[Mach3]

Would you mind pointing me to this mod? Thanks!

Here are the few parts you need for the full mod.
-Stax Cable Mount 5 Pin Din Plug (I bought mine from Moon Audio)
-Heat shrink for the plug (Don't need this if you don't mind your adaptor looking shithouse)
-Vesper Audio angled earpad, mine are all lamb skin with memory foam. About 1 inche thick with thinnest side 3/4 of an inche

Steps to the MOD
1. Carefully remove the old earpads. Burn them to avoid temptation to put them back thinking you'll get a better sound.
2. Remove the foam that's covering the earspeaker. If you're careful you can undo this mod (No idea why you would want this)
3. Install the earpads with the thick side facing you as you put them on. (Refer to photo)
4. Cut the Koss 950 extension cable and solder on 5 pin Din. (Start up your car and drive over the Koss driver a few time. Because after you connect the Koss 950 to a better driver, you won't go back)
If your don't have soldering skill ask someone to help you or you can always buy them online

Foam cover

Optional seal the vent if you prefer a warmer sound. I like to leave them open. Do one side only, you notice the difference in soundstage also.

With foam removed

With foam intact

Completed

Congrats with your finding. Will the thick pads make the coloring of the sound darker?

Well that depends if you remove the foam that's covering the driver. If you remove them then no, I wouldn't call it dark just lift the needed bass a lil.

These are the two track I mainly use to audition the changes

Bass Test Track


Vocal Test Track

 

[bwck2000]

Here are the few parts you need for the full mod.
-Stax Cable Mount 5 Pin Din Plug (I bought mine from Moon Audio)
-Heat shrink for the plug (Don't need this if you don't mind your adaptor looking ****house)
-Vesper Audio angled earpad, mine are all lamb skin with memory foam. About 1 inche thick with thinnest side 3/4 of an inche

Steps to the MOD
1. Carefully remove the old earpads. Burn them to avoid temptation to put them back thinking you'll get a better sound.
2. Remove the foam that's covering the earspeaker. If you're careful you can undo this mod (No idea why you would want this)
3. Install the earpads with the thick side facing you as you put them on. (Refer to photo)
4. Cut the Koss 950 extension cable and solder on 5 pin Din. (Start up your car and drive over the Koss driver a few time. Because after you connect the Koss 950 to a better driver, you won't go back)
If your don't have soldering skill ask someone to help you or you can always buy them online

Foam cover

Optional seal the vent if you prefer a warmer sound. I like to leave them open. Do one side only, you notice the difference in soundstage also.

With foam removed

With foam intact

Completed

Well that depends if you remove the foam that's covering the driver. If you remove them then no, I wouldn't call it dark just lift the needed bass a lil.

that thickness.... must be comfortable

putting a thick foam on an electrostatic driver will cover up details. Its a bad idea to put them on

 

[Mach3]

that thickness.... must be comfortable

putting a thick foam on an electrostatic driver will cover up details. Its a bad idea to put them on

Err... nope detail is there. I suggest you tried one side and get back to me in regards to covering up the details.
And yeah they comfortable as FFFFF

 

[leilei787]

Does anyone know how KGSSHV Sanyo different from regular KGSshv? And how is it compare to kgsshv carbon? Thanks

 

[soren_brix]

Does anyone know how KGSSHV Sanyo different from regular KGSshv? And how is it compare to kgsshv carbon? Thanks

"Sanyo" referes to the 2SA1968 bjt manufactored by Sanyo, which has been obsolete for quite some years.
The specific BJT is used in the VAS current source in the KGSShv, as opposed to the fet 10m90 (manufactored by IXYS) being used in the "regular" KGSShv.
Some (including Kevin) has reported the A1968 to be sounding "a little sweeter".

The KGSShv is a four stage amp usually configured around 10mA. (max is <12mA)
The Carbon is a three stage amp usually configured to output current 15-20mA. (max is <25mA,)

Having fewer stages in the amp usually results in less complex distortion (less high order harmonics) which many finds pleasing.

The Carbon also features a more refined,powerful and more effecient Golden Reference PSU in comparison to the "old" KGSShv PSU or "Blue Hawaii" PSU.

