[livewire]

QUOTE: "I put everything back together and it sounds great. No channel imbalance or distortion I can hear of, and incredibly detailed! The Lambda Pros are currently going head-to-head with my 404LEs - they are sonically different, but both very enjoyable!" 
 
Most excellent! <<two thumbs-way up!>>

 

[milosz]

Quote:

 
Werent you talking about stax connector pins, not vacuum tubes or valves - that's definitely what I was talking about.
 
I dont have crusty pins on my Stax. Looking at a pair of them right now they do not appear to be dire need of a polish using a dremel tool, or re-plating for that matter. I think I'll leave them alone.

I wasn't talking about Stax pins specifically. I just pointed out that I use flannel buffing points when needed on gold pins (of any kind) without any compound.  With pins that are tinned, or silver plated, etc, I might use a dab of Mothers' "Billet" polish on the felt point. Of course I only polish pins that need it-  if you wiggle the connector (any connector, any pins) and get crackling sounds. then it stands to reason you need to look at the pins to see if they're corroded. Corroded pins aren't the only cause of crackly / noisy connections, but they are one cause. 
 
I don't use the rubber points, as a rule, on anything but steel, typically nine-pin tube pins.  
 
My post was a reply to this question:
 
Originally Posted by oogabooga 


On the same topic, the 5-pin connector seems a bit oxidized - any easy way to remove the oxide?

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

QUOTE: "I put everything back together and it sounds great. No channel imbalance or distortion I can hear of, and incredibly detailed! The Lambda Pros are currently going head-to-head with my 404LEs - they are sonically different, but both very enjoyable!" 
 
Most excellent! <<two thumbs-way up!>>

 
Indeed. 

 

 

[gilency]

Quote:

They end badly if the person with the biggest axe to grind tells the other person he didn't hear what he said he did.  Usually that's the anti-cable, "everything sounds the same lobby."  For some headphones nothing much is going to change the sound but with most Stax just about everything you do will affect the sound.
 
I am interested in the results of serious listening and serious measurement and will apply whatever caveats to such results that I feel are needed.

No ax to grind, just making sure there is an opposite point of view. After all, may newbies may want to purchase expensive cables that may not offer much benefit based on enthusiastic and subjective recommendations.

 

[MB2sHs9N]

Regarding the Ampzilla with the Electrostatic Headphone option:
 
I wrote to the seller and here is the reply:
 
I'm not sure of anything more about the specifics to the electrostatic option on this amplifier I do know that this a.m. has been billed to the highest standards and I have spoken with the person in charge of quality control on these particular in and he seems to think they are of the highest caliber.
 
It's a cool idea, the Ampzilla was a top-rated amp in its day. For $1,599 "Buy It Now" I will be very surprised if it sells.
 
Close examination of the photo shows a switch on the front marked "Dynamic/Electrostatic"; the grey cable looks like it could be the electrostatic output.
 
Even in the 1970s when this amp came out, Stax was pretty much the only game in town.  I would like to know whether the output is Pro or Standard but at that price I won't bother.
 
May be just the ticket for somebody.  Here's the link to the auction:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GAS-Ampzilla-IIa-2a-Power-Amplifier-son-grandson-ii-Electrostatic-Headphone-/251011124913?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3a716dceb1
 
He's in San Diego; maybe someone local can let us know!
 

 

[MB2sHs9N]

Quote:

GAS Ampzilla with jacks for electrostatic headphones?
 
A GAS  Ampzilla II is for sale on eBay, the description says "[size=small]This is the model with the Electrostatic headphone jack."[/size]
 
[size=small]????[/size]
 
[size=small]I have looked around a little on the Internets, but can't find any reference to this "Electrostatic headphone jack" -  anybody know anything about this?[/size]
 
[size=small]Amp would be like lat 1970's vintage, so what kind of bias - low bias, 230 volts,  I would guess?  Stax jacks?  Koss ESP-9?[/size]

Followup:
 
Here are some reputable experts who might know.  I did not realize earlier that milosz' post was from last year.
 

"Mark Wilson, who does all of GAS and SAE work is your man. However, he recently lost his dad, and his repair schedule is behind. Contact him at:

restoration@absoundlabs.com or AbSoundLabs@sihope.com

He will do a good job of getting your 'Son back to life.

Mike Zuccaro is also a GAS and SAE specialist (both of these guys are recommended by James Bongiorno, founder and designer of GAS and SAE)

Mjzuccaro@aol.com Tel. 858-271-8294"
 
I believe Mr. Zuccaro is in San Diego as is the Ebay seller listed above.

 

[kevin gilmore]

I happen to own an original ampzilla, what a wonderful amp. Especially for the
time. Needs new electrolytics bigtime.
 
