timb5881
1000+ Head-Fier
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Have you tried to get ahold of Spritzer/Mjolnir? Since he updated and refurbished the amp, he may have better insight on the issue.
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Of all the massive amounts of audio gear I've owned, electrostatic direct-drive amplifiers are by far the most problematic and hardest to keep running 100% problem free. Such a PITA because of the extreme high voltages and heat. Even MC phono cartridges, which you would expect to be most problematic due to their delicate nature, have given me virtually NO problems.
Mjolnir gear should generally be among the most reliable; he is very careful in his designs & builds, but that 006t / CCS one is kind of a hybrid being a Stax model with mods. The Head-amp models like BHSE also seem extremely reliable.
Mjolnir gear should generally be among the most reliable; he is very careful in his designs & builds, but that 006t / CCS one is kind of a hybrid being a Stax model with mods. The Head-amp models like BHSE also seem extremely reliable.
Rumor mill:
I talked to Stax's Douglas Ip at CanJam NYC this weekend and he mentioned a few things about Stax's upcoming plans.
First, they plan for an SR-007 successor this year, something to slot in where the 007 used to be. I tried to ask if they would maintain the 007's tuning, and maybe he didn't quite understand my question, but he said something along the lines of "the 007 has a dark sound, but with the new model, you can add some brightness to it with the T8000 amp". Not sure what that's supposed to mean, other than the T8000 making things sound brighter.
Second, the option boards for that expansion slot on the T8000 should be released sometime this year. I saw pictures of those boards (DAC and phono stage) last year.
I listened to the T8000 with the X9000 for a while and I concluded that the amp indeed made things brighter. The percussion had some more boominess, like there was a boost to the upper bass and the treble had more sparkle. The boomy bass could have a bit of a "cinematic" effect, like those movie theater dramatic "BWOOAAMMM!!!" effects, or less charitably like a car subwoofer, but it didn't sound as "solid" as on a BHSE. The added treble sparkle is a matter of taste, I don't mind it, but it's not as crisp and well-defined as on a BHSE or Aeras. It's almost like each treble note is smeared a bit so it occupies more of the sound.
And I know we like to make fun of Stax for their overpriced (for the performance) amps, but they're still a far cry from the Hifiman Shangri-La Sr amp, which is a $32K abomination of sibilance and harshness. This might be an unpopular view in The Stax Thread, but I am a big fan of the Hifiman Shangri-La Jr. I listened to it and the Shang Sr side-by-side on the Shang Sr amp at CanJam and it sounded terrible. I started with the Sr and thought it was really rough with treble spikes and sibilance everywhere, so I switched to the Jr for reference and it was rough too! The Jr's amp was no better, the Hifiman amps just make the treble very strident, piercing, and sibilant in addition to being weak in bass and limp in percussive impact. And the Jr's amp was so weak that I got it to clip. The T8000 might make bass boomy and highs sparkly, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Hifiman amps.
I talked to Stax's Douglas Ip at CanJam NYC this weekend and he mentioned a few things about Stax's upcoming plans.
First, they plan for an SR-007 successor this year, something to slot in where the 007 used to be. I tried to ask if they would maintain the 007's tuning, and maybe he didn't quite understand my question, but he said something along the lines of "the 007 has a dark sound, but with the new model, you can add some brightness to it with the T8000 amp". Not sure what that's supposed to mean, other than the T8000 making things sound brighter.
Second, the option boards for that expansion slot on the T8000 should be released sometime this year. I saw pictures of those boards (DAC and phono stage) last year.
I listened to the T8000 with the X9000 for a while and I concluded that the amp indeed made things brighter. The percussion had some more boominess, like there was a boost to the upper bass and the treble had more sparkle. The boomy bass could have a bit of a "cinematic" effect, like those movie theater dramatic "BWOOAAMMM!!!" effects, or less charitably like a car subwoofer, but it didn't sound as "solid" as on a BHSE. The added treble sparkle is a matter of taste, I don't mind it, but it's not as crisp and well-defined as on a BHSE or Aeras. It's almost like each treble note is smeared a bit so it occupies more of the sound.
And I know we like to make fun of Stax for their overpriced (for the performance) amps, but they're still a far cry from the Hifiman Shangri-La Sr amp, which is a $32K abomination of sibilance and harshness. This might be an unpopular view in The Stax Thread, but I am a big fan of the Hifiman Shangri-La Jr. I listened to it and the Shang Sr side-by-side on the Shang Sr amp at CanJam and it sounded terrible. I started with the Sr and thought it was really rough with treble spikes and sibilance everywhere, so I switched to the Jr for reference and it was rough too! The Jr's amp was no better, the Hifiman amps just make the treble very strident, piercing, and sibilant in addition to being weak in bass and limp in percussive impact. And the Jr's amp was so weak that I got it to clip. The T8000 might make bass boomy and highs sparkly, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Hifiman amps.
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mbrennwa
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Interesting! What kind of issues or failures did you experience?
I'd be surprised if high voltage or heat are the sources of those issues. Hot amplifiers have been around for years, and they work well and reliably if designed and built well. The same can be said for high-voltage tube amps, which tend to keep working for many decades.
Direct upgrade path from STAX L300?
This is my bedroom setup for relaxed listening with the occasional glass(or bottle) of wine
It's a year old now, and the only Estat I own.
Couple of days back, I swapped out the bundled SRM-252S energizer for a Topping EHA-5. I use crossfeed and bump up the sub bass by 2db at 20hz. This gives bass a more rounded texture and makes the thin vocals somewhat fuller sounding. DSP is also why I stuck with the Mojo 2 and didn't upgrade to a Qutest.
After swapping the energizer, I noticed additional control in the lower treble and sub bass. It sounds less harsh at the top end and the clipping at higher volumes is pretty much gone.
