The Headcase Stax thread

[faust3d]

Pictures don't really do it justice though but the SR-? is still the looker of the gang.

It is the HPS-1 and as you can see, two different versions of it. There are at least four individual ones but the changes are minor and the basic design is always the same.

So SRM-1 PP is actually doing an OK job driving SR-007?

[spritzer]

So SRM-1 PP is actually doing an OK job driving SR-007?

It's not bad really. Cracking little amp and I'm glad that I kept it...

[catscratch]

Bah that ain't cool. I'm buying mine today or tomorrow, but at least I'll have a 30 day refund and warranty, so I'll have time to change my mind.

How much of an effect does burn-in and charge-up have on them so far? I would imagine that you'll be bending them out of proportion as well to get them fitted right.

The extra bass is worrying since the Dared/SRD-7 MkII combo I expect to be quite bassy. I don't know about the 840c, and I have silver cables in there, but it might still be a bit too much. I like a slightly bigger bass, but substantially bigger-than-life is a no-no.

What about the headstage and treble presence differences Elephas noted on head-fi?

Also, if looser pads are the culprit vis-a-vis the bass, a) can't you fit O2 Mk1 pads, and won't eventual pad compression with use reign the bass back in?

[dc]

It's not bad really. Cracking little amp and I'm glad that I kept it...

what's the SRM-1 PP?

[GPH]

Coming soon...

I'm so addicted to the Stax sound that I figured I should buy one of their best models to kill upgraditis. Humanflys pair came just at the right moment. I'll have to cut off audio expenses for a while though.

[deepak]

I think I've bought an Omega II as well

Now I just need a SRD7 pro or MKII while my Blue Hawaii is being built

[GPH]

I raise a glass of whisky for our new acquisitions.

That will be one hell of a rig with the Blue Hawaii fed by the Northstar.

My setup is not really well balanced at the moment, but I bought the SR-007 more as a long-term headphone to build a rig around it.

[spritzer]

Bah that ain't cool. I'm buying mine today or tomorrow, but at least I'll have a 30 day refund and warranty, so I'll have time to change my mind.

How much of an effect does burn-in and charge-up have on them so far? I would imagine that you'll be bending them out of proportion as well to get them fitted right.

The extra bass is worrying since the Dared/SRD-7 MkII combo I expect to be quite bassy. I don't know about the 840c, and I have silver cables in there, but it might still be a bit too much. I like a slightly bigger bass, but substantially bigger-than-life is a no-no.

What about the headstage and treble presence differences Elephas noted on head-fi?

Also, if looser pads are the culprit vis-a-vis the bass, a) can't you fit O2 Mk1 pads, and won't eventual pad compression with use reign the bass back in?

I bought mine used from one of our members but I have no idea how many hours he put on them. There is no charge up time to speak off and the only time that happens is due to the electret effect i.e a charge present on the diaphragm of opposite polarity hindering it's movements. It's a myth that the phones need to charge up but the amps have to. Most of the Stax amps are only good after about 24 hours and the BH is utterly awful until after 2-3 hours and it gets better after that.

The treble is indeed a bit more open which is a welcome change as the phones work better with less powerful amps. I'm using the SRM-1 PP while typing this and it lack the control and poise of the BH, the detail and air but it's definitely not as bad as with the Mk1. There is a slight midrange coloration which presents as a slight resonance on the diaphragm under some conditions like massed male vocals. I just noticed it on Steely Dan's - FM but it could be something that gets ironed out with more run time since the diaphragm gets better with music playing as all the tiny wrinkles are ironed out. The headstage might be a little bit more diffused and therefore larger then the Mk1 but it's is still highly focussed and true to the source.

The pads are looser as the flap used so secure them to the chassis is much looser then on the Mk1 so you can push them around while fixed in place. This is a design choice as it allows the pads to stand taller and thus gives people with abnormal ears more room. I've been bending the arc's for a tighter fit with good results but there is always some "thump" sound which gives the illusion of deeper bass but the MK1 goes much deeper.

The pads can be swapped and that should reign in the bass due to the different internal volume. Now if Stax did indeed install a port somewhere to combat the "fart" there is nothing that can be done short of disabling it if that is even possible. There is definitely some air escaping out of the ear cavity as I just pressed the phones hard against the head (there was still some bass bloat with the metal grill resting against the tip of the ear) and there was only a mild sound emitting from the diaphragm. Do this on the Mk1 and all hell breaks loose... \

As it stands now the Mk1 is the no compromise design with issues but the best sound of any headphone IMHO and the Mk2/A is a slightly compromised version which is good enough for most and has no issues. I'm sure many will love the bass boost and it is impressive while playing Megadeth on full blast yesterday but it's too "dynamic" for my tastes.

what's the SRM-1 PP?

