[DefQon]

Quote:

Given that people's STAX are getting killed left and right, quite literally, I'm trying to be cautious about how I use my pair.

Nobody's Stax is getting killed left and right due to voltage issues and have nothing to do with it unless you're stupid enough to run a 120v rated amp on 240vac mains. It's already been stated here N^1000000 times if you want to be careful with your Stax stuff, don't buy cheap step down-trafo's or cheap wallwarts, you pay for quality to power quality amplifiers.
 
Channel imbalance with electrostatic headphones is nothing new as it is quite common if it happens out of the blue.

 

[milosz]

I've got  Beyer ET-1000 with issues.  Needs therapy. I thought maybe it was the N1000, or the cable having an intermittent open from years of flexing- so I recabled them with a Stax cable and a 5-pin Stax low bias style plug... I tried them on the 'normal' bias jack of my SRM-T1 and, well, the SAME problems were still there.  The level is not equal from the drivers, but it shifts around - for a while it will be OK, but then one driver will just get quieter and quieter... down to about 50% of the level of the other driver; then it may come back up, or maybe not.  Or, maybe a few days later it will be the OTHER driver that is low...
 
I suspect driver issues. Anybody got any suggestions?  I'd like to revive these things.

 

[spritzer]

The coating on those diaphragms is very current hungry when it should use almost none.  Just off the top of my head I think the N1000 has 1uf caps so not really compatible with the Stax setup. 

 

[Chris J]

Given that people's STAX are getting killed left and right, quite literally, I'm trying to be cautious about how I use my pair.

You're doing the right thing.
It's wise to be cautious.
Nobody cares more about your amp than you do.

 

[sam_zagami]

Does anyone here on head-fi know where to get reasonably priced/used diaphragms for Stax Lambdas? I have a pair of 404s with a dodgy channel. I think the 303s use the same diaphragm, it's the one with the red rim. It'd be nice to fix them, or maybe I should just part them out and buy another pair...

 

[yawg]

Hi,  

It would be a great compliment to your Planars IMO. I think both planar and estat technology have their own charm that can't quite be found in the other, and I'd certainly have both around if you can. That's why I reacquired the LCD-2's even though I have 009's on my way, I knew I'd miss my meaty Planar bass and upfront midrange every now and then.

 
I had the same experience with my speakers. I enjoyed my Martin Logan IIz but they wouldn't deliver the powerful sound of a live performance. They would get the "kazoo effect" when I drove them to "realistic" live SPLs --bzz-bzz.. Now I enjoy my big Magnepan MG 3.6R after having them retro-fitted with excellent XOs, much more sensitivity and dynamics. I get all the resolution of my electrostats but with the impact of the "real thing", Now I use my Stax NLS only when my neighbors complain -they got my telephone number ... I miss the impact of the lower bass when I listen to my Staxes. So I turn on my active sub, it works from 18 Hz to 40 Hz, where the Maggies kick in. Cheers, Jörg.

 

[K_19]

Tried the 2170 combo again today for a few hours since my friend is out for the long weekend, and these definitely do sound excellent except for this weird peak I'm noticing somewhere around 1~3khz or so... which makes vocals on certain songs sound uncomfortably shouty to my ears.  May just be something my ears are extremely sensitive to... may have to try another source and see if this is just a character of my DAC (DA100) and it's just being transparent or if it is just the way this system happens to sound by default.  They sound absolutely fabulous in other regions except for slight rolloffs at the extremes, and with great soundstage to boot.

 

[tdogzthmn]

Quote:

Hi,
 
 
I had the same experience with my speakers. I enjoyed my Martin Logan IIz but they wouldn't deliver the powerful sound of a live performance. They would get the "kazoo effect" when I drove them to "realistic" live SPLs --bzz-bzz.. Now I enjoy my big Magnepan MG 3.6R after having them retro-fitted with excellent XOs, much more sensitivity and dynamics. I get all the resolution of my electrostats but with the impact of the "real thing",Now I use my Stax NLS only when my neighbors complain -they got my telephone number ...I miss the impact of the lower bass when I listen to my Staxes. So I turn on my active sub, it works from 18 Hz to 40 Hz, where the Maggies kick in.Cheers, Jörg.

 
Are you listening to your Sub and STAX headphones together?  I tried this the other week were I used the RCA out on my energizer and fed it into my sub amp.  I didn't find it to add much to the music and kept having problems getting the frequency range and gain of the sub to blend with the sound of the headphones.

 

[yawg]

^ 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.

