The Headcase Stax thread

[skullguise]

11 hours ago, Kattefjaes said:

Surely the little wooden stand and headphone condom are part of the masonic garb, without which you're not really a member of Stax Club? I'm pretty sure that if you have those, even the headphones are optional.

I don't have the stand and condom....and stop calling me Shirley.....

[Craig Sawyers]

It starts with a slight fever and dryness of the throat. When the virus penetrates the red blood cells, the victim becomes dizzy, begins to experience an itchy rash, then the poison goes to work on the central nervous system, severe muscle spasms followed by the inevitable drooling. At this point, the entire digestive system collapses accompanied by uncontrollable flatulence. Until finally, the poor bastard is reduced to a quivering wasted piece of jelly.

[Kerry]

Airplane

[Whitigir]

I still don’t understand how to remove dirt if I had a stand ?

[Mach3]

Is the SRM-212 dead? It's been 2 years since it was last seen in CES 2016. Anyone got any news in regards to this.

[padam]

No, it will be called the SRM-D50

[Mach3]

Make more sense naming it SRM-D50 than SRM-212 considering it should be a higher grade product over the SRM-252S.

Pricing and release date for the SRM-D50?

[spritzer]

Also the 212 has already been used.   

[padam]

You can google the name as well as anybody, neither has been released yet.
My guestimation is around 1500$ MSRP, maybe a bit less. It might not be that different to a 252S besides the built-in DAC, but we'll see.

My other prediction is that the SR-007 is going to be updated next after that, because now it is the only headphone in the lineup to use the "outdated" wide PC-OCC cable. They have started using Hitachi copper in the L500 for instance, if that actually accounts for anything. Maybe it is simply what's become available now.

[spritzer]

The extension cables are still the same wide pc-occ with the white line despite that they updated them to 725H

The 007's should see an update soon as it is the oldest model still in production. 

[padam]

The H actually stands for that same HiFC copper, so I think that's what they are using now, it is not supposed to be the same. Or it's just a simple naming trick but it sounds better 

Originally it looked to have silver connectors, but it seems that they've found some gold

Edited June 21, 2018 by padam

[Mach3]

2 hours ago, spritzer said:

Also the 212 has already been used.   

That's what I thought when they first intro it. Why they recycling the name. 

2 hours ago, padam said:

You can google the name as well as anybody, neither has been released yet.
My guestimation is around 1500$ MSRP, maybe a bit less. It might not be that different to a 252S besides the built-in DAC, but we'll see.

My other prediction is that the SR-007 is going to be updated next after that, because now it is the only headphone in the lineup to use the "outdated" wide PC-OCC cable. They have started using Hitachi copper in the L500 for instance, if that actually accounts for anything. Maybe it is simply what's become available now.

Wouldn't be surprised it a 252s internal with ESS base dac and of course an classic analog meter from the 60-70's.

[padam]

9 minutes ago, Mach3 said:

Wouldn't be surprised it a 252s internal with ESS base dac and of course an classic analog meter from the 60-70's.

And I wouldn't be surprised to see the a similar DAC in the T8000 expansion slot as well (except with 'audiophile high-grade' components)

[spritzer]

3 hours ago, padam said:

The H actually stands for that same HiFC copper, so I think that's what they are using now, it is not supposed to be the same. Or it's just a simple naming trick but it sounds better 

Originally it looked to have silver connectors, but it seems that they've found some gold

All of the PC-OCC cables have gold plated connectors dating back to 1987. 

[padam]

3 minutes ago, spritzer said:

All of the PC-OCC cables have gold plated connectors dating back to 1987. 

I meant for this newest one, these were the official photographs with the press release. Or maybe the editor just left the color saturation at 0. But it doesn't matter, it's a waste of space anyway.

[spritzer]

That's too funny as they certainly have gold plated pins and sockets.  I've already cut some up to use in headphones...   

[spritzer]

...in other news I have the SR-009S sitting on my head.    This is one of the very first sets shipped out and I only plugged them in just over an hour ago so first impressions only. 

It's funny to see what is essentially SR-007's parts on them and they do look very nice.  Those stators always should have been gold plated as it looks so much better.  In terms of sound my reaction is more mixed.  Now the good...that horrible forward balance on the old 009's is gone.  The treble is extended but well controlled, more like a refined version of the L700's without their slight bright nature.  This is a massive change to the better.  Now for the less great part...the bass suckout which is present in a part of the spectrum.  When I got them I just plugged them into my office system (regular Carbon fed by a Denafrips Ares) and put the player on random.  Don Henley - The boys of summer came on (fitting given the lack of a summer here) and the track just sounded thin and distant.  I also tried one popular Icelandic song which starts with all the focus on the snare drum (Das Capital - Blindsker in case it is online) and it just sounds weird.  They should sound powerful and heavy but on the 009S it is weak and distant sounding. 