 

[Amish]

I have a pair of angled leather pads being made for my ESP95 right now. I have been happy with the bass but I am not happy with the way the stock pads leave a huge gap open behind my ears. I'm worried it will darken the SQ of the headphones but we'll see when my pads arrive.

Truth be told I only use the ESP95x for gaming as I prefer my Stax headphones for music.

 

[Dan Lee]

Hey guys a while back I had mentioned that I was getting a tube preamp to pair with my Carbon to see if I could enhance the sound giving it a tubey tonality. I ended up purchasing a WA22 and out of the box with the stock tubes I could easily tell that the tubes did infuse flavor to the sound, but it was a bit to thick and the soundstage was a bit closed in as well. I got with Brent Jesse at audio tubes and picked up an upgraded NOS rectifier and driver tubes and acquired some great matched Sylvania NOS power tubes and my god the difference it has made is just what I hoped for and a bit more. It certainly adds a bit more sweetness to the already sweet sounding 009S. Clarity is still there showing almost as much detail. Most importantly the soundstage has increased substantially and it sounds so 3dimensional now that I am looking around the room when certain noises appear in the track.

I know many of you may think I should have just gone with a KGGG or a BHSE, but with this set up I can choose to run in SS as well when I want to extract as much detail as is possible. Either way I figured I would share that here for any Carbon owners who may want to have the ability to alter their sound a bit from time to time.

Side note. I purchased a set of Ether 2's again to run with the WA22 in hopes of using them as a compliment to the 009S. Well that turned out to not work so well. The 009S is just so many levels ahead that I couldn't bring myself to choose the E2's when I went to listen to music. Electrostatics have pretty much ruined all other headphones for me. That being said has anyone listened to and or compared the new L700MKII? I liked the original L700's a lot, but hated the plastic yoke.

 

[Amish]

Electrostatics have pretty much ruined all other headphones for me. That being said has anyone listened to and or compared the new L700MKII? I liked the original L700's a lot, but hated the plastic yoke.

So true. I own the L700mkII but I never had the L700mkI so I can't compare.

 

[Dan Lee]

You like the MKII's from what I have read. I am really curious how they compare to the 009/S as far as a decent option for a back up pair of stats.

 

[Amish]

I couldn't say from personal experience but according to reviews, the L700mkii is the Stax that sounds closest to the 009. I figure they would make a good back up for sure.

 

[florence]

I don't why but my blutack modded 007a with mjölnir KGSSHV doesn't sound to me exciting nowadays. I was on a vacation and got back home a couple of days ago and after an hour of listening session, I feel there is something wrong. I feel like there was a lot more detail when listening to music. Speaking of 007, after I've modded the phones there was immediate fart when I squeeze it on my head. Post moderation part was quite tedious so I haven't opened it for a while again but if someone tells me how to sort that out I'd be glad.

 

[Scgorg]

The port is simply a way to create a helmholtz resonance in the headphone, whether stax did this to get a certain tonality or to get pressure relief to avoid farts we can only guess. Blocking the port removes the helmholtz resonance peak and makes the headphone operate under pressure conditions for longer, hence better bass extension. The negative side is that the port was acting as a pressure relief and now it no longer works because it is airtight. You could try to undo part of the tack so there is a slight amount of air escaping. This shifts the helmholtz resonance lower so the extension should still be better than stock. Note since this resonance is not damped you will get a slight peak somewhere before the rolloff starts. If you have it mostly sealed I would guess somewhere in the high 20-low 30hz range.

 

[bmichels]

Selling my SR007 early MK1 to pourchase à SR009s. If someone is interested...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fs-stax-sr-007-mk1-rare-early-model-like-new.913164/

Indeed, I already have a SR009, and, since I want to listen with my wife, the combo SR009 + SR007 is not appropriate because of the difference in sensibility, hense in listening livel: either the SR009 is too loud or the SR007 is not loud enough.

So... I will purchase another SR009 to have booth listening at the sale volume level.

 

[jgazal]

alternatively, one could buy another - why not more powerful - amp and keep different flavors.

 

[tumpux]

I think the emphasis is in listening together..


and I am sure down the thread some will suggest, why not listen to speakers instead.