Head-Fi.org › Forums › Summit-Fi (High-End Audio) › High-end Audio Forum › The Stax thread (New)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Stax thread (New) - Page 1383

post #20731 of 23070
1/22/13 at 2:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shipsupt View Post

Wow, I'm feeling pretty embarrassed for not checking the pin configuration.  I honestly did not know that they might be different, and since it was working on hookup I never suspected it.  I will check out the diagrams on my NAD and 717 tonight to confirm, but I suspect we are getting to the root cause now.

It is interesting that with the attenuators in line everything works fine, no cut outs.

For the record I never had trouble when using the RCA connections, but I have not gone back to that since changing to the XLR connections. 



You are not the only one getting caught out so don't feel embarrassed, I was caught out helping another member who was having noise and hum issues when he connected his M51 in balance mode.

It's all a learning curve that's part of the journey in this hobby
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #20732 of 23070
1/22/13 at 5:48am

The XLR setup really doesn't matter in the grand scheme as all it does is reverse the absolute phase.  

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by shipsupt View Post

For anyone who's been keeping up with my little SRM-717 / NAD M51 saga... I put a few 10db attenuators in line and I've been able to stay up and running for several hours now...  Plan to keep things up and running tonight until late to see if this additional resistance is enough to keep things from tripping.

 

The voltage divider inside those things also divides the DC voltage so it should help. 

Reply
post #20733 of 23070
1/22/13 at 12:08pm

Reverse phase effects imaging

Reply
post #20734 of 23070
1/22/13 at 1:51pm
The m51 has the function to reverse the phase.
Reply
post #20735 of 23070
1/22/13 at 9:17pm

"Can you give us a bit of insight on the difference between the W4S and the M51?

W4S vs M51 from what I remember is that the W4S left me wondering if they was really anything to spending a lot of money on a dac. I thought there was some kind of harshness in the mid treble with the W4S. The M51 is a whole lot smoother and much more bass. The M51 also has sound stage depth that I never noticed on the W4S. This is a big part of why when I started listening to the M51 it was like okay so this is why people spend good money on a dac. I did have a suspicion that the Nad may be making things up to sound a certain ay than is actually true when I first started listening to it though. I don't think I would ever be interested in hearing the W4S again though.

Reply
post #20736 of 23070
1/23/13 at 1:28am
Quote:Originally Posted by jaycalgary View Post

I don't think I would ever be interested in hearing the W4S again though.

 

Me neither. This is the Stax thread. Take the DAC talk elsewhere.

Reply
post #20737 of 23070
1/23/13 at 7:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecohifi View Post

Reverse phase effects imaging

 

No, it doesn't.  Loudspeakers being driven out of phase (essentially backwards) is clearly audible but absolute phase isn't.  The reason dacs have a phase switch is because there is no standard for recording phase so many recordings are out of absolute phase. 

Reply
post #20738 of 23070
1/23/13 at 10:05am

As someone who is contemplating adding the M51 to his new Stax rig, I find this conversation quite relevant and important. Please continue.

Reply
post #20739 of 23070
1/23/13 at 11:51am

How worth is the Stax Lambda Nova ?

Reply
post #20740 of 23070
1/23/13 at 5:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post

No, it doesn't.  Loudspeakers being driven out of phase (essentially backwards) is clearly audible but absolute phase isn't.  The reason dacs have a phase switch is because there is no standard for recording phase so many recordings are out of absolute phase. 

Agreed with the speakers spritzer, however never tried it with cans, I might do this tonite, as the M51 his phase feature.
Reply
post #20741 of 23070
1/23/13 at 6:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hun7er View Post

How worth is the Stax Lambda Nova ?

Last one on ebay went for $550 including shipping to the states. You'd find more SR-5, older electrets and Lambda/Pro's and Sigmas more common on ebay when they do pop up. 

Reply
post #20742 of 23070
1/24/13 at 1:49am

So i'm trying to get my O2 earpads refurbished and my rant/question is: How come the earpads are designed so that the foam inserts can be pulled easily without any stiching, however it's all but impossible the order just the foam without purchase of all-new cushions. All three ditributors that i've contacted have responded that Stax only provides complete earpads.

Is this design only to cut costs (time) during manufacturing?  

Reply
post #20743 of 23070
1/24/13 at 3:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amarphael View Post

So i'm trying to get my O2 earpads refurbished and my rant/question is: How come the earpads are designed so that the foam inserts can be pulled easily without any stiching, however it's all but impossible the order just the foam without purchase of all-new cushions. All three ditributors that i've contacted have responded that Stax only provides complete earpads.

Is this design only to cut costs (time) during manufacturing?  

I think they did this just to annoy YOU, specifically.  wink.gif

 

There's many things I don't get about Stax...  like why did they make the Sr007  mk "2.5" sound the way they do?  Or even the mk 2's?  Why not just leave them alone in mk I form?

 

======================================================================

 

Maybe figure a way to make your own foam inserts by cutting out a ring from a flat thick sheet of foam?  Or stack multiple rings cut from thin sheets of foam?  Or take some polyfill (pillow stuffing) and fashion it into a ring and stuff it in there?  Or a ring shaped blob of polyfill with a ring of foam cut from a thin sheet on top to 'square it off?'

Reply
post #20744 of 23070
1/24/13 at 4:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecohifi View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycalgary View Post

I hope the Headamp KGSS uses the same pin out as the Nad M51? That is what I have hooked up now and it works so must be okay? I took a pic of the back of m Nad M51 and a random pic of the back of the SRM-717 off the web. From what I can tell they are a different pin out. I had a W4S dac 2 and it worked fine with the SRM-717. I know my SRM-717 is a North American model and it might be a different from the Japanese model.





Check this out: http://www.clarkwire.com/PinOutXLRBalanced.htm

Notice the comment on vintage equipment, please be aware that the -ve point of the XLR is not chassis gnd and some manufacturer also connect them together, if this is the case than the equipment is not a true Balance system, the -ve pin on a true balance system is for the -ve phase, which is why a balance system is referred as differential.
Note that the M51 is wired to the standards where pin 2 is hot, note where the hot pin is on the Stax.
@ jaycalgary
Off the topic and of the rail,
Can you give us a bit of insight on the difference between the WFS and the M51?

 

The XLR/RCA selector switch looks like it was not set to XLR, which might have crossed the -ve to ground, which might have been the issue too. 

Reply
post #20745 of 23070
1/24/13 at 9:20am

Dear Forum!

 

1. Has anyone got any info about how long STAX was manufacturing the Normal Bias Lambdas? I am aware that it was introduced in 1979. Was it's production finished in 1982 when the pros were introduced?

 

2. Do somebody know if there any chance to get a replace set of cable for an old SR-Lambda?

 

Thanks
 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: High-end Audio Forum

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Summit-Fi (High-End Audio) › High-end Audio Forum › The Stax thread (New)