[PointyFox]

Some products, that, when paired with basically any decent pair of Stax headphones, may get you that kind of experience: STAX ED-1, OOYH, Creative Super-XFI, Smyth A8 or A16.



Here's a video where someone's peeling off the pads and putting them back on of a 007 during a review. I don't see the metal wire thing that connects the pads to the phones, but they should be rather obvious if you remove your own pads:

That was very helpful, thanks!

 

[Magol79]

I'm looking into a desktop solution. This would be mainly for my L700, but I also want it to be somewhat capable at driving the 009 and 007 mk2. My question is: how good/bad is the srm-d50 compared to something like the kgsshv?

 

[wink]

How good is spam compared to a nice bacon rasher...?

..

 

[Magol79]

How good is spam compared to a nice bacon rasher...?

Since almost no one on this board seems to have heard the SRM-D50 I'd appreciate any actual impressions of it, especially in comparison to the lower KG designs, i.e. KGSS/KGSShv.
If anyone has insights into the technical merits of the SRM-D50, that would also be helpful. Does it have a regulated psu? How is the output stage designed?

I'm a beginner when it comes to understanding electrostatic headphone amplifiers, but I would like to better understand what choices Stax made when they built this unit.

 

[PointyFox]

Some pictures of the inside of the SRM-D50

 

[kevin gilmore]

The D50 is identical to the srm717 design, simplified greatly (single output transistors) and running at lower voltages and lower output stage current.
resistor current sources for 3rd stage voltage gain stage.
The high voltage supplies are not regulated. The +/-15 are 3 terminal regulators as is the low voltage for the dac board.
the amplifier is actually balanced input, but the minus input is grounded, the pot is a 2 section and the inputs are rca unbalanced only.

 

[Magol79]

The D50 is identical to the srm717 design, simplified greatly (single output transistors) and running at lower voltages and lower output stage current.
resistor current sources for 3rd stage voltage gain stage.
The high voltage supplies are not regulated. The +/-15 are 3 terminal regulators as is the low voltage for the dac board.
the amplifier is actually balanced input, but the minus input is grounded, the pot is a 2 section and the inputs are rca unbalanced only.

Thank you, concise and informative. It's off my list for now. I will probably go with something from Spritzer instead, he has some nice compact builds.

 

[PointyFox]

Huge difference in price though.

Also, can anyone explain what KG said?

 

[astrostar59]

Huge difference in price though.

Also, can anyone explain what KG said?

Basically the D50 is a very simplified design with less performance. I would say with confidence no Stax made amplifiers get to the levels of the KGSS, KGSShv (your amp) Carbon or BHSE. So in other words IMO forget Stax amps, and source a nice KG amp built by a good DIYer.

 

[PointyFox]

I have a D50 and it already provides a ton of bass. What kind of improvement is typical going from a Stax to a KG amp?

 

[astrostar59]

I have a D50 and it already provides a ton of bass. What kind of improvement is typical going from a Stax to a KG amp?

It's not 'just' FR. It is dynamics, timbre, detail without harshness or edge, more realistic tonality, wider soundstage. I have had 3 previous Stax amps and heard most of the units pre 2014, and they are IMO dynamically restricted in comparison. Less so on the 009, as that is less hungry than the 007, but the 009 on my SRM-717 was cold and clinical sounding to my ears.

Can you try find an owner near you to try a KG amp out? If I was going back to Stax and had the budget, I would buy the BHSE and have done with it, you can always return it if not amazed....

 

[Zoide]

It's not 'just' FR. It is dynamics, timbre, detail without harshness or edge, more realistic tonality, wider soundstage. I have had 3 previous Stax amps and heard most of the units pre 2014, and they are IMO dynamically restricted in comparison. Less so on the 009, as that is less hungry than the 007, but the 009 on my SRM-717 was cold and clinical sounding to my ears.

Can you try find an owner near you to try a KG amp out? If I was going back to Stax and had the budget, I would buy the BHSE and have done with it, you can always return it if not amazed....

That's interesting. Just a few pages back, people were raving about the tiny STAX D10 amplifier, and now I'm hearing that the legendary SRM-717 is cold and clinical, while the newer D50 has an inferior design

 

[PointyFox]

My 007A with D50 is anything but cold and clinical. I wouldn't mind it being a bit more.

 

[purk]

My 007A with D50 is anything but cold and clinical. I wouldn't mind it being a bit more.

Because the 007/009 are so good and very transparent, any improvement in amplification will be easy to discern. I'm very happy listening to the D10 but my big rig is still a whole lot better.

 

[PointyFox]

Because the 007/009 are so good and very transparent, any improvement in amplification will be easy to discern. I'm very happy listening to the D10 but my big rig is still a whole lot better.

The Law of Increasing Returns?