[Seld]

Hi guys!
Is there any easy way to improve the tubes on a srm-006 with some other that can output more power?
I would like to have something like a SRM-600...
The new sr507 seems to go really better with the new amp, or do you think the better results are not justifying the costs of the new amp rand the modifies to the 006?
Thanks a lot

 

[crumpler]

Just had a brief audition today with my newly acquired SRM-1 Mk2 PP, a dealer supplied SR-207 and SR-007 Mk2 today at a local stax dealer. I made a point to bring along with me several cds that i would be familiar with in order to have a fair comparison. I volume matched the earspeakers to my usual listening level and gave it a go.
 
Count me a stax fan now. The SRM-1 Mk2 had plenty of juice to drive even the SR-007 which i understand to be quite a bit more power hungry than the Lambda series to levels louder than i would even care to try.
 
There's just something the way stax does vocals that really have me spell-bound. I'm gonna be spending a reasonable amount of time, approximately 4months, away from my HE-6s (Orthos) and i have a sneaky suspicion that upon my return to the world of Orthos and Dynamics, i'm gonna find them lacking.
 
My only problem is whether i should buy the SR-407s as a interim stax phone or just go for broke and shoot for the SR-007s, bearing in mind that a new stax flagship, the C32s are just around the corner. If initial estimates are anything to go by, they should retail for about USD$4-6000 and i'm not sure my current amp will even do it justice then, although some have commented that the C32s are more efficient than the power hungry SR-007s.
 
Arghhh, choices, choices, choices!

 

[Michgelsen]

Well, you're not the first person with this dilemma. I saw a post once with the advice of going straight for the SR-007, because you will end up with them anyway eventually and it's true.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crumpler /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
... a new stax flagship, the C32s are just around the corner. If initial estimates are anything to go by, they should retail for about USD$4-6000...
 
Arghhh, choices, choices, choices!

At $4000-6000... not so much a "choice" as an "obsession." 

 

[Scottsmrnyc]

I just bought an interesting piece of equipment which yielded some really great improvements in my system.  Has anyone ever bought or used a PS Audio Power Plant Premier.  It is really far out and it cleans up all the dirty electricity coming out of your wall outlets.  It is very different from a power conditioner or a surge protector.  I have mine up and running and it is just amazing how clear all my sound it.  I ordered a second PPP for my external component system. Clean electricity that is coming in at a constant 120 level can me more important than anything else you could do to tweak or upgrade.  The Electrical power is the primary point to focus on before you start any further upgrades.  I highly reccommend the PS Audio Power Plant Premier.  PS Audio also makes other elecrical products. 

 

[wower]

Quote:

Has anyone ever bought or used a PS Audio Power Plant Premier. ............ I highly reccommend the PS Audio Power Plant Premier.  PS Audio also makes other elecrical products. 

Thanks for the heads up. I've narrow down my search to a used PPP but am still a couple months away from pulling the trigger. I think the price is great if one can find a used unit.

 

[Michgelsen]

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

 

[Mossback]

Quote:

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

or you can get one of these. an Equi=tech 10WQ Wall Panel System; which is a 10kw balanced isolation transformer with distribution panel. it will immediately upgrade the power supplies on every component, lowering the noise floor and increasing dynamics. your gear runs more linear and is less stressed. even the very best most expensive components get a boost with this.
 
 http://www.equitech.com/products/industrial/wall.html
 

 

 

[n3rdling]

I've known two people who got that PPP thing and said it made no difference.

 

[silverlight]

Have heard the Equi=Tech is one of the best treatments for power from a handful of folks who have tried many different power solutions (this and dedicated lines and dedicated grounds).  Unfortunately if you're in a city apartment, different strategies must be employed (the same company's Model Q is apparently a very good choice too for room applications).
 