 
I was never a "tube person" myself until I tried them out seriously. Good (NOS) tubes just sound more natural to my old ears, in critical amps like a DAC line stage and a mid/treble power amp. Higher THD means nothing with tubes, they are "euphonic" i.e. they answer perfectly to our ears, when overdriven they merely "sing" while transistor amps sound very harsh even when only slightly overdriven and might kill your tweeters ... Give 'em a try. You won't regret it I swear (after 25 years of transistor-only amping) I found aural heaven, enjoying my EAR 549 tube power monos and Cayin DA-2 DAC.

 

[davidsh]

Thought I'd mention that the 7k orpheus system is a scam: http://www.head-fi.org/t/646096/sennheiser-orpheus-has-blown-my-mind/60#post_9673053
Look at the last posts of the thread.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Does anyone here on head-fi know where to get reasonably priced/used diaphragms for Stax Lambdas? I have a pair of 404s with a dodgy channel. I think the 303s use the same diaphragm, it's the one with the red rim. It'd be nice to fix them, or maybe I should just part them out and buy another pair...

Welcome back from lurking!
 
Did the channel imbalance happen out of the blue? Just so you know, I had a 404 Sig also develop channel imbalance with the left side being quieter to the right but I ended up selling it as repairs for it was just not worth it and it is impossible to buy spare transducers from anywhere else except the NSW Stax distributor which I got in contact with to get a quote, to me the fix was just not worth it at all. (BTW all other distributors from UK and USA don't stock 404 drivers). The same applies to the 303.
 
Here's the response from Nathan from AudioMarketing, Australia's Stax distributor.
 
 

[size=11pt]Hi David[/size]
[size=11pt]We have the replacement elements for the SR-404[/size] in stock @ $440inc /pair (only available as a pair ...sorry). The Scot filter (foam surrounds inside the drive unit) are $30/pr , these usually get replaced in the older models when replacing elements.
[size=11pt]I do not have the SR 407 elements in stock currently. I would recommend replacing both elements at the same time so image is not compromised by 2 differing elements.[/size]
[size=11pt]Please let me know if I can help further or you would like to make an order.[/size]
[size=11pt]Regards[/size]
[size=11pt]Nathan[/size]

 
 
So all in all, it is a better option to part the current 404 and buy another one or you can wait for someone to rock up with a pair of spare driver or beat up 404 so you can fix it yourself, but your luck is whim.
 
Do contact me if you're parting, I will be interested.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Welp, I got the buzzing in my KGSSHV fixed, which also fixed the channel imbalance which was being caused my a loose wire in the amp. So it wasn't Stax's fault at all after all. Took me a while to figure out what was wrong cause I had originally thought it was grounding related but I discovered that it wasn't and was super easy to fix if only I had noticed sooner.
 
I'm enjoying the musics now though

 

[milosz]

Quote:

The coating on those diaphragms is very current hungry when it should use almost none.  Just off the top of my head I think the N1000 has 1uf caps so not really compatible with the Stax setup. 

 
 
They worked/sounded the same with their N1000 "energizer" as they do with the SRM-T1.... which is to say, flaky.
 
Tried another pair of ET-1000's on the N1000, and they sounded OK, so the N1000 is good.  
 
Guess I'll just have to give up on the ET1000's.

 

[LCfiner]

So a few days ago I made an offer on ebay for a Lambda classic pro and SRM 212 driver. Impulsive thing to do as I didn’t think I’d get it but it looks like my offer was accepted. I probably overpaid, lol. Around $600 for the pair. I don’t even know if I’ll be using this setup as I really like my HE500 now. sigh.

Anyway, has anyone heard the Lambda Pro out of the little 212 driver? Can I get a little heads up as to how the Lambda Pro will sound out of it? Is it a particularly weak combo with the 212? Or is kinda close to how it might sound out of, say, an old SRM-1?

thanks.

 

[EveTan]

Quote:

So a few days ago I made an offer on ebay for a Lambda classic pro and SRM 212 driver. Impulsive thing to do as I didn’t think I’d get it but it looks like my offer was accepted. I probably overpaid, lol. Around $600 for the pair. I don’t even know if I’ll be using this setup as I really like my HE500 now. sigh.

Anyway, has anyone heard the Lambda Pro out of the little 212 driver? Can I get a little heads up as to how the Lambda Pro will sound out of it? Is it a particularly weak combo with the 212? Or is kinda close to how it might sound out of, say, an old SRM-1?

thanks.

Lol wasn't that the Lambda Signature and SRM212 driver?
 
You out-offered me XD. Was it you with the $613? 
 
I offered $550