[John Buchanan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm currently testing one of these.

Birgir, could you put me on the list for pricing information on one of these boards please?

 

[Sherwood]

Mjolnir audio? Classy, Birgir. A DIY stax energizer is pretty akin to Thor's hammer in my book, too.

 

[Victor Chew]

Wonderful job Spritzer. Couple this with some nice transformers like the Lundahl or Sowter and who knows what this is capable of when hooked up to a high quality amp.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Buchanan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Birgir, could you put me on the list for pricing information on one of these boards please?

I've been adding up the numbers and the boards cost me roughly 22$ each after the customs here had a go at the package.

Postage and packing would be another 5-7$ or so but I have to package one up and see how much it weighs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mjolnir audio? Classy, Birgir. A DIY stax energizer is pretty akin to Thor's hammer in my book, too.

It was a joke at first but I do like it now. Mjölnir was supposed to shoot lightnings so it is appropriate. I really have to draw up a logo too...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victor Chew /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wonderful job Spritzer. Couple this with some nice transformers like the Lundahl or Sowter and who knows what this is capable of when hooked up to a high quality amp.

While this will certainly work with any transformer chosen, I'd probably use a different design for high end transformers. The main problem here is the lack of a transformer on the input of the bias supply so there is no neutral. This isn't a problem since these bias supplies have been in service for 50 years but with a bit more space at hand I could do a better PSU.

Also in a stripped down version like this, there can be audible hum through the headphones until the amp powers up and the "ground" becomes active. Stax got around this using various tricks which are all in the signal path so I left them out. There is no hum during use (unless you have fubar transformers like the ones I'm using now) so it's not much of an issue.

 

[Victor Chew]

I had a problem with the SRD7mk2 hum. Managed to get rid of a lot of it when I moved the amp away from the CD player. However, the hum though not obvious is still audible. Less so during the day time when there is more noise around me. I get alot less with the illusion though, but there is still some hum, but not as much as the SRD7mk2. I am now awaiting parts for my border patrol to reduce the gain. They said that their current models has this lower gain (using 6C45pi tubes) and less hum problems. Slight circuit changes to take the new tubes. I hope that the hum can go off completely.

 

[audioaffair]

Stax are indeed stunning though do have a monopoly on the electrostatic market (though for good reason!) Interested to know if anyone has heard any alternative electrostatic models that come close to the Stax?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioaffair /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stax are indeed stunning though do have a monopoly on the electrostatic market (though for good reason!) Interested to know if anyone has heard any alternative electrostatic models that come close to the Stax?

Monopoly?
HE Audio and Koss both make electrostatic headphones, and from what I have read both of them are strong competitors to Stax 'phones.

Then there are of course the out-of-production models, like Sennheiser HE90 and HE60.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victor Chew /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had a problem with the SRD7mk2 hum. Managed to get rid of a lot of it when I moved the amp away from the CD player. However, the hum though not obvious is still audible. Less so during the day time when there is more noise around me. I get alot less with the illusion though, but there is still some hum, but not as much as the SRD7mk2. I am now awaiting parts for my border patrol to reduce the gain. They said that their current models has this lower gain (using 6C45pi tubes) and less hum problems. Slight circuit changes to take the new tubes. I hope that the hum can go off completely.

That is probably the amp and not the phones but many speaker amps hum but the low level is never heard via the speakers. Headphones on the other hand make it quite clear. The SR-003 manages to dig up everything...

 

[Duckman]

A question regarding the T1W amp. The manual I have is in Japanese and I can't say I know any Japanese at all.

I am about to use a pair of normal bias Lambdas on the T1W tonight. Do I need to adjust the bias voltage switch before plugging into the normal bias socket? Is is just a matter of sticking a screwdriver in there and turning left or right? At the moment it sounds okay with the pro-bias Lambda Signatures I've been using.

Any help appreciated.

 

[John Buchanan]

As long as you plug it into the normal bias connector (and it IS possible to do otherwise if you have one of those older 6 pin at one end and 5 pin at the other extension leads from Stax) it should play just fine. I think the adjustable bias is only applicable to the pro outputs from memory, but I have never played with one.

 

[Tachikoma]

Yep, the adjustable output only applies to one of the pro outputs, and yes you just stick a screwdriver in there to change it. IIRC it goes from 580V -> something lower and not the other way around.

 

[Duckman]

Thanks guys!

 

[yale.reinstein]

My rig sounds better at night...

Is there anything that could explain this? All I can come up with is...

Power. I'm completely uneducated on the issues concerning power, but I can only assume less usage during the night could lead to cleaner power for me.

Subjectively it might also be the ambient noise in my house, or that I'm just a night person... But I don't see why I want to listen so much when I'm begging for sleep while not enjoying them as much when I'm not

Is there anything I could be missing? Suggestions?

Thanks

 

[John Buchanan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been adding up the numbers and the boards cost me roughly 22$ each after the customs here had a go at the package. Postage and packing would be another 5-7$ or so but I have to package one up and see how much it weighs.

Could I join the queue for one of these please.

 

[GuyDebord]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yale.reinstein /img/forum/go_quote.gif My rig sounds better at night... Is there anything that could explain this? All I can come up with is... Power. I'm completely uneducated on the issues concerning power, but I can only assume less usage during the night could lead to cleaner power for me. Subjectively it might also be the ambient noise in my house, or that I'm just a night person... But I don't see why I want to listen so much when I'm begging for sleep while not enjoying them as much when I'm not Is there anything I could be missing? Suggestions? Thanks

Most likely is the power grid... your grid shared by many users with a lot of electronics that pollute the mains, at night, there are less users and so the mains is less polluted.
Getting a mains filter should work, however I had a hard time choosing one because most sacrifice some performance, especially dynamics. After trying many, I ended up buying Isotek products, the sound improvement was incredible.
If you can afford the PS Audio Power Plant Premier choose that one, it is not a filter, it reconstructs your polluted mains into perfectly clean mains. It has been one of the best upgrades I have ever done, wouldn't consider listening without it, it has become an essential part of my hifi system.