If you're into PS Audio (a PPP came and went from my system pretty quickly...), they're coming out with a couple new power plants "perfectwave premiers"
 

 

 
Quote:

Quote:

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

or you can get one of these. an Equi=tech 10WQ Wall Panel System; which is a 10kw balanced isolation transformer with distribution panel. it will immediately upgrade the power supplies on every component, lowering the noise floor and increasing dynamics. your gear runs more linear and is less stressed. even the very best most expensive components get a boost with this.
 
 http://www.equitech.com/products/industrial/wall.html
 

 

 

[wower]

 
Quote:

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

 
Ahhhhhhhh.... The extremes of head-fi... I, for one, am glad at the cornucopia of power conditioning choices with different features and designs and approaches because the simple reality is - is that besides the fact not many people are in a position to rewire their house for the love of their hobby (maybe they rent an apartment say, like me) -  "gear with good power supplies" do not necessarily fit the myriad of other factors at play when people buy gear. I could start outlining some of the reasons people might favor one amp over another with a power supply representing an all out assault on the high-end but this exercise is much more effective if you do it.

 

[Scottsmrnyc]

Wow, I am impressed with the PPP dialogue.  It is also interesting to know that PS Audio is coming out with a new line of PPPs.  I did get a deal on my PPP as it was B Stock.  My saving was roughly $700 per PPP.  They are still garranteed by PS Audio which made me happy.  Can you tell me what the new PPP will have that the older one won't.  I am also very impressed with the Equitech system.  It's good that we all agree that one of the most important changes to be made is to clean your electrical power and use a PPP type device.  In all my years of going to Headfi Shows, I am suprised that I never saw a PPP type device in use. 

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Quote:

Quote:

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

or you can get one of these. an Equi=tech 10WQ Wall Panel System; which is a 10kw balanced isolation transformer with distribution panel. it will immediately upgrade the power supplies on every component, lowering the noise floor and increasing dynamics. your gear runs more linear and is less stressed. even the very best most expensive components get a boost with this.
 
 http://www.equitech.com/products/industrial/wall.html
 

 

That's a pretty nice custom box for a lot of basic components that could easily be replicated individually or retrofitted into a homeowners existing load center.  The unit is just a fancy loadcenter, using Cutler-Hammer CH line circuit breakers and separate GFCIs to cut cost.  Cutler-Hammer, Square D, and Siemens makes circuit breakers with integrated GFCIs so they could have made the enclosure even smaller.  The balance comes from the isolation transformer and the central ground tap on the secondary.  It's main purpose is to prevent noise and non-linear loads on the secondary side from having a negative effect on Power Factor for the primary, which is very important for commercial and industrial settings, but not as critical in residential applications since residential customers generally are not charged for poor power factors.  In order to keep the transformer running cooler, the loads within the loadcenter also have to balanced, which they achieve by using all 20A circuit breakers.  It will block the noise from coming in, but it offers little protection from noise sources generated within the house.
 
Equi=Tech provides a lot of information on their site about the systems and products.  They even use stock Plitron toroid transformer photos, so I suspect I know where the toroid isolation transformer comes from.  The isolation transformers are available separately in enclosures. 
 
Equi=Tech's service is that they are putting everything in one box that makes it easier for large commercial or industrial installations to isolate a specific large load area such as a data center or broadcasting equipment that can reek havoc on the company's Power Factor or that is extremely sensitive to dirty power.  And they are charging a handsome amount for that service.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Mossback]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Or you can just buy gear with good power supplies of their own, which do basically the same thing...

or you can get one of these. an Equi=tech 10WQ Wall Panel System; which is a 10kw balanced isolation transformer with distribution panel. it will immediately upgrade the power supplies on every component, lowering the noise floor and increasing dynamics. your gear runs more linear and is less stressed. even the very best most expensive components get a boost with this.
 
 http://www.equitech.com/products/industrial/wall.html
 

 