It's one of the two professional versions of the SRM-1 Mk2, the other being the ATR. They had two Pro outputs, were always black in color and have upgraded wiring and connectors over the standard model. I'm not sure is the circuit was upgraded or not but could very well have been. I'll take some pictures of it when I rearrange the computer rig.

Coming soon...

http://www.simplystax.co.uk/images/SR007.jpg

http://www.stax.co.jp/OLD/Photo/T1s1.jpg

I'm so addicted to the Stax sound that I figured I should buy one of their best models to kill upgraditis. Humanflys pair came just at the right moment. I'll have to cut off audio expenses for a while though.

I think I've bought an Omega II as well

Now I just need a SRD7 pro or MKII while my Blue Hawaii is being built

Congrats to both of you. I'll let you know, Deepak, if I see a Mk2 or a Pro SRD-7 floating around.

[darkless]

I'm sure you've mentioned the issues with the OII MkI before, but could I ask you to make a brief summary?

I'd like to purchase an OII after my wedding (and after Singlepower delivers my amp ) and I need to be able to make a somewhat informed decision on this, so I know which phone to be on the lookout for. A real shame that I didn't see Humanflys pair until after it had been sold.

[spritzer]

I'm sure you've mentioned the issues with the OII MkI before, but could I ask you to make a brief summary?

I'd like to purchase an OII after my wedding (and after Singlepower delivers my amp ) and I need to be able to make a somewhat informed decision on this, so I know which phone to be on the lookout for. A real shame that I didn't see Humanflys pair until after it had been sold.

The Stax fart is high on the list though it doesn't bother me much. It's basically a squealing sound made when air tries to escape or enter the air cavity next to the ear when the pressure made by the pads changes i.e. they are pushed or pulled changing the size of the air pocket. All electrostatics produce noise like that but the SR-007 is completely airtight so it's worse on them.

The earpads are also an issue for some as they are snug fitting and not very deep so some ears are crammed up against the protection plate covering the drivers. The Mk2/A fixes both of these issues as the earpads are taller and have more room inside.

The cable has been known to be a problem as the strain relief doesn't really function properly so with abuse the cable can be broken. Again this was changed on the Mk2/A over to a system similar to the SR-? cable entry though not removable.

As our baby Elephant has pointed out the earpieces on the Mk1 can rotate much too easily so the optimal position can be lost. This isn't much of a problem if you store them on a Stax stand with the earpads clamped in place but this was mostly fixed on the Mk2/A. The earpads can be fixed in place but jamming something between the pieces or taking a bit of tape and stopping the movement like that. Not pretty but functional.

Other then the basics of being a bitch to drive properly and position sensitive I think that's it.

[deepak]

Congrats to both of you. I'll let you know, Deepak, if I see a Mk2 or a Pro SRD-7 floating around.

Cool thanks

[luvdunhill]

The cable has been known to be a problem as the strain relief doesn't really function properly so with abuse the cable can be broken.

I think this is debatable whether this is from abuse, or just lots of use.

[spritzer]

I think this is debatable whether this is from abuse, or just lots of use.

True. The bottom line is that the damn strain relief isn't flexible enough.

[postjack]

Hey stax fans-

I noticed an issue last night with the OII in regards to my headshape. I have a large and unfortunately very "long" head height-wise. This makes phones like grados or lambdas very comfortable on my head, but pretty much anything with a "one size fits all" elastic strap based fitting system just doesn't work out for me. The strap always ends up digging painfully into my head. In the short term its fine, but long listening sessions always result in discomfort and a literal headache, which makes appreciating a headphone's aural merits impossible.

I haven't really noticed the severity of this issue until last night, when I listened for about three hours after a long day at work.

Does anyone have any tips on increasing the elasticity of the headstrap, or otherwise making its downward pressure less? If not, I sure hope I like the sound of the 4070.

[Elephas]

I think there's an optimal head size for the SR-007 due to its fixed width headband arcs and non-swiveling driver housings. Bending the headband can improve fit, but fit could still be less than optimum.

I think female heads which tend to be smaller will probably find both the Mk1 and Mk2 a bit largish and loose. A lot of bending might be needed to increase clamping force.

