[DefQon]

Quote:

 
That's the good version but you have to be super careful when modifying it.  It's very easy to run those parts out of spec so I'd leave the PSU well alone.  Just replace the volume control with something better and upgrade the caps. 

Cool, I was planning to add in some balanced inputs like you did, got some philips bc's on order to replace the 22uf 250v Sanyo cap's, can't find any decently good branded 50v 1uf cap to replace the generic looking one for what looks to be for power filtering next to the tranny. Gonna replace the blue cap next to the DC jack with a spare Silmic 2 I've got lying around.
 
Any good substitutes for the cheap ALP's currently used that will fit in size wise? I've got some RK ALP's and stepped Goldpoints but won't be able to fix in.
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Am I reading that right? The xh is better than both it's replacement model and the 313? I might just have to get one of these then. How much better than the 313 is it? How does it compare against the various tube amplifiers?

 
First impressions from a quick listen but from memory as spritzer has pointed out the xh circuit is used in the 313, the 313 and xh sound very similar to each other. For me a noticeable step up in sound compared to the 252. 
 
The only tube amp I've also heard is the T1's. The T1's sound better, more body and dynamics to the sound I wouldn't say a more coloured sound but is more intimate sounding than the xh. The xh is pretty good for the price I paid for on the gon. $125 + 35 shipped from Japan. Better than wiktors $325 buy it now on fleabay.
 
Going to try get my hands on a 323.

 

[Lil' Knight]

I would bet you could fit the TKD 2cp601 volume pot into that space. It's not as nice as its bigger brother 2cp2511 but still far superior to the Alps RK27. The BC caps are great but my favorite psu caps lately is the blue Cornell Dubilier.

 

[Lil' Knight]

-d.p-

 

[livewire]

Spritzer has the most excellent miniature Alpha pots on hand.
If you ask, he may sell you one. Not sure which R value you require tho...

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

I would bet you could fit the TKD 2cp601 volume pot into that space. It's not as nice as its bigger brother 2cp2511 but still far superior to the Alps RK27. The BC caps are great but my favorite psu caps lately is the blue Cornell Dubilier.

The clearance is about 1 inch inside from bottom base to top this is including the metrics for using the pre-existing drilled out hole for the pot shaft. I have a few black beauties and RK27's but yeah. The BC's are the only decent cap I can get my hands on that have a low esr and I have used them before in other amps with good results. The others that came in this value are the Rubycon BXA's which are meh. I would've used CB's as well but again, using stuff that can be obtained easily for myself.
Quote:

Spritzer has the most excellent miniature Alpha pots on hand.
If you ask, he may sell you one. Not sure which R value you require tho...

I'm sure he will post back after he sees this post. 

 
Oh man, decided to try running my SR-30 electrets on the xh, man I don't believe it, these things have bass.

 

[Lil' Knight]

Spritzer has the most excellent miniature Alpha pots on hand.
If you ask, he may sell you one. Not sure which R value you require tho...

Not sure if he has a stereo pot though, all of the Alphas I've seen so far is quad.

The Alps RK40 is awesome if you have one but since you have 1" space to fool around, I don't think it would fit.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Not sure if he has a stereo pot though, all of the Alphas I've seen so far is quad.

The Alps RK40 is awesome if you have one but since you have 1" space to fool around, I don't think it would fit.

Very very very tight squeeze. So I'm looking at alternatives atm.

 

[spritzer]

The Alpha would be a very tight fit so I'd use a TKD 4CP-60.  That's what I used in the amp I converted and even then I had to butcher the PCB a bit. 
 
For the 1uf/50V cap I just Wima's. 

 

[288920]

Quote:

 
can anyone make a comment/comparison on their findings between the 407 and original lambda on the same amp?

For about one month, I had my old original Lambda's and my new 407's to use with my old SRM-1/M2 Professional.  I did a fair amount of comparative listening (the Lambda's had been re-drivered by Yama's about 8 years ago).  What I found was that the original Lambda's were a bit more 'muted'... by that I mean a bit softer across the range.  It's a bit hard to explain, but although the clarity was there in the Lambda's, especially in the mid to upper range, the 407's had more presence, more bite to them.  The difference was not very large, however.  The biggest difference was in the bass.  The Lambda's had always been soft in the bass, the 407's had more impact as well as more clarity.  I wouldn't say the 407's went deeper, but they certainly presented same bass frequencies with more impact and clarity.  I hasten to add that the 407's were not harsh in any way, except with the most sibilant, bright recordings.
 
