Stax Sigma Low Bais and Stax Sigma Pros

[Scottsmrnyc]

I am listening to Hearts of Space- an internet radio program- HOS.COM. You have to subscribe to it- with my SRA 12S and my Sigma low Bais' I am in total heaven. The ambience is just incredible. I wish you were all here. Scottsmrnyc

 

[edstrelow]

Thanls John Buchanan, I had kind of forgotten some of those threads. I don't think I ever sat down to do a side by side comparison of the low bias, pro and 404 Sigma variants but I did compare the low and high bias Sigmas

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=174028

as well as the Sigma/404 and the 404

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=183810

The Sigma/404 is closest in sound to the Sigma pro but with more treble and a bit more subtlety. The basic low bias Sigma is still in my opionion a pretty interesting phone.

 

[dvse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-cee /img/forum/go_quote.gif the sigmas are such a cool looking headphone, pity they rarely come up for sale =( does anyone do the Sigma/404 conversion for a fee? or have some in their inventory??

In principle you shouldn't have any trouble doing it yourself - the only thing it seems to require is separating the driver from the metal plate and then gluing it back - or perhaps can just move the whole assembly?

Just be more careful than with the Lambda Pros

I've been thinking about getting a Sigma/303 for a while myself.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvse /img/forum/go_quote.gif In principle you shouldn't have any trouble doing it yourself - the only thing it seems to require is separating the driver from the metal plate and then gluing it back - or perhaps can just move the whole assembly? Just be more careful than with the Lambda Pros I've been thinking about getting a Sigma/303 for a while myself

Well the Sigma/Lambda/4070 family all have the same drivers. Swapping and changing them is fiddly, but there isn't much to it. Likewise you can change drivers in the SR-1/3/5/X/Gamma series, although you have glue to contend with there.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edstrelow /img/forum/go_quote.gif The basic low bias Sigma is still in my opionion a pretty interesting phone.

They are one of my favorite phones ever. The Blue Hawaii really whips them into shape producing some of the best bass ever with great ambiance. We really need some Pro bias phones with a 2um film!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well the Sigma/Lambda/4070 family all have the same drivers. Swapping and changing them is fiddly, but there isn't much to it. Likewise you can change drivers in the SR-1/3/5/X/Gamma series, although you have glue to contend with there.

The SR-X drivers are glued but the SR-1/3/5 are all sandwiched in place with rubber rings acting as the seal. I haven't dared to open up the Gammas yet as I don't know if I can get some new pads.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif We really need some Pro bias phones with a 2um film!

Sounds like another DIY project for you.

Trying a different kind of plastic film than polyester might be fun as they'll have different mechanical properties. Imagine a diaphragm made from polycarbonate film, or even better, PTFE film.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sounds like another DIY project for you. Trying a different kind of plastic film than polyester might be fun as they'll have different mechanical properties. Imagine a diaphragm made from polycarbonate film, or even better, PTFE film.

Those with more experience then I in this game say that Mylar-C is the only option. It has the right combination of extreme tensile strength with a small heat shrink ability. It doesn't age that much and can handle huge temperature variations with ease (the moon lander was wrapped in mylar for protection). Micro-Seiki used a different film (same material as in garbage bags) and I believe that Koss didn't use mylar for the ESP9 but I've never torn them apart to find out.

I do have some 2um film here but I'm at the point where it will be very expensive for me to continue any development. There isn't a PCB house here that can handle the stuff I need for prototyping and importing is a serious hassle. Maybe I should go yell at someone until the government gives me a grant to continue the research.

 

[Scottsmrnyc]

As The Floyd would say- " Hello, is there anyone out there?" Well, It's raining in NYC today and I have been wearing my Stax Sigmas all morning as I listen to internet radio. Regular radio is just so loaded with commericalization that I can't stand it any longer.
Is there any information out there in regard to which or what type of CD Player- not portable- would sound best with the Stax Sigma Pros and or Non Pro headphones. I am using a Stax SRM 007t for the Sigma Pros and a Stax SRA 12s for the non pros. Any thoughts? Scottsmrnyc
'

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottsmrnyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif As The Floyd would say- " Hello, is there anyone out there?" Well, It's raining in NYC today and I have been wearing my Stax Sigmas all morning as I listen to internet radio. Regular radio is just so loaded with commericalization that I can't stand it any longer. Is there any information out there in regard to which or what type of CD Player- not portable- would sound best with the Stax Sigma Pros and or Non Pro headphones. I am using a Stax SRM 007t for the Sigma Pros and a Stax SRA 12s for the non pros. Any thoughts? Scottsmrnyc '

Make a Y-cable adaptor so you can run your SR-Sigma off the 007t but bias them from the 12S.

 

[gz76]

Awww, I just sold mine. I knew I'd regret it!

I'm trying not to think about it, and then a thread like this pops up.

 

[98664c3yijh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those with more experience then I in this game say that Mylar-C is the only option. It has the right combination of extreme tensile strength with a small heat shrink ability. It doesn't age that much and can handle huge temperature variations with ease (the moon lander was wrapped in mylar for protection). Micro-Seiki used a different film (same material as in garbage bags) and I believe that Koss didn't use mylar for the ESP9 but I've never torn them apart to find out. I do have some 2um film here but I'm at the point where it will be very expensive for me to continue any development. There isn't a PCB house here that can handle the stuff I need for prototyping and importing is a serious hassle. Maybe I should go yell at someone until the government gives me a grant to continue the research.

probably it does not apply here, but caps with Mylar dielectric are rather poor sounding, definitely to be avoided in the signal path (PTFE being the best). not sure if that's because of the poor dielectric properties (non-linearity or hysteresis alltogether) or poor inner mechanical damping (anyone heard "singing caps"?) or both. but PFE seems too easy deformable for a membrane...just some loose thoughts.

Spritzer, for curiosity's sake, what kind of special PCB manufacturing capabilities do you need?

best!
--jarek

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98664c3yijh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Spritzer, for curiosity's sake, what kind of special PCB manufacturing capabilities do you need?

You make PCBs?

 

[98664c3yijh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif You make PCBs?

no, good heavens, no!

i made some when i was a teenager

was just curious what is needed.

anyway, i think finding a good PCB shop (like with a milling machine for fast proto) should not be a problem, or?

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98664c3yijh /img/forum/go_quote.gif probably it does not apply here, but caps with Mylar dielectric are rather poor sounding, definitely to be avoided in the signal path (PTFE being the best). not sure if that's because of the poor dielectric properties (non-linearity or hysteresis alltogether) or poor inner mechanical damping (anyone heard "singing caps"?) or both. but PFE seems too easy deformable for a membrane...just some loose thoughts. Spritzer, for curiosity's sake, what kind of special PCB manufacturing capabilities do you need? best! --jarek

I'm not completely sure but I think Kondo uses mylar in some of their caps and they are probably the best money can buy.

Some of it I will keep for my self but it has to be very thin and under very strict QC. Most PCB houses can do this but none here locally. It can suck to live on an isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic with a population of only 300k...

 

[98664c3yijh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not completely sure but I think Kondo uses mylar in some of their caps and they are probably the best money can buy. Some of it I will keep for my self but it has to be very thin and under very strict QC. Most PCB houses can do this but none here locally. It can suck to live on an isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic with a population of only 300k...

that's what i thought -- very high, repeatable precission. but then commissioning with some continental EU or GB/IE shops is not a better
option than importing the machines yourself? or the shipping costs for many protos will eat you up?