TO TWEAK OR NOT TO TWEAK THE STAX 007A? THAT IS THE QUESTION - Page 6 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

spritzer · #76 (**permalink**) 12-23-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michgelsen

What exactly is it that you find so messed up about the midrange? Is it too forward perhaps?
Please enlighten me, because it would help me placing your (often interesting) posts in perspective.
For example, you disliking the SR-007A might be explained simply because you dislike its more forward midrange.

The whole sound spectrum of the A/Mk2 is more forward so that's certainly not it as I can't remove that without a driver transplant. Basically the midrange etched and "scooped out" creating a honk on certain frequencies such as male voices. This means it stands out when it shouldn't and compared to the midrange on the Mk1 this is a mortal sin as it has the best midrange of any headphone, totally flat and no colorations.

As for the orientation of the pads, then it's clear that the seam should point forward as the pads are shaped so that the drivers are placed above the ear on a similar line. Stax has been doing this on the Lambda, Gamma/Alpha (late version Alpha Pro pads) and also the SR-Omega. The thin part goes in the front but the padding is thicker at the back to make up for the ear protruding more. This is part of the design of the headphones.

I do find all comparisons with the SR-404 a bit off base though as it is quite simply a bad headphone and I came up with the mods to make the less then impressive sounding (to me) Mk2/A sound like the best headphone ever made, the Mk1. Now if you've never made the comparison then the Mk2 may be the perfect phone for you and all mods are pointless as these particular mods reverse most of the damage done by Stax. You can do a lot of other things and make the sound into something else but that was never the point for me. Remove the drivers and add some damping to create a very different sound. Those of us that have made the comparison and found the Mk2/A lacking then this is a way to buy a brand new set and get most of the original sound, or really lack there of.

edstrelow · #77 (**permalink**) 12-24-2008, 07:18 AM

You have the advantage on me that I have not heard the Mk1. However over the years of its existence I have seen numerous critical reports of it, particularly that it is too dark sounding.

Irrespective of its merits, the Mk2 appears to be virtually the same phone as the Mk1 with minor changes in the pad and an added port or vent. I have tried plugging the port of the Mk2 and did not like the sound at all, way too dark.

I suspect the differences between the 2marks are fairly small although important to some.

The various tweaks I have tried, some suggested by you are useful. I have adopted the spring mod. I also think my pad orientation is superior to what others are using, certainly it is for me.

While I agree that the thicker part of the pads should be behind the ears, I also think the curved portion of the pads should be behind the ear. My ears fit far better with that setting. Obviously you can not get both the way the pads are constructed.

I think Stax screwed up the pad design. However the saving grace is that you can fiddle with them to suit yourself.

Anyone who doesn't like the Mk2 sound should try it. But you probably will have to bend the headphone pads to get an even fit all around the pad.

spritzer · #78 (**permalink**) 12-24-2008, 10:22 PM

When you reach this level of performance it's the small details that make or break the deal. Take the He90 for example, it has an instant wow factor and if you liked that washed out soundstage and one-note bass then you'll love them to bits but it just made me not want to use them, ever. Those may be small sins compared to many other phones but on the HE90 they stick out. The Mk2 falls in the same category as its sins are minor but in comparison to the Mk1 they just stick out like a sore thumb and annoy the hell out of me. Now if you've never heard the Mk1 then you don't know what the hell I keep ranting on about...

Just to be clear, I'm not really looking for perfection as the there are plenty of transducers that I love to bits which are highly flawed. The SR-Omega, while being mostly excellent, has an upper midrange etch, some chassis resonance that adds a bit of boom to the bass and a slightly overblown soundstage. The end results still make the second best headphone ever made as these flaws work with the whole sound and not against it. I can also forgive Stax these small flaws as the Omega was a giant leap forward when it came to headphone design. Even when Stereophile reviewed it back in 1995 (my set that I'm wearing as I type this as it happens

) the reviewer said that the He90 was good but the Omega set a new standard. That was with a T1S so one can just imagine what he'd said about the T2 amp.

One bit about the pads, I don't wear mine with the seam pointing straight forward but with it tilting upwards about 30° so that it points towards the temple. This has been the best fit since day one and how I wear the Mk2/A as well. I also place the ears so that the back is touching the pads to make full use of the drivers. I wear the SR-Omega the same way with a rather tight fit around the head (the height of the strap) to force the pads to make a better seal.

As for the SR-007 being dark, I don't find that to be the case unless the system is dark or you are attempting to use a T1/007t to drive them. They do not have an exaggerated HF response that is so common but they are in no way rolled off or lack treble extension when the software calls for it. They can be downright bright at times if there is something wrong with the source material or they are used in a bright sounding setup. They do need power to push the HF out of those air damped drivers which is no doubt the reason why Stax made the Mk2/A more forward. They simply can't be bothered to make a decent amp so they mess with the phones instead...

krmathis · #79 (**permalink**) 12-25-2008, 06:32 PM

Reminds me how I really need to hear an SR-007A or MKII.
To make up my own impression how they compare to the SR-007 and SR-007BL..

spritzer · #80 (**permalink**) 12-26-2008, 12:25 AM

There must be a set somewhere in Norway by now that you can audition. Give it a few hours and you'll notice what I keep ranting about.

krmathis · #81 (**permalink**) 12-26-2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer

There must be a set somewhere in Norway by now that you can audition. Give it a few hours and you'll notice what I keep ranting about.

