The Stax thread - Page 71  

Eh? They didn't come with an SRD-5 transformer box?

The SR-3 is really old. 1969 I believe.

Is it a 3 or a 3n?

Smeggy, I'm not surprised that the Gammas (which were based on the SR-5, unless I'm very much mistaken) give you that old isodynamic eargasmic feeling. Team Planar, brother.

The Gamma sounds profoundly different to the 404 or 003, I can't put my finger on what it is that appeals so much about the presentation but it's something very special. It's not fun, not warm, not inviting. It grabs me by the collar and demands my attention. Very cool stuff.

The gammas were meant to replace the SR-5. According to a different pair of ears they are almost identical (the gamma having a slightly more spacey presentation compared to the SR-5NB), but imo the gamma _pro_ and the SR-5NB sound quite different.

On a unrelated note, I brought the gamma and the SR-5 to a local meet and everyone other than myself preferred the gamma pro to the SR-5 <_<

Extra note: Coupled with the ED-5 however, the differences between the SR-5 and Gamma pro (tonally) are lessened. The ED-5 also increases the SR-5's ability to project images "outside the head".

That's what I'm blissing out with currently. Picked some up off a local auction site in great condition and they arrived last week. When I knew I'd won the auction I ordered some new pads from Audiocubes which arrived a few days ago so I've now put those on too. I don't feel my current source/amp/transformer box combination is good enough for making serious impressions but they're very enjoyable to listen to. I don't really get any feeling of space from them but the reproduction of instrument timbre is stunning at times, especially for acoustic guitars which to me sound just like listening to my brother play his guitar next to me. They do seem to need a good hour of charge to sound their best. Because the headphones themselves can move so easily, you can easily change their position on the ear too which really changes the sound. If for some reason I could only ever listen to these headphones from now on I really don't think I'd be too upset, I'm very impressed.

Its the "New SR-3" according to the side panel. So it not the 3n. It didnt come with the transformer box or an amp, but it did come with the manual and was only about £20. I have suspicions from the condition that they are in, inside and out, that they are practically unused, most of the ones that appear on ebay look a bit tatty.

i will agree with this.
it may have been "meet conditions" but at the recent nyc meet, my gama pros took some play time from my omega 2's. perhaps that was people who wanted to hear something new, but they are very far from anything bad at all.

Whoops, sorry to mislead-- somewhere along the line I got into the habit of referring to the "New SR-3" as the SR-3n. So you're listening to a bit of 1971.

You should be able to find an inexpensive transformer box fairly quickly. Go for the SRD-7 if you can, but the 5 and 6 will do nicely too.

Like Kevin Gilmore's "portable" Omega II rig.



Sony d-ej01
Stax Omega II
Stax SRM-212
12 volt 7 amp-hour battery

call me crazy, but i actually find that "doable."

I could see myself doing that but with my SRM-252A.

Is there any way to mod a 212 amp for low bias, I'd love to use my gamma in a travelling rig.

I've never looked inside one but I'd hazard a guess that the 212 is using a standard multistage voltage doubler to hit the 580V pro bias. If so, it would be relatively easy to tap the bias pin off one of the lower voltage stages. You may not get exactly the right voltage that way, you'd err in favor of something a little lower so it doesn't damage the drivers. Maybe 190V or 200V instead of 230V. If I saw a circuit for a SRM-212 I could probably tell you.

Will seeing the circuit of the 006tMk1 help at all? I took some pictures awhile ago of the interior. My 006tMk1 has both normal (1) and pro-bias (2)...

727

Sorry for bringing this up again, but has anyone listened to this amp yet with O2s. How fares it against the 007t2? Would really like input before ordering. Thanks

Its almost compeltely new. I doubt if anyone here has got ahold of one already. Id imagine though, that if it was updated for the same reason as the other amps, then the sonics will be practically identical as the design revisions were made to eliminate levels of certain metals which were too high for european health and safety law. Some crap like that.

The O2s love voltage swing, lots of it, and the 717 had the largest swing of any stax amp, so itll be safe to say the 727 will have the same if not better. I have the 717/O2 and its a fabbo combination. John Buchanan also seems to enjoy the combination.