[okw3188]

After 2 weeks of imbalance experience on my SC-21, I finally send it back to Price Japan for warranty repair. Let's see how's the outcome.

 

[samsie]

I sent mine last week.
 
I tested the SR-009 with a sound pressure level meter (SPL Meter).   I found a difference of 10-12 db.
 
the difference in my old SR404 is 0.5db. 

 
sam 

 

[marcoarment]

Just got channel imbalance on my four-day-old SR-009 from PriceJapan.
 
It's powered by a 252S at the moment, with a KGSSHV arriving next week. I'll be able to rule out the amp then, but based on this, it sounds like it's extremely likely to be the 009 and I'm likely to be shipping it back and forth to Japan for the next few weeks at my expense to get this problem fixed on my four-day-old, $3400 flagship headphones.
 
Had I read this thread before jumping into the electrostatic world, I might not have.
 
Clearly, this problem has been going on for a while, the SR-009 isn't produced in huge quantities, and it usually happens within the first week of use. Why doesn't Stax test each pair with a week of playback first, then measure the response to make sure it's still balanced, before shipping them? Surely, that would be cheaper than all of the service requests, repairs, and reputation damage.

 

[paradoxper]

You might want to see if they don't recover on their own before sending them out.
I talked with Birgir inquiring about what I could do per preventative measures - nothing.
Pretty much it doesn't seem like there's a clear answer here. Birgir mentioned the U.S. military couldn't find a solution surrounding the problems either.
 
It's also not even clear what Stax or Yama's, etc do per repair. 

 

[georgep]

Just got channel imbalance on my four-day-old SR-009 from PriceJapan.


 


It's powered by a 252S at the moment, with a KGSSHV arriving next week. I'll be able to rule out the amp then, but based on this, it sounds like it's extremely likely to be the 009 and I'm likely to be shipping it back and forth to Japan for the next few weeks at my expense to get this problem fixed on my four-day-old, $3400 flagship headphones.


 


Had I read this thread before jumping into the electrostatic world, I might not have.


 


Clearly, this problem has been going on for a while, the SR-009 isn't produced in huge quantities, and it usually happens within the first week of use. Why doesn't Stax test each pair with a week of playback first, then measure the response to make sure it's still balanced, before shipping them? Surely, that would be cheaper than all of the service requests, repairs, and reputation damage.

 


Before concluding you truly have a channel imbalance (as many have found, they actually did not), try some of the usual - discharging the pins and recharging and playing them for a while (repeating a few times), reversing interconnects or different source, different amp, different cans (which I appreciate you cannot do at the moment), leaving the cans alone for a couple of days. There may also be other things to check that are found in this thread and the Stax thread. The three 009s that I have had (and multiple 007 for that matter) have all been perfect in every way, and I recall a recent comment from Spritzer (either here or on the other site) to the effect that he has not come accross a true imbalance issue with any of the multitude of 009s that have crossed his path - not that this helps you in any way.

Also, to my understanding, Stax plays each headphone for a significant period of time before packaging them up (if I recall, this is set out in the factory tour thread somewhere). And in reading on this site, it would appear that all but maybe one or two of the 009s that have been sent back to Stax have been checked and returned without exhibiting any problems - ie nothing is done to the cans and they are returned.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

The volume control of the 252s is awful so at lower volumes it is likely to exhibit imbalance by virtue of the crappy pot.  Usually this is just mostly apparent at lower volumes though.
 
Already getting into an HV and you only had this stuff for a few days!

 

[marcoarment]

  The volume control of the 252s is awful so at lower volumes it is likely to exhibit imbalance by virtue of the crappy pot.  Usually this is just mostly apparent at lower volumes though.
 
Already getting into an HV and you only had this stuff for a few days!

 
Yeah, you all convinced me that I should try a better amp than the 252S, and none of Stax's higher offerings seemed to be particularly well-regarded around here. I did some research, considered the BHSE but didn't want to spend that much or deal with tubes (or lose that much desk/shelf surface area), and ended up buying Spritzer's latest KGSSHV.
 
I know the 252's volume pot is nothing special, but how likely is it to change noticeably and suddenly after a few days of use?

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Beats me, I didn't have any complaints with the 252s when I had it other than the cheapness of the build quality.  I also like the 323s more but it's only a slight step up in build quality.
 
I'm guessing you don't have any Stat buddies you can test your 009's on or other sets on your 252s?

 

[georgep]

Actually, the 323s is excellent value and the 727 is an excellent amp for the money as well (even Justin has commented to this effect), even though it can be made much better with the rather simple feedback mod. Strangely, the Stax amps do not seem to be getting the respect they deserve. Sure the BHSE and KGSSHV are better, but there is quite a big price increase, and they are not readily available.