I need to do some digging as to what is causing this but two things spring to mind, a port hidden in there or those awful earpads.  The 009 earpads are a terrible design so that will probably be my first stop. 

I will need to do a bunch more listening but I'm a bit disappointed now... 

 

[Whitigir]

Disappointed just like T8000 kind of feeling ? 

[Buzzlulu]

Disappointed - however - compared to the (possibly) outgoing 009 worse, same, or better - or in other words when confronted with the choice of purchasing either the 009 or 009S?

AND - how long do these puppies need to break in?

[SeaWolf]

When are you going to pick up the voce Spritzer? It's the only new high-end stat that you are missing.. Fuck it's also the only one the stax mafia influenced the design of(sealed drivers). I think you are obligated ?!

[spritzer]

I'll get the Voce soon but I've spent a bit on headphones recently.  Shangri-la jr, L700, two L300 LE, 009S and KSE1500....    The Voce has been getting horrendous impressions from actual users so I'm not optimistic.  Plenty of positive "reviews" from the fluffers but we all know it is bullshit. 

There is no such thing and break in, burn in or run in.  Anybody who claims such things are real needs to have their head checked and taught some basic physics.  What is real is would be amplifier warmup and our crappy hearing/brain which is really slow to pickup some things.  Our impressions change as our senses are slow, it's not the electronics which are somehow magically changing. 

As for them being a disappointment... not quite the T8000 level but Stax had the chance here to create something spectacular.  There are a lot of mehhh products out there, the Shangri-la, HE-1 spring to mind as something you walk away from very unimpressed.  I like the Shangri-la Jr's but they don't do anything new, one walks away fairly unimpressed which is really not an option at this price point.  Here I think the earpads are the issue.  There is a lot of open area in them and that is death to electrostatics.  It creates all kind of weird artifacts but I'm not sure if I have some other earpads in stock which could work as replacements. 

One other thing, the headphones smell in a bad way.  It's not the nice smell of leather one would expect but some weird small.  Seems to come from the earpads but I'm not sure. 

[Buzzlulu]

47 minutes ago, spritzer said:

There is no such thing and break in, burn in or run in. 

Well maybe true with estat headphones.  I need to get my head away from my two channel Naim/Linn because there speaker break-in is real - and amps/preamps wow.  5 weeks to come on song.  Once broken in - just lose electricity for a few hours (as they are powered on 24/7) and they take another 2 days to come back on song.  

I guess on estats no moving parts like on speakers or dynamic headphones.  My Utopias definitely improved with break-in.

 

Gregg -  (and Birgir I'm still alive)

(time to unpack my 009S)

[SeaWolf]

Maybe stax knew they missed the mark and the 18000 hour break in time is so that they can claim no impressions are valid while they prep a 009s v2 with port mod and the old pads..

[Jonny]

@Spritzer

>>This is one of the very first sets shipped out and I only plugged them in just over an hour ago so first impressions only. 

>>Not sure yet but this is Stax, they always release a fixed version.  I'm half joking but also been burnt enough times to not get a first of anything from them. 

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/786-the-headcase-stax-thread/?page=413&tab=comments#comment-717014

 

now, i am a little bit confused - why did you change your procedure?

 

 

 

 

[spritzer]

1 hour ago, Buzzlulu said:

Well maybe true with estat headphones.  I need to get my head away from my two channel Naim/Linn because there speaker break-in is real - and amps/preamps wow.  5 weeks to come on song.  Once broken in - just lose electricity for a few hours (as they are powered on 24/7) and they take another 2 days to come back on song.  

I guess on estats no moving parts like on speakers or dynamic headphones.  My Utopias definitely improved with break-in.

 

Gregg -  (and Birgir I'm still alive)

(time to unpack my 009S)

Nothing is going to change in either speakers or preamps.    The drivers have been run for a few hours at the factory and so has the preamp so if anything changes...something is wrong.  

1 hour ago, Jonny said:

@Spritzer

>>This is one of the very first sets shipped out and I only plugged them in just over an hour ago so first impressions only. 

>>Not sure yet but this is Stax, they always release a fixed version.  I'm half joking but also been burnt enough times to not get a first of anything from them. 

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/786-the-headcase-stax-thread/?page=413&tab=comments#comment-717014

 

now, i am a little bit confused - why did you change your procedure?

 

 

 

 

I just changed my mind.