The electrostatic thing must be a pair of added transformers somewhere in the
case. (where I don't know, not much room in there), because this is not
a balanced amp, even though it is voltage stacked, into a high impedance
load it probably can put out 150vpp.
 
A pair of ampzilla's wired as bridged mono would definitely work, but not be
very loud. Similar to running stax headphones directly on a fpb600.
 
It its an original addon, that is at least 15 years before high bias headphones
came out.

 

[MB2sHs9N]

Correction:
 
On the Ampzilla IIa, the electrostatic feature is an additional jack on the front of the amp; please see the brochure at:
 
http://www.davidsaudio.com/html/gas_brochures_1.html
 
It looks like a regular 1/4 inch stereo jack.
 
That enormous grey cord on the back is the power cord.
 
I think we need to hear from an Ampzilla II owner to solve this mystery!
 
Thanks Kevin!

 

[autoteleology]

I am so lost. I opened up my SR-303 Lambdas to find that the drivers were in flawless shape. I removed the outside foams on the small chance that it might alleviate the rattling issue but nothing has changed.

My driver unit is an SRM-Xh... could the driver itself be the issue here? I know it's pretty much the lowest end as far as STAX amps go...

I feel pretty bad about buying this unit right now. I emptied my pockets to get it and now I can't enjoy it, and I can't sell it to someone else in good faith without fixing this problem.

 

[oogabooga]

Quote:

I am so lost. I opened up my SR-303 Lambdas to find that the drivers were in flawless shape. I removed the outside foams on the small chance that it might alleviate the rattling issue but nothing has changed.

My driver unit is an SRM-Xh... could the driver itself be the issue here? I know it's pretty much the lowest end as far as STAX amps go...

I feel pretty bad about buying this unit right now. I emptied my pockets to get it and now I can't enjoy it, and I can't sell it to someone else in good faith without fixing this problem.

 
Since your problem was with both the left and right channels, my first thought was that your amp might have some issues (perhaps power issues)?  However, when you mentioned that you "hear a very loud rattle unless I press the earspeakers against my head" I thought it might be an issue with the drivers.   
 
 
The SRM-Xh uses an AC adapter, right? About the only thing you could do without opening up the amp is to check the DC output of that adapter. Otherwise I'd just wait until your next chance to plug your headphones into another amp.

 

[autoteleology]

Wait a moment. I've figured it out.

It's not the driver that's malfunctioning, it's the housing. The back grills, or something else, must be rattling. That's why it stops when I press the housing to my head.

It all makes sense now... but what can I do about it, and what parts might be causing the issue? I'm like the Beach Boys, I don't want any bad vibrations. 

 

[n3rdling]

It's the headphones not the amp...Does it make the rattle with no music playing?  If music has to play for it to happen, does it increase along with an increase in music volume?  Is the rattle a high or low pitch?  It might not rattle if you make the headband a little tighter for the time being.

 

[autoteleology]

I finally figured out what was been causing the problem all along.

If you take off the pads and the dust mesh under the pads, there's a metal grille underneath that separates the ear from the driver and dust cover. The problem with my Lambda is that the mesh had been bent inwards by use to the point where it was impacting the dust cover and causing resonances.
 
I fixed the issue by taking the sharp point of a pair of scissors and pulling the mesh up and off of the dust cover (the mesh came up by a significant amount). Rattle is completely gone and I am relieved beyond words.

Thank you all for your help

 

[John Buchanan]

Quote:

I finally figured out what was been causing the problem all along.

If you take off the pads and the dust mesh under the pads, there's a metal grille underneath that separates the ear from the driver and dust cover. The problem with my Lambda is that the mesh had been bent inwards by use to the point where it was impacting the dust cover and causing resonances.
 
I fixed the issue by taking the sharp point of a pair of scissors and pulling the mesh up and off of the dust cover (the mesh came up by a significant amount). Rattle is completely gone and I am relieved beyond words.

Thank you all for your help

Jeebers - that wire mesh shouldn't bend at all with normal use. Sounds like someone pushed it in.

 

[kevin gilmore]

Quote:

Correction:
 
On the Ampzilla IIa, the electrostatic feature is an additional jack on the front of the amp; please see the brochure at:
 
http://www.davidsaudio.com/html/gas_brochures_1.html
 
It looks like a regular 1/4 inch stereo jack.
 
That enormous grey cord on the back is the power cord.
 
I think we need to hear from an Ampzilla II owner to solve this mystery!
 
Thanks Kevin!

 
Now I remember. It is for these specific headphones
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/234504/koss-esp6-refurbished-vintage-electrostatics
 
which had the transformers in the headsets.
 
this amp would definitely drive he6 and k1000.
probably set them on fire too.