The Scandinavian Stax importer have their office and store in Oslo. But because they are short on space they have open by appointment only.
So all it takes is that I call them and find a suitable time... Lazy me!

spritzer · #82 (**permalink**) 12-26-2008, 11:18 AM

DEW EET!!!! Worst comes to worst you might end up with a second Omega... not easy but I think you could live with it.

kintsaki · #83 (**permalink**) 01-10-2009, 09:17 AM

forgive me for asking but how can one tell from the outside whether he has a 007 or a 007A ?

spritzer · #84 (**permalink**) 01-10-2009, 10:00 AM

The housing on a Mk1 SR-007 is a light champagne color while the SR-007A is silver, most of the Mk1's have brown pads and other parts while the Mk2/A parts are black (there is how ever a SR-007BL which uses black parts but they are different from the Mk2 stuff) and lastly the name of the SR-007A/Mk2 is punched into the headband. Since a picture is worth a thousand words here they are side-by-side, Mk1 on the left and SR-007A in the middle:

kintsaki · #85 (**permalink**) 01-10-2009, 11:10 AM

thanks Spritzer

I guess some people call the O2 Mark II SR-007A and the O2 Mark I SR-007.

My set has the champaign housing and all other parts (arcs, head band and pads) black.

On the inside of the arcs there is a CE label and another silver label with SZ1-1319 written on it.

So I guess I have a Mark 1. Is there anything else you can tell from the CE label and the S/N label?

By the way the pads (foam) are relatively easy to push down to the housing. How can I decide whether I am going to have to replace them?

And please don't get mad with me

(just advice me as you always do) but I find that I am spending 90% of my time playing with my new toys (namely the Omicron, Sigma, Omega, Jade and "Markl" moded Denon D2000) is spent on the Denons.

For some reason the stat phones (don't have the Sigma and Jade in house yet) seem to excel at bringing out the bad aspects whereas the Denons always bring out the goodness be it 64kbps "Youtube" or "Linn Sondek"'s best files and that regardless of music genre and loudness volume.

spritzer · #86 (**permalink**) 01-10-2009, 11:47 AM

If they have the champagne housing with black parts then they are SR-007BL which is a Mk1. The pads should be soft but not too much so. It is hard to describe but there should be some firmness in the pads or they aren't doing their job.

Kraps · #87 (**permalink**) 01-11-2009, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer

The housing on a Mk1 SR-007 is a light champagne color while the SR-007A is silver, most of the Mk1's have brown pads and other parts while the Mk2/A parts are black (there is how ever a SR-007BL which uses black parts but they are different from the Mk2 stuff) and lastly the name of the SR-007A/Mk2 is punched into the headband. Since a picture is worth a thousand words here they are side-by-side, Mk1 on the left and SR-007A in the middle:

I guess left or right depends on perspective but it seems to me that the champagne MK1 is on the right in the picture. Besides, my MK2 are all black, not silver as the set in the middle.

spritzer · #88 (**permalink**) 01-11-2009, 12:34 AM

It's just a matter of me being sleep deprived as usual.

The SR-007A has a silver housing but the SR-007Mk2 has a black housing but otherwise they are identical. There may even be a silver Mk2 available later on.

krmathis · #89 (**permalink**) 01-11-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki

forgive me for asking but how can one tell from the outside whether he has a 007 or a 007A ?

Its quite simple when you know the differences between the four (4) models:

1997-2007
* SR-007 -> Brown leather/cable and champagne housing (picture)
* SR-007BL -> Black leather/cable and champagne housing (picture of my pair)

2007-
* SR-007A -> Black leather/cable and silver housing (picture)
* SR-007MK2 -> Black leather/cable and black housing (picture)

edstrelow · #90 (**permalink**) 02-03-2009, 08:20 PM

I have placed most of the section below in my first post to clarify the effect of earpad orientation on the sound of these phones. I did not realize until late in this thread that different people were orienting the pads differently.

The 007A ear pads have a "D" shaped opening. Stax says nothing about correct orientation in its manual, just to adjust to your preference.

However, my take on the orientation of the earpads of these phones differs from many others. I position the curved part behind my ear, because my ear is curved. Others position the straight section behind the ear. Those who position the straight edge behind the ear note that the pad is thicker/deeper there and that it fits many heads better and give a better seal. I would agree with that except that the earpad presses on the back of my ears. As regards the head-fit issue (as opposed to the ear-fit issue) you can of course bend the metal bands to get correct fit and seal.

I have tried both earpad orientations, bending the headband to get the best seal each time, and markedly prefer having the curved section behind my ear. However I have not tried all permutations of pad orientation, blutack and spring mod. I am very happy where I am right now with these phones. Possibly someone else would like to try these variations.

Finally, given what I hear with the changes in ear pad orientation, that some of the complaints about these phones come from having the straight edge behind the ear. I did not start out this way and liked the phones from the begining , although the spring mod made them better.