[tdogzthmn]

I highly encourage picking up an SRD transformer for your STAX system which lets you try out various speaker amps to drive your STAX headphones.  Although its not a good as using a dedicated STAX amp, the results are surprising and the ability to get different sonic flavors from the various speaker amps I own is a big plus!  

 

[zolkis]

I agree, for instance the SRD-7 can make a surprise, especially with high quality tube amps (if you have one anyway), and even more surprising when better transformers are used.

 

[tdogzthmn]

I have the SRD-7SB and several great SET tube amp so I can concur with your statement.  Are there any mods for the SRD that improve it? 

 

[okw3188]

Just want to air my frustration from my experience with a pair of Airbow SC-21 ( enhanced SR-507). It was purchased from PriceJapan in Feb' 2014, but due to the lack of stock availability, it was only delivered to me by end of May' 2014. Within the first week of listening, distortion on the left side happened and was sent back to PriceJapan (act as middle man) for repair.
 
With an ridiculous wait of 4 months for repair, it was finally sent back to me last week. And now after 2 days of listening, the fault surfaces AGAIN.
 
I have just spent an email to PriceJapan and let's see how's their response to my case.
 
 
Another unsatisfied Stax user.

 

 

[themad]

  Just want to air my frustration from my experience with a pair of Airbow SC-21 ( enhanced SR-507). It was purchased from PriceJapan in Feb' 2014, but due to the lack of stock availability, it was only delivered to me by end of May' 2014. Within the first week of listening, distortion on the left side happened and was sent back to PriceJapan (act as middle man) for repair.
 
With an ridiculous wait of 4 months for repair, it was finally sent back to me last week. And now after 2 days of listening, the fault surfaces AGAIN.
 
I have just spent an email to PriceJapan and let's see how's their response to my case.
 
 
Another unsatisfied Stax user.

 

 
That's very unfortunate!
 
Did you get sufficient listening time for an impression of the sound or comparison to any other Stax can? It is hard to find any info about how these sound.
 
I hope PriceJapan comes with a solution and quickly. Good luck!

 

[Michgelsen]

Yeah, that sucks. I really hope you can get a new pair.
 
I too am very curious how the SC-21 compares to the regular 507, but the above does not encourage me to buy one...

 

[vkx86]

  Just want to air my frustration from my experience with a pair of Airbow SC-21 ( enhanced SR-507).
...
Another unsatisfied Stax user.

 

 
IMHO,  Stax can not be responsible for their cans, that underwent some kind of tinkering by third party.
To me that "cryogenic-treated SR-507" sounds the same as massaging IC cables with snake-oil...sorry my friend, but I think you'd fall victim to audiophoolery marketing blurb, as simply as that.

 

[realmassy]

Another unsatisfied Stax user.:confused_face_2:  

To be honest, this is more a problem of dealing with PriceJapan, and yours are not even STAX.

 

[georgep]

To be honest, this is more a problem of dealing with PriceJapan, and yours are not even STAX.

This.

 

[Michgelsen]

  To me that "cryogenic-treated SR-507" sounds the same as massaging IC cables with snake-oil...sorry my friend, but I think you'd fall victim to audiophoolery marketing blurb, as simply as that.

 
While your snake oil remark is totally irrelevant in this case, it is unclear what Airbow really does to their headphones to modify them. As it has been reported that the SR-SC1 is indeed an improvement over the SR-404, it is unlikely that cryo treatment is all they do, but instead (or: also) that some other modification is done.
 
As rare as the Airbow headphones are, even rarer are the people who have the guts to open their headphones up.

 

[vkx86]

   
While your snake oil remark is totally irrelevant in this case, it is unclear what Airbow really does to their headphones to modify them. As it has been reported that the SR-SC1 is indeed an improvement over the SR-404, it is unlikely that cryo treatment is all they do, but instead (or: also) that some other modification is done.
 
As rare as the Airbow headphones are, even rarer are the people who have the guts to open their headphones up.

 
Why irrelevant? 
According to their self-testing (google-translated quote from http://www.ippinkan.com/stax_sr-009_sr-007.htm):
 
AIRBOW SR-SC21 is using the same "sounding body" and SR-SC11, but cable has been upgraded to the same silver-coated 6N goods and SR-009.By using the whole cryogenic process and the headphone cable, the resolution has reached a level that is comparable to SR-009 significantly increased from the base model SR-507. Reproducibility of the tone that was worrisome somewhat in the SR-009 and the goodness of balance also exceeded the SR-009. SR-SC21 is I think that you to experience but want the SR-009 it is difficult to buy in expensive, or you already use if clear sound quality improved by replacement purchases the SR-SC1 of AIRBOW is.  
 
"the resolution has reached a level that is comparable to SR-009"  - to me it sounds like snake-oil marketing blurb, plain and simple.

 

[Michgelsen]

Irrelevant because we are talking about someone who has an unfortunate problem with a modified Stax headphone, which has nothing to do with 'falling victim to audiophoolery marketing blurb' and 'massaging IC cables with snake-oil'.
 
Yes, the claims that by cryo treatment the SR-507 can become as good as or better than a SR-009 are strange, but the few people who have heard the previous Airbow model SR-SC1 reported a marked difference between that and the SR-404. So, even if you don't believe in the cryo treatment, which I don't either BTW, the SR-SC21 is still an interesting product.

 

[okw3188]

Just got an email from Airbow in Japanese. So I tried google translation, but unfortunately I still can't really understand what are they trying to say:
 
Sorry would be multiplied by the worry.

SC- SR21 But I was able to finish the last diaphragm replacement.
Today, so that we can ship tomorrow and I think that it can deliver.

This time does not apologize.
This situation is conventional, the diaphragm and has had been working to integrate the headphone unit in the cryo process incorporating the headphones have occurred a phenomenon that abnormal sound occurs below.

Had been suffering from the delivery date to work to determine the cause whether such things that would take place during a certain thing or cryo treatment failure improvement to the original vibration plate.

What you want to send it to complete this summary it is proposed that there are no and do therefore first problem to choose the ones with no abnormality is carefully selected a vibration plate.
Excuse me Once I arrived, but I think you'll confirm.

Sorry Thank you or not it would be multiplied by the great inconvenience and worry in any event.
Apologize.

Also Please tell us If you have any any questions future .
Humbly thank you.
 

 

[vkx86]

  Irrelevant because we are talking about someone who has an unfortunate problem with a modified Stax headphone, which has nothing to do with 'falling victim to audiophoolery marketing blurb' and 'massaging IC cables with snake-oil'.
 
Yes, the claims that by cryo treatment the SR-507 can become as good as or better than a SR-009 are strange, but the few people who have heard the previous Airbow model SR-SC1 reported a marked difference between that and the SR-404. So, even if you don't believe in the cryo treatment, which I don't either BTW, the SR-SC21 is still an interesting product.

 
 
It had a lot to do with luring a person to enter that adventure by purchasing a modded product basing on blurb about some magic cryo-treatment and hearsay.
Off all sound-improving miracles in our hobby mods are most trouble-prone, now he bears the consequences messing with some obscure audiophoolery boutique in Japan instead of enjoying "regular 507"...

 

[Nick Ryan]

Hi again, well the 507's arrived and I am very pleased with them, extremely To me the instruments have more separation than with the Signatures, they are exactly the same to wear but I guess I should take into account my 60 year old ears, so another person might hear them entirely different in comparison. The Stax SR Lambda Signatures will be offered up for sale soon. Thanks Nick