[VandyMan]

  VandyMan points to your imbalance has other cause since it developed over almost two years. also you have not had your 007 for two years yet so you cannot say it is just rubbish.

To be clear, I said that based on several posts in this topic where more knowledgeable people that said the imbalance issues tends to develop with the first couple months.

I was concerned about it when I was trying to decide if I should go with Price Japan or STAX USA for my purchase. STAX USA had a sale, settling the issue for me. In retrospect, I'd probably go with Price Japan, but it is important to understand that there is always a risk of warranty issues when making grey market purchases.

 

[jgazal]

what is the matter with the woo wee then?

1. If mains voltage fluctuates, does the diaphragm bias supply fluctuates accordingly?
2. Is there a way to regulate the diaphragm bias supply voltage so it won't change regardless mains voltage fluctuation?
3. Is it possible to limit the current flow from the diaphragm bias supply to the diaphragm?
4. Suppose you have a source or source/preamp with a maximum line output voltage and dc peak: what is the hvlc amplifier maximum gain in order to avoid reaching the stator to stator voltage breakdown limit?
5. Now suppose you have a source/potentiometer/LVHC amplifier or a source/preamp/LVHC amplifier with a maximum output power and dc peak: what is lvhc to hvlc transformer maximum ratio in order to avoid the stator to stator voltage breakdown?
6. What are failure modes?
7. What is the failure mode number n-1 if the diaphragm is not voltage regulated neither current limited?
8. What is the failure mode number n if the diaphragm is not voltage regulated neither current limited
and the transformer has a inadequate higher ratio?
9. Are the components of your chain designed to avoid n-1 and n failure modes?
10. If you were an electrostatic transducer manufacturer, would you recommend using third party components knowing that you cannot enforce designs (or user choice of components) in order to avoid failure modes n and n-1?

Lvhc - low voltage high current
Hvlc - high voltage low current

 

[Quixote79]

1. If mains voltage fluctuates, does the diaphragm bias supply fluctuates accordingly?
2. Is there a way to regulate the diaphragm bias supply voltage so it won't change regardless mains voltage fluctuation?
3. Is it possible to limit the current flow from the diaphragm bias supply to the diaphragm?
4. Suppose you have a source or source/preamp with a maximum line output voltage and dc peak: what is the hvlc amplifier maximum gain in order to avoid reaching the stator to stator voltage breakdown limit?
5. Now suppose you have a source/potentiometer/LVHC amplifier or a source/preamp/LVHC amplifier with a maximum output power and dc peak: what is lvhc to hvlc transformer maximum ratio in order to avoid the stator to stator voltage breakdown?
6. What are failure modes?
7. What is the failure mode number n-1 if the diaphragm is not voltage regulated neither current limited?
8. What is the failure mode number n if the diaphragm is not voltage regulated neither current limited
and the transformer has a inadequate higher ratio?
9. Are the components of your chain designed to avoid n-1 and n failure modes?
10. If you were an electrostatic transducer manufacturer, would you recommend using third party components knowing that you cannot enforce designs (or user choice of components) in order to avoid failure modes n and n-1?

Lvhc - low voltage high current
Hvlc - high voltage low current

lots of questions?? what are you trying to say?

 

[jgazal]

I am not trying to say anything, I am trying to understand. A friend has alerted me about some inconsistences in my questions. I was considering to delete my post, but since you quoted I will let it as it is.
Sometimes I post things I regret, but that's life. Spoken words fly away, written words remain...

 

[JimL11]

 
what is the matter with the woo wee then?

No personal experience, but according to a post on the other site by spritzer, at least one of them was built without a ballast resistor (typically 5 megohms) to protect the diaphragm from being fried if the bias supply caps accidentally discharge into it.  Bad ju ju!

 

[sensui123]

So much drama in the stax circle lol. I'm just glad to be on the train now. After the 007 mk1 I don't miss the Audeze stuff I've bit. Just wish paradoxper turned me onto this sooner... Memories when we discussed schiit gear once upon a time. Just missing my bhse now to complete the experience.

 

[Quixote79]

 
No personal experience, but according to a post on the other site by spritzer, at least one of them was built without a ballast resistor (typically 5 megohms) to protect the diaphragm from being fried if the bias supply caps accidentally discharge into it.  Bad ju ju!

why in heavens name should someone omit a resistor in a design if it protect the headphone????

