[Uncledan]

I would like to know it is true that I can use stax headphone on my Simaudio I-7 150W Dual Mono Integrated amp if I added an stax energizer box. Do you know where do I able to buy an energizer box? what model should I buy?
thx

 

[krmathis]

Yeah, that should work.

Simaudio I-7 -> Stax SRD-(something) -> Stax headphone

Depending on the Stax headphone, if its Normal (230v) or Pro (580v) there are several units to choose from.
SRD-7 -> Normal Bias (2 outlets)
SRD-7 MK2 -> Normal and Pro Bias
SRD-7 Pro -> Pro Bias (2 outlets)

Picture of the SRD-7 family (I had them all)

They come up for sale in the usual places once in a while.
eBay.de, eBay.com, Head-Fi FS forum, AudiogoN, ...

 

[webbie64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, that should work. Simaudio I-7 -> Stax SRD-(something) -> Stax headphone Depending on the Stax headphone, if its Normal (230v) or Pro (580v) there are several units to choose from. SRD-7 -> Normal Bias (2 outlets) SRD-7 MK2 -> Normal and Pro Bias SRD-7 Pro -> Pro Bias (2 outlets) Picture of the SRD-7 family (I had them all) They come up for sale in the usual places once in a while. eBay.de, eBay.com, Head-Fi FS forum, AudiogoN, ...

Well, he almost had them all....

There's also the SRD7-SB, which is a self biasing energiser for Normal Bias (230v) Stax. 2 outlets - just connects to the amp speaker terminals (no other power required).

(Sorry, krmathis

)

 

[krmathis]

^ Yeah, how could I forgot those.

In addition to the SRD-7SB, there are also the SRD-7mk2SB. Which are self-biasing and have both Normal and Pro Bias outputs.

 

[Uncledan]

Man, if I want to buy a 007MKII or 4070earspeaker, which amp should I get?
How much are they for used units? Do stax still make new units?
thx

 

[webbie64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ Yeah, how could I forgot those. In addition to the SRD-7SB, there are also the SRD-7mk2SB. Which are self-biasing and have both Normal and Pro Bias outputs.

Hmm. I didn't know about those. Thanks, krmathis.

Do you know if they perform well enough needing to generate the higher bias?

If so, as an older Austraian ad says, wheredoyaget it? (nowadays - never seen one here so I figure they're extremely rare

).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncledan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, if I want to buy a 007MKII or 4070earspeaker, which amp should I get? How much are they for used units? Do stax still make new units? thx

Use the Stax Thread - do some searches and gain some impressions.

It really can be a case of different strokes for different folks. There is agreement the O2s take a really good amp to drive them well and the 717 seems to get a lot of agreement as a Stax amp to drive them. Aftermarket amps are preferred by many for the O2. The MkIIs also benefit from a mod to get their sound closer to the Mk1s.

I've not owned a 4070 so best info would be from the Stax Thread or when krmathis responds here.

 

[Sherwood]

There are things the energizers (with good amps behind them) do better than the amps, like macrodynamics and bass impact, and things the amps do better than the energizers, like microdetail.

The energizers are much cheaper if you already have high-quality amplification, but they are not currently in production.

If you want the 4070 or the O2, you'll need a pro bias energizer. There are three of those: SRD-7 MK2,
SRD-7 Pro, srd-7mk2SB. They are fairly rare, and sell very quickly for about $300. I've been waiting about 6 months for one to come up to no avail. If you're willing to settle in for a long winter's nap, go for it, if you want a little quicker gratification your best bet is the SRM-717, the Woo GES, or one of Headamp's Kevin Gilmore designs (KGSS, KGBH, KGBHSE). As far as I know, none of the above can just be bought off the shelf today, so to speak.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncledan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, if I want to buy a 007MKII or 4070earspeaker, which amp should I get? How much are they for used units? Do stax still make new units? thx

The SR-007 are very power hungry, more so than the 4070 (SR-404, SR-303, ..).
I find the top end Stax amplifiers, like SRM-007t and SRM-717 to perform very well with both. But then again I have never heard a 3rd. party amplifier like the KGBH, KGSS, Aristaeus, ...

If you still talk about transformers, and not amplifiers, the SR-007 and 4070 are Pro bias. So you want one of the three Pro bias energizers. SRD-7 Pro, SRD-7mk2 or SRD-7mk2SB.
I sold an SRD-7mk2 this summer for $300. So be prepared to pay around that to score one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by webbie64 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm. I didn't know about those. Thanks, krmathis. Do you know if they perform well enough needing to generate the higher bias?

The SRD-7mk2SB are quite rare. I have never heard one, and very little are written about it around here.
So I really don't know how it perform compared to the SRD-7mk2.

 

[Uncledan]

Thanks for your information! Sounds like it will be better if I can get a SRD-7 Pro, SRD-7mk2 or SRD-7mk2SB, since I already got a pretty good speaker amp. However, the problem is it is not easy to find one in the market.

 

[krmathis]

Forgot to tell that Stax stopped producing those transformers around 1990.
Fingers crossed that you find one!

 

[shamu144]

I am afraid you are missing one more energizer to list

the Illusion ESC-1001.

It is much more recent than SRD7 families, and apparently only got discontinued this year.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood There are things the energizers (with good amps behind them) do better than the amps, like macrodynamics and bass impact, and things the amps do better than the energizers, like microdetail.

I could easily agree with the macro dynamic and bass impact... However, the Illusion ESC-1001 parts quality is much superior to the SRD7 family, and with a very transparent speaker cable (I personally used Synergistic Research resolution reference), you can get plenty enough microdetails (astonishing)... The question is wether it can be better than a good dedicated amp or not. The other question regarding this energizer is if it will allow to drive the O2 to their full potential with a beast of speaker amp (and I mean a beast

).

I still have that loan offer in the back of my head, but couldn't decide myself yet... Krmathis and Spritzer, you are both on top of the list, so I believe we might just give it a go some day.

 

[Sherwood]

QUIERO

 

[Uncledan]

For the Illusion ESC-1001, where do I able to buy a new unit? also, how much does it cost?

Illusion ESC-1001 + Simaudio I-7 150W -> 007MKII

OR

007tMKII -> 007MKII

Which system will give better result?

thx

 

[Sherwood]

The illusion is out of production, and basically impossible to find. If you did find one, they are around $600 IIRC.

 

[Sherwood]

Basically, the general impression regarding Stax technology is that not a one of the products they currently manufacture are their best, except possibly the O2 Mk. 2, though it is generally agreed upon that the Mk. 1 is superior in terms of overall sound.

Buying new gear gets you a warranty and the ability to give money to a dealer right now and have them ship you a product immediately. You lose money and sound quality for that convenience, though.

The only SOTA Stax product currently being produced by anyone is the Headamp KGBHSE, so far as I know.