The Stax Thread III

[DefQon]

  Ohh well... Thanks.

 
Snag yourself an MK1 when they pop up, save up enough to buy a better amp. This doesn't mean the T1 is a turd of an amp, it is very good but mainly voiced for the Lambda line (and the Omega's 1's at one stage), but it's due the to current hungry nature of the 007's that you need something clean sounding with gobs of power to drive it well.

 

[davidsh]

   
Snag yourself an MK1 when they pop up, save up enough to buy a better amp. This doesn't mean the T1 is a turd of an amp, it is very good but mainly voiced for the Lambda line (and the Omega's 1's at one stage), but it's due the to current hungry nature of the 007's that you need something clean sounding with gobs of power to drive it well.

Yeah, I kinda knew that but hoped it wouldn't be that bad. I will be patient

Kinda do have the money, but I guess you need to be responsible..

 

[DefQon]

Btw how bad is the channel imbalance with your LS?

 

[davidsh]

No channel imbalance right now, just occasional squealing and sizzling. I'm just kinda hesitant to open up the diaphragms, but that's the next step.
 
Else, I am going to open up the T1 and measure some caps and have a look around, just need to loan a proper multi-meter.

 

[DefQon]

  No channel imbalance right now, just occasional squealing and sizzling. I'm just kinda hesitant to open up the diaphragms, but that's the next step.
 
Else, I am going to open up the T1 and measure some caps and have a look around, just need to loan a proper multi-meter.

 
It's not your T1 101% sure otherwise you can have my vinyl setup. If capacitors were the culprit you will be getting a low-level humming noise that will be heard as soon as the amp powers up. 
 
There is occasional squealing and sizzling is because there is dust particle inside sitting on top of the stator, if it was in between the stator and on the diaphragm you will have channel imbalance. I know this from experience because I've cracked up some Lambda normal bias drivers open, I ended up fixing the problem by removing the dust filter carefully (it had holes), taped up the holes and surely enough there was a piece of hair and some dust balls on the stator, carefully removed those without touching the stator using tweezers that I've heatshrinked the tips, put the filter back on, alias no squealing and my friend was very happy chap again, all for a box of whiskey.

 

[DarKen23]

What am I doing in here, getting ideas../foreheadsmack

 

[DefQon]

  What am I doing in here, getting ideas../foreheadsmack

Yes yes, welcome to the bright side where the pasture is green and the sound is good. 

 

[davidsh]

  It's not your T1 101% sure otherwise you can have my vinyl setup. If capacitors were the culprit you will be getting a low-level humming noise that will be heard as soon as the amp powers up. 
 
There is occasional squealing and sizzling is because there is dust particle inside sitting on top of the stator, if it was in between the stator and on the diaphragm you will have channel imbalance. I know this from experience because I've cracked up some Lambda normal bias drivers open, I ended up fixing the problem by removing the dust filter carefully (it had holes), taped up the holes and surely enough there was a piece of hair and some dust balls on the stator, carefully removed those without touching the stator using tweezers that I've heatshrinked the tips, put the filter back on, alias no squealing and my friend was very happy chap again, all for a box of whiskey.

Yay, thanks! That is indeed very very good to know. Not that I suspected the amp to be faulty at all, but I'll probably measure it anyway and replace parts that stray off the inteded value.
 
So, one can conclude the dust has moved from the diaphragm to the top of the stator in my LS. Why didn't you use plastic film instead of taping the holes of the dust protector screens?
 Better not talk too much about alcohol here, might get the thread closed again, but all whiskey I have tasted kinda tasted like cardboard and alcohol. Ewww..

 

[DefQon]

  Yay, thanks! That is indeed very very good to know. Not that I suspected the amp to be faulty at all, but I'll probably measure it anyway and replace parts that stray off the inteded value.
 
So, one can conclude the dust has moved from the diaphragm to the top of the stator in my LS. Why didn't you use plastic film instead of taping the holes of the dust protector screens?
 Better not talk too much about alcohol here, might get the thread closed again, but all whiskey I have tasted kinda tasted like cardboard and alcohol. Ewww..

Yeah it doesn't hurt to replace the caps anyway for a two decade + amp. Better be safe than sorry. 
 
I was going to use a plastic film from the pvc food wrap bags that I did on my SR-404 imbalance pair that I sold to a buyer who turned out disappointed with my effort when it was sold AS-IS for repairs, but with the hole in the Lambda NB dust filter wasn't too bad and a single bit of tape covered it nicely. Re-filming it would've been a more tedious task as you would need to make sure the film covered and stuck clean and flatly to the dust filter rings. 
 
