[PATB]

   
While i agree that the 6SN7 is not a realistic output tube, "tube rolling" of this nature -- substituting very different tubes without changing any values in the circuit -- is foolishness.

 
The SDS-XLR has adjustable bias and adapters, allowing it to work with 6BL7GT (what I use for output), etc. 

 

[ericj]

   
The SDS-XLR has adjustable bias and adapters, allowing it to work with 6BL7GT (what I use for output), etc. 

 
OK, I'm not familiar with the design. 
 
Still seems odd to roll dissimilar double triodes against bottles with two identical triodes. 

 

[Trance_Gott]

Has someone expreriences with the Nebuchadnezzar amp from Eric Konka?
http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
 
Is it on par with KGST or maybe BHSE?

 

[astrostar59]

  Has someone expreriences with the Nebuchadnezzar amp from Eric Konka?
http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
 
Is it on par with KGST or maybe BHSE?

I would run away from that if I was you. I know a guy 2 months back bought one and then manically tried to return it. Birgir also said it was a poor copy of the Woo Ges which itself is not as good as the KG amps.
 
I would look for a used KGSShv or KGST, both sound great and well designed.

 

[Quixote79]

  Has someone expreriences with the Nebuchadnezzar amp from Eric Konka?
http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
 
Is it on par with KGST or maybe BHSE?

 
 

  I would run away from that if I was you. I know a guy 2 months back bought one and then manically tried to return it. Birgir also said it was a poor copy of the Woo Ges which itself is not as good as the KG amps.
 
I would look for a used KGSShv or KGST, both sound great and well designed.

 
if i remember right zolkis has actually heard the amp and is very satiesfied. asstrostar59 has not heard it and this birgir only seen a few pics of it so please dont put too much weight into asstrostar59 opinion on this

 

[Quixote79]

  Has someone expreriences with the Nebuchadnezzar amp from Eric Konka?
http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
 
Is it on par with KGST or maybe BHSE?

here is the impression from zolkis http://www.head-fi.org/t/677809/the-stax-thread-iii/7725#post_12263021
 

 Originally Posted by zolkis View Post
 
I have spent about 2 hours with the following gear:
 
(Energizers)
Stax SRM-007t II
Stax SRM-353X
Nebuchadnezzar:  http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
(I will call it Nezzar for shorter name).
 
(Ear speakers)
Stax SR-L500
Stax SR-L700
Stax SR-007 Mk 1 (modified)
Stax SR-007 Mk II
Stax SR-009
 
Thanks to Audelec (http://www.audelec.fi) for the opportunity. The reason I went there was to hear Erik Konka's Nezzar amp, compared to some Stax amps I know. The Nezzar has recently been reviewed in a Finnish Hi-Fi magazine, and the test unit was still lingering there before going back to Estonia, so I took the opportunity.
 
Disclaimer: I have no interest, nor conflict of interest and no financial gains in doing this short review.
 
Since 2 hours is enough just for a first impression, I tried to minimize variables, and used gear that I know. To determine how things scale, I included the L500 and L700 as well. Then, I had well known classical, instrumental and jazz music that I used for testing for many years. Anyway, take all this with much salt: too short time, and too many genres missing. I'd make only a few subjective comments now about the gear above.
 
The 353X was a positive experience again, it could actually drive all present Stax headphones, and the sound quality was closer to the 007t II than the price difference would suggest.
I would definitely recommend the 353X over the 323S.
 
The L500 sounded like any other nice headphone, a bit more confined stage than the L700. It's a good (the best) entry level Stax headphone, and good match with the 353X, but I would go and get the L700 instead.
 
The L700 was closer to the 009 than to the L500, and it is likely the sweet spot of all current Stax headphones. It sounds like a better 507, spacious, relaxed, ethereal, without the 507's problems, and with better sound stage and more solidity in midrange. Of course you get what you pay for, the 009 is more exact, has yet fuller midrange, and better stage, but still, you're not losing much music with the L700. Especially when going from the 353X to the SRM-007t II, or even better, the Nezzar. If you are contemplating the L700, I think the Nezzar would make the best synergy from the amps above. But if you trust Stax more, you'd be happy with the 353X + L700, or with a tube amp and the L700.
 
