[n3rdling]

Man you've been doing a ton of upgrading lately

 

[Dinan]

According to the STAX website, the 404LE production run is officially finished and sold out. We pretty much new this to be the case but now it is "official".

Export products

I just put my extra pair up for sale in the forums as I don't really need 2 pairs and so that someone else can have a chance to play with them. That and I have spent WAY too much money lately.

 

[hipcat]

Just got my sr-34's in today hooked them up for a quick listen and wow they sound good! Compared them to my d5000's (which I love) and they were close the d5000's
got the bass but the sr-34's got the clear realistic sound. My son even liked the sr-34's over the d5000's . I really just got these to see what the stax sound was like and i'm glad I did. I'm really interested to hear what more expensive stax's sound like! So what would be the next step up from these be.What phones could I upgrade to and use the srd-4 adapter? Any advice would be appreciated .

 

[Lillethor]

After having compared the STAX Lambda Nova Signature (new ear pads) with SR-404, I am not convinced that the SR-404 is an improvement, at least not in combination with SRM-006t. I get deeper bass and more relaxed midrange with the LNS. Any one else compared these to earspeakers?

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillethor /img/forum/go_quote.gif After having compared the STAX Lambda Nova Signature (new ear pads) with SR-404, I am not convinced that the SR-404 is an improvement, at least not in combination with SRM-006t. I get deeper bass and more relaxed midrange with the LNS. Any one else compared these to earspeakers?

Welcome to Head-Fi. You are not alone in your opinion. I happen to like the SR-404, but I liked the Lambda Signature better. If you search this thread, I think you'll find that folks prefer a lot of other Stax phones over the 404.

 

[spritzer]

Same here, the LNS is a better headphone to these ears. The SR-404 drivers come into their own in a Sigma chassis but a stock SR-404 is lacking in many ways.

 

[mobbaddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillethor /img/forum/go_quote.gif After having compared the STAX Lambda Nova Signature (new ear pads) with SR-404, I am not convinced that the SR-404 is an improvement, at least not in combination with SRM-006t. I get deeper bass and more relaxed midrange with the LNS. Any one else compared these to earspeakers?

I never heard the 404 but i bought the LNS because of this. It's nice to see you spotted the differences without being aware of them in the first place

 

[edstrelow]

I don't know about the Lambda Nova Signature vs the 404 butI do have the orginal Signature. It is a good phone although I prefer the 404.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...lassic-430113/

However all consideration of Lambdas should consider the effect of the foam backing Stax used. A few months back, when I tried to replace the back foam in my Signatures I discovered that the new foam made them sound like crap. I subsequently removed the back foam of the 404 with and found similar advantages. By back foam I mean do not mean the foam between the ear and the driver, but the foam in the back side of the driver.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...ambdas-443060/

Two points come up from this.

Firstly, any Lambda may sound better witout back foam.

Secondly either Stax used different grades and densities of foam at different times and/or the older foams became more acoustically transparent as they aged and deteriorated and the phones they are in changed their sonic signatures, probably for the better.

At any rate it is not that hard to remove the back foam and replace it if your prefer.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edstrelow /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know about the Lambda Nova Signature vs the 404 butI do have the orginal Signature. It is a good phone although I prefer the 404. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...lassic-430113/ However all consideration of Lambdas should consider the effect of the foam backing Stax used. A few months back, when I tried to replace the back foam in my Signatures I discovered that the new foam made them sound like crap. I subsequently removed the back foam of the 404 with and found similar advantages. By back foam I mean do not mean the foam between the ear and the driver, but the foam in the back side of the driver. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...ambdas-443060/ Two points come up from this. Firstly, any Lambda may sound better witout back foam. Secondly either Stax used different grades and densities of foam at different times and/or the older foams became more acoustically transparent as they aged and deteriorated and the phones they are in changed their sonic signatures, probably for the better. At any rate it is not that hard to remove the back foam and replace it if your prefer.

Blutarsky and I compared his de-foamed SR-Lambda to my stock ones, and there were small differences. His modded pair were a little more transparent and open in the mids and highs, but his bass was sloppier and more poorly controlled, especially as the volume went up. The differences were not huge but they were easily noticeable.

I liked them both ways, but I'd really like my bass with his mids and highs. In the end, I decided not to mod my Lambda for now. If I need something more open and transparent I'll just grab my O2 or HE60 (or Jade).

 

[spritzer]

Please allow me to introduce the ESX:

It's finally up and running though not 100% finished as I still have to play with transformers as phase splitters for SE use. Tubes are four Sylvania 7n7's (with loctal sockets) driving four SED EL34's. Most of the resistors are PRP 9372 audio grade with a few Riken, Mills, Caddock and Kiwame in crucial spots. Coupling caps are Mundorf Supreme. Full internal pics next time I open it up.

As for the sound, it's no BH but not bad at all. The FR isn't as linear as the BH, the bass extension is lacking under very demanding circumstances and it lacks the sheer focus of amps like the BH and the T2.

 

[padam]

Very niiice! Would it have better synergy with the 'old-school' phones such as Lambda Signature or HE60? Or is this more or less dependent from the tubes used?

 

[spritzer]

It's more a function of design. A plate resistor is no substitute for a proper CCS when it comes to delivering power into any load. With headphones which aren't as resolving/demanding as the SR-007 then this is less apparent but I haven't heard an ESP that didn't benefit from a TOTL amp like the BH/T2 even if the amp did them no favors by uncovering things which really should have stayed hidden.

 

[padam]

So even for an SR-003 I need at least a BH otherwise I will always miss something

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Please allow me to introduce the ESX: It's finally up and running though not 100% finished as I still have to play with transformers as phase splitters for SE use. Tubes are four Sylvania 7n7's (with loctal sockets) driving four SED EL34's. Most of the resistors are PRP 9372 audio grade with a few Riken, Mills, Caddock and Kiwame in crucial spots. Coupling caps are Mundorf Supreme. Full internal pics next time I open it up. As for the sound, it's no BH but not bad at all. The FR isn't as linear as the BH, the bass extension is lacking under very demanding circumstances and it lacks the sheer focus of amps like the BH and the T2.

NICE! You've completely de-stupified it.

How does it compare to the eXStatA?

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Blutarsky and I compared his de-foamed SR-Lambda to my stock ones, and there were small differences. His modded pair were a little more transparent and open in the mids and highs, but his bass was sloppier and more poorly controlled, especially as the volume went up. The differences were not huge but they were easily noticeable. I liked them both ways, but I'd really like my bass with his mids and highs. In the end, I decided not to mod my Lambda for now. If I need something more open and transparent I'll just grab my O2 or HE60 (or Jade).

That's interesting. So far most people who have tried getting rid of the foam report the greater openess but I haven't heard an original low bias Lambda similarly modded. Didn't this model have mineral wool backing instead of foam?

I didn't notice any change in the bass of the 404 or signature other than indirectly because the midrange declined, so there appeared to be more bass and some treble. The big plus though was the elimination of the honkiness of the 404. The original Lambda Signature on the other hand was totally unlistenable, when I put in new foam, with a very harsh mid-range.