[ServinginEcuador]

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue12/staxomega.htm

 

[kuma]

Thanks Doug.

I've read the review and certainly this is not what i'm hearing from the same set up.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

I wonder why? Cabling? Tubes? Expectations too high?

Or, are you just used to a different sound? I know that when I got the O2 that a wise person said to spend at least 2-3 weeks exclusively with them. After two weeks of untraining yourself from what you're used to you'll apreciate them and what they can do when you switch back to something else. It's worth a shot, and free to boot.

 

[kuma]

Doug,

Probably expectation too high.
There is no tube involved in this rig except when I was using the Art Audio Vinyl Ref. phonostage.
I've tried 4 ICs, 3 PCs and different phono. ( one more to come ).

I'll try one more ICs between the Krell cdp and the 717.
The way it is now, it is not timing at all.

My gut tells me it's their amp, tho.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuma Doug, Probably expectation too high. There is no tube involved in this rig except when I was using the Art Audio Vinyl Ref. phonostage. I've tried 4 ICs, 3 PCs and different phono. ( one more to come ). I'll try one more ICs between the Krell cdp and the 717. The way it is now, it is not timing at all. My gut tells me it's their amp, tho.

Sounds like there's not much else to point to at this juncture. I know the O2s are capable of soaring like no one's business, and if that's not what you're hearing I tend to think it is also the amp. (I mentioned the tubes as I thought it was the 007T, not the 717.)

 

[kuma]

Doug,

I was lead to beleive that their tube amps are even softer and noisier than their solid state amplifiers.

Funny thing is that the 717 sounds like an immitation of a bad tube amp.

 

[panda]

kuma, maybe you can get a transformer that will allow you to use one of your power amps, like your jota or rowland for example i bet that would sound pretty neat.

kgss will clean up what you are hearing out of the stax amp, but don't expect fast bass. the low end is about as realistic as i've ever heard, meaning it is slightly slow which sounds closer to life to me. i prefer colored when it comes to bass though as you know, lol, tight fast bass lines make me smile.

doesn't have that drive of rs1 and the top end has kind of a tint with some sharp edges. i could never get into stats... i told you from the getgo that you probably wouldn't like them, heh.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuma I was lead to beleive that their tube amps are even softer and noisier than their solid state amplifiers.

The SRM-007t may be many things, but noisy is not one of them. "Soft", on the other hand, may well be. Good transcient attack, but still not great, nor is instrument separation the best possible.

If you can find an SRD-7 Pro, you can hook the OII to any power amp. Downside is that you've got to go through the native Stax cable from amp to energizer, and that cable may well not be the best for the job

 

[88Sound]

The only electrostatic's I've ever heard are the O2's. I started out with the 717, running with balanced connections out of a DV-50. I listened to them this way for months and liked them alot with a couple of exceptions. They would play clean and effortless at a fairly loud level, just slightly louder and they would instantly and obviously distort. Just back off a bit and everything was OK.

Curiosity got the better of me and I purchased a Black Gated Blue Hawaii and Telefunken EL34 tubes (I have been listening to this combo for over a year). Much more power, no distortion at high listening levels, bass is ultra deep, tight, controlled, textured (moreso than any other phone I've heard). The high end, especially cymbals sound very realistic and metallic without being splashy. The Blue Hawaii has a much more organic sound than the 717. The 717 sounds more like a great stereo where the BH is more like real instruments in your listening room.

The curiosity thing came up again and I realised the only tubes I'd ever listened to with the BH were the Tele's. I was having trouble believing that the only tubes that would sound great in the BH were these ultra expensive NOS tubes so I tried a set of the reissued Russian Mullards for three months. They sound good but lack in several areas to the Tele's. Primarily the bass although deep was much less controlled, even fuzzy by comparison. The high end on the russian tubes was splashy by comparison.

I had the BH/Tele combo + 717 for direct comparison for several months before I sold the 717. I had not heard one instance on any material where the 717 was preferred over the BH/Tele combo. I still think the 717 is a fine amp at it's commonly discounted price.

Even after all this rambling it boils down to system synergy and the sonic qualities you value most.

 

[wa5655]

Will HeadRoom Max and O2 be a good combo?

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa5655 Will HeadRoom Max and O2 be a good combo?

not really, unless you get the SR-007BL version of the O2, in which case you'll at least have an amp and headphone that matches in color despite them not working together since the Max is a dynamic headphone amplifier, and the O2 is an electrostatic headphone.

 

[kuma]

Panda.

The Omega II/SRM717 did not make a cut.
I much preferd the older Stax 'fones rather than these *gooberised* version.

Oh well.
At least I've tried and found out these were horrible mismatch with my taste and systems.