The Stax thread (New)

[Currawong]

I plugged my SR5NB "Golds" into the 007t. Very nice! I'm still amazed by what the little re-boxed portable amp can do with them though. I noticed the other day, if you have a complete seal and press on the cans, the bass drops out entirely until you switch off and un-plug for a couple of minutes.

 

[dickbianchi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif I plugged my SR5NB "Golds" into the 007t. Very nice!

Hmm... so did I, a set that arrived today. Same reaction!

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif The headband is different too: while the DIY version used a single metal band covered in leather (which started to become painful after a while), the original version has two metal bands, distanced and covered with the black leather. The overall light weight of these headphones makes it possible to use them as bedside headphones, being much more comfortable in this role than the SR-003 (with their squeaks and the strong ear pressure).

I think there is certainly some variance in the SR-X III frame. My normal-bias SR-X III has the two-piece headband and is not clampy at all, but there's no evidence of it having not been the original headband it came with from the factory.

 

[antonyfirst]

Nice hint. Can you measure the diameter of the baffle? I still think these are smaller than my former pair, but I'd like to find some evidence, in either sense.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif Today, after some intense searching and some waiting, I received my pair of original SR-X Mk3 Professional. I have done a quick listening and these share many, many similarities in sound with my former pair modded by Spritzer. Birgir surely did a wonderful job with his DIY work. This said, to me these seem different for a number of reasons. I didn't own the two models (diy and original) at the same time, but the original Pro seem smaller and lighter. I'd like to compare the diameter of the baffle with someone owning an SRX normal bias (which was used as housing for the DIY pro versions). The headband is different too: while the DIY version used a single metal band covered in leather (which started to become painful after a while), the original version has two metal bands, distanced and covered with the black leather. The overall light weight of these headphones makes it possible to use them as bedside headphones, being much more comfortable in this role than the SR-003 (with their squeaks and the strong ear pressure). Have to run now, will post more findings in 6-7 hours after I get back home.

You think yours are nice, you should try the Smegma Pros.

Whatever happened to that project you were going to have done, last July around the same time I was doing it?

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice hint. Can you measure the diameter of the baffle? I still think these are smaller than my former pair, but I'd like to find some evidence, in either sense.

I'll see if i can measure them tonight. I know the pads hang off the edge a little, but i thought that was normal.

 

[antonyfirst]

Cheers Eric. They seem smaller than my former pair but it might well be that I don't remember things correctly. My parents, though, saw it and had the same impression.

 

[The Monkey]

Just fyi to the participants in this thread, I have posted a poll asking whether there is support for a separate planar forum. I am not posting here to campaign one way or the other, I would just appreciate it if people would vote. A large sample size would be useful.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f11/po...-forum-410968/

 

[ericj]

Now that they have arrived, I am finally comfortable really talking about them.

Bask in my superior cheap bastardry, for i posses the $150 ESP-950. Complete with the camera bag, E/90 amp, extension cord, branded cheap right-angle RCA cable, cheap koss wall wart, and manual.

Why is it that nobody ever remembers that the earcups come off these frames at the push of a button? they were stuffed into the bag in a very awkward fashion.

And no battery pack. Bah. How many alkaline cells in the original battery pack? I wonder if i should see about one of these li-po packs with matching charger that are used for remote control toy cars and the like.

 

[lyricalmoments]

Just curious, like to hear from you guys at what volume you listen to your music on the Stax, esp those with the 717 + O2 combo.

On my dynamic setup, volume knob tends to stay at 1 level most of the time. I've been listening to the 717 + O2 for a few days now and I find myself having to readjust the volume knob - Jazz at 9-10 o'clock and Classical at 12 o'clock, the latter tends to sound pretty far away as compared to my dynamic amps.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericj /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now that they have arrived, I am finally comfortable really talking about them. Bask in my superior cheap bastardry, for i posses the $150 ESP-950. Complete with the camera bag, E/90 amp, extension cord, branded cheap right-angle RCA cable, cheap koss wall wart, and manual. Why is it that nobody ever remembers that the earcups come off these frames at the push of a button? they were stuffed into the bag in a very awkward fashion. And no battery pack. Bah. How many alkaline cells in the original battery pack? I wonder if i should see about one of these li-po packs with matching charger that are used for remote control toy cars and the like.

Mine takes 6 C-cell batteries for 9v.

 

[billyearle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif The arcs are a total pain in the ass. It sounds like you're getting too much of a seal. Have you tried rotating the cups forward a bit so that the D is a bit under your ears instead of directly behind them? EDIT: By the way, billy, could you or someone else provide a link to the arc bending thread?

Vincent, the search engine is down, but currently I can narrow down a link to the original arc thread to ROUGHLY February 1st in this thread. Spritzer gave a link to it in response to a question of mine on arc bending. I know it was at least before Feb 8th, as that's when I first mentioned having bent the arcs in a post.
&Thanks, I had tried the flat of the D angled below/behind my ears too, but still the pulse. (or did you mean the CURVE of the D under my ear???) Sometimes I almost feel I'm making progress eradicating it, but then it's still there. In my frustration, I feel like I'm in a maze, and keep going the wrong way, and am just missing the correct path so to speak. I can't remember for sure, but strangely, in spite of other problems pre-bend, there was no pulse when the phones were too tight. But when I loosen them, the pulse gets somewhat fainter, but not enough. arg. I think a lot of people used to die in mazes that did have a way out. confused & exhausted,... must stay strong, Robin.

