[martin778]

I haven't heard Grado cans yet but before I bought the Staxes I had AKG K530 and the AKG's sound much more 'relaxed' than the electrostats. I also had DT990Pro 250Ohm in the past but I dumped them when one channel started to distort after 3 months of use.
 
The Vimak DT-800 is a quite old CD player from the 90's that was aimed at the hi-end market to compete with Wadia, Krell etc. The company went under quite rapidly after their totl model receiver a not-so-good review in Stereophile, sadly. It's a marvellous sounding player (warm with greath soundstage) equipped with 18 bit Motorola DSP and only Vishay BC and Panasonic FC/FM caps, it also weighs a ton due to diecast front panel and thick copper plated chassis.
 
I had to replace the drive a few weeks ago and made a couple of pics, they are not the best quality but they should give you an idea:
https://picasaweb.google.com/113866476427071010829/VimakDT800?authuser=0&feat=directlink
 
The Lambdas sound much better connected to the CDP, using Audioquest King Cobra interconnect than connected directly to my notebook which sound quite hollow and tinny compared to the CDP.
However I can still hear that little bit agressiveness in the sound. I wonder if it's the SRM-Xh's fault as I have the old version based on the original SRM-X.

 

[troymadison]

Just wanna say my SR-407 sounds way better now that I upgraded to the beta22 with the woo wee. All the major problems I had with them completely went away.

 

[milosz]

Oh, that's interesting, driving Stax with a Beta 22 / transformer setup.  Beta 22 is a lovely amp.  (Insert shameless plug for pictures of a Beta 22 that I built  HERE )
 
I've driven Lambda Signature, SR-007 MK1's and recabled ES-950's from an SRD-7 driven by various amps:
 
Monarchy SM70 (the real class A original version)
AMC CVT-2030 (class-A amp with EL34 outputs and MOSFET driver; highly under-appreciated amp)
Pass Firstwatt J3 (class A power JFET amp)
Forte 4a (with Soderburg mods)
Dynaco ST70
Sugden A28
H-K Citation II
Old NAD 7250 receiver
 
My faves here were the CVT-2030 and the Forte 4a, though really there was not much difference between any these amps- with the exception of the NAD receiver and the Dynaco Stereo 70.
 
The NAD sounded noticeably "darker" - not really rolled off highs as far as I could tell, yet still "dark."  Not muffled, or dull in the highs, not a lack of detail,  yet still dark sounding.  Hard to put into words.
 
The Dyanco Stereo 70 had nearly a total lack of detail. Again, oddly, it did not sound like rolled-off treble, but it sounded like all the detail between sounds and within sounds was somehow smoothed off.  The Stereo 70 sounded that way on my my Quad ESL-57's also. The Stereo 70 was all recapped with good quality / audiophile type caps, good / matched NOS tubes and etc but it still sounded "smoothed over" and not detailed.

 

[martin778]

That's odd about the Dynaco, i haven't heard it myself but it seems to be a quite highly regarded amp?
 
 
By the way, what is the correct description of the SR-404 signature? SR-404 Lambda Signature or simply SR404 Signature?

 

[milosz]

Gee I don't know about 404 Signature or Lambda or what have you.  I don't know much about the 404 / 507 etc models.
 
Lot of folks like the Stereo 70 'cause it's an affordable tube amp, a classic, and has 'liquid midrange'  and decent bass, but it's a rather dated design that doesn't compare to modern amps in some ways. The Stereo 70 wasn't as good as the best designs of it's own era, either.  My H-K Citation II sounds FANTASTIC, no lack of detail there.
 
Maybe there was something wrong with the particular Stereo 70 that I had, but I don't think so.  It measured OK.

 

[zolkis]

I've driven Lambda Signature, SR-007 MK1's and recabled ES-950's from an SRD-7 driven by various amps

 
Perhaps I have already mentioned this, eventually I repeat it as a side note: in countries with 220-240V power grid, it is worth trying the SRD-7 via a 100V step-down transformer, since the SRD-7 works with that 'native' voltage. With 230V it basically gets a near square wave power supply signal through the Zener's. I listened to it with and without the step-down transformer (using an EL34 PP amp), and it was much more preferable with the transformer: smoother, more refined, more relaxed as opposed to the original's edgier, rougher, but slightly more spacious sound.
 
