The Stax Thread III

[astrostar59]

As far i can tell right now, the KGSS sounds more crispy in treble and dominant in mid-tones comparing to my SRM600tII.
This could be complicated to vocal presentation and your dac should be more on the smooth side for a stressless hearing pleasure.

Totally agree with that. I would also look or try out a good nine oversampling DAC with tubes for the ultimate smooth response and great vocals.
I originally used Over sampling DACs and SS pre-amp, but have good all that out of my system now. It's tubes in the DAC and Pre-Amp.
 
I know the KGSS, LL and BHSE are great headphone amps, but it could work out cheaper to look at the front end. I have a very good tubed pre-amp feeding
my Stax SRM-717 and SR-007 phones, and they have lots of volume and bass with no distortion or loss of dynamics.

 

[astrostar59]

You looked at the Lambda Nova Signature with an SRM-323? Can be picked up quite cheap and will be a strong setup on a budget.

 

[davidsh]

^Referring to something specific?

 

[astrostar59]

Sorry. I run an Audio Note DAC 3.1 SE, and an Audio Note M3 pre-amp. Both have valve regulated PS and run 2 pairs of 5687 output tubes. The pre-amp is capacitor free at the oputput as it uses a transformer 33/1 step down. And the DAC though it has capacitors on the output has V-Caps Teflons. It is very transparent and not bloomy or tubey. The bass is very strong and organic. The SRM-717 is run flat out as class A bypassing the volume control. Front end is a Mac Mini 2013 with Firewire external drive and AIF files, with an M2Tech full stack as USB - SPDIF. 
 
The only downside I have found is I can only use 96K max resolution files. But 99% of my music is ripped from CDs using XLD at Red-Book. I did buy some high res from HD Tracks
but I was convinced they were upsampled, as they were no better. RedBook is so good on this set-up I am very content.,.,.,,

 

[James-uk]

Sorry. I run an Audio Note DAC 3.1 SE, and an Audio Note M3 pre-amp. Both have valve regulated PS and run 2 pairs of 5687 output tubes. The pre-amp is capacitor free at the oputput as it uses a transformer 33/1 step down. And the DAC though it has capacitors on the output has V-Caps Teflons. It is very transparent and not bloomy or tubey. The bass is very strong and organic. The SRM-717 is run flat out as class A bypassing the volume control. Front end is a Mac Mini 2013 with Firewire external drive and AIF files, with an M2Tech full stack as USB - SPDIF. 

The only downside I have found is I can only use 96K max resolution files. But 99% of my music is ripped from CDs using XLD at Red-Book. I did buy some high res from HD Tracks
but I was convinced they were upsampled, as they were no better. RedBook is so good on this set-up I am very content.,.,.,,

Upsampled or not you won't get better sound than 16/44 cd. You should be content . You already have the best .

 

[realmassy]

Upsampled or not you won't get better sound than 16/44 cd. You should be content . You already have the best .

Please...not here!!
Don't want to read more about redbook vs HD, especially on the STAX thread

 

[James-uk]

Please...not here!!
Don't want to read more about redbook vs HD, especially on the STAX thread

Especially on the STAX thread? Is this thread immune from logic and reason? I was simply stating the facts. Just like the fact that e stats are the best headphones. It's a fact not a debate.

 

[NoPants]

Can you build me one?

maybe after I build myself one (which isn't happening anytime soon), but I skimmed over the whole unobtanium materials thing which seems to stop most people in their tracks. It also becomes a massive undertaking if you want to assume responsibility for the machining as well- something which I'm not willing to do for something this complex...

 

[DefQon]

Yeah the casing and enclosure is a major PITA process for any build, let alone the mammoth size and task the DIY T2 is.

 

[chinsettawong]

Try Megatron. It's all tube amp, and a lot easier to build.

 

[eric65]

  Yeah the casing and enclosure is a major PITA process for any build, let alone the mammoth size and task the DIY T2 is.

 
Still more gigantic than a DIY T2. Here is the last prototype of a DIY headphone amplifier electrostatic (here for a modest SR-007 mk2) with high-voltage Tantalum tubes.
Prototype made by the designer of Demograf, Dimitry.
Photo sent by my Russian friend, Alex with this comment :
" Dmitry (Demograf) is now building new high-voltage amp for e-stats.  Couple of pictures of the prototype are attached.  The main unit has the “shining” high-voltage tantalum tubes, the power unit is separate – stands next to it.  007mk2 headphones are used for tests – because they are the hardest to drive.  The preliminary results of the sound of the prototype are great ".
 

 

 

[milosz]

I have been working on a DIY T2 for 2 years. From time to time other projects move the T2 aside, I am working slow and patient on the T2.  The electronics are not hard to build, but I want to create striking casework and I am being very patient and drawing design after design to come up with just the right look.  I like polished copper so there will be some copper. The heatsinks are normal black aluminum and they will be exposed, forming the sides. I think the top will be made of black glass, holes drilled for the tubes, with chunky polished copper trim around the tube openings.   There will also be some exotic wood on the front - padauk, bubinga, lacewood or cocobolo- I am going to use the color of the wood to visually tie the copper front panel and the black glass top panel.
 
Here's a piece of cocobolo that I have, it's of the rosewood family (Dalbergia retusa) - you can see how the colors in the wood would visually tie the 1/4" thick copper front panel to the black glass top.  Only thing is, this wood doesn't have much "depth" or "fire" to the grain.  No chatoyance.  It is quite pretty though.

 
 
For the level control knob I have this...
 
I cut the volume knob out of tigers-eye, a semiprecious mineral....
Those aren't cracks, they are quartz inclusions
The whole thing is polished glass-smooth
You can't really appreciate how light "flows" through this material in a static photo.
This will have a narrow base machined from copper or polished brass.
 

 
On the inside I have a Goldpoint attenuator, etc.
 
The sad thing is that circumstances may force me to sell it shortly after I finish-  I've become disabled and can no longer work.  At any rate, creating something nice is a joy in itself.  More than half the fun, for me.  Way more.

 

[DefQon]

But if you look at it, he is using NOS capacitors, those back ones are mean looking Russian NOS cap's, I'm sure you can substitute all those big caps for regular modern Panasonics or alike and the amp footprint will be much smaller. 
 
What tubes is he running?

 

[eric65]

  But if you look at it, he is using NOS capacitors, those back ones are mean looking Russian NOS cap's, I'm sure you can substitute all those big caps for regular modern Panasonics or alike and the amp footprint will be much smaller. 
 
What tubes is he running?

I am beginner in this matter; I've just received this picture and this comment.
Maybe the forum experts will arrive to identify these tubes in looking closely at the photograph of original.

 

[DefQon]

  I am beginner in this matter; I've just received this picture and this comment.
Maybe the forum experts will arrive to identify these tubes in looking closely at the photograph of original.

Ok, I just realised those two big tubes are used for rectifying in the PS with all the transformers, I'm more interested in what tube his running for the amp part, the two brightly glowing ones sure as hell not 845's as they don't have leads coming out from the top, I think the Stax mafia are interested in any tubes out there able to be pushed through 700vdc+ on the plates for there next project without going to complicated, last I read that is till either KG or Birgir can chime in.
 
What's Dimitry's website? If he has one.