The 007t II is like a more harmonically rich 353X, and the Nezzar is somewhat richer and perhaps a bit more refined than the SRM-007t II. The 353X is not much behind these two, though, but the difference is there. The Nezzar makes the 009 sound really sweet and musical, with nicely layered stage and powerful, resolving bass.
 
I didn't spent much time with the SR-007 Mk II, as IMHO the L700 sounded better, unless you prefer darker sounding headphones with somewhat deeper tonality.
 
The 007 Mk1 sounded softer than the L700 (in the musical sense, i.e. less hard, though I wouldn't call the L700 hard sounding), with more colors and resolution in the mids and bass. It was more pleasant listening experience anyway. In addition, I like the fact that I can meticulously adjust the headband of the 007 Mk1 to the right fit on my head, something impossible with the new Stax headbands. So no, I would not trade the L700 for my trusty (modified) 007 Mk1.
 
I don't know if the Nezzar is among the best amps for the notoriously difficult 007 Mk1, but I was happy how it has driven it -- let's call it sufficiently powerful. Again I could not decide if I liked the 009 or the 007 Mk1 more. Each had their strong sides, and no weak sides really.
 
Anyway the end of the story is that I was quite happy with the Nezzar, reminding me to Leben sound signature: highly musical, resolving, nice layered sound stage, rich in harmonics, yet closer to neutral than to being warm. I'd give it that I liked it more than the SRM-007t II, though for such statement a lot more testing would be needed.
Note that the Nezzar unit I tested looked more like a prototype, but I understood that production versions are on the way. I don't know the exact price, but AFAIK it is quite reasonable. Well done.

 

[paradoxper]

If there's no comparative experience with the other KG amps, that's not very meaningful. Further, a 2 hour sessions isn't enough time to give an definitive report.

 

[Quixote79]

 

paraboxer it might be that two hours is not enough but it is a lot more than asstrostar59 who has not heard it and is only parroting other opinion ...zolkis actually heard it and liked it

 

[paradoxper]

 
paraboxer it might be that two hours is not enough but it is a lot more than asstrostar59 who has not heard it and is only parroting other opinion ...zolkis actually heard it and liked it

The question was asked if this may compare to the KGST or BHSE.  The point is Zolkis hasn't heard a KGST nor BHSE so the comparative
perspective Trance is looking for is simply missing.

 

[kevin gilmore]

Although this is the stax thread...

The singlepower sds and sds xlr are both white cathode follower output stage circuits. A shared dual triode is the input gain
For both channels (or balanced phases of one channel) and the output of this stage is DC coupled to the top cathode follower
Output tube. A resistor between the plate of this tube and B+ is capacitvely coupled to the grid of the bottom tube resulting
In a push pull output stage. Due to voltages involved, (350,400,450 and much more) you can't use 6as7 which would make
The circuit drive low impedance headphones better. Output is capacitvely coupled, with various kinds of capacitors, some
Of which were not rated for the voltages involved. So a bad tube, the capacitor shorts, and the headphones fry...

Basically usual singlepower

 

[Quixote79]

  The question was asked if this may compare to the KGST or BHSE.  The point is Zolkis hasn't heard a KGST nor BHSE so the comparative
perspective Trance is looking for is simply missing.

actually the question was both experience which zolkis has and next question was whether it compared to kevins amps ...

 

[paradoxper]

 
actually the question was both experience which zolkis has and next question was whether it compared to kevins amps ...

It's the same damn thing. How can one know if it's on par with the KGST or BHSE without having heard them....

 

[HemiSam]

  Has someone expreriences with the Nebuchadnezzar amp from Eric Konka?
http://knob.planet.ee/amps/staxneb1/staxneb1.htm
 
Is it on par with KGST or maybe BHSE?

I believe one of those gems (sly smirk on face) is for sale in the For Sale forum.  Best of luck....
 
HS

 

[Trance_Gott]

Hey stayed cool!
Thanks Mr. Gilmore to clarify the technically standpoint.
Seems it is better to live with my KGSS and maybe in future to upgrade to a Carbon.
But currently I'm in love with the KGSS driven my SR007A and SR009 powerfully.

 

[mulveling]

@Quixote79
Be honest - are you a troll, or is it just that English is not your 1st language? Plz respond.