[jimbobuk]

I kind of asked about this before getting my cans here

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=132885

no one replied in the end

Its slightly different question now that i have the amp.. I've been doing some listening with my

SRM-313
Omega II

and have found that they really start to blossom with some serious volume, especially in the bass, but everywhere really. I'm using foobar with its volume control so that i can remote control it when listening.. depending on material this volume level is set to -5db to about -12db .. with it set to there i have the actual amp's dial set to about 4.5 on the dial.

All Stax amps are supposed to have the same gain amp-ing so i take it they're all similarly loud at the same volumes..

So what volumes do you guys mostly listen to.. I don't know what my source volume control is equivelant to but -10db is quite a bit reduction, single dbs are reasonably audible.

Relating back to my original question.. where am i going to damage my Omega IIs by arcing.. are the stax amps built to go fairly far round on the dial with normal volume material or is most of that dial for more quiet material?

I'm more used to listening at 1/4 on most equipment, 1/2 when watching movies that are always so much quieter with no dynamic compression enabled.

In short the volume does sound loud, but although it probably is a bit damaging to my ears long term its the kind of level that i'd feel comfortable listening to with most cans if i was really listening and wanting a bit of a rush.

Cheers

 

[kevin gilmore]

most stax amps have a fixed voltage gain at full volume of 1000.
In the case of the srm-313 which has a maximum of 600 volts
peak to peak stator to ground that would mean that .6 volts
peak to peak input voltage, maxes out the voltage swing right
before clipping. So you can figure out what your sound card level
is for .6 volts peak to peak and calculate back from there.

Other than the old transformer boxes i do not believe any of
the current stax amplifiers has the capability of burning up the
headphones even at severe clipping levels.

The o2's are definitely capable of permanently damaging your
hearing. But you will have a smile on your face while doing so.

 

[catscratch]

I use the SRM-313 amp and SR-404 headphones. I listen at between 4 and 5 mostly, but some of my older classical recordings are fairly quiet and definitely need more volume, so the amp can go up to as much as 6. At louder listening levels, the forward treble of the SR-404 becomes very intrusive, but perhaps I'm simply moving away from a brighter sound in my personal preferences. The SR-404 certainly doesn't need a lot of volume to give you clarity, but it needs a lot more volume to give you body and presense. I'm guessing that on the O2, this isn't a problem.

 

[sclamb]

On my Omega II/007t set-up, I listen at between 2 & 3 on the volume control. Three is plenty loud enough. I did go to five once but I lowered it quickly as I felt the onset of ear bleed was not far off

Simon

 

[jimbobuk]

Thanks for the replies guys..

It looks like the 313 perhaps needs a bit more grunt, but i think with foobar's scaling into consideration i'm getting near to sclamb's 007t volume level.

kevin, thanks so much for your reply.. your knowledge is without question and i'm desperate to understand what you said. My PC is output digitally to my DAC. I trust the foobar2000 -db value as like most things in foobar its been implemented right with audio quality/detail always being the focus (as well as a neat internal code layout compared to winamp etc).

But however much i'd love to understand what you said your post when so far over my head i can just about see it peeking at me through the clouds above.

Are you saying that the 313 could potentially be less loud than some of the bigger stax amps, even though its got a constant db gain quoted by Stax?

I guess knowing how to work with this

Quote:

So you can figure out what your sound card level is for .6 volts peak to peak and calculate back from there.

would perhaps help me figure it out.

Again though thanks everyone, some listening is fast approaching

 

[gsferrari]

Talking about points on the volume control is meaningless because sources dont have a standard "level" at the output.




Quote:

Originally Posted by sclamb On my Omega II/007t set-up, I listen at between 2 & 3 on the volume control. Three is plenty loud enough. I did go to five once but I lowered it quickly as I felt the onset of ear bleed was not far off Simon

 

[jimbobuk]

surely line-level has some form of a standard.. i hear you in some sources will deviate from that level, but then surely not by too much!? don't some devices only work with inputs in a tight range around the standard level?

Anyways the results so far (from a statistically insignificant number of people) seem to suggest we're all in similar areas.

Of course beyond the equipment is the music itself, to do it properly we should all listen with the same track and pick a setting.. ideally on same source equipment.

Its nice to have a guide and no that i've not gone deaf yet.

Time to listen with a special album, so the level will be high!!!

enjoy folks, laters.

 

[Sugano-san]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sclamb On my Omega II/007t set-up, I listen at between 2 & 3 on the volume control. Three is plenty loud enough. I did go to five once but I lowered it quickly as I felt the onset of ear bleed was not far off Simon

I prefer vol. 4 with the very same setup. Between 2 and 3 would be too low for me, but I suppose that may have to do with your use of the balanced input, which is supposed to be 6dB louder than the single-ended that I am using.

 

[sclamb]

Good point. The balanced inputs do indeed increase the signal so that may account for the lower volume setting for me.

Simon

 

[jimbobuk]

which lines up nicely with my ~-6db that i have set in foobar2000 with my setup dialed to 4.5, along with music level differences i reckon that all our sources must be in a similar area of volume as we're all clustered fairly close together.

 

[Ken B]

I suppose that all the Stax amps will have the same perceived output level. That was true when I compared a 006t to a 717. I thought because of the higher voltage swing, the 717 would play louder with my 404's. It did not, but it sounded more dynamic and with a greater sense of ease. Depending on recording level my volume control is generally beyond the half way position even sometimes close to maximum. No, I am not abusing my ears. My modified SACD player only outputs .75 volt, less than half the standard 2 volts of most cd players.