[Drumonron]

Quote:

The SR5 is a good phone but just about any Lambda will probably sound like an improvement.

Definitely agree with this comment...though I've never heard the SR5, myself...wish it was a lambda he was comparing it to(202,303, or 404)

 

[dave650]

Quote:

I'm looking forward to dave650's impressions....word is they are waiting for him at his house but he is somewhere else.
 
I appreciate all of the impressions for what they are and don't take offense easily so thanks to all posters on this thread. 

I've been using them for two hours a day all week.
Im not sure if I can give an objective impression, as these are the first lambdas Ive ever owned and indeed heard.
Here's what my chain is:
 
Heavily modded Rega turntable, with modded RB300 and denon DL103
Benz micro Lukaschek PP1 phono stage
Stax SRM - T1
Stax SR-507
(this is my first expensive system)
 
Lots of heavy and pop music, I need to get out the rest of my collection to find some nice pianos and violins to listen to.
The first impression I got was that these are amazing headphones, but I was definitely expecting that for the money!
I'm hearing bucketloads of detail, everything sounds effortless, nothing like my other headphones.
When I compare them to my NOS SR5s, there are obvious differences in the sound, SR5s dont sound as .. .  .sparkly? by a long shot. And less detail. The 507s blow away anything Ive ever heard as far as detail goes.
I somehow get a better sense of tempo with the 507s, slow song are sloooooow, and the quick ones belt along.
I get the feeling that these are the best headphones I'll ever own, and I'm going to keep them.
But someone that has 303s, or 404s, right next to the 507, will be able to compare the two and see if they are truly worth all that extra money, leather earpads or not. Actually the earpads are lovely and overall the experience is a very comfortable one before I even put a record on.
They blow me away but in a way I know will last.
I remember when I first got beyerdynamic DT770s, and they blew me away. For 2 weeks. The HD650s, they blew me away for a few months. These I'll love forever.

 

[dave650]

Quote:

The SR5 is a good phone but just about any Lambda will probably sound like an improvement.

Exactly. So are the 507s worth the more money bit? I can't tell ya that. The SR5s are a cute little set of headphones that happen to blow away all the dynamics Ive ever heard.
Im gonna do more 507/5 comparisons tonight, right now.
 

 

[Jodet]

Here's something that fascinates me:
 
 
http://www.wooaudio.com/products/wee.html
 
So for another $500 I can run Stax headphones but still keep my headphone amp (which is also an integrated, 15wpc tube amp).   I really like my headphone amp and would hate to sell it.
 
This and a pair of 507's would be $1500.   In other words, a hair more than a pair of HD800's.
 
This product from Woo audio opens up the possibilities for Stax ownership to a much wider range of people.   Me included.

 

[n3rdling]

I don't get why you'd have to sell your amp?  You could always get a dedicated Stax amp and run the loop out to your current amp.  You'd have a dedicated stat/dynamic rig.

 

[Jodet]

I'm not going to own an expensive dynamic amp AND an expensive stat amp.  Too much money sitting on the shelf. 
 
Right now the choice comes down to this:
 
Option 1)  Woo WEE (keep my old amp) and 507's.
 
Option 2)  Stax 404's and [size=x-small]SRM-006t amp. [/size]
 
[size=x-small]Price is nearly identical.   With option two I'd probably sell my tube amp and Denons, so that puts some change back in my pocket.   Option two also gives you a simpler system - one less large piece of kit taking up space. [/size]
 
[size=x-small]But I have this suspection Option 1 would be the winner for comfort and sound quality.   [/size]

 

[Clarkmc2]

Option 3 would be to find an SRD-7 with or plus a Spritzer board. I have such a box and I heard the Woo prototype box at CanJam, nearly an A-B comparison (not in the same room). I can't say that the Woo unit was better with my O2s. They both got the job done. I am attracted to this approach because I own some really superior amps and can use them with the 007II Mk2s
 
Spritzer's own DIY box was better yet, but the trannys alone would be $500 US.
 
Mind you, I wired my box straight through and didn't bother with a speaker switch or terminals.
 
Clark

 

[spritzer]

Plenty of modded units out there at this point and about to be more since I finally broke down and ordered up a new bias board design.  There are also quite a few stock SRD-7 Pro/Mk2's out there. 

 

[Clarkmc2]

Quote:

Plenty of modded units out there at this point and about to be more since I finally broke down and ordered up a new bias board design.  There are also quite a few stock SRD-7 Pro/Mk2's out there. 

Any difference (re: the last board design) besides the LED driver? I wonder how you improve the already wonderful result.

 

[spritzer]

It's pretty much just the addition of the LED driver plus some layout changes.  Nothing major really but I had to implement a LED driver to make it work better with non Stax SRD-7 solutions.  It also acts as a power conditioner in a way so not bad over all. 

 

 

[jjinh]

 
Quote:

Exactly. So are the 507s worth the more money bit? I can't tell ya that. The SR5s are a cute little set of headphones that happen to blow away all the dynamics Ive ever heard.
Im gonna do more 507/5 comparisons tonight, right now.
 

I think you need a pair of lambdas to compare them to. Not sure about Mandurah, but there are Head-Fiers with Stax in Perth.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

It's pretty much just the addition of the LED driver plus some layout changes.  Nothing major really but I had to implement a LED driver to make it work better with non Stax SRD-7 solutions.  It also acts as a power conditioner in a way so not bad over all. 

 

Hi Birgir, would it make sense to implement this revised mod to the SRD7 I acquired from you?

 

[tigermilk]

I made it out of Japan without spending any $$$ on Stax gear.  No regrets not getting the 507s after listening to them in comparison to other gear (202, 404, and 007) and considering the strong yen.  Now with the rumored 207s I see the 507s as similar to the 202 to 404 gear - slightly different sound but personal preference usually prevails for many.  Makes me more inclined to pick up the 207s in the future to go with my 404s. 
 
One thing that will be interesting is the strength of the yen in the next year.  The Japanese government caught some criticism from America and Europe this week intervening in currency markets to weaken the yen.  A weak yen would certainly make buying new toys easier.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Hi Birgir, would it make sense to implement this revised mod to the SRD7 I acquired from you?

No, it is the same circuit.  The SRD-7's were all equiped with NE-2 neon bulbs for power indication but none of the other transformer boxes had them so I designed this box with gives the option of using LED's. 

 

[mrarroyo]

Thanks Birgir.