[Rhamnetin]

I am sorry for using the wrong typology. I thought stax calls amplifiers for energizers, no? I am looking for aftermarket amplification but find it difficult on how to approach it. any comments is much appreciated. thanks.

Got it. I was thinking of the energizer boxes, speaker amp addons to use Stax with a speaker amp.

Amp selection with high end Stax is pretty easy I think: the best you can afford! I wouldn't go below KGSSHV/KGST tier, and mjolnir-audio has a $2,300 KGSSHV these days. Above that is the KGSSHV Carbon, the best solid state you can get right now, and the Blue Hawaii SE if you want to sacrifice some bass and sound stage for uh... different mids and I believe less forward treble than at least a 22mA KGSSHV Carbon (e.g. mjolnir-audio's carbons).

You can probably get someone to build you a Grounded Grid which is a KGSSHV Carbon but with a tube output stage (4x 6CA7/EL34). It probably offers the best of both worlds between the KGSSHV Carbon and BHSE? I haven't used one myself yet.

The ultimate right now is the DIY-T2 which you can commission someone to build for you, but this is north of $10k.

Do you have a budget to work with?

 

[BuStaxski]

Got it. I was thinking of the energizer boxes, speaker amp addons to use Stax with a speaker amp.

Amp selection with high end Stax is pretty easy I think: the best you can afford! I wouldn't go below KGSSHV/KGST tier, and mjolnir-audio has a $2,300 KGSSHV these days. Above that is the KGSSHV Carbon, the best solid state you can get right now, and the Blue Hawaii SE if you want to sacrifice some bass and sound stage for uh... different mids and I believe less forward treble than at least a 22mA KGSSHV Carbon (e.g. mjolnir-audio's carbons).

You can probably get someone to build you a Grounded Grid which is a KGSSHV Carbon but with a tube output stage (4x 6CA7/EL34). It probably offers the best of both worlds between the KGSSHV Carbon and BHSE? I haven't used one myself yet.

The ultimate right now is the DIY-T2 which you can commission someone to build for you, but this is north of $10k.

Do you have a budget to work with?

Budget I have is $5.000 not sure if I can pony up 10k.
I have read some comments about Ground Grid and probably set my mine to it (of course if I read something against it I might change my mind)
but I don't seems to find any Ground Grid for sale anywhere?

 

[walakalulu]

Power conditioner and silver interconnects as-the best of both worlds? I wouldn’t think so. Conditioners take something out but cables can’t put something in, only alter what’s already there, if you get my point.

 

[walakalulu]

Budget I have is $5.000 not sure if I can pony up 10k.
I have read some comments about Ground Grid and probably set my mine to it (of course if I read something against it I might change my mind)
but I don't seems to find any Ground Grid for sale anywhere?

If you’re importing from the USA where many are made make sure they come UK voltage ready.

 

[BuStaxski]

If you’re importing from the USA where many are made make sure they come UK voltage ready.

Good point. Thanks a lot. Not sure where to get a Ground Grid from though.

 

[Whitigir]

Good point. Thanks a lot. Not sure where to get a Ground Grid from though.

One of those builder would be Joe from Taiwan

Browse around here with google translate

 

[koven]

Anyone have experience w/ Holland EL34 for BHSE and whether it's worth the price as an upgrade?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EL34-PHILL...-QUAD-XF5-DD-VACUUM-TUBES-YWLSN/232724835160?

 

[Rhamnetin]

Good point. Thanks a lot. Not sure where to get a Ground Grid from though.

Yeah I don't know off hand which builders take requests. Grounded Grid aside I recommend a KGSSHV Carbon from mjolnir-audio audio.

 

[Whitigir]

Holland are good, XF2 and XF3 are too rare and will be super expensive.

Lol @Rhamnetin ...I just see your signature ! Awesome

 

[koven]

Yeah I don't know off hand which builders take requests. Grounded Grid aside I recommend a KGSSHV Carbon from mjolnir-audio audio.

