[Headdie]

Hi guys,
 
For those of us owning Vintage Stax gears from the 60s/70s/80s...
Or for those of us about to buy Stax gears that have been in a closet for 30 years...
 
What can go wrong with old Stax gears ?
How to identify well known problems ?
What can be fixed/maintained by the average guy ?
How to know when it's time to send them back to Stax support ?
What's the life expectancy of vintage earphones/energizers ?
 
I'm actually shopping for a used Stax system and I wonder if it's wise to buy old gears that may be about to die or unmaintainable.
 
Any hint or answer will be welcome.
 
Thanl you,

 

[ktm]

The problem with stax comes down to decaying foam and driver problems. If the dust gets into the drivers- expect bad things to happen.
High humidity is an issue too. But a lot of units last a long time with some care. I've got a pair of sr-40's (35 years old) that work fine.
As far as the electronics go, cap replacement and cleaning controls seem to be common. A used srm-1 mkII that's been re-capped and cleaned
should run for years more. An adapter like a srd-7 seems to run forever without any real problems.
I recapped my srm1 mkII myself. Not too hard to do with some basic skills. I'm old and half blind, so it came down to wearing those
flip down head visors with lenses to see what I was doing. You young guys shouldn't have any problems.
 

 

[Buntudor]

Hi
Ive just received my 1st venture into Stax and electret/electrostatic  Stax sr-80 pro and an SRD 4 adapter.
This combo is refered to an sr84 (1984)  I hope I have collected that info correctly
 
My 'earspeakers' have a huge imbalance 85% left and 15% right.  Im pretty sure its not the adapter at fault having tested both left and right outputs with the good left channel and vice verser.  SO definatley the right earspeaker at fault.
I have learned so far that this is not an un-usual fault over time (30 years or so) as the micro measurments of these devices are suseptible to dust. 
Like you I am not an expert at all but thought I might let you know what I have learned in the last week or so. 
Inside my earcups it appears that componets have been removed from the wiring, and then cut and shut back together,  either Ive been ripped off or this is a common modification, with a view to regaining the balance.  Im not sure but I have viewed around 8 different photos online and they all have 2 components per ear hidden in the earcup.  Diodes I think? 
Im putting off doing a continuity test as I dont have access to exposed wires at the earspeaker end and would rather not start hacking away at the insulation until someone can offer a miracle cure..(I can hope) 
I did a continuity check with the pins after reading an article and they are all open circuit as they should be.
Many thanks and good luck with research
 
 
 

 

[Headdie]

Thank you both for the feedback.
 
The energizers run forever and the amplifiers can be cleaned and recapped...
 
So I understand that the earphones are the weaker link. Foam decays and dust gets in the drivers...
 
Fixing/replacing pads should not be a problem for me. But what about opening the cups to clean the drivers and replace the foam inside ?
 
Are the old sr-40 and sr-80 easy to open for cleaning and maintenance ?

 

[ktm]

I haven't tried to open a set of sr-40. They work great, and all I would do is cause a problem. The real trick is to find a good set, then take care of them.

 

[Headdie]

Buntudor,
 
I have an opportunity on a SR-84 system : sr-80 / srd-4.
 
The guy ask 250$ telling me that it's mint.
 
I'll meet him and listen to his Stax system.
 
Is there something that I should check to make sure everything's perfect ?
 
Thanks,

 

[charliex]

Quote:

Buntudor,
 
I have an opportunity on a SR-84 system : sr-80 / srd-4.
 
The guy ask 250$ telling me that it's mint.
 
I'll meet him and listen to his Stax system.
 
Is there something that I should check to make sure everything's perfect ?
 
Thanks,

WOW - way overpriced.  Last set I bought was well under $100.00 (closer to $75.00)
 

 

[Headdie]

Ok, I finally got SR-X Mk3 / SRD-7.
 
Do you know if some Stax earphones of that time share the same parts ?
 
I think I'll have to replace some parts on the Mk3, so I wonder which models I could hunt for parts...

 

[Headdie]

Hi guys,
 
Actually, there's a severe lack of bass coming from my SR-X Mk3 and/or SRD-7. I understand that bass is not a strength of the SR-X, but this is clearly anormal.
 
The earpads are dead, so I'll try to prototype a new pair and get a proper seal, just to know if it's the cause.
 
That being said, what else could be the cause ? Could it be from the SRD-7 ? I assume it's undestructible, but I may be mistaken...
 
Any help would be welcome.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Headdie

 

[kevin gilmore]

Let them charge for a few days.

 

[5aces]

I might hit these up myself...

http://www.audiocubes2.com/brand/Stax/product/Stax_Replacement_Pads_for_SR-X_MKIII_Earspeakers.html

P.S.-just ordered,will follow up.

 

[Headdie]

They've begun to improve after a day of charge... I'd like to think they are charging
 
Could someone explain simply what happen inside ? Same kind of magic I guess...
 
Thanks,
 
Quote:

Let them charge for a few days.

 

 

[spritzer]

The diaphragm coating on these sets doesn't age well and contacts corrode which adds considerable resistance to the system. 

 

[chinsettawong]

The coating on the diaphragm deteriorates over time.  And the resistance on the diaphragm surface becomes much higher than what it used to be.  Therefore, it takes a lot longer time to charge up.  If you can, just keep it charged at all time.
 
Wachara C.

 

[Headdie]

Well understood, thank you !
 
It may be a stupid question, but does it mean I should stay with the SRD-7 non SB version ? This way, I could keep them on charge, without my NAD turned on...
 
BTW, I guess they're even better after two days on charge.