[bwck2000]

IMHO, such expensive equipment MUST be listened to before you buy it.

Otherwise, to me, the BHSE, KGSSHV, 3ES signatures are tonally different and certainly superior in fact to any current Stax driver.

How strong are the differences? Much depends on YOUR HEARING. For example, for me it is enough to own not the most powerful SRM-600: for me it covers 80-85% of musicality and I consider the difference with BHSE not essential. But I'm not an audiophile, I'm just a music lover. Whether the 15% improvement is worth 6000 euros is a question that can be decided after listening.

I wouldn't be too hasty and go to a hi-end show / store / friends / head-fiers for auditions. Which is already an adventure itself

I used to Own a SRM-600 and I have to agree that it is a pretty good match with the 009/009s. It has sufficient detail , tranparency and treble extension feeding to the 009 and the tad of sweetness that is added to the music just make this combo more enjoyable to listen to comparing to its peers 006ts/T1W/T1S or even the 007t/727, despite of its very limited dynamic.

But a year ago the offset of one channel has shifted 100v to the -ve output due to a failing resistor and seems to me that the 8 AMRG resistors will fail one by one in the future so buy the 600 only when you are prepared to fix them. But still a good combo with the 009. I'd have kept my 600 if there aren't any resistor issues.

I hope that the successor of the 006ts would be a 600 with those resistor issues fixed.

 

[jsts]

I used to Own a SRM-600 and I have to agree that it is a pretty good match with the 009/009s. It has sufficient detail , tranparency and treble extension feeding to the 009 and the tad of sweetness that is added to the music just make this combo more enjoyable to listen to comparing to its peers 006ts/T1W/T1S or even the 007t/727, despite of its very limited dynamic.

But a year ago the offset of one channel has shifted 100v to the -ve output due to a failing resistor and seems to me that the 8 AMRG resistors will fail one by one in the future so buy the 600 only when you are prepared to fix them. But still a good combo with the 009. I'd have kept my 600 if there aren't any resistor issues.

I hope that the successor of the 006ts would be a 600 with those resistor issues fixed.

Yes, I also liked the 600 more than the 007t, so I settled on the 600. And yes, the problem with the resistors is the horror of the SRM-600. They die one by one.

I bought my used driver with two failed resistors. So I bought 16 pieces of new original resistors in Japan. Replaced the dead ones. After 2 MONTHS I noticed that the sound on the right channel was muddy, went to check - another resistor was dead. Replaced it. A month later the story repeated with another resistor. That's why I decided to get rid of the resistors and implemented CCS-mod (I wrote about it above). No more problems.

 

[bwck2000]

. That's why I decided to get rid of the resistors and implemented CCS-mod (I wrote about it above). No more problems.

Is it still the 600 after the mod?

 

[jsts]

Is it still the 600 after the mod?

Yes, it's still the same SRM-600 I was afraid that replacing the resistors with a current source would cause the sound to become "metallic", rough. But it did not - it is still the same tube driver with improved dynamics and resolution at low and high frequencies. It was inexpensive + solved the problem of constantly dying resistors, so I decided to implement CCS-mod.

 

[number1sixerfan]

IMHO, such expensive equipment MUST be listened to before you buy it.

Otherwise, to me, the BHSE, KGSSHV, 3ES signatures are tonally different and certainly superior in fact to any current Stax driver.

How strong are the differences? Much depends on YOUR HEARING. For example, for me it is enough to own not the most powerful SRM-600: for me it covers 80-85% of musicality and I consider the difference with BHSE not essential. But I'm not an audiophile, I'm just a music lover. Whether the 15% improvement is worth 6000 euros is a question that can be decided after listening.

I wouldn't be too hasty and go to a hi-end show / store / friends / head-fiers for auditions. Which is already an adventure itself

How would you describe the 3ES in comparison to the BHSE? I've always been really happy with the BHSE and WES, but haven't come across many people that have heard the 3ES and others.

 

[jsts]

How would you describe the 3ES in comparison to the BHSE? I've always been really happy with the BHSE and WES, but haven't come across many people that have heard the 3ES and others.

