The Stax thread (New)

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchess of York /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a quick question from someone looking to get into the Stax game: What should i expect to pay for used Lamda Pros + SRM mk2? Is this a good jumping in point?

I know it's tough to go through this whole thread but if you try searching it you'll probably find several mentions of the same question.

That being said that was my jumping in point. I paid $600 for the pair. The guy who sold them to me - a reputable Head-Fi member - told me he bought them from somebody who told him it was NOS. The equipment is certainly in excellent condition with the original boxes. Someone else posted that you can expect to pay between $400-$700 depending on the condition.

Is it a good jumping in point in terms of sound quality? Let's put it this way, the combo rivals, and is in many ways better than, my PR II amp with dedicated power supply (about a $500 value) and my Proline 750s, SA-5000 or HF-1s. I'd say it sounds pretty darn good.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did like a lot of things about the SR-404. It was the midrange that killed them for me, and it doesn't seem that the O2 suffers from the midrange issues. If it wasn't for the midrange, and a touch of overall brightness, I'd be using the SR-404 to this day and would be quite happy with it. I think the 4070 would be a headphone that I would like quite a bit as well - but I went in for the O2 seeing how I like a fuller/lusher sound more than a leaner, more analytical sound.

I found that the 404 upper midrange is very sensitive to source problems. Also using Silclear on the IC's phone jacks and power plugs made them pretty near perfect with both my SRM3 and 717 amps which run off both expesnive and cheap cd players.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faust2D /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a chance to get Stax ELS-F81X speakers for a good price. Any info on these? Anyone heard them?

They are supposed to be great, even better then the Quad ESL at some aspects but huge issues with the design. Stax used unprotected metal plates for stators so if they are pushed too hard they will arc, badly. I've heard reports that the diaphragms are like cheese on some units... That being said, buy them and I'll take them off your hands if you don't like them.

Not kidding... I need to start my ESL collection somewhere...

 

[catscratch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edstrelow /img/forum/go_quote.gif I found that the 404 upper midrange is very sensitive to source problems. Also using Silclear on the IC's phone jacks and power plugs made them pretty near perfect with both my SRM3 and 717 amps which run off both expesnive and cheap cd players.

I can believe that. Mating it with a source that has the reverse coloration in the midrange will neutralize it, and of course more raw resolution won't hurt either. I only ever ran mine off the Rega so I didn't have a chance to experiment with sources while I still had it.

 

[coldkeith]

Wondering if anyone can recommend cdp for 303 or 404?

 

[Faust2D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are supposed to be great, even better then the Quad ESL at some aspects but huge issues with the design. Stax used unprotected metal plates for stators so if they are pushed too hard they will arc, badly. I've heard reports that the diaphragms are like cheese on some units... That being said, buy them and I'll take them off your hands if you don't like them. Not kidding... I need to start my ESL collection somewhere...

I doubt that these were pushed to hard. They were used by an old audiophile, who owned a audio store. Now he is dead and his son is thinking of selling most of his personal collection of speakers. Theres is a not of cool stuff there, some already sold, but no one want the Stax at 73dB they are hard to push. Did all ELS-F81 models have the arching issue? I don't remember the exact model, it was ELS-F81 something.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchess of York /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a quick question from someone looking to get into the Stax game: What should i expect to pay for used Lamda Pros + SRM mk2? Is this a good jumping in point?

$5-800 I would say.
Depending on condition and you luck.

I paid $450 for my system (8/10 condition, with boxes, cables, ..) a little over a year ago.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faust2D /img/forum/go_quote.gif I doubt that these were pushed to hard. They were used by an old audiophile, who owned a audio store. Now he is dead and his son is thinking of selling most of his personal collection of speakers. Theres is a not of cool stuff there, some already sold, but no one want the Stax at 73dB they are hard to push. Did all ELS-F81 models have the arching issue? I don't remember the exact model, it was ELS-F81 something.

In the hands of somebody that new about their faults they should have been fine. The problem is that novice users saw the low sensitivity rating and used amps which were in no way compatible. A good 40W tube amp is all you need to have them singing.

From what I've been able to gather, all the F models used the same drivers, only more of them in the larger variations so they all share the same risks. It could have been ESL-F81X but I don't know how the X version differentiated from the original. .

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldkeith /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wondering if anyone can recommend cdp for 303 or 404?

I run several systems with large differences in cdp or cdp/dac cost and frankly in terms of cost effectiveness the best thing I have done was to replace my Monster Cable 950 IC's with silver ics.

I bought several of these ic's from various sources and I can't recall which one I was listening with last night.. The cdp was, a Sherwood Newcastle which cost about $200 2 years or so back. The headphone amp was a Stax SRM3 amp, about 10 years old and not considered one of the classics and then the Stax 404 phones. As other tweaks I have sorbethane footers under the cdp and amp and an upgraded $60.00 power cable on the SRM3 amp.

As I noted above everything is also touched up with Silclear contact enhancer which got rid of much of the edge of the 404, but it was the 2/3 m silver ic's with Eichman bullet plugs that really pulled this sytem up. The ic's were about $130.00 vs $95.00 for the Monsters and are so much better. The sound is smooth, warm, detailed, non-fatiguing and dynamic. Recall that many people complain about the "politeness" of some Stax set-ups.

This is not to say that better cdp's will not give a better result, but in terms of cost effectiveness, it was the ic that did the job.

 

[pdennis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdennis /img/forum/go_quote.gif One more question. Can I charge up the SR-202 through the SRM-212, then plug it into my SRD-7, to simulate a pro bias transformer box for a short time? Could it damage the 'phones or adaptor?

Spritzer, thanks for answering this question for me. I'm still concerned, though, that I might damage something trying this. Forgive my extremely vague understanding of the electrical principles involved...

The driver is a capacitor that stores the bias voltage, right? So if it's charged up at 580v, then is connected to a bias supply at 230v, could that partially discharge the capacitor, damaging phones or amp?

EDIT:

Also, I scored a way overspec'd, adjustable voltage Acopian power supply on Ebay. The downside is I'll need to rig up both AC and DC cables myself. Will share more info (and perhaps ask questions) when I have everything together.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

What is the optimal bias voltage for the HE60? What bias does the HEV70 supply?

Thanks!

 

[yale.reinstein]

Okay, I really don't know what I need. I have my 2050A on the way and I've been calling around for power supplies.

The only way I can get a reversed polarity supply without moding one myself would be to get a regulated universal adapter, 1A model for around ~15 dollars.

Isn't regulated what I don't want?

Edit: I've called over 5 places now, I think I need to find something to order online, it just seems like a very rare power supply, and it would be even rarer if it was inverted.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is the optimal bias voltage for the HE60? What bias does the HEV70 supply?

540 volts, afaik. For both the HE60 and HE90

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchess of York /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a quick question from someone looking to get into the Stax game: What should i expect to pay for used Lamda Pros + SRM mk2? Is this a good jumping in point?

SR-Lambda Pro and SRM-1/MK2 system in the FS forum for $600.

 

[milkpowder]

It's definitely 540V for HE60, but I remember the HEV90 only works at 500V.