was an agreement for prototype testing and measurements. I am also guinea pig for longer term testing.  Since the whole development is still moving, production pricing is not settled yet. It will likely depend on many things that possibly aren't even visible now. I guess if you order now, it's still a kind of prototype pricing, albeit the models have already moved up a bit towards production quality: you should ask. Most of the time he responded within a day, a few times it took a few days.

If spam is what you fear, create e.g. a gmail address for high risk communications such as this :). Besides, gmail is excellent in filtering spam. 

[SeaWolf]

I really hope he gets his production and tuning down. Having options in the market will b be nice. 

[mypasswordis]

This is what I hate most about what has become of the hobby. Farming out beta testing to initial adopters has gotten way out of hand, and apparently because the adopters are totally willing. It's one thing to have a focus group, but it's another to have paying customers agree or even not agree to becoming de facto beta testers for products that are barely out of proof-of-concept. 

[lunaticbastard]

59 minutes ago, zolkis said:

I've got the Libratum 2 in spring 2017, spent the summer trying to fix the perceived midrange emphasis I heard (in the end I managed doing it and sent back the result). It has been upgraded to the v3 driver in the end of 2017: the whole driver was changed IIUR, also the covering metallic grills, and the ear pads. Basically only the housing + cable stayed the same. A friend got the Canorum 3 and and we have compared them (see my previous post for that).

In principle, I won't share the price, especially since it was an agreement for prototype testing and measurements. I am also guinea pig for longer term testing.  Since the whole development is still moving, production pricing is not settled yet. It will likely depend on many things that possibly aren't even visible now. I guess if you order now, it's still a kind of prototype pricing, albeit the models have already moved up a bit towards production quality: you should ask. Most of the time he responded within a day, a few times it took a few days.

If spam is what you fear, create e.g. a gmail address for high risk communications such as this :). Besides, gmail is excellent in filtering spam. 

cool. i rather wait then

 

32 minutes ago, mypasswordis said:

This is what I hate most about what has become of the hobby. Farming out beta testing to initial adopters has gotten way out of hand, and apparently because the adopters are totally willing. It's one thing to have a focus group, but it's another to have paying customers agree or even not agree to becoming de facto beta testers for products that are barely out of proof-of-concept. 

to ease you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWCINJ8uvIc

[SeaWolf]

59 minutes ago, mypasswordis said:

This is what I hate most about what has become of the hobby. Farming out beta testing to initial adopters has gotten way out of hand, and apparently because the adopters are totally willing. It's one thing to have a focus group, but it's another to have paying customers agree or even not agree to becoming de facto beta testers for products that are barely out of proof-of-concept. 

I have no problem with this as long as it is explicitly stated that is not a final product and this is effectively testing. Then it's on a fully informed consumer to take that on if they feel the price is fair. 

 

I have an issue when companies release a "finished" product when it really isn't and then use early adopters to test before releasing an updated or v2 shortly after. That imo is fraudulent, and way too much of it has been happening.

[zolkis]

I must add that please don't overestimate the word "testing" here. The v3 got so much better that was 99.99% attributed to Dima's approach to listen to feedback, then rethink the whole problem and fix it at the root, rather than patching it over and over to please the crowd. In fact I consider myself just an early customer, offered a free upgrade path, asked for feedback.

[Kattefjaes]

On 3/5/2018 at 7:18 PM, SeaWolf said:

I have an issue when companies release a "finished" product when it really isn't and then use early adopters to test before releasing an updated or v2 shortly after. That imo is fraudulent, and way too much of it has been happening.

Speaking of which, the Voce will be at TSAV in the Bay Area for purchase this weekend

[spritzer]

Burn!!!! 

[wink]

HULK, Smash........

 

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by wink

[lunaticbastard]

when everybody seems jumping to stats train this year,  audeze released this

https://www.audeze.com/products/mobius-series/mobius-headphone

 

[wink]

It's called the mobius becaused it's twisted, goes round in a loop and never ends.......

...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by wink

[screechowl]

I know electronic chips are cheap, but it is hard to believe that Audeze is able to do what it claims in that price range.

[penmarker]

[spritzer]

Ahhh indiegogo...home of all the really, really legitimate shit. 

[Kattefjaes]

2 hours ago, spritzer said:

Ahhh indiegogo...home of all the really, really legitimate shit. 

I don't know what you mean... 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Kattefjaes

[lunaticbastard]

8 hours ago, screechowl said:

I know electronic chips are cheap, but it is hard to believe that Audeze is able to do what it claims in that price range.

after few iterations they probably would get it right... probably...

[wink]

On 15/03/2018 at 11:33 PM, lunaticbastard said:

after few thousand iterations they probably would get it right... probably...

FTFY.......

[lunaticbastard]

1 hour ago, wink said:

FTFY.......

man..that's so cruel, i still have a heart you know

https://media.giphy.com/media/UI0WXxiRCRyCI/giphy.gif

 

[lunaticbastard]

have you guys check this one?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/perun-electrostatic-headphone-impressions.872273/

turned out it's a one grand headphone

[spritzer]

Given that any discussion about these has been banned on the Russian forums and king fucktard Thinker is preaching the gospel fervently...I'll take a hard pass.