Running the 407's with my newer SRM-323s, I hear even more presence with the 407's.  Although I cannot directly compare the two earspeakers (the 323 does not have a 'Normal' bias output, and I no longer have the Lambda's), I feel the bass goes deeper than it did with the SRM-1/Mk2.  Treble is crisp, not harsh.  These aren't phones for bass-heads, but the bass is more satisfying with the 407's than the Lambda's.
 
Hope this helps.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That's what I felt about the 407. It's the first estat I've ever heard, and I was expecting tight, but lightness in the bass. Sure the extreme lower bass is lacking, but mid bass impact, texture, clarity, and decay were all very impressive. It has a nice kick to it that I surely didn't expect. I was mostly satisfied, as I could play my bass reliant music and enjoy them immensely off the 407.

The bass presence was like a very refined dynamic headphone with the typical sub bass roll off, but unlike typical dynamics, it had highly refined upper bass.

This makes me really want the Omega 007 Mk IIs. I know the general consensus is the MK I is better, but I like bass emphasis, and I think an estat with bass emphasis is probably what I'd consider my own personal endgame. That would surely curb my upgraditis, as there wouldn't be anything better than that as far as bass emphasized cans go.

 

[autoteleology]

That would surely curb my upgraditis, as there wouldn't be anything better than that as far as bass emphasized cans go.

 
That is, until you buy a $30,000 DAC, a Blue Hawaii Special Edition, and then spend a hundred dollars changing the potentiometer with a resistor because it caused distortion.

I wish I was joking, but I saw a thread recently about exactly that.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I find that to be less important than a jump from one headphone to another, as long as the source/amp is at least decent. Of course, improvements are to be expected, but so far from all I've heard, differences aren't as huge as people make them out to be. I prefer focusing on headphones.

I want the 007 MK2. That is my endgame. I don't want the 009 (brightness is the last thing I want now, no matter how refined). I prefer musicality over neutrality, and it seems that as far as estats go, the 007 MK 2 is like the perfect middle ground for me.

I, of course can't afford them whatsoever, let alone an amp to power them. I'd look into the 323S pairing with it, as long as it can drive it loud enough. All the other amps are too expensive for me. I'm sure it wouldn't sound like crap off it, though of course people here would steer me to paying double the cost of the 323S to "make them sing". Yeah, pay for me and I might.

I do realize this is the high end forum, lol, so much of what I say is blasphemy, but my main interest in this forum is for the headphones, not the equipment attached to it. I think I'd be very happy using my Compass 2's internal DAC (or selling it and getting another ODAC as my source using the rest of the money to fund for a 323S) with and an SRM-323S and the 007 MK 2 for now until I could afford more money for a more fleshed out amp.

Considering that I hear the 007 MK2 is a natural upgrade from the LCD2 (which I own and love and would be willing to part with to get the 007 MK2), I think that is my future upgrade route...maybe.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I find that to be less important than a jump from one headphone to another, as long as the source/amp is at least decent. Of course, improvements are to be expected, but so far from all I've heard, differences aren't as huge as people make them out to be. I prefer focusing on headphones.

I want the 007 MK2. That is my endgame. I don't want the 009 (brightness is the last thing I want now, no matter how refined). I prefer musicality over neutrality, and it seems that as far as estats go, the 007 MK 2 is like the perfect middle ground for me.

I, of course can't afford them whatsoever, let alone an amp to power them. I'd look into the 323S pairing with it, as long as it can drive it loud enough. All the other amps are too expensive for me. I'm sure it wouldn't sound like crap off it, though of course people here would steer me to paying double the cost of the 323S to "make them sing". Yeah, pay for me and I might.

I do realize this is the high end forum, lol, so much of what I say is blasphemy, but my main interest in this forum is for the headphones, not the equipment attached to it. I think I'd be very happy using my Compass 2's internal DAC (or selling it and getting another ODAC as my source using the rest of the money to fund for a 323S) with and an SRM-323S and the 007 MK 2 for now until I could afford more money for a more fleshed out amp.

Considering that I hear the 007 MK2 is a natural upgrade from the LCD2 (which I own and love and would be willing to part with to get the 007 MK2), I think that is my future upgrade route...maybe.

These hardly look like "bright" headphones:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR009SZ91278.pdf
 
No treble peaks like say the HE-6s or HD800s. 

 No harshness to my ears, but there is more treble energy than the SR-007s or the LCD-2/LCD-3 (but I find them a bit on the darker side and the SR-009s bang on IMO).

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Well, I'm sure they are true to the recording. I do prefer a little more musicality and warm colorations overall though.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Well, I'm sure they are true to the recording. I do prefer a little more musicality and warm colorations overall though.

I find the SR-009s very musical (and damn revealing at the same time). I find the HD800s colder and brighter (in comparison). If you're going for the SR-007s, I'd strongly recommend finding a good pair of MKIs.