[crumpler]

 
It does seem like tubes are the way forward eh? Although i'm pretty hesitant to get started on tubes of any kind cos i simply don't want to keep investing money and to avoid all the other tube related problems.
 
Any particular reason y there are no high end SS STAX amps from 3rd party manufacturers?
 
Quote:

I have a BHKE made by someone else. It wasn't that expensive. Just got new EL-34's that rock. Much better than the modern Mullard. 

 

[spritzer]

The short answer is that tubes and electrostatics are just some similar that they work well together. 
 
The long answer is that it isn't easy to design a high end SS amp.  The first issue is what transistors should be used.  There is nothing complementary out there that can handle more than 600V so you need to do a SE based output stage.  Very few high voltage transistors are still in production (the 2SC3675 used in the KGSS is for instance out of production now) so there are really slim pickings out there.  The second is the complexity of the amp, multiple stages and all of them driven by a CCS costs a lot and takes skill to develop. 
 
Tubes are simply less of a hassle.  One ECC83 and one 6SN7 per channel is enough to make an ESP amp, not a very good one but still it is easy and you offer the customers the illusion of making it "better" by using more expensive tubes. 

 

[crumpler]

Apparently the wait now at Head-direct for the Jades are 2 months and they will be terminated with STAX plugs. 
 
I wouldn't have minded taking the plunge with these if they were readily available but given that they might take up to 2 months, i'm pretty sure the electrostatics soundscape would have changed considerably with the advent of the C32s soon.
 
I've asked Dr Fang if head-direct has any other stats on the radar since they have pretty much struck gold with the HE-6s so time to wave his magic wand on the electrostatic arena.
 
*Fingers Crossed* 

 

[immtbiker]

It will be worth the wait. They bring me joy each and everyday. 

 

[ironbut]

I agree with Aaron. After all, I think that I waited longer than that for mine.
BTW, did Fang say that the cable is different? I'm planning on doing some experimenting with mine. I saw the previous post regarding cable upgrading and plan to try some things.
I did try my Jades with an Exstata hybrid in Chicago (jp#'s) and I thought it was an excellent match. Better than some pretty high priced amps IMHO.

 

[Anders]

Any experiences of how Jade compares to Stax 507? If I want an alternative to O2. Of course, I expect O2 to be better than both two but some alteration can also be fun.
 

 

[crumpler]

Dr Fang did reply and the Jades are still going for USD$1499 with a 10 year repair warranty but the 2 month wait still holds after payment. They will be terminated with STAX plugs but not sure if the cables used are different.
 
I did ask about the rumoured upcoming head-direct electrostatics too but Dr Fang replied that he expects them to be approximately 1-2years away, so nothing in the near future.

 

[FrankCooter]

Quote:

Any experiences of how Jade compares to Stax 507? If I want an alternative to O2. Of course, I expect O2 to be better than both two but some alteration can also be fun.
 

Keep an eye out for the impressions of the upcoming NorCal meet. Both will be there. I have a pair of 507 and my table mate Ironbut has Jades. I'm looking  forward to a little comparison myself.
 

 

[DannyB]

"Originally Posted by Anders 
 
Any experiences of how Jade compares to Stax 507? If I want an alternative to O2. Of course, I expect O2 to be better than both two but some alteration can also be fun."
 
 
 
I'm not so sure I would jump to the conclusion that the O2 is better than both. In my experience the Jade and O2Mk2 are different both with their respective strengths and weaknesses. IMHO it is clearly an issue of personal preference. At this level of performance one does not necessarily trump the other. I have no experience with the STAX 507 so I cannot comment on that.

 

[Dr No]

My opinion is that the 507 is better than the O2.
Have never heard the Jade.

 

[lolhahaha]

Wow, I'm still reading through this thread.
 
If anybody, or a few of you, would give me some ideas for an amp I'd appreciate it. I've had my pair for about a year and I'm still using the SRD-7sbMk2 and would rather go directly from the source rather than through my amp.
 

 

[immtbiker]

I can give you the examples that I use but they are expensive. The Stax 007t is worthless. I used the Woo Audio GES for over a year, and they don't scream, "heaven on earth". The only amps that have really made the Jades shine, were the Woo WES ($5K without mods), the RSA A-10 ($5500).
The Aristaeus (expensive and have to be bought used), and the GES ($5500 without mods), and the Blue Hawaii ($6K).
 
What I did was buy a diy Blue Hawaii SE from a friend, for around $3K, and I am in hog heaven. It was built to Dr. Gilmore's exact specs, with some nice add on features (2 umbilicals...one for AC and one for DC), a circuit that would not turn on the P/S without it being connected to the amp, and a couple of others, like the option of both SE and balanced inputs, and so on.
 
I had the P/S built in a chassis that was the same exact size as the amp so I could stack them (unlike the original design). Justin's cases are some of the most handsome cases that I've ever seen and wish that I had $6K, But I had the chassis's powdercoated in blue (afterall, it is a Blue Hawaii), and they came out really nice looking, bur Justin's are still the best.
 
Using an amp that's not worthy of the Jade's potential is like washing your feet with your socks on.
 
So buy used, or find someone willing to make one for you at just the cost of the materials, that does it for the love of the build. Otherwise, shell out the cash and buy Justin's. You won't be sorry. I find that Justin's BHSE is superior to the WES and A-10. I had a mini-meet over my house and everyone agreed.
 
I know that I've posted it before, but here's mine:
 

 
 
 
 
 
Here's a picture of the beautiful Sapphire midnight blue cases when it was dipped at a shop that specialized in motorcycle parts re-finishing:
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 

[customcoco]

immtbiker
how would you rank the jades against the O2 out of a "modest" amp such as the 727?
 
btw: do i see a head fi beer on top of your blue hawaii?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I'll chime in that I thought my Jade did very well out of a modest amp like my old GES, and they reminded me a bit of my O2 Mk2 in the mids, being more forward sounding than the Mk1.  I got better bass impact from the Jade because the GES ran out of steam with the O2 (Mk1 or Mk2), and the Jade had better treble presence as well while either O2 seemed a little dark on my GES.  Interestingly, at a head-fi meet in Feb 2009 Naamanf and I compared the Jade, HE Audio 1.3, O2 Mk1 and Mk2 on his Blue Hawaii amp (not an SE) and we still both preferred the Jade, although I recall that his K1000 on the B22 amp were even better. (note - the 1.3 sounded like a Jade)
 
I kept my Jade and sold the O2 Mk2, and then traded my O2 Mk1 for a K1000, but then missed the O2 and bought Naamanf's O2 Mk1 (but I never had an amp that could do the K1000 justice).  That was a really crazy time.  But the Jade didn't have as good of a soundstage and it was more like the flat soundstage of the Koss ESP-950 or Grado RS-1, being flatter front to rear than either O2 Mk1 or Mk2; and so I sold those last year and kept just the O2 Mk1 and HE-60 which had better soundstage and imaging.  If I didn't own the HE-60 I would have kept the Jade, for something to change things up when I wanted a different sound than the O2.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

 kept just the O2 Mk1 and HE-60 which had better soundstage and imaging.  If I didn't own the HE-60 I would have kept the Jade, for something to change things up when I wanted a different sound than the O2.

It's sort of funny you ended up with HE60 and O2 Mk1, which is what I ended up with.  I still kept the HE Audio 1.2B though (God, that 1.3 was ugly!).  I'm sure SR-009 is somewhere in the future for me though.