[DefQon]

I guess a charge up is more an appropriate term used for differences perceived pre-usage and post-usage of any electrostat. Especially helpful for vintage stat's that have had a charge up in many years, let it charge up to let it re-bias itself to fix any deficiencies in sound such as slight channel imbalance or low volume for like 8 hours. Sound improves after a good proper charge up. But burn-in in this case, don't think so.
 
Back on topic. Decided to give my Gamma Pro's some headtime today as I've been listening out of the SRM1 MK2 > LP and my recapped xH > 202's. Gone back to using the SRD-7SB MK2 on speaker taps of my modded Yaqin speaker amp, talk about musicality, while these are no technical beasts like the LP combo, the Gamma Pro's on this amp sounds night and day better than when paired with the MK2 or xh and is extremely musical and resolving to listen to, the benefit of the tube hybrid amp I'm using adds on the extra weight and depth to the music. Currently using borderlining great tubes in the amp 2x Mullards CT 12AT7's and 2 60's Sylvania green letter 12AU7, both pairs all balanced and it sounds this good. Going to roll in my upper grade lot Psvane's and Amperex BB in for a change. Reminds me how much I paid for the Gamma Pro's again in NOS condition for $350 shipped org box absolute steal. 

 

[DefQon]

Anyone interested in a Gamma normal bias model for 300?
 
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STAX-Gamma-Vintage-Electrostatic-Earspeakers-Headphones-Headset-/321123224446?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item4ac46f8b7e

 

[arnaud]

I'd need to check the interview write up but, clearly, it was about weeding out bad units for the first 1 week (we did witness it, and it's real). The second run-in (after assembly and with music this time), we did not witness but that is supposed to happen prior to final measurement prior to shipment. I don't recall Stax specifically talking about burnin effect but they did say the goal was to be sure the product would operate in a "stable" manner once it reached the end-user.

 

[n3rdling]

It was clearly about braking in the drivers and making sure they weren't faulty, but some people are gonna read it the way they want to unfortunately.

 

[dukeskd]

Quote:

It was clearly about braking in the drivers and making sure they weren't faulty, but some people are gonna read it the way they want to unfortunately.

Exactly. No point explaining the science behind it because I promise you, the discussion will recur.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Exactly. No point explaining the science behind it because I promise you, the discussion will recur.

 
Yup.  Magical thinking FTL.

 

[telecaster]

Quote:

In the Stax factory tour interview, it is clearly stated that they burn in their newly made earspeakers for continous one week (I assume its continous) so that make 170 hours roughly.
 

 
I never said that the burn in period would change the sound signature of the stax. It is a misconception of the term. The burn in period is, like for the new motor in a car the period which you don't push it too hard. A burn in period is what it is, a period where the mechanical parts are ran into play in order to make the mechanics well oiled.
 
Just stating that burn in doesn't exist for stats is dumb, the Stax staff just explained it to you and doesn't get the attention. It exists.
 
I can understand the stax mafia beiing fed up by newcomers asking about the so called "change of sound during burn in".
 
After that I concur, the sound doesn't change at all if you all say so.
 
What "burn in" means to most people in audiodome is not applicable to Stax speakers, but please don't make me say what I didn't.

 

[spritzer]

Equating the natural wear and tear of a combustion engine to burn in is beyond idiotic to say the least.  Same goes for claiming that a transducer in headphones or a capacitor needs 200 hours "to settle down".  Has anybody set down and calculated just how many cycles have gone through the parts at that point?  I also find it truly funny that it's never the listener that is at fault in this situation.  It is just assumed that our perception of sound is flawless and we pickup any and all minute details on the first five minutes.  Hell, most just do a part of a song and think they know everything. 

 

[telecaster]

Idiotic or not, the french term is "rodage" for new motors and is used for the so called burn in thingy this side of the pond.

 

[bearFNF]

I think mostly it is like stress testing a new computer after you build it, you are making sure that the components function the way they are supposed to, you are looking for the X percentile parts that will fail.  In addition you are making sure the parts work well together.  By running the system for X amount of time you decrease the likely hood that you will send out a part to a customer that will exhibit early life failure.

 

[gilency]

Telecaster, chill.
No reason to get all excited about this.
You can disagree and that's fine.

 

[telecaster]

No offense taken, maybe a language barrier.

 

[DefQon]

Is it a tendency for European ebay sellers to list vintage Stax gear at extremely inflated prices? There is a pair of Sigma's for over 3000 euros, a Lambda Signature + T1 for 1000+ euros ???

 

[Tachikoma]

Depends on the type of European, I've never found a reasonably priced Stax listing from Italy, French and German sellers on the other hand are much more realistic.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Depends on the type of European, I've never found a reasonably priced Stax listing from Italy, French and German sellers on the other hand are much more realistic.

Same here for Italian sellers that's where the 3000 euro Sigma is from. German sellers are usually overpriced too with buy-it-now's.