If one's head is wider or narrower than the optimum, the angle of the drivers will not be as parallel to the sides of the head. A too small width will make the drivers tilt inwards at the bottom, and a too wide head will make it tilt outwards. On my head the Mk2 housings stay mostly parallel with just a slight inward tilt towards the bottom. I think wider heads are less of a problem than too narrow heads.

I believe the thicker earpads of the Mk2 makes it a bit more suitable for smaller heads than the Mk1.

[spritzer]

By making the arc taller it should decrease the weight carried by the headband and transfer it to the earpads instead.

[postjack]

By making the arc taller it should decrease the weight carried by the headband and transfer it to the earpads instead.

Actually a taller arc and straighter bends above the housing might help my problem. Thanks spritzer, I'll give it a shot. Thanks elephas as well for your reply.

[spritzer]

Actually a taller arc and straighter bends above the housing might help my problem. Thanks spritzer, I'll give it a shot. Thanks elephas as well for your reply.

Cool, please keep us informed how it works out for you.

[cclragnarok]

I just received my Omega II yesterday.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough money for a KGBH or even a KGSS, so I'll be driving it with an SRM-007t for now. I bought some Toshiba tubes for the amp, but they aren't matched pairs. I hope I won't have too much trouble biasing the amp after I put in the new tubes.

The current chain of components:

foobar + asio4all -> Trends UD-10 -> CIAudio VDA-2 + VAC-1 -> VRX-1 -> SRM-007t -> Omega II

[Smeggy]

Congrats to all the new O2 owners

While not Stax, I did receive my new (old) Sony ECR-500 electrets from Fungi and am enjoying them right now. Shit they need a lot of juice to work well. I tried them on my Firestone Big Joe and it was struggling and distorting so I threw the old Hafler at them. Now they're happy

They are a sweet little can and the years don't seem to have had any ill effect on them, very nice bass and delicious mids. Not as quick as the Staxes and a little recessed in the upper regions but very nice indeed for those sibilant and sharp recordings. They sound very spacious with good out of head imaging.

Me like

[deepak]

I just received my Omega II yesterday.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough money for a KGBH or even a KGSS, so I'll be driving it with an SRM-007t for now. I bought some Toshiba tubes for the amp, but they aren't matched pairs. I hope I won't have too much trouble biasing the amp after I put in the new tubes.

The current chain of components:

foobar + asio4all -> Trends UD-10 -> CIAudio VDA-2 + VAC-1 -> VRX-1 -> SRM-007t -> Omega II

[spritzer]

I just received my Omega II yesterday.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough money for a KGBH or even a KGSS, so I'll be driving it with an SRM-007t for now. I bought some Toshiba tubes for the amp, but they aren't matched pairs. I hope I won't have too much trouble biasing the amp after I put in the new tubes.

The current chain of components:

foobar + asio4all -> Trends UD-10 -> CIAudio VDA-2 + VAC-1 -> VRX-1 -> SRM-007t -> Omega II

Congrats!! There is no need for a matched quad of tubes but matched pairs will make your life much easier as biasing Stax amps is a bitch!!! I need to get me a Trends UD-10 for the computer one of these days...

Btw. I just finished converting a Koss UR18 by swapping the driver for the SFI ones. It's a great foster phone since it's cheap, the drivers are the exact same diameter as the SFI units and it's foldable. It needs more damping but the sound isn't half bad...

[Duggeh]

Loo roll Spritzer. Those SFI drivers love some loo roll damping.

[hirsch]

Congrats!! There is no need for a matched quad of tubes but matched pairs will make your life much easier as biasing Stax amps is a bitch!!!

No kidding. A tube that is badly matched with the other one in its channel can make the amp impossible to bias correctly. Reasonably matched pairs are absolutely necessary. Nothing quite as frustrating as watching the voltage get closer and closer to 0 on the meter, and hitting the limit of the trimpot before you get there.

[cclragnarok]

Congrats!! There is no need for a matched quad of tubes but matched pairs will make your life much easier as biasing Stax amps is a bitch!!! I need to get me a Trends UD-10 for the computer one of these days...

Thanks for the info.

I bought 8 tubes, and had the seller give me the tube tester readings of each of them. I think the numbers are transconductance values, which isn't ideal, but I guess it's better than nothing. Hopefully, I'll be able to group them into 4 pairs, but I am a bit worried about the sections not being well matched on some of the tubes.