 

[arnaud]

 

  Clearly, this problem has been going on for a while, the SR-009 isn't produced in huge quantities, and it usually happens within the first week of use. Why doesn't Stax test each pair with a week of playback first, then measure the response to make sure it's still balanced, before shipping them? Surely, that would be cheaper than all of the service requests, repairs, and reputation damage.

 
Also, to my understanding, Stax plays each headphone for a significant period of time before packaging them up (if I recall, this is set out in the factory tour thread somewhere).

 
Indeed, 2 weeks continuous run-in on the electrodes, then 1 week continuous on the assembled product.
 
Besides the obvious (source / ic / amp issue), it could then be either due to shipping or you received a lemon from PJ. I guess the former if not the amp.
 
In any case, I understand the disappointment but that's the drawback from bypassing local distributors / sales network. If that indeed is the phone, it seems PJ is quite responsive and will take care of you.
 
arnaud

 

[Tachikoma]

If you want to rule out the SRM-252S's pot, set it to maximum and put a preamp in front of the 252S.

 

[marcoarment]

Before concluding you truly have a channel imbalance (as many have found, they actually did not), try some of the usual - discharging the pins and recharging and playing them for a while (repeating a few times), reversing interconnects or different source, different amp, different cans (which I appreciate you cannot do at the moment), leaving the cans alone for a couple of days. There may also be other things to check that are found in this thread and the Stax thread. The three 009s that I have had (and multiple 007 for that matter) have all been perfect in every way, and I recall a recent comment from Spritzer (either here or on the other site) to the effect that he has not come accross a true imbalance issue with any of the multitude of 009s that have crossed his path - not that this helps you in any way.

Also, to my understanding, Stax plays each headphone for a significant period of time before packaging them up (if I recall, this is set out in the factory tour thread somewhere). And in reading on this site, it would appear that all but maybe one or two of the 009s that have been sent back to Stax have been checked and returned without exhibiting any problems - ie nothing is done to the cans and they are returned.

 
I'm skeptical. I can't help but think I just spent over $6,000 on a custom amp and an unreliable headphone that I'll soon be selling at a huge loss when I can't get these issues worked out. And I absolutely cannot recommend to anyone else that they take the plunge into Stax gear when it's such a big risk and prone to so many problems.
 
Yes, it sounds better than the HD 800. But not better enough to be worth these headaches. Nearly every other flagship headphone can be bought normally from Amazon, Headroom, etc. and almost never malfunctions after 4 days — and if it does, you can return it quickly and easily.
 
Regardless, since I have no other good choices, I'm doing the various dances. I've discharged the pins many times. I've left them alone all night, then played in the morning. I've played them all day straight and compared. I've adjusted the volume on the 252S pot to different levels to see if the imbalance shifts. Nothing has made a difference, except that it seems to be slowly getting worse. Since the imbalance began, I've never heard them balanced again, even for a moment.
 
I have probably 4–5 days before the KGSSHV arrives, so last night, I put the 009s back in their nicely padded yet disappointingly lightweight fake-veneered wooden box to try the "leave them alone for a few days" option until the other amp arrives. Then I'll try the "another amp" option.
 
If it still doesn't work, I'm very tempted to abandon this entire failed experiment, see if I can get PJ to do a return for refund on the 009, and take the hit on reselling the KGSSHV for whatever I can get. I expect the best headphones in the world to work 100% of the time and let me enjoy my music, not require me to mess around endlessly trying to get them to work properly.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

While I do sympathize with you I don't get why you didn't use a usa retailer if this risk isn't something you factored in.

 

[georgep]

 
... their nicely padded yet disappointingly lightweight fake-veneered wooden box ....

 


Just so there is no confusion on this, the type of wood used is by its nature very light (like balsa wood), and there is no veneering on it at all. The type of wood was reportedly specifically chosen to assist in controlling humidity - ie the box has purpose beyond looking pretty.

 

[marcoarment]

  While I do sympathize with you I don't get why you didn't use a usa retailer if this risk isn't something you factored in.

 
That's a perfectly fair point — I decided that the $1100+ savings were worth a few potential shipping trips to/from Japan if things went wrong.
 
But — honest question here — with the exception of shipping costs, what part of this process would be substantially better if I had bought from an official US retailer? I'd still have a set of malfunctioning headphones, facing the prospect of sending them in for service for weeks or months at my expense, and having a very good chance that they'd be returned unrepaired, at which point they might work for some mystery reason for an unknown amount of time.