Thanks a lot for all who quoted my post. I'll check some more and added those recommended ones to my list.
I'm awaiting a new set of the black SR-007 from a UK distributor. I noticed this video was put up on Stax. Either he has really small hands, or the pads actually look bigger than i remember when i had an SR-007 last year? lol
I just resurrected my old 202s, and was dismayed to find that the foam under the ear pads had crumbled and ended up under the stator. As a long-term Martin Logan owner, I VERY GENTLY vacuumed the stators, using a low power setting and holding the nozzle AWAY from the drivers (about 1cm or so). All of the contaminants appear to have been removed, and the membranes seem intact (on visual inspection). I have ordered a spare set of pads and foams, and am looking forward to trying them again. If they don’t work, I fear that I may need to replace them....
Speaking of 202's, I had my plastic headband break recently. I ordered a replacement headband assembly and upon installing the earspeakers into the yokes on the new headband, one of yokes had the little pin break off that goes into the earspeaker body - D'oh! I still had two good yokes on the broken headband, if only I could get one off I could swap it with the new one with the broken pin. Upon careful examination, there is a tiny steel roll pin securing the yoke into the headband. After some trial and error I discovered a straight section of a large paper clip will thread through this roll pin, and if the end of the paper clip is bent at a 20 degree or so angle, pulling the clip back out will drag the roll pin out with it! Then clip off the bent end and the roll pin can be pulled off. Once the replacement yoke is inserted, putting the roll pin back is much easier than removing it. Just a pair of needle nose pliers will do the job. Here is a picture showing what the yoke and roll pin look like when they are removed:
Could you please tell me which way round the pads on the 202s should go. I didn’t notice that they were angled when I removed the old ones... Presumably the thicker side goes at the back?
Correct, thick part of pad goes on thin side of the earcup and the thin side goes on the thick part of the earcup. The end result should be that the earcup+pad looks somewhat rectangular.
Thanks. That’s what I thought. I hope it’s OK to leave a bit of the old adhesive on the pads. I can’t get it off without damaging something (and I don’t want to use solvents anywhere near the drivers!).
I think if a little of the old adhesive is left on when the new pads are installed it would be OK. I can't imagine that the adhesive on the new pads wouldn't stick to the old adhesive. I found out today that the L300 headband assembly isn't EXACTLY compatible with SR202. I wondered why with my new headband the plastic part that goes over the head was always off to one side, not centered. I took both yokes off, one was from the new L300 headband, the other was one of the original SR202 parts. The metal pin that sticks up from the yoke is not at the same angle between L300 and SR202. I used both original SR202 yokes and everything looks symmetrical now when I wear the headphones.
This has probably been asked before, but there is an information overload when performing a search on the matter: I am currently set with the following setup: Stax L300 ltd (unmodified) Stax SRM-353x SP1000 as a source I do get marvellous results especially at this price-point, but this being a hobby I like to explore if there is more. What I particularly like about this set is the neutral but well extended bass which growls and vibrates and never is bloated and the extremely quick and resolved highs that never get harsh or annoying. I also enjoy the weight of the mids provided by this setup. I do, however, feel there could be more width in the soundstage which at times feels small and does not allow for pinpoint positioning of instruments. My budget is not unlimited, but there might be room for one improvement. Do you think I should a.) go for a high-end solid state amplifier, e.g. the KGSSHV? The 353x drives the L300 ltd to ridiculous levels and I listen to it set to about 9 o'clock. Is there an improvement to be expected with a high end AMP? b.) go for the SR-009. I do like me some neutral and analytical sound sometimes. Not harsh, but clear. I did enjoy the RAAL SR1R, too. But that, for now, seems unreasonable What do you think? Is there room left to improve on my l300 ltd with another AMP? Can my 353x handle the 009 and still perform better than the l300 ltd?
@beholdclarity You sound quite happy with your current set up. If you are then stop fussing over what could be and enjoy what you have. Always wondering "what could be" happens to a lot of us and we chase it for years. Just as we think we nailed down our TOTL system, we start thinking about new gear that might eek out a bit more. It's a viscous cycle for sure unless you have loads of expendable income. Usually i am one to say upgrade until you are happy, but you seem to be happy already.
Thanks for all your comments. I try to avoid the "grass is always greener" fallacy as it is a sure way to unhappiness and perhaps you are right
I have to say, the only time I really truly feel the need to upgrade is when i spend time on these forums. I start reading about this that and the other thing and I start thinking I'm missing out on something. I found that when I stay away from audio websites, I tend to just enjoy my gear and not think of upgrading. lol
