[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXII /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's good to know this. I thought the drivers were different as well

They are (a bit more forward) and so is the spring underneath the earpads which changes the midrange. That plus the port in the cable entry were clearly intentional though they alter the sound in a bad way IMO.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by studeb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi i am new to this thread. i have a problem. i have an eXStata beta amp and a pair of Stax Sr-X mk III headphones. i really enjoy the sound of this combo. the amp spanks a t-amp/adaptor set up. but i want more. i have skimmed some of the 843 pages of this thread, and used to think that barring an O2 that the 404 or even better a 404 LE was the next best thing. Now i am not so sure. Are the 404/LE better or just different from their lambda ancestors. Anyone compare them with the eXSataA amp? Or should i continue to collect bottles and cans, and save for an O series?

This amp was a DYI project I assume, so I suspect there is some variability in the sound and construction of each one. The SRXIII is a low bias phone so at the outset you would need to have a high bias outlet for the later phones.

The problem I find with the SRX III is the lack of real bass. It's good at what it does but then it misses the bottom octave or 2 and is not very satfisfying.

The Lambdas, and there are a dozen or more variations, will all have more bass, but it varies somewhat between them.

I would personally recommend the 404 as the last step between where you are the O2. I see it as a very good value for money. Although mnay of the other Lambdas are pretty good too. I made some comparisons a while back.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...lassic-430113/

It has been fashionable to bash the 404 in these pages, but its main problem is a somewhat harsh midrange. However compared to the SRXIII it is a sweeter phone. Also the midrange can be tamed by getting rid of the foam in the back side of the cups, a pretty easy mod, just peel back the earpads at the corners, unscrew 4 screws, yank out the panel and pull out the foam. It's just as easy to put the foam back if you prefer.


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

 

[nsx_23]

Right, I finally picked up my amplifier from the post office just then.

Haven't bothered plugging it into my DAC yet, but the combo is already sounding fantastic.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right, I finally picked up my amplifier from the post office just then. Haven't bothered plugging it into my DAC yet, but the combo is already sounding fantastic.

That looks like an SRM1 with no high bias outlets. If you are running a 404 off a low bias amp it won't perform to its specs. It needs a high bias outlet.

 

[nsx_23]

Nope, its been rewired for Pro bias on the RHS socket by the seller.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nope, its been rewired for Pro bias on the RHS socket by the seller.

Good then it will sound even better with a good DAC. A lot of the things people complain about with electrostatitics are actually source problems which the stats are able to reveal. I have gone through several generations of DAC and the better they are the better the phones will sound.

 

[nsx_23]

I plugged it into the iPod just to make sure the amp wasn't damaged in shipping, and it already sounds very good. You are right though, it makes crap recordings sound even worse.

What DACs could I be looking at? ATM I just have a op-amp swapped Zero connected to my mobo's optical out.

 

[John Buchanan]

The Apogee miniDAC is a nice DAC. That SRM1 Mk 2 is a nice amp.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What DACs could I be looking at? ATM I just have a op-amp swapped Zero connected to my mobo's optical out.

Get an Electrocompaniet ECD-1. Be happy.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Right, I finally picked up my amplifier from the post office just then. http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/q...IMAG0024-1.jpg Haven't bothered plugging it into my DAC yet, but the combo is already sounding fantastic.

Pleased to see that the SRM-1 have arrived, and that you after almost 4 months have brought some life back into the SR-404.

Spend some time with the combo then share some impressions with us.

 

[nsx_23]

Well, I've spent a little bit of time just listening through the iPod today, and in some ways its kind of similar to the HD650.

Trying a few miscellaneous jazz FLAC albums, the treble is more pronounced on the SR-404 compared to the HD650, yet both offer an excellent soundstage. I heard a little bit of distortion/artifacts on some of the female vocal-only tracks, but I think its down to the crap source more than anything to do with the amp or headphone.

Bass is very crisp and its sort of like the TF10pro IEMs - Well defined, clear but not overwhelming.

I will need more time to suss out the nuisances of this combination, but its a journey I look forward to. Back to studying for an exam for now though. Sigh.

I wonder if there is a lot to gain from removing the foam in the Lambdas or/and modding the amplifier. Audiocats recommended replacing the stock output caps with some boutique caps (This is an SRM1 MKI, not MKII), and it seems like a simple mod. I'm heading back to Hong Kong next week, so if the caps are cheap there than I might buy some and bring them back.

 

[JimP]

thanks XXII for pointing me to local store - picked up a new 404LE today!

Waiting on a SRD7Pro to arrive, to hook up to my amps at hand. This will be my first foray into 'stats. btw, the store was down to 2 - the last pair had serial number of 0666

- no way I was going to touch that last pair, although tempted to buy both! now if I could only source an exstata...(I know it's DIY and quite limited, but in remote chance anyone knows of any leads...)

 

[Elephas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimP /img/forum/go_quote.gif now if I could only source an exstata...(I know it's DIY and quite limited, but in remote chance anyone knows of any leads...

Hey, you can't do this here!

I want an eXStata too! (and I know how to upper-lower-case the name, nyah nyah).

 

[JimP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, you can't do this here!

yes I can...because you have way too much (good) crap that any individual hobbyist should have a right to!!

(throws rocks, runs away...)

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimP /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks XXII for pointing me to local store - picked up a new 404LE today! Waiting on a SRD7Pro to arrive, to hook up to my amps at hand. This will be my first foray into 'stats. btw, the store was down to 2 - the last pair had serial number of 0666 - no way I was going to touch that last pair, although tempted to buy both! now if I could only source an exstata...(I know it's DIY and quite limited, but in remote chance anyone knows of any leads...)

Congrats on the 404LE...they are fantastic! I just sold 0669 and thought it would be cool to have 0666 so now I now where they are.

I have 093* and really wish I could have gotten 1000!

BTW, I saw big performance gains on my new pair in the first 100 hours of use and then they tapered off. So you may want to consider a little burn-in and see what YOU think. Oh, and for the love of God...please don't let me comment turn into another burn-in debate!