Then, one can take and improve the SRD-7 design, in power supply and better transformers/other parts, and the difference can be quite big, depending on parts quality. I know it's been debated, but in my experience a properly done transformer solution with a good amp goes very close to the best, at a moderate cost. Also, it has more of the 'see through' transparency wrt the amp behind than the SRD-7. The best I've heard was quite a monster of a prototype, with a circlotron-like SS amp behind: made the 007 sound explosive with tremendous energy. It was more dynamic than my TH900. The high voltage amps may be more neutral and certainly faster, but I liked what I heard, and IMO electrostatic headphones benefit more from a bit more energy than (even) more resolution - YMMV.
However, the SRD-7 is a tremendous value, especially if one also happens to have a good stereo amp/speakers. Otherwise getting/building e.g. a KGSSHV may be a better idea for total cost vs sound.

 

[dude_500]

   
Perhaps I have already mentioned this, eventually I repeat it as a side note: in countries with 220-240V power grid, it is worth trying the SRD-7 via a 100V step-down transformer, since the SRD-7 works with that 'native' voltage. With 230V it basically gets a near square wave power supply signal through the Zener's. I listened to it with and without the step-down transformer (using an EL34 PP amp), and it was much more preferable with the transformer: smoother, more refined, more relaxed as opposed to the original's edgier, rougher, but slightly more spacious sound.

 
How could a square wave rectified output possibly affect the sound through the bias voltage of electrostatic headphones? It's charging up a DC supply cap through a voltage multiplier, and then there is no-load placed on the capacitor (the diaphragm draws no current - if it did, electrostatic headphones would not work). This means the high voltage cap is charged to a peak voltage, and then nothing happens on subsequent mains cycles except maybe a few picoamps of trickle charge. If you charge a capacitor with sine wave or square wave, it is scientifically impossible to discriminate the input after initial charging even with the finest measuring equipment if there is no load on the capacitor.
 
And to top it off, the diaphragm of electrostatic headphones is a strong low-pass filter well below audio frequency, this is why it is a resistive coating instead of a conductive coating. If this were not the case, electrostatic headphones would not work due to charge migration. So even if on the off chance you invent some piece of measuring equipment that can measure ripple that doesn't exist, the headphones would just filter it out.
 
 
Conclusion: In the opinion of science, don't waste your money on a step down transformer for an SRD-7.

 

[zolkis]

Well, thanks... looks like one can never trust the ears .

 

[Katoom]

Apologues if Im hoing off topic and should be posting eldewhere, but I'm new to the forum and enjoying reading through 175 pages of chat. However i I haven't yet seen an answer to a question. Where to buy a 007 system and get best value for money?

I have seen a 'previously cherished' sustem (with SRM 707) for sale at 2000 (GBP) but being a noob I'm worried I might be buying trouble. I've seen mention of grey imports and in particular Price.Japan but they don't list the 007.

I'd welcome some advice, even to rethink my approach and visit the nearest approved distributor although, being situated in the south west, nearest is a relative term.

Meanwhile I'll keep reading and developing a suspicion that my source might not be up to the job, but that's for another day.

Thanks all

 

[Katoom]

Oh bother, should have posted in Help & Recommendstions. Not an auspicious start. Can the moderator put me right please.

 

[zolkis]

Where to buy a 007 system and get best value for money?

 
Make sure you listen to a 007 first, compared to other Stax headphones: the old Stax SR-Lambda, 407/507, SR-Omega, 009. Take your time with them, because the first impression may be misleading: the 007 most definitely needs time for proper appreciation. At first listen, I preferred the 507 over the 007 Mk2 but your miles may vary. Sometimes even over the stock form of the 007 Mk1 which I have. The SR-009 trounced everything on first listen, and on the second, too. However, after I managed to make the 007 sound more open, resolved and more spacious by properly setting the head band and changing the ear pads, I have settled with it for long term and I love listening to music through it: no fatigue, just highly resolved 'analog' sound, with lots of surprises how good it sounds with new and new passages. I recommend the old series (case with ugly rectangular rubber corners, as opposed to nicer rounded plastic ones, usually 70xxx serials - there was a more exact post about 'good' serial numbers; although a part of the difference is in the ear pads which I anyway changed).
 
