[b0bb]

It's the SRM-007tII, I made a mistake in the earlier post and (hopefully?) cleared it up after.

 
The easiest way to tell a T2 from other STAX amps is the T2 is 2 boxes.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/677809/the-stax-thread-iii/555#post_9896024
 
The link contains internal shots, the output tubes on the T2 are EL34 which are twice as tall and twice the diameter of the 6CG7s in the 007 that was in your original photo.
 
There are also 4x6DJ8 driver tubes on the T2, the 6CG7 on the 007 is the about the same size as the 6DJ8, seen in the right side of the picture.
 
Some more pictures of  bunch of STAX amps all in one shelf taken at the STAX factory perhaps the one you are looking at is in there somewhere.
http://cdn.head-fi.org/9/95/95e4e497_2012-12-12_Stax_Interview_and_Tour_DSC_7648.jpeg

 

[bmichels]

why the hell STAX isn't producing again the T2 ??  

 

[padam]

Maybe they don't want to make the same mistake twice?? (They went bankrupt) One thing is producing, supporting it is another.
 
I think it is because times are changing and it is simply not really financially feasible anymore.
Then again, you may never know what they may come up with next time, they do have new funding now.
 
I am somewhat more puzzled about why they keep the 727 in their product line as is, instead of fixing it (since then, they've updated the 3xx line two times)

 

[Quixote79]

  why the hell STAX isn't producing again the T2 ??  

great news! have anyone seen pictures? is it the original design?

 

[mulveling]

They're not making a T2 again. They won't. Also the Stax-made T2 was apparently a flawed design anyways -- and the flaw is addressed in the DIY T2 designed by Dr. Kevin Gilmore. Which is why a DIY T2, not the Stax T2, has been considered the reference amp for Stax users. 

 

[NoPants]

its quite the reference, it's hard to stop listening sometimes

 

[lilbthebasedgod]

Can a SRD-7 use a Speaker wire to RCA adapter to run it off of a headphone amp?  Or does it need a speaker amp?

 

[Michgelsen]

RCA adapter, highly unlikely, but if you have a really powerful headphone amp, such as a Beta22, it could maybe work with a jack-to-speaker-wire adapter. Edit: or better yet, a 4-pin xlr-to-speaker-wire adapter. I'm not sure whether an SRD-7 likes the shared ground on a jackplug.
 
Edit 2: If it ever was unclear, the transformer boxes such as the SRD-7 are really meant to be used with speaker amps, if that's what you're really asking. Can it be done with a really powerful headphone amp? It might, if you own one of the type that can also power small efficient speakers. But then you almost have a speaker amp again...

 

[astrostar59]

  why the hell STAX isn't producing again the T2 ??  

Because it was a disastrous design as regards heat and reliability. It is presumed they tried to keep the tubes inside the case for looks or certification in Japan?
 
But that amount of heat in such a cramped and minimal heat sinked design was always going to be a time bomb. 
 
Having said that is is supposed to sound fabulous hence the interest from the DIY community to build a modified version via KG.

 

[zolkis]

The SRD-7 [Pro] will make sound from any headphone output, but distortion may be high to very high. For curiosity I have measured it, it's like 60% THD from a typical headphone output of a small headphone amp like a portable DAC, but a powerful headamp was working fine, as good as a speaker amp (with volume limits). However, it was designed for speaker amps. If you don't have one, why bother with the SRD-7 on either short or long term: use a real Stax amp.

 

[JimL11]

Yes, organ_donor and soren b, the later photos do show the SRM-007.  I am sorry that I wasn't clear in my hurried post.  The photo I was referring to was echnieko's photo which showed a design with at least 7 tubes, unless I miscounted.  I don't think THAT is a SRM-007 - too many tubes.

 

[potkettleblack]

Can anybody give impressions on the L700 played through a KGST?

 

[Jones Bob]

I prefer my SR-L700 to SR-007 Mk2 on my KGST. I listen most of the time to my SR-009.

 

[Tinkerer]

I prefer my SR-L700 to SR-007 Mk2 on my KGST. I listen most of the time to my SR-009.

 
That would make sense since the KGST is supposed to knock down the treble a bit. Good for the brighter stuff, not so much for the neutral to warm.

 

[mulveling]

   
That would make sense since the KGST is supposed to knock down the treble a bit. Good for the brighter stuff, not so much for the neutral to warm.

I agree with the general sentiment and conclusions here, but to me the L700 and 009 are neutral-ish while the 007 (at least Mk I) is dark -- in some ways even darker than the HD650, which for ages was widely agreed to be a dark headphone in need of some "brightening" via component matching. Sorry to be such a broken record here, but the other guys are wrong 

 
I think myself, and the other few I've seen with both the L700 & KGST, agree that it's an excellent combination. I recently saw a post by someone expressing that regardless of overall level (for which the 009 will be probably more elevated vs. L700 at certain points), the 009's treble is smoother/cleaner than that of L700. I find this to be very true with my Carbon / Yggy / Audiophilleo setup, though the slight L700 roughness will probably only be apparent if you have a 007 or 009 and a great amp/source for reference. The KGST completely smooths out this minor roughness at the expense of a little detail, and still retains a nice amount of sparkle and energy up top -- it's not dark. The KGST's weaknesses (only vs. more expensive amps) -- bass impact/extension and soundstage size -- are generally not additive with the L700 (i.e. you get decent bass and the same 'ol Lambda soundstage). The midrange of the L700+KGST is lovely; warm and liquid, even bordering on lush, but with great clarity (I love Stax for its ability to pull this off). In short, these components are splendidly well matched in both performance & price, and have strengths & weaknesses that are both complementary.
 
That said the Carbon is overall better vs. KGST with the L700, and much better with the 009,  but that should be a given at its higher cost tier.
 
And though the 007 does indeed benefit from amps on brighter side, that's not to say it doesn't sound pretty great with the KGST or Carbon -- it does (especially the latter). It's just that yeah, a brighter amp is going to result in a sound closer to neutral there (BHSE and one particular KGSShv mini, in my experience).