[TruBrew]

I have a pair of broken STAX SR-507's that I am hoping someone can help me fix. It should only be a small problem, but it has turned into a big one. There is a small plastic piece that holds the leather strap down to the adjustable side on the side of the headband. Well, one of mine has broken so the headphones will not stay on my head.
 
I am in the US, but purchased the headphones second hand from someone who originally got them from Japan. The US distributor refuses to get me the part, and the Japanese dealer says I have to send the entire unit back for repair. I am not sure exactly what I am hoping to get here. If I am super lucky maybe someone has a broken pair of STAX they are just keeping around for parts that may be willing to give me the peace. Or someone who lives near a dealer would be willing to remove their piece, and bring it in saying it broke and got lost. I am more than willing to compensate anyone for their help. The thing is I am in school full time and am crazy low on money. I can't afford the $150 or so for an entire new headband, or the $100 I imagine it would cost to ship it insured to and from Japan. I was thinking about bringing the not broken one into a metal shop, and asking if they could machine me a set out of aluminum, but I am guessing that will be a lot too. If you know anyone who is super could with wood or metal, and could replicate a part I send them exactly let me know.
 
Anyone who can help me I will love; If you can help me for cheap, I will love you extra hard. 

 

[cifani090]

Would you want to sell them?
 
 

 

[Kanashimu]

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Would you want to sell them?
 
 

Wow.

 

[cifani090]

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Wow.

What is that suppose to mean.
 

 

[NamelessPFG]

He clearly likes his Stax setup a lot and just wants a key structural piece replaced, yet you're shooting an offer to buy them outright. I think that's what he means.
 
If I felt comfortable replicating parts out of wood (metal's even farther out of my reach), I'd offer to help, if only so he could keep enjoying such a nice headphone.

 

[BobSaysHi]

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Would you want to sell them?
 
 

 

 

[cifani090]

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[Swoosh]

Sadly, I think your best bet might be shipping them in. The thought that somebody is keeping such a great pair of headphones for spare parts is unlikely. I do understand your situation.

 

[Magedark]

Can we have pictures of this? Maybe someone can come up with a solution as well.

 

[TruBrew]

I am not interested in selling them. I would post them in the for sale forum, if I did. I do not believe HF discourages conducting sales outside of that area. 
 
I have come up with a fix, but it is less that Ideal. It works just fine, and will be what I keep intill I can find a low cost alternative solution. That likely means, when I can find someone that can build it for me out of wood or metal. For now it is twist ties. I will post some pictures up in a minute. 

 

[TruBrew]

These pictures are from a few days ago. I realized after I took the picture that the twist tie side is flipped the wrong way. I untied them and strapped it down with the flap coming off the bottom instead of the top. It holds it in place well, but it would still be nice to have a proper fix.
 
 

 

[JecklinStax]

Yesterday the same happened on my 507. On the left side of the phones the same plastic square broke in two neat pieces, right in the middle. That square has a slot in it for inserting the leather headband, and a hole to pass through a tiny scew.
I repaired it by first glueing the two broken pieces of the plastic square back together, and next by glueing another square piece of plastic on top of the first one, to strengthen it (as a sort of splint). Of course I had first made a screwhole into that second piece of plastic too.
Lastly I inserted the headband in the slot again and screwed the two glued squares of plastic with the headband in their proper place.
Fiddly stuff, but it is still holding. I hope the screw is long enough to keep it all together.

Why has such an lovely and expensive headphone such a flimsy build quality? Has Stax after 35 years of experience forgotten how to build a decent Lambda?
A 507 headband assembly replacement is available at http://staxusa.com/Parts/Head-Band/STAX-SR-507-Headband-Assembly.html for only $ 420,-, and you don't even have to pay extra for shipping! Oh, how I love mankind!