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mine takes 6 C-cell batteries for 9v.

Thanks.

And come to think of it, I think i have a li-po pack around here somewhere that outputs something in the neighborhood of 9v. One of those emergency power supply things for cell phones and whatnot, with a variable output.

Edit: And, two observations.

1: Most ESP/950 pictures I've seen show black grilles w/ a red badge on each yoke. I have no badges, and the grilles have a flat reddish paintjob.

2: They seem to squeal a bit. This might end up meaning that i send them to koss for warranty repair, which is annoying, but i can still hardly complain for the price.

 

[kintsaki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyricalmoments /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just curious, like to hear from you guys at what volume you listen to your music on the Stax, esp those with the 717 + O2 combo. On my dynamic setup, volume knob tends to stay at 1 level most of the time. I've been listening to the 717 + O2 for a few days now and I find myself having to readjust the volume knob - Jazz at 9-10 o'clock and Classical at 12 o'clock, the latter tends to sound pretty far away as compared to my dynamic amps.

My source is the Lynx2 B, driving the SRS-717 + O2 Mk1 combo.

This is a professional PCI card with analog XLR as well as digital AES/EBU inputs and outputs including one stereo input for recording and 3 stereo outputs, all at a max 200khz, 32 bit sampling rate. and at 0.1 pico jitter.

When using the XLR (analog) outputs to drive the SRS-717 there is an additional 10 db gain over that of the RCA analog output for a true maximum of 117 db. (to emulate the 120 db concert hall live performance dynamics with a 30 db studio background noise and 90 db full classical orchestra dynamic range).

Each of the 6 mono output channels has 4 individual volume controls one for bass band, one for the low midrange band, one for the high mid range band and one for the treble band.
With all volume controls set at max on the two channels driving the 717 and the program material coming out from either Sound Forge 9, or Wave Lab 5 with Izotope Ozone 4 plug-in and without any processing applied the Wave Lab master volume and Lynx channel master volume controls are set to the maximum that will not incur any instantaneous peak clipping during the entire track as that is monitored by peak visual indicators. Then the SRS-717 produces full body dynamics in the range from 11 to 2 o'clock (depending on the listener preferences and mood) before going into clipping itself.

It is important to note that on almost all commercial Cd's the Wave Lab master control must be lowered from its default position and that the Lynx master volume be set at -14 db or -4 db if RCA is used (when RCA is used 10 db is automatically subtracted) if all program clipping is to be eliminated.
That gives you an idea of how limited the dynamic range is on standard commercial Cd's. Fortunately even with para-graphic equalization, multi band compression and expansion, puncher, spatial, echo and reverb effects applied simultaneously one can keep the program material reasonably well within clipping limits.

 

[lyricalmoments]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kintsaki /img/forum/go_quote.gif My source is the Lynx2 B, driving the SRS-717 + O2 Mk1 combo. This is a professional PCI card with analog XLR as well as digital AES/EBU inputs and outputs including one stereo input for recording and 3 stereo outputs, all at a max 200khz, 32 bit sampling rate. and at 0.1 pico jitter. When using the XLR (analog) outputs to drive the SRS-717 there is an additional 10 db gain over that of the RCA analog output for a true maximum of 117 db. (to emulate the 120 db concert hall live performance dynamics with a 30 db studio background noise and 90 db full classical orchestra dynamic range). Each of the 6 mono output channels has 4 individual volume controls one for bass band, one for the low midrange band, one for the high mid range band and one for the treble band. With all volume controls set at max on the two channels driving the 717 and the program material coming out from either Sound Forge 9, or Wave Lab 5 with Izotope Ozone 4 plug-in and without any processing applied the Wave Lab master volume and Lynx channel master volume controls are set to the maximum that will not incur any instantaneous peak clipping during the entire track as that is monitored by peak visual indicators. Then the SRS-717 produces full body dynamics in the range from 11 to 2 o'clock (depending on the listener preferences and mood) before going into clipping itself. It is important to note that on almost all commercial Cd's the Wave Lab master control must be lowered from its default position and that the Lynx master volume be set at -14 db or -4 db if RCA is used (when RCA is used 10 db is automatically subtracted) if all program clipping is to be eliminated. That gives you an idea of how limited the dynamic range is on standard commercial Cd's. Fortunately even with para-graphic equalization, multi band compression and expansion, puncher, spatial, echo and reverb effects applied simultaneously one can keep the program material reasonably well within clipping limits.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. What amazes me is how much head room and space for musical dynamics - listening to Earl Wild's Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 now, and I'm listening not just the music, but the hall in which it's recorded in, can literally hear the depth of the stage, as well as the space between the duet between the cello & piano the 2nd movement.

I was told that these recordings were made sometime back with 3 mics, the strings tend sound a bit dry, but the overall experience is almost like sitting in the concert hall in which it was recorded.