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The Stax Thread III
Sep 16, 2019 at 11:02 AM Post #18,061 of 25,621
Tugbars said:
,

yes, i should have said, as you turn the volume knob after a certain level. You'll get slightly lesser bass extention, lesser soundstage and trebles might sound a bit rolled off compared to using a powerful amp. Dynamic amplifiers the same voltage swing at 1khz and 20khz is easy. Same voltage swing for electrostatic amps is harder, you need certain amount of current output for that.
I'll quote KG here:





I have used Carbon to test both. 009 and 009S have better layering and wider soundstage but 007's tonality was better overall. It's a matter of taste i think.
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More of a matchup and the tonality of the amp IMO. I do enjoy the 009S and 007 more on the Carbon. With the T2, I usually grab the 009 over the 007.
 
Sep 17, 2019 at 10:22 PM Post #18,062 of 25,621
purk said:
More of a matchup and the tonality of the amp IMO. I do enjoy the 009S and 007 more on the Carbon. With the T2, I usually grab the 009 over the 007.
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Thanks for this post. Can you give more particulars on why in each case? Also, you didn't say it explicitly but do you also grab the 009 over the 009s with the T2?
 
Sep 27, 2019 at 1:41 AM Post #18,065 of 25,621
Can I connect balanced DAC output to 323s RCA input ? I would like to connect ES100 balanced output to 323s RCA input ... I have read that 323s are essentially balanced amps (and all stax amps).
 
Sep 27, 2019 at 7:16 PM Post #18,066 of 25,621
ahmedie said:
Can I connect balanced DAC output to 323s RCA input ? I would like to connect ES100 balanced output to 323s RCA input ... I have read that 323s are essentially balanced amps (and all stax amps).
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Of course you can. It'll just be single ended on the 323's input, and it'll convert that to balanced again. Google "STAX SRM323 schematic balanced input" to find a thread in the other place on how to mod a 323 to have balanced inputs, which might be easier nowadays if a volume pot from a 353 can be shoehorned in the 323, but the difference is probably going to be tiny anyway.
 
Sep 28, 2019 at 2:01 PM Post #18,067 of 25,621
nemomec said:
Not in my experience the SR-009 has for me a very deep going bass with a perfect structure without any distortion. SR-009 vs SR-009S, the SR-009 is more transparent (transparent means not brighter) as the newer version, the SR-009S is also good but has a modern more dynamic sound signature with a little bit hoter upper mids for me. I prefer for serious classic and singer/songwriter music the SR-009/BK, for electronic and pop music the SR-009S. Very important is that you have high quality devices (amp + source) for the SR-009! Unfortunatelly you can´t reach the top level with the Stax amps but a Stax SRM-T8000 with SR-009/S/BK is a good start.



Yes, i also prefer a SR-007 or a Advanced Lambda SR-L700 against a underdrivern SR-009, but if you have a serious SR-009 setup i think there is no reason to take a SR-007. I had this combo with many different SR-007 versions serveral times but in the end i was using the SR-007 maybe only in 1 of 10 sessions.
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Tugbars said:
driving 009 with an amp below kgsshv would be waste of potential for 009.

About comparison of 009 vs 009S: 009S has way better tonality than 009. 009 bass has... problems... serious problems in terms of tonality. 009 sounds too bright and that is giving a pseudo detail sensation. What really happening is that the listener gets super exposed to the trebles/mids and thinking the presentation is full of detail. 009S has all the detail which 009 has too.

A well driven 007 is way superior to underdriven 009 in many areas: 007s have significantly better bass and way better tonality overall. There is no frequency range where 007 fails to provide proper tonal balance and bloom to enjoy music. Rather than getting underdriven 009, i'd get 007 with KGSSHV. There are many people who prefer well driven 007 over well driven 009 too.

If you like bright sound signature, good soundstage and extremely detailed presentation, Raal Sr1a, is simply what the 009 should have been. They do everything what 009 does way better and effortlessly.

Everything written here are my personal subjective opinions. I own SR007 and i'm driving them with my KGSSHV Carbon. I had 009 and 007 for one week with me to decide which one i liked most. I am aiming to get SR1A as soon as possible.(I'm waiting for direct drive amp of Schiit)

Good luck!
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I am honestly really enjoying my 009. I have listened to the 009S and Voce numerous times and I hear what people are saying in regards to the neutral tonality, but the difference is minimal. My 009 and BHSE combo is perfect. Also, I got the 009 for 2000 USD. Now, my hearing in high frequency sucks. I’m deaf after certain point, so perhaps I have a natural tonality, lol.

when I lived in Japan I would go listen to Stax HP all the time and try to understand why people stated these were the best HP on the market. I just could not get into them. It was not until I heard the 009 on the BHSE I fully understood what people were talking about. These HP deserve the best and purchasing anything below limiting capacity is truly not doing you or the brand justice. Save the money and purchase equivalent equipment.
 
Sep 29, 2019 at 5:02 PM Post #18,068 of 25,621
Would I be a traitor by Stax enthusiasts if I purchase the Raal SR-1a to complement my electrostatic rig? What say you?
 
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Sep 29, 2019 at 5:35 PM Post #18,069 of 25,621
harris4crna said:
Would I be a traitor by Stax enthusiasts if I purchase the Raal SR-1a to complement my electrostatic rig? What say you?
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Not unless you get rid of all your STAX gear and proclaim STAX sux and the RAAL SR1a is the one and only god to be worshipped...

I really want to listen to the SR1a. My E-stat rig would work perfectly for powering it as well being a stereo amp centered system based around the NAD C275BEE amp.
 
Sep 30, 2019 at 6:58 AM Post #18,070 of 25,621
For those considering a DIY T2 I am selling mine and it appears in the Amplification For Sale Forum. The provenance is built by Kerry (his version 2) and @paradoxper kindly sold it to me in October 2017. It is a reluctant sale occasioned by my vinyl / speaker system improving (passive radiators to control a bass standing wave, adding super tweeters, custom speaker crossovers) to such an extent that I have hardly listened to my separate headphone system. It was a revelation for me on both 009 and 009s headsets. Thanks for reading.
20190712_194941.jpg
 
Oct 1, 2019 at 3:27 PM Post #18,072 of 25,621
I'm currently using an srm 300 which I enjoy for my Stax L300 and Koss Esp950. But in order to experiment with different types of amps as input, I just ordered a Stax SRD7 mk2 Energizer, which should arrive in a couple days.

That said, I recently read that in the 70's Stax used to put a capacitor after the ballast resistor. This can cause damage to headphones over time by increasing the arcing risk.

I think the srd7 mk2 was made in 1985, is this a risk or had Stax fixed this issue already?

If its possible, does anyone have a photo to show what capacitor I should look for?

Thanks for any help you might provide.
 
Oct 2, 2019 at 12:35 AM Post #18,074 of 25,621
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