I can't write exquisitely, so very briefly and only my opinion:

WES vs 3ES - 3ES won. WES plays very soft, so soft that you might as well buy an inexpensive magneplanar like the LCD-2 (please, no offense!). The dynamics are on par with the T1. The 3ES is a big step forward - you can hear it clearly.

3ES vs BHSE - BHSE won. Again, it's about dynamics and resolution. The 3ES is "soapy", relaxed in moments where need to add energy, push harder. I must say that to me the 3ES looks prettier and more solid (obviously because of the many lamps ) than the BHSE.

BHSE vs Carbon (Mjölnir) - draw No comment, personal preference in tone.

I repeat - everything should be listened to PERSONALLY.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I can't write exquisitely, so very briefly and only my opinion:

WES vs 3ES - 3ES won. WES plays very soft, so soft that you might as well buy an inexpensive magneplanar like the LCD-2 (please, no offense!). The dynamics are on par with the T1. The 3ES is a big step forward - you can hear it clearly.

3ES vs BHSE - BHSE won. Again, it's about dynamics and resolution. The 3ES is "soapy", relaxed in moments where need to add energy, push harder. I must say that to me the 3ES looks prettier and more solid (obviously because of the many lamps ) than the BHSE.

BHSE vs Carbon (Mjölnir) - draw No comment, personal preference in tone.

I repeat - everything should be listened to PERSONALLY.

I really appreciate the impressions there! And interesting to hear. And I agree fully, it all comes down to really trying them out personally. I enjoy the WES for the price point and there's one or two things that imo it does better than the BHSE, but the Blue Hawaii definitely wins in resolution, clarity and accuracy. Definitely.

If the 3ES isn't a big leap above the BHSE, it would be hard for me to justify giving it a shot. Sounds like that may not be the case. Hopefully I can hear it one day, but it sounds like the BHSE is as good as I feel it is. Thanks again.

 

[cucera]

Is it still the 600 after the mod?

There is a guy in Germany who does the CCS mod on those T1/006/600 and even 007t. He is verry professional.

http://stritt-audio.de/stax-driver-units/
The site is in German, but he speaks reasonable English.

Brings those Stax amps closer to the KGST.

 

[Deolum]

How absurd is it to drive a SR007 Mk.1 with a Hifiman Jade II amp? Is the Jade II amp significantly worse than SRM 717/727?

 

[jsts]

How absurd is it to drive a SR007 Mk.1 with a Hifiman Jade II amp? Is the Jade II amp significantly worse than SRM 717/727?

The Hifiman Jade II is a terrible amplifier. Both in terms of the cheap amplification circuitry used and in terms of build quality. There is a detailed description with pictures on another forum.

 

[AnakChan]

I think there needs to be a little more information about sonics too. Engineering quality only partially answers the question. To use an example, I know a couple of years ago, other forums trashed the Cavalli electrostat build but I had that demo unit with me and sonically I thought it sounded pretty good.

I personally like to read all forums to be informed, but to my best, I try to make conclusions myself.

 

[chococya96]

EDIT

 

[jsts]

I think there needs to be a little more information about sonics too. Engineering quality only partially answers the question. To use an example, I know a couple of years ago, other forums trashed the Cavalli electrostat build but I had that demo unit with me and sonically I thought it sounded pretty good.

I personally like to read all forums to be informed, but to my best, I try to make conclusions myself.

Yes, of course, I apologize, I didn't mean to mislead. I have not listened to Jade and cannot draw my own conclusions. That said, I just wanted to let you know that the Jade circuit apparently will not provide the proper power for the 007.

 

[jsts]

By the way, I've been using RCA for 15 years and never XLR. Two questions if anyone knows:

1. Are the XLR inputs on the SRM-600 true-balanced (-0+)?
2. When the amplifier is turned on, input 1 (RCA) is active by default. Can I make input 3 (XLR) active by default when the amplifier is turned on?

 

[tumpux]

It is true balance.