[stax#1]

The stax amps are lacking on power. If you add a good preamp, you will experience music like no other headphones can reproduce. It all depends on the audio gear you have associated with the stax setup. My audio gear for my stax srm-007tII/4070 w/rca clear tops is as followed: accuphase ps-500 line conditioner, Lamm LL2 deluxe w/1950's mullard tubes, accuphase dp-78 sacd player, esoteric d-03 firwire connection with computer for wav files, ic's are one stealth indra on the front end, stealth gs 50-50 back end, and all my pc's are stealth dreams. With this setup, the stax amp/cans are at its best, and there is no other headphones that can touch the quality music being reproduce. Audiophiles have question me on the amount of money spent just to improve the stax's, but as an audiophile, you stride for the best in your system and I strongly believe no matter what you do to improve your stax set, you have not reach the full potential of what these stax cans can reproduce. The most important gear to add to your stax setup to start with is a great preamp. You will be amazed on how much it will improve your stax cans. It will open up your soundstage by ten fold. Once you see the difference, you will get hooked on upgrading in all avenues, thats if your pocket book can stand the stress. I have invested around $60K for my stax setup/audio gear and it was worth every penny. David Picarsic Good Day!

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stax#1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The stax amps are lacking on power. If you add a good preamp, you will experience music like no other headphones can reproduce. It all depends on the audio gear you have associated with the stax setup. My audio gear for my stax srm-007tII/4070 w/rca clear tops is as followed: accuphase ps-500 line conditioner, Lamm LL2 deluxe w/1950's mullard tubes, accuphase dp-78 sacd player, esoteric d-03 firwire connection with computer for wav files, ic's are one stealth indra on the front end, stealth gs 50-50 back end, and all my pc's are stealth dreams. With this setup, the stax amp/cans are at its best, and there is no other headphones that can touch the quality music being reproduce. Audiophiles have question me on the amount of money spent just to improve the stax's, but as an audiophile, you stride for the best in your system and I strongly believe no matter what you do to improve your stax set, you have not reach the full potential of what these stax cans can reproduce. The most important gear to add to your stax setup to start with is a great preamp. You will be amazed on how much it will improve your stax cans. It will open up your soundstage by ten fold. Once you see the difference, you will get hooked on upgrading in all avenues, thats if your pocket book can stand the stress. I have invested around $60K for my stax setup/audio gear and it was worth every penny. David Picarsic Good Day!

Glad you could join us and I would say sorry for you wallet but you've obviously beat me to it...

Stax needs a very resolving setup to shine but the amps are still the weak part. The circuit isn't that great and the tube choice could be so much better and the parts quality is what you expect for an amp that costs much less then 500$ to make.

Btw. You should try out some Toshiba tubes in the 007t and considering the cables you use replace the connectors and input wiring.

 

[krmathis]

@stax#1. Welcome to Head-Fi!

Great Stax rig you got there. Especially the electronic in front of the 007tII...

So you say the 4070 reproduce music better than other headphones (ex. the SR-007) in your setup. Thats interesting, since most of us prefer the SR-007 over the 4070.
They are both awesome headphones though.

 

[Bazile]

Stax#1 mentioning pre-amps made me think a bit about my listening to SR-007's at the San Jose meet. I got to listen there with my DAC in balanced mode. Its output is 4.5 V balanced vrs 2.25 V regularly. Would giving a Stax amp a bit more input add to its possible output? The amp I listened to was a 006t. I don't own any Stax....yet.

Bazile

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazile /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stax#1 mentioning pre-amps made me think a bit about my listening to SR-007's at the San Jose meet. I got to listen there with my DAC in balanced mode. Its output is 4.5 V balanced vrs 2.25 V regularly. Would giving a Stax amp a bit more input add to its possible output? The amp I listened to was a 006t. I don't own any Stax....yet. Bazile

The input voltage is higher so the gain is higher but there isn't more power involved.

 

[Scottsmrnyc]

Stsc Amps, I have the SRM007t and the Omega two's. I must admit that some cds I play sound really great and I can't imagine it sounding that much better for the extra money that they do on the SRM007t. I think that a lot fo people who don't like Stax Amps might have low quality source materials? As we speak, I am listening to a cd on my Stax set up that sounds really clear, spacial, bassy etc where the volume is turned up halfway and it sounds really great. I think it is all a matter of the Source Material.

Scottsmrnyc

 

[spritzer]

The better the source the more I don't like the Stax amps. Go to one of the NYC meets and listen to a Blue Hawaii, Woo GES, KGSS or some of the other after market amps.

 

[donc55]

I agree that the source is very important!
 
Too many opinions and reviews of STAX equipment, with cheap CD players as the source.
 
For most audiophiles headphones are a secondary source, behind CD/SACD and phono, through speakers.
 
My source is Pass Labs X1, Sony 5400 CD/SACD, and a $10K turntable setup.
 
I found the SRM T1S, with Low noise RCA clear tops, gives SOTA sound on my SR-009 and Lambda Nova Signature's. 
 
Balanced (XLR) PRO interconnect cables (MarkerTek Carare Star-Quad microphone) to the Stax amps are also necessary.
 
Turn on the Stax driver amp 2 hours before listening, then the sound will ramp up in quality over the next hour, and you will be in heaven!
 
Originally Posted by stax#1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The stax amps are lacking on power. If you add a good preamp, you will experience music like no other headphones can reproduce. It all depends on the audio gear you have associated with the stax setup. My audio gear for my stax srm-007tII/4070 w/rca clear tops is as followed: accuphase ps-500 line conditioner, Lamm LL2 deluxe w/1950's mullard tubes, accuphase dp-78 sacd player, esoteric d-03 firwire connection with computer for wav files, ic's are one stealth indra on the front end, stealth gs 50-50 back end, and all my pc's are stealth dreams. With this setup, the stax amp/cans are at its best, and there is no other headphones that can touch the quality music being reproduce. Audiophiles have question me on the amount of money spent just to improve the stax's, but as an audiophile, you stride for the best in your system and I strongly believe no matter what you do to improve your stax set, you have not reach the full potential of what these stax cans can reproduce. The most important gear to add to your stax setup to start with is a great preamp. You will be amazed on how much it will improve your stax cans. It will open up your soundstage by ten fold. Once you see the difference, you will get hooked on upgrading in all avenues, thats if your pocket book can stand the stress. I have invested around $60K for my stax setup/audio gear and it was worth every penny. David Picarsic Good Day!