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Stax SR-007 Mk2 (export) vs SR-007A (Japan)

post #1 of 23
8/30/09 at 4:56am
Thread Starter 
I am a bit confused about this. I read that the Mk2 is only for export and that the Japanese dealers who sell Japanese versions to US and Europe can only sell SR-007A. This is born out by several websites and ebay.

But I am not really sure what the difference is between SR-007 Mk2 and SR-007A (and the SR-007). I understood initially that the small improvements made for the Mk2 are simply omitted on the Japanese version. But now I am not so sure.

The reason I am not sure is the A at the end. In the case of SRM-007tII and SRM-007tA, the Japanese version is essentially the same, with the electronic source switching, amd SRM-007tA is not the same as the original SRM-007t.

If the designation structure is the same, that would mean the Japanese sourced SR-007A is actually basically the same as the Mk2, just a different colour.

Can someone clarify this (preferably with authority...).

TIA

Nic
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post #2 of 23
8/30/09 at 5:38am
They are the same, just different color.
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post #3 of 23
8/30/09 at 6:05am
They are the same headphone and the Mk2 will also be available in silver later on. Rumor has it though that not all Mk2's are the same. According to some sources the Mk2's headed for Germany have been modified since the distributer there wasn't happy with the changes Stax made.
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post #4 of 23
8/30/09 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 
Thanks both of you. I will buy from Japan with confidence then.

In fact I am in Germany. I have not heard the German version (if indeed there is one), because the mark-up is so astonishingly high that I would never buy anything from that distributor...

Nic
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post #5 of 23
8/30/09 at 6:33am
The markup is indeed the reason why I haven't picked one up for myself to see if there is indeed a special version.
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post #6 of 23
8/30/09 at 8:06am
Can a distributor change a product's characteristic?
If it is so then it's quite possible the A version to be different/modified at the insistense of the japanese distributor/s. We know the requirements for audio of the japanese are different and very high.
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post #7 of 23
8/30/09 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by brat View Post
Can a distributor change a product's characteristic?
If it is so then it's quite possible the A version to be different/modified at the insistense of the japanese distributor/s. We know the requirements for audio of the japanese are different and very high.
While a distributor can not typically change a product themselves, I know of several that have special or altered versions of a product built for them by manufacturers. It all depends on what a manufacture is willing and or able to do.

As to Stax....who knows?!
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post #8 of 23
8/30/09 at 11:15am
Anyone can order a modified product. But a whole product line intedned for a specific country....
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post #9 of 23
8/30/09 at 6:36pm
I think modification of a standardised product for a single country on the intitative of the local distributor is far from realistic.

What is sure though is that the "German" Stax are the most expensive in the world When I was shopping they gave me the craziest price of EUR 4,900 for O2MK2/SRM727 system. THe other EU distributors quoted EUR 4.2 k to 4.4 k.
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post #10 of 23
8/31/09 at 11:50am
Products made specially for one market are actually very common in most sectors. Some are even made specially for just one customer. Electronics have been made specially for the UK and continental markets for decades and the same goes for the US. Anybody remeber the QuadESL63 USA Monitor for example? Stax have also done this and not only for the Japanese market. The SR-5NB with a cloth cable is very common in Germany but you can hardly find them anywhere else and so are the different versions of the Gamma's. The SR-007 is a hand made product of which only a few units are made every week so adding a plug for the port on a limited number of units certainly wouldn't be a problem.
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post #11 of 23
8/31/09 at 12:28pm
OK. Of course it is technically possible. But if a product is developed in a certain way what basis can there exist for its modification? At the end of the day it is important to have the product sold and not the distributor personally happy. There are a lot of Stax owners here and at least certain number of people have purchased the headphones new (as I did). Is there anybody who can say that he/she has auditioned units offered by various distributors in order to choose? I did inquire a number of distributors but it was only to seek for the best commercial conditions. It is objectively impossible to visit all of them in order to hear a difference. Besides, is there anybody here (Spritzer excluded) who have provided feedback to the respective Stax distributors as regards the presentation of the purchased unit not as regards defects or other claims?
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post #12 of 23
8/31/09 at 1:42pm
I'm interested in this topic more so now because I'd love to hear about the differences in the german O2mk2.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kraps View Post
But if a product is developed in a certain way what basis can there exist for its modification?
Type into google: "audio modifications" or "computer modifications" or "bike modifications" etc. The basis for modification for any given product it pretty much limitless in my opinion.

Quote:
At the end of the day it is important to have the product sold and not the distributor personally happy.
At the end of the day, isn't it obvious the distributor would equally like to have the product sold? Is it so outlandish that a manufacture would trust a local distributor? That prehaps he might know the local market better than a foreign engineer?

I really think you're just tyring to be augmentative for whatever reason. The examples are countless where manufactures have produced local varients. It's something I would consider common practice and common knowledge. Will you only be convinced once provided lists of german people crying out an Omega2 mod?
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post #13 of 23
8/31/09 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wower View Post
I'm interested in this topic more so now because I'd love to hear about the differences in the german O2mk2.
Me too. But sofar I have only seen a mention for that in this thread or maybe the HEAudio thread, which was then multiplied and appears here and there from time to time. Nobody has ever confirmed this.


Quote:
Originally Posted by wower View Post
Type into google: "audio modifications" or "computer modifications" or "bike modifications" etc. The basis for modification for any given product it pretty much limitless in my opinion.
Let's not pick on a word. What I meant is that in order to initate a modification for particular market there should be a proper demand for that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wower View Post
At the end of the day, isn't it obvious the distributor would equally like to have the product sold? Is it so outlandish that a manufacture would trust a local distributor? That prehaps he might know the local market better than a foreign engineer?
Of course. And once again the knowledge of the market of a kind that would lead to modification of a product requires consumer feedback sufficient to justify alteration of production. THe individual knowledge or feeling of the distributor would not be sufficient. Besides, in Germany Stax is sold by Stax Germany. Isnt it a subsidiary of Stax Japan rather than a regular distributor. If this is so and Stax are convinced that modification is necessary why do it for German market only and not for say European market. What reason could there be in the assumption that Germans hear differently than say French or Italian or Scandinavian users.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wower View Post
I really think you're just tyring to be augmentative for whatever reason. The examples are countless where manufactures have produced local varients. It's something I would consider common practice and common knowledge. Will you only be convinced once provided lists of german people crying out an Omega2 mod?

Yes, examples are many. And once again, a proper market demand is necessary to justify that. German people crying out a mod? OK. Where are they? And why them only? I believe the perosn that cries out a mod all over the world the most is Spritzer. Why, say Thor (the Scandinavian distributor) has not ensured a "Scandinavian" mod?
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post #14 of 23
8/31/09 at 4:37pm
Thread Starter 

Stax SR-007 German version

As I have already had personal contact with the German distributor, I have emailed my contact there to ask if there is a difference or not, and if so what it is. I'll report back if I hear anything.

N
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post #15 of 23
8/31/09 at 5:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kraps View Post
I believe the perosn that cries out a mod all over the world the most is Spritzer. Why, say Thor (the Scandinavian distributor) has not ensured a "Scandinavian" mod?
If that was true then where is the thread started by me on this site showing how to do the mod? I usually only talk about it if others bring it up and to make sure that there is no illusion of the Mk1 and modded Mk2 being identical.

For the record, Iceland isn't part of Scandinavia and there is no distributer up here. There is for Scandinavia but I've never done any buisness with them since I have far better contacts elsewhere.
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