[Tinkerer]

I've listened to quite a few stax amps and the 727II sounds awful with the 007 comparatively. It's pretty good after the feedback mod but I'd pick stuff above and below it rather than the deal right in the middle.

You can hear the difference in the Carbon immediately at all levels if that's what you want to know.

 

[arnaud]

I listen a moderate volume level and concur you still can do significantly better than the srm727, especially for driving omega / sr009 phones.

It's not just about power headroom although this is indeed one parameter (just like focusing on voltage drive and bias current may be too restrictive given that stax amps pretty much all satisfy minimum current / voltage drive for typical use, yet sound suboptimal).

Arnaud

 

[greggf]

Thanks, guys.

 

[Tinkerer]

Finished my golden reference power supply for my old SRM-Xh this evening. A fun little project, I'm glad I did it

 

[hpeter]

but but but...about 1K+$ KEF LS50s loudspeakers out of 20$ chinese amp outperform any HP systems in term of better imaging....this is the reason why Stax products need to be so cheaper I guess.

When you start calculating BOM of any stat amp out there, you will wonder from where those thousands of dollars come from.
Affordable stat amps are non existing - unless you go DIY. This is root cause of everything.

 

[Pokemonn]

When you start calculating BOM of any stat amp out there, you will wonder from where those thousands of dollars come from.
Affordable stat amps are non existing - unless you go DIY. This is root cause of everything.

yes but i actually satisfied with my current setup(iMac > DA-200 > SRM-007t > 009).
for example Sasaki-san(sales director of stax)uses SRM-T1 for his home.
in fact many people are still using SRM-T1 etc. if you are not so serious listener.
this things can be endless...lol

 

[Whitigir]

When you start calculating BOM of any stat amp out there, you will wonder from where those thousands of dollars come from.
Affordable stat amps are non existing - unless you go DIY. This is root cause of everything.

Even so, DIY will still make it cost thousand of dollars. Depends on parts. Ofcourse with DIY it is more flexible that way as you can always opt to use cheap or more expensive+quality parts

 

[Petyot]

Finished my golden reference power supply for my old SRM-Xh this evening. A fun little project, I'm glad I did it

Can you elaborate on the improvement ? thanks

 

[Tinkerer]

Leaps and bounds above the unregulated one it came with. Compared to a regulated wall wart, the main differences are it never runs out of gas on complex passages because of the big caps, and the noisefloor is much lower. With the wall warts I had, you could hear hiss about about 1 o'clock on the volume. With the Kevin Gilmore GRLV, it's dead silent all the way to max.

Really sounds like a different amp altogether compared to the default. I was surprised. It stands well with the full size solid state STAX amps and even above a good few.

 

[Petyot]

Leaps and bounds above the unregulated one it came with. Compared to a regulated wall wart, the main differences are it never runs out of gas on complex passages because of the big caps, and the noisefloor is much lower. With the wall warts I had, you could hear hiss about about 1 o'clock on the volume. With the Kevin Gilmore GRLV, it's dead silent all the way to max.

Really sounds like a different amp altogether compared to the default. I was surprised. It stands well with the full size solid state STAX amps and even above a good few.

Thanks! I understand that this is a DIY unit. Do you know any brand that sell that kind of power supply ?

 

[paradoxper]

Thanks! I understand that this is a DIY unit. Do you know any brand that sell that kind of power supply ?

The kind branded by a commissioned power supply from Tinkerer

 

[hpeter]

Even so, DIY will still make it cost thousand of dollars. Depends on parts. Ofcourse with DIY it is more flexible that way as you can always opt to use cheap or more expensive+quality parts

Show me, teach me, which stat amp out there - his BOM cost thousands of $.
Looking at the BOMs, even Stax ones, I do not see any thousands. (maybe in few cases, 5 hundred)

My diy setup cost (bom) was <1000€, premium tubes, transformers, Hg rect. etc. I guess this thing made by company would cost maybe 10x or more.
If i had now some time on hand, i´d like to try GaN FETs. Even those does not cost arm and leg, you get the idea.

 

[hpeter]

But at same time i understand, what extra costs company has to pay, when selling commerial products, i work at EMS.
Let´s not forget that when you sell many units around world -- then your RnD costs can be easily spread across all units sold.
That´s why I do not agree with these high prices. Seriously, i would not pay 300-500€ for this one (maybe max100): http://www.audelec.fi/epages/audelec.sf/fi_FI/?ObjectPath=/Shops/2015040801/Products/STAX-SRM-252S[1]

Stax shoots themselves into foot with high price amps. Top reason for tiny market share, i´d like to see Stax grabbing firmly the market....

 

[Whitigir]

Show me, teach me, which stat amp out there - his BOM cost thousands of $.
Looking at the BOMs, even Stax ones, I do not see any thousands. (maybe in few cases, 5 hundred)

My diy setup cost (bom) was <1000€, premium tubes, transformers, Hg rect. etc. I guess this thing made by company would cost maybe 10x or more.
If i had now some time on hand, i´d like to try GaN FETs. Even those does not cost arm and leg, you get the idea.

The BOM itself on electrical components does not cost thousands, the other parts will. Like I said, you can choose to use cheap parts or more expensive one. A simple quality volume pot can cost $800 easily by itself, a less expensive one would be 1/2 of that.....they add up very quickly

https://www.onlinecomponents.com/alps-electric-rk50114a0001.html?p=10114282

Now, regarding Stax, beside R&D, they "will need" the after sale services, which includes warranty, return for refund, dealer networks, refurbishing networks.....etc....etc....these products are niche and not like automobiles where every family will need 1 or 2...lol

 

[hpeter]

Oh please man, this can´t be serious. Show me which stat amp uses ridiculous 800€ volume pots. If any.
Everybody uses blue alps pots, example-stereo model with extra el.motor costs 25€. RK27112MC
For 800€ you can have stepped attenuator or maybe autoformer. http://www.intactaudio.com/atten.html (which is very different animal)