Thread will not close because I'm sober and we're talking about Stax. I like some of my whiskey with a bit of coke. 

 

 

[spritzer]

  I see. How does driver failure generally occur? Is it a matter of shock damage, or something like moisture/dust related? Just want to be sure I baby them.

 
They suffer from channel imbalance issues, the same as all other electrostatics but the biggest risk is shock damage.  That aluminum cup is just a hoax as it really is just plastic with a thin layer of alu to cover it up.  The plastic skeleton is very brittle which is bad as everything is attached to it. 
 

  You could use compressed air and some kind of diffuser like a thin piece of open cell foam so that it doesn't blow so hard onto the membrane. 

 
The problem with this is that only a tiny amount of force is needed to tear open the diaphragm even if it has just a minuscule flaw. 

 

[3X0]

 

They suffer from channel imbalance issues, the same as all other electrostatics but the biggest risk is shock damage.  That aluminum cup is just a hoax as it really is just plastic with a thin layer of alu to cover it up.  The plastic skeleton is very brittle which is bad as everything is attached to it.

I see. I read something on a thread about having to regularly tighten the black screws on the aluminum disc to prevent the drivers from slipping out from the housing -- is that really the case?

Deterioration sounds pretty worrisome though. Hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew with this one.

 

[Don Quichotte]

There is occasional squealing and sizzling is because there is dust particle inside sitting on top of the stator, if it was in between the stator and on the diaphragm you will have channel imbalance.

Are you sure? I'm having this problem myself (and for a long time now), but I was afraid to send the headphones to the service company because of the cost of the new drivers. If it's only the dust filter does this mean that they can just replace this dust filter and do some cleaning and be done with it or they would still need to change the drivers entirely? And why this squealing sound anyway, isn't it because of a short due to whatever debris ended there? (in which case the debris should be between the stator and the diaphragm, right?)

 

[dukeskd]

I see. I read something on a thread about having to regularly tighten the black screws on the aluminum disc to prevent the drivers from slipping out from the housing -- is that really the case?

Deterioration sounds pretty worrisome though. Hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew with this one.

Don't worry about it this much, just treat it as gently as your HE60 and nothing worrisome should happen. I used to own a Lambda Sig that had drivers that fell out of their housing which was disturbing however this is vintage stuff we are discussing. I believe your pair of the Omega looks well kept, the biggest problem you should be weary about is channel imbalance.

 

[milosz]

Are Lambdas really that fragile? Drivers can just fall out?  Doesn't that indicate a poor design, poor materials choice or poor manufacturing quality...?
 
I have Lambda Signatures that I bought used and they haven't had any imbalance issues, drivers falling out, squealing, etc etc  -  I also had a pair of the original Lambda Pro's and they, too, were just fine.  I sold them on and the new owner has been happy with them....
 
So, are they really THAT fragile....?
 
If they really are, and can just fall apart at any moment, maybe I should consider planning to sell all my Stax 'phones, then, and just use the ESP-950's- Koss have a lifetime, no questions asked warranty.  I mean, if these Stax headphones are likely to just fall apart on me.... maybe I should bail while I can....  ????

 

[DefQon]

Are you sure? I'm having this problem myself (and for a long time now), but I was afraid to send the headphones to the service company because of the cost of the new drivers. If it's only the dust filter does this mean that they can just replace this dust filter and do some cleaning and be done with it or they would still need to change the drivers entirely? And why this squealing sound anyway, isn't it because of a short due to whatever debris ended there? (in which case the debris should be between the stator and the diaphragm, right?)

I can only speak on behalf of myself as the 4 pairs of various Lambdas I've across with imbalance and squealing issues was due to my findings I posted above in response to davidsh. Every of these Lambdas had a hole and small tear in the dust filter. Spritzer did post a while back that squealing can exhibit from slight movements with a hole in the dust filter and a tape over it fixes the problem, I can confirm this is true and plausible for the 3 Lambdas that had squealing problems. The last was the Lambda NB I was talking about which had a small channel imbalance and squealing from movements, taping over the hole didn't completely remedy the problem until I removed the dust filter and surely enough bit of dust and a hair wedged in the sides of the stator, removed them and all was good.

Punctures in the dust filter is most cases from mis-use. Channel imbalance on the other hand from I've gathered here has a lot more variables and unpredictable when it can happen but still a small % of happening. From dust inside to arc'd diaphragms to even the coating inside losing its charge, there is no absolute concrete answer as a solution and to answer the problem.