That's a pretty nice custom box for a lot of basic components that could easily be replicated individually or retrofitted into a homeowners existing load center.  The unit is just a fancy loadcenter, using Cutler-Hammer CH line circuit breakers and separate GFCIs to cut cost.  Cutler-Hammer, Square D, and Siemens makes circuit breakers with integrated GFCIs so they could have made the enclosure even smaller.  The balance comes from the isolation transformer and the central ground tap on the secondary.  It's main purpose is to prevent noise and non-linear loads on the secondary side from having a negative effect on Power Factor for the primary, which is very important for commercial and industrial settings, but not as critical in residential applications since residential customers generally are not charged for poor power factors.  In order to keep the transformer running cooler, the loads within the loadcenter also have to balanced, which they achieve by using all 20A circuit breakers.  It will block the noise from coming in, but it offers little protection from noise sources generated within the house.
 
Equi=Tech provides a lot of information on their site about the systems and products.  They even use stock Plitron toroid transformer photos, so I suspect I know where the toroid isolation transformer comes from.  The isolation transformers are available separately in enclosures. 
 
Equi=Tech's service is that they are putting everything in one box that makes it easier for large commercial or industrial installations to isolate a specific large load area such as a data center or broadcasting equipment that can reek havoc on the company's Power Factor or that is extremely sensitive to dirty power.  And they are charging a handsome amount for that service.
 
 
 
 
 
 

not sure the Stax thread (or Head-Fi) is the place to have this discussion, but i'll make a few comments.
 
--note; upon re-reading your post and my response i've edited my response.
 
i agree that essentially the Equi=tech is mostly a great package of parts a very knowledgable person might assemble themselves. OTOH it is also a refined product where the sum performance is greater than the parts by having each piece optimized. as far as the actual isolation transformer, my understanding is that it is proprietary to Equi-tech, they are called 'Q' transformers and are quieter (as far as mechanical noise, and more dynamic that a typical transformer. it's possible i'm wrong about that as i'm taking Equi=techs word for it.
 
my particular installation comes off a 100 foot home run from my house (i have my own transformer at the street) panel to a separate building (a barn where my audio room is) where there is also a complete separate 100 amp panel for lights and HVAC. i have a double ground rod near the Equi-tech. i have eliminated the GFCI's from each circut as they add noise. the Equi-tech certainly seems to eliminate noise on a level i have never seen before.
 
the other issue is that in context of a complete audio system and the cost of (toy-like in comparison) power conditioners, which is considerable, the Equi=tech panels are actually almost 'cheap'. i know a number of people who have replaced their multiple expensive power conditioners with the Equi=tech panel and put money back in their pocket. and got many multiples better power grid performance to boot. unless you've heard a system completely 'off the grid' with an Equi=tech i realize it's hard to accept. the 2 best audio systems i've ever heard both have a similar Equi=tech panel.
 
including legal 'to code' installation my panel was less than $14k. less powerful versions are somewhat less. that's not chicken feed, but if you consider that you are doing a performance upgrade to every component (in most cases upgrades not otherwise possible) then it's cheaper than many other gear changes you might consider.
 
YMMV, to each their own and all that stuff....

 

[svyr]

>There's just something the way stax does vocals that really have me spell-bound. I'm gonna be spending a reasonable amount of time, approximately 4months, away from my HE-6s (Orthos) and i have a sneaky suspicion that upon my return to the world of Orthos and Dynamics, i'm gonna find them lacking.


vocals and strings. I've not heard HE-6, but the LCD-2 at the meet seemed like a better match for modern rock music than vocals or strings or any sort of classical I can think of.



>including legal 'to code' installation my panel was less than $14k. less powerful versions are somewhat less. that's not chicken feed, but if you consider that you are doing a performance upgrade to every component (in most cases upgrades not otherwise possible) then it's cheaper than many other gear changes you might consider.



I really do wonder if you'd rather not buy an omega and blue hawai for that money or the new stax flagship when it's out (c32?). That's probably a much cheaper and more drastic improvement. Still, I suppose if you can afford the panel and believe it's bang for buck...but I somewhat doubt it.