I believe Soren takes build requests, love his minimal aesthetics, was nearly going with a Grounded Grid from him before stumbling upon a HeadAmp BHSE for sale.. which I could not resist.

 

[Whitigir]

I believe Soren takes build requests, love his minimal aesthetics, was nearly going with a Grounded Grid from him before stumbling upon a HeadAmp BHSE for sale.. which I could not resist.

Definitely recommending Soren

 

[georgep]

Anyone have experience w/ Holland EL34 for BHSE and whether it's worth the price as an upgrade?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EL34-PHILL...-QUAD-XF5-DD-VACUUM-TUBES-YWLSN/232724835160?

Holland DD are excellent tubes. Those are super pricey for used, though, especially where one has a replaced base.

Holland are good, XF2 and XF3 are too rare and will be super expensive.

Lol @Rhamnetin ...I just see your signature ! Awesome

I would take Holland DD (XF3, XF4, XF5) over Brirtish XF2 and XF3 any day of the week. (edit: worth noting that some "Holland" DD are actually made in Belgium - they are just as good from my perspective).

 

[koven]

Holland DD are excellent tubes. Those are super pricey for used, though, especially where one has a replaced base.



I would take Holland DD (XF3, XF4, XF5) over Brirtish XF2 and XF3 any day of the week.

What is a fair price for the Hollands? Any recommendations where to purchase?

 

[georgep]

Good point. Thanks a lot. Not sure where to get a Ground Grid from though.

One of those builder would be Joe from Taiwan

Browse around here with google translate

Yeah I don't know off hand which builders take requests. Grounded Grid aside I recommend a KGSSHV Carbon from mjolnir-audio audio.

Definitely recommending Soren

For Grounded Grid, the two people mentioned are good suggestions. Not sure if there are any in North America (but there probably are).

There are probably a handful of Carbon builders in North America if you look hard. Maybe some of those would do the grounded grid as well.

 

[JimL11]

I think it's time to start messing around with analog interconnects more because of how revealing the SR-009 + KGSSHV Carbon are. As expected, the Kimber Kable Hero on this system sounds infinitely better than cheap Mediabridge interconnects... a bigger difference than, for example, going from a Chord Mojo to a Hugo 2 when using an Audeze LCD-4/LFF Code-6 + Mjolnir Audio Pure BiPolar, and a bigger difference than going from a Schiit Lyr 3 to a Mjolnir Audio Pure BiPolar with the LCD-4 and Hugo 2 as the DAC.

So I'll just reiterate, don't cheap out on any critical components with a high end Stax system. I'm still using 14AWG power cords even (Pangea) and not so fancy power conditioning equipment (Furman M-8X2). I'll get to that eventually, not expecting significant changes there though so I will focus on more critical components first.

Not being a cable guy, I've settled on the Chris VenHaus DIY silver cables - very low capacitance (<20 pf/meter, MIT cable for example is over 200 pf/meter) makes them easy to drive, and one of my keen-eared friends tells me it is better than Kimber KCAG.

Budget I have is $5.000 not sure if I can pony up 10k.
I have read some comments about Ground Grid and probably set my mine to it (of course if I read something against it I might change my mind)
but I don't seems to find any Ground Grid for sale anywhere?

If you are willing or able to DIY the price equation changes significantly. The rule of thumb for high end is the cost of a finished product is five times the parts cost. Of course this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, by this rule the HeadAmp BHSE is underpriced, whereas the Trilogy H1, which is based on the simplest, cheapest, tube electrostatic amp circuit around, that any competent builder could whip up for a few hundred bucks, is grossly overpriced. Besides the cost savings, it is a fun hobby on its own, allows you to select your own parts, and there is the satisfaction of hearing music through something you built yourself. The downsides are your time and effort, and the possibility of building something that doesn't work and having to figure out how to fix it (i.e. troubleshooting). Head-Fi does have a DIY section, and there are other websites which are more heavily into DIY if that is the way you want to go.