[DefQon]

Gah headfi mobile sucks, deleted what I was gonna post. I'm on eBay everyday as I sell and buy stuff and lurk for goodies. All the stuff I have listed include buy it now prices, final sold prices on auctions and sometimes best offers since anything Stax related of interest to me I bid on it or add it to my watch list. I wrote an app for personal use using basic C that worked on 1.6 donut - 2.2 froyo on android that would send me an email of a Stax stuff that fits within the keywords amp or headphone or earspeaker on eBay with a refresh update of 15 min interval rates. Since 2.3 gingerbread update was so different to 2.2 coding, my app is broken. I'm on 4.2 Sony xperia Z

Aight.

Next question what is the best DIY valve amplifier pairing for the 507 under $2000?  I'd love to take on a personal 'stat amp DIY challenge.

Could fit an kgss in there if u are not going after fancy stuff

 

[rawrster]

wow $600 for the HD800 is a steal.
 
 
Quote:

As an owner of the 007MKII - I think they are worth the price. I heard them at  the recent LA meet w the Eddie Current Electra amp - sublime. Yes - probably slightly more colored than the 009s, but VERY enjoyable imho. You can always look for used and re-sell if you hate it - they tend to keep their value very well.

 
I have to agree. I own the MK1 but I've also heard the current version and they are both good in their own way. As a matter of fact with the BHSE I like the current SR007 better than the SR009 but at this point I really think it's preference wise.

 

[Theta Alpha 1]

I looked up the Megatron, it seems to have .15% THD.  That's fine and all, but I'm a low THD person ...
 
 
So on second thought, any advice on the best non-valve DIY pairing for SR-507 under $2000?

 

[autoteleology]

THD is hardly capable as a sole consideration as to whether an amplifier is good or bad, unless the THD is egregiously high past any kind of reasonable figure. It doesn't even take into account where that harmonic distortion is occurring in the audio spectrum - low-order and high-order distortion manifest themselves much differently from each other.

 

[Theta Alpha 1]

Yes, but in my blind testing of op-amps I prefer the low THD variety, I seem to prefer low THD sound, that's all.

 

[spritzer]

That's THD at a level where the headphones will have self destructed so it's not possible to compare it to a low voltage circuit. 

 
Quote:

Sooooo, what does a KGSSHVk built cost if you wanna go the cheapest route possible?

 
I'm the worst person to ask about this since I never go cheap with anything.  I suppose you could build a HVk for about 1k$ but mine usually end up being quite a bit more than that... 

 

[Theta Alpha 1]

Low voltage circuit... I see...
 
I'm confused which DIY project to do, maybe I should practice with the easiest one first then, which is the easiest one so I can get started? =)

 

[davidsh]

Would like to pull an O2 prank with its low THD, but admin will come after me -,-

 

[duncan1]

I think they mean a solid state design instead of the high voltages involved in tubes--although there are  low voltage tubes but not common. And the solid state design  using only low voltage as they don't want you to be "removed from the earth" when building and testing it.The even harmonics usually "par for  the course"  in tubes is a whole lot more  acceptable to many compared to the odd harmonics in a badly designed SS amp.Spritzers answer to Davidsh- is why I respect his judgement. 

 

[autoteleology]

This is a sold listing, but just look at the condition these units are in. What a shame.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stax-SRD-7-Ear-Speaker-Adaptor-SR-X-Mark-3-Headphones-/121145442396?pt=US_Headphones&hash=item1c34d4c05c&nma=true&si=kVIoUkEzzjcrrX1GqSUo6otGf0k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[carbonfet]

Quote:

You could do a KGSShv for under $2k if you don't go crazy with the chassis. Sounds great with the 507.

 
I can attest to the validity of this statement.

 

 

[rgs9200m]

I'm confused about KGSS amps for Stax phones.
Q1. Are they DIY or semi-DIY like the Beta-22 amps were?
Q2. Or were they production units from defunct providers?
Q3. Can they be serviced by anyone if they need support?
Q4. Are non-used ones available?
Q5. And also, can anyone comment on how much heat they generate?
Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[miceblue]

^ good questions. I'm curious too. I'm not much of a tube person and I like DIY projects. Being barely under $2000 is still a high price for me though.

 

[K_19]

Quote:

I'm confused about KGSS amps for Stax phones.
Q1. Are they DIY or semi-DIY like the Beta-22 amps were?
Q2. Or were they production units from defunct providers?
Q3. Can they be serviced by anyone if they need support?
Q4. Are non-used ones available?
Q4. And also, can anyone comment on how much heat they generate?
Thanks in advance for any info.

 
Q1/2: As it stands currently, yes. DIY only. However, Headamp was formerly a commercial builder for them. I believe they stopped production around 2 years ago or so. Most KGSS you see on FS forums are probably Headamp units.
Q3: May be able to contact Justin (if it is a Headamp build) or other DIY'ers here for help.
Q4: You'll probably have to search for a custom builder for a new one if you can't do it yourself.

 

[M-13]

Was there a reason Justin stopped building them?