However, the 007 Mk1 is very demanding on amplification and can sound considerably different via various amps. For the total cost I am not sure if you wouldn't be better off with a 009 with simpler (and used) amplification, at least for start. However, the 009 is kind of risky for a grey import because the alleged channel imbalance issues (although I think it's much less frequent than the noise would indicate). A tried-and-used 009 may be a safe choice, but relatively rare (unless people move on to the JPS Abyss, I don't see the point in changing the 009 - if not for an SR-Omega or a 007 Mk1 plus money .

 

[Michgelsen]

Apologues if Im hoing off topic and should be posting eldewhere, but I'm new to the forum and enjoying reading through 175 pages of chat. However i I haven't yet seen an answer to a question. Where to buy a 007 system and get best value for money?

I have seen a 'previously cherished' sustem (with SRM 707) for sale at 2000 (GBP) but being a noob I'm worried I might be buying trouble. I've seen mention of grey imports and in particular Price.Japan but they don't list the 007.

I'd welcome some advice, even to rethink my approach and visit the nearest approved distributor although, being situated in the south west, nearest is a relative term.

Meanwhile I'll keep reading and developing a suspicion that my source might not be up to the job, but that's for another day.

Thanks all

 
Welcome to head-fi.

If you mean the SRM-717 (707 doesn't exist), I can tell you from years of personal experience that it is a great combination with the SR-007mk1. Both the SRM-717 and SR-007 are generally very reliable. Whether you're buying trouble depends on the state of the equipment. If it sounds good and appears to be well taken care of, you should be fine I guess. A Stax amp should be repairable by a local qualified technician if anything were to go wrong.
By the way, the SRM-717 has a voltage selector switch on the back, so no need for step-down or -up transformers, but please check this before you're buying second-hand (from overseas). Grey import should not be a problem for the older Stax amps. The newer Stax amps don't have a voltage selector switch anymore though, to make grey import more difficult. In that case you will need a transformer, or be handy with a soldering iron.
 
Where to get best value for money? In the second-hand market, obviously.

 

[martin778]

Can someone tell me the difference between the Lamda Pro and Lambda Pro Classic? Even the headphone wiki doesn't know anything about the Classic.
 
For now I'm almost sure that they are the same but the Classic just being a reissue as both have:
 
a) Are 580V pro bias
b) Both have 1.5um diaphragm (not 2.0 as some would say!!)
c) They look 99% the same (the 1% is that I'm not sure how the headband of the 'original' Pro looks like)
 
The only difference I could find is that the Classic, just like the newer series doesn't have the fibreglass filling.
I'm still curious about the stator construction, does the Classic utilize the Nova style stators or not.
 
To be honest - I like how they sound but simply HATE the way Stax names their headphones, it's so unclear!

 

[angeche]

Hi all!
 
Well, I had an old Stax Sr-5 that I have started using again after discovering the possibilities of portable DAPs. I am currently listening to the Fiio X5. 
 
While waiting for the Stax 507, I succumbed to temptation and bought a SR-009. I am currently listening to them. I am a bit disappointed. Do not take me wrong: the middle and low frequency in the 1812 Overture are impressive and I realize I am listening to music in its purest form. Having said that, I find them so neutral that I miss the SR-5 "brightness".....I am using a SRM-T1S....
 
The question is, am I mad? 
 
Best
 
Jose

 

[jackskelly]

  Hi all!
 
Well, I had an old Stax Sr-5 that I have started using again after discovering the possibilities of portable DAPs. I am currently listening to the Fiio X5. 
 
While waiting for the Stax 507, I succumbed to temptation and bought a SR-009. I am currently listening to them. I am a bit disappointed. Do not take me wrong: the middle and low frequency in the 1812 Overture are impressive and I realize I am listening to music in its purest form. Having said that, I find them so neutral that I miss the SR-5 "brightness".....I am using a SRM-T1S....
 
The question is, am I mad? 
 
Best
 
Jose

 
I would say to give them more time. When I first listened to the 009, I really didn't think it was better than the HD 800 I owned at the time, but gradually I got used to it's sound and when I listened to the HD 800's again after only listening to the 009 for several weeks, the HD 800 sounded rather boring and veiled (in comparison). I ended up selling them a few months later mainly because I just stopped listening to them for the most part. Of course it's mostly a matter of personal preference.