 

[astrostar59]

 
why in heavens name should someone omit a resistor in a design if it protect the headphone????

Because maybe they don't know what they are doing?

 

[ericj]

  Because maybe they don't know what they are doing?

maybe they think their ears are the most sensitive measurement devices in the universe and deemed it to sound better? 
 
(human perception is a rubber meter stick) 

 

[ardacer]

Hi guys, I have a 313 amp and a 303 headphones which i plan to mod a lot, and I also plan to buy a l700..
313 would drive these until I can get something better, but all the better energizers are damn expensive.. I'm really good with soldering iron and I've made pcb's at home with uv light before, so the question is: I've seen some folks diy some of the better amps for stax, are these designs publically available?

 

[astrostar59]

Imbalance collated data
 

I decided to collate the reports in the long 009 imbalance thread to see how the numbers of cases was related to dates. My own 009s failed recently and I am the only one I can report for 2016 so far. Bear in mind some of the mainstream 009 buyers who go to dealers may not post on here. Also there is a healthy Chinese thread with more cases. I read a few times the estimated sales per year of the 009 is roughly 500. If we say there are 23 cases reported on here, and say 30 elsewhere, we come to a figure of 53. So 500 x 5 years sales = 2,500 which makes 53 failures a rate of 2%. That sound pretty good IMO. Even if it hits 5% it is still ok? A lot lower I imagine than LCD.
 
The good news is it 'looks' as though the failure rate is going down, thus Stax may have solved most of the issues. The other point is most of the failures happened inside 3 weeks of use. A few inside 6 months. My recent failure is strangely at 23 months.
 
Interestingly the split between Stax amp users and DIY is roughly 50/50. Though I would say more failures not reported here are probably on Stax amps as most DIY'ers post here a lot for advice and parts.
 
Hope this helps some of you make up your mind as to wether to quit the Stax world or press on and buy the 009s.

 

[potkettleblack]

Hell of a contribution to the thread, thank you.

'More than what you contribute, Potkettleblack' mutters everyone else on the thread.

 

[soren_brix]

  Imbalance collated data
 

I decided to collate the reports in the long 009 imbalance thread to see how the numbers of cases was related to dates. My own 009s failed recently and I am the only one I can report for 2016 so far. Bear in mind some of the mainstream 009 buyers who go to dealers may not post on here. Also there is a healthy Chinese thread with more cases. I read a few times the estimated sales per year of the 009 is roughly 500. If we say there are 23 cases reported on here, and say 30 elsewhere, we come to a figure of 53. So 500 x 5 years sales = 2,500 which makes 53 failures a rate of 2%. That sound pretty good IMO. Even if it hits 5% it is still ok? A lot lower I imagine than LCD.
 
The good news is it 'looks' as though the failure rate is going down, thus Stax may have solved most of the issues. The other point is most of the failures happened inside 3 weeks of use. A few inside 6 months. My recent failure is strangely at 23 months.
 
Interestingly the split between Stax amp users and DIY is roughly 50/50. Though I would say more failures not reported here are probably on Stax amps as most DIY'ers post here a lot for advice and parts.
 
Hope this helps some of you make up your mind as to wether to quit the Stax world or press on and buy the 009s.

nice job ;o)
 
However, where do you get the approx 500/year of 009 sales?
I have seen pairs of 007, SZ3  ~ 1400 bought five years ago, and some more recent SZ3 ~2000
so give an take ~600 in four years + domestic ...say 800 in total ...200/year ...and the 009's sells 2½ as many??  so, where did you get the 500/year from?

 

[arnaud]

nice job ;o)

However, where do you get the approx 500/year of 009 sales?

I recall from stax interview at sr009 launch that they mentionned about 20 pairs a month maximum at start. My mind is fuzzy on this but I recall the stax interview we did on site where they clarified they could then do more than 20 pairs a month (did not say how many) and still could not keep the shelves full.

40 pairs a month is a reasonable figure imo. At least at peak of sales, it's gotta be tapering off by now though.

Arnaud

 

[ericj]

Revised boards nearly ready for etching.