I'm confident this energizer should be adequate for something like a Nectar Hive-X or Stax L700 at reasonable volumes.
What should the upgrade path look like?
My budget is 2000USD, but I could stretch it by a bit
This is my bedroom setup for relaxed listening with the occasional glass(or bottle) of wine
It's a year old now, and the only Estat I own.
Couple of days back, I swapped out the bundled SRM-252S energizer for a Topping EHA-5. I use crossfeed and bump up the sub bass by 2db at 20hz. This gives bass a more rounded texture and makes the thin vocals somewhat fuller sounding. DSP is also why I stuck with the Mojo 2 and didn't upgrade to a Qutest.
After swapping the energizer, I noticed additional control in the lower treble and sub bass. It sounds less harsh at the top end and the clipping at higher volumes is pretty much gone.
I'm confident this energizer should be adequate for something like a Nectar Hive-X or Stax L700 at reasonable volumes.
What should the upgrade path look like?
My budget is 2000USD, but I could stretch it by a bit
Billy the Mountain
New Head-Fier
Hi folks, long time lurker first post.
After acquiring a modded 007A 2.95 from Mjölnir Audio aka Spritzer about a year ago i’ve been looking for an amp to power the beast as my Stax 400S wasn’t up to the job.
With the help of this thread and multiple threads on Head-Case I decided on a KGSShv Carbon and contacted Søren Brix if he would be willing to build me one.
The amp landed here a few weeks ago and after settling in it transformed the headphones.
From a boomy sound with a presentation that was all over the place into a tight, expanded and a very enjoyable listen that just lets the music flow and lets me connect on a real emotional level to the performance - pure bliss, although I hate the hyperbole, it is what it is.
So, thank you all for your insights, signing off and back to lurking, cheers!
After acquiring a modded 007A 2.95 from Mjölnir Audio aka Spritzer about a year ago i’ve been looking for an amp to power the beast as my Stax 400S wasn’t up to the job.
With the help of this thread and multiple threads on Head-Case I decided on a KGSShv Carbon and contacted Søren Brix if he would be willing to build me one.
The amp landed here a few weeks ago and after settling in it transformed the headphones.
From a boomy sound with a presentation that was all over the place into a tight, expanded and a very enjoyable listen that just lets the music flow and lets me connect on a real emotional level to the performance - pure bliss, although I hate the hyperbole, it is what it is.
So, thank you all for your insights, signing off and back to lurking, cheers!
hutzelmeier
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Layman's question: Why are there so many aftermarket amplifiers, but (almost) no aftermarket headphones? Because you can't get the components for headphones on the market, but you can for amplifiers? Or is the assembly that much more difficult? There are people in Europe who will repair our Stax headphones and even replace the membrane, so it can't be too difficult?
Rob80b
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm in the process of doing the same thing, almost went for some SR007MKII but after reading more they may be the wrong path for my preferences.
I've added thicker pads and the MKII headband assembly to my L300 but If you like the intimacy of the stock pads, the thicker pads may not be to your liking as it puts the sound more as arms length, my preference.
I've also just added the SRM400S and that made IMHO a big improvement all round over the SRM252S, better bass, image layering, cleaner and no distortion at volume. Not sure how the Topping EHA-5, which I was also considering, compares.
If you like the HD660S2 maybe something like the SR007 might be the way to go?My budget is 2000USD, but I could stretch it by a bit
Come to think of it the L300 actually replaced my HD660S2.
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Svperstar
Headphoneus Supremus
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For sure. I loved the HD650 which is seen as warm, as well as the LCD-2 and LCD-2 Classic. Both are excellent headphones. So you would think I only like "dark" gear but no. I have a pair of Grados lying around and the sound is fine but the cable is the worst monstrosity in existence making it almost unwearable, not the hot Grado treble.
Lucikun
100+ Head-Fier
My L700 MK2 sounds fantastic on the EHA5, so definitely works with the L700. Even though people say the L300/L500 are really similar to the L700, I found the L700 MK2 to be a fairly big upgrade to my previously owned L500 MK2. Heck, I didn’t even like the 500 whereas I love the 700.Direct upgrade path from STAX L300?
This is my bedroom setup for relaxed listening with the occasional glass(or bottle) of wine
It's a year old now, and the only Estat I own.
Couple of days back, I swapped out the bundled SRM-252S energizer for a Topping EHA-5. I use crossfeed and bump up the sub bass by 2db at 20hz. This gives bass a more rounded texture and makes the thin vocals somewhat fuller sounding. DSP is also why I stuck with the Mojo 2 and didn't upgrade to a Qutest.
After swapping the energizer, I noticed additional control in the lower treble and sub bass. It sounds less harsh at the top end and the clipping at higher volumes is pretty much gone.
I'm confident this energizer should be adequate for something like a Nectar Hive-X or Stax L700 at reasonable volumes.
What should the upgrade path look like?
My budget is 2000USD, but I could stretch it by a bit
Yeah that was exactly what I suspected..
For throwing out a soundstage, I've got my 800S on tubes.
Part of what makes the L300 so special for me is it's HD6xx style of vocal presentation (albeit to a lesser degree). That coupled with it's resolution is almost perfect...
Would you describe the 007 as a more resolving 660S2? I like the L300, but still keep the 660S2 because I love it's presentation. It's better than the 600/650/6XX in my books.
Between the L700 and the SR007, I know many who would go for the lambda because they find the 007 sounds too much like a "normal" headphone. Thoughts?
For the L700, yeah, it has a presentation that is basically unique. In particular, I haven't heard its spatial presentation anywhere else (except other L-series Stax). The 007 has more normal soundstage.
In what ways, if I might ask?
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