The Headcase Stax thread

[SeaWolf]

It's not really a hifi product, it's "the shaper image" version of a hifi product. For those in the USA who remember that place.

[Audiojunkie]

6 hours ago, Kattefjaes said:

I feel like some decent Lambdas and a sensible amp would kill them, even- without the massive downside of having to use their DAC. $5k is a lot to ask for something that compromised.

They certainly would!

[SeaWolf]

So i feel like my newish 007s are developing a channel imbalance. I noticed this by the sound stage shifting slightly from the center to the left. I am assuming this is due to the right channel output being slightly lower.

Any advice?

[bwck2000]

1 hour ago, SeaWolf said:

So i feel like my newish 007s are developing a channel imbalance. I noticed this by the sound stage shifting slightly from the center to the left. I am assuming this is due to the right channel output being slightly lower.

Any advice?

Replace the tiny wire conneting the driver and the cable with bigger ones and with a more secure solder point.

[SeaWolf]

Straight forward enough I suppose, heat plus that driver makes me a bit nervous. What AWG should be used for the connection?

[Laowei]

5 hours ago, SeaWolf said:

So i feel like my newish 007s are developing a channel imbalance. I noticed this by the sound stage shifting slightly from the center to the left. I am assuming this is due to the right channel output being slightly lower.

Any advice?

Have you tried isolating the problem by wearing your headphones backward to see if the channel imbalance flips ears (stays with the R channel earpod)? 

When mine seem imbalanced, turns out a good ear cleaning does wonders. 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by Laowei

[bwck2000]

9 hours ago, SeaWolf said:

Straight forward enough I suppose, heat plus that driver makes me a bit nervous. What AWG should be used for the connection?

Its hard to find wires that are thicker than the stock ones. And you may want to keep the stock wires after replacement because you need to put them back before you send the 007 back to Japan for service.

[SeaWolf]

Yes the first thing in did was flip them, and tested against other headphones. 

[spritzer]

I wouldn't touch the wires to be honest.  It is most likely the new film acting up so the same cure as with the 009's... hit them with a bit of force and see if the imbalance goes away. 

[bwck2000]

14 minutes ago, spritzer said:

I wouldn't touch the wires to be honest.  It is most likely the new film acting up so the same cure as with the 009's... hit them with a bit of force and see if the imbalance goes away. 

By hitting the headphone imbalance may go away by a chance of 50% . But the imbalance will 100% come back in the next ten days. 

[chinsettawong]

Unless the diaphragm is stuck to one of the stators, hitting the headphones probably won’t help.

[SeaWolf]

@spritzer Technique matches pretty well with my technical level of expertise! I am quite good at hitting things. I am out of high voltage wire anyway, so hitting them will be first up. If that doesn't work they are under warranty; I can send them in for repair. Inconvenient but probably the safest route. If they come back and still have the issue then I will reflow the cable side solder joints first and finally if that doesn't work I will replace the wires from the cable to driver. 

 

Thanks for every ones input. 

[spritzer]

7 hours ago, bwck2000 said:

By hitting the headphone imbalance may go away by a chance of 50% . But the imbalance will 100% come back in the next ten days. 

I've fixed two sets of 009' this way and no issues again.  On top of this the dozens and dozens of other units where the owners have reached out to me for help.  It has also worked on 007's for other people so worth a shot. 

[HemiSam]

My new at the time 007a’s developed an imbalance as well a few years back.  I tried popping them without joy.

Back they went replaced with new units.  No drama since then.

HS

[nopants]

are the 007A's equivalent to MK2's? interested in changing up/from a MK1

[spritzer]

Yup, they even have black 007A's now. 

[HemiSam]

What spritzer said.  They're a nice staple for the electrostatically inclined...

HS

[spritzer]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi-audio-pro-iesl-the-official-thread.852364/page-7#post-14413330

Ahhh nice of ifi to question my knowledge of electronics.  I always feel nice when somebody does that while not addressing any of my major concerns.    I guess I have to buy one of these and rip it apart.   

In other news, I don't like the direction Stax is taking with the made-in-china amps.  They have stopped using Japanese caps and instead are using these gems in the D-50:

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58678

Might just be my new favorite forum...  So we will go from Stax amps needing nothing for 20-30 years to perhaps a 5 year life before the caps give out?  That's not really a move forward in my book... 

[CD44hi]

What’s surprising is the length of time that a direct link to HC has been up. Now of course the clock is ticking and will be gone in a few...


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[justin]

https://www.cb2.com/stax-console/s581012?localedetail=US

[spritzer]

...so where do I plug the phones into this?   

Nice design though.  Is somebody looking at furniture? 

[justin]

Nope i'm just on the email list

[spritzer]

Hmmmm they do ship to Iceland for some reason.  Perhaps I should get one for the living room and display the collection of amps.  It's not that the GF isn't bothered enough by the large display case there with all the headphones... 

[JamesB797]

This has probably been asked to death but I couldn't find the answer through search. I know direct sunlight is no good for STAX, and ambient light is okay. I just want to confirm is sunlight through a window okay? Or should I rearrange things to keep them away from windows too. Thanks!

[SeaWolf]

I thought it was a uv issue that could cause deterioration? If true limiting direct sunlight is best but indoor ambient lighting is ok.