[sachu]

I didn't say the pads are made in China..just that the Chinese are big in the market of the fake leather used in the O2Mk1 pads.

 

[dreamwhisper]

I'd love to find some cloned O2 pads around somewhere. I remember seeing a thread about them somewhere...

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

I'd love to find some cloned O2 pads around somewhere. I remember seeing a thread about them somewhere...

Sachu has found someone to make them, but he mentioned they are backordered until next year now.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Quote:

 
As Larry said, it's my own circuit which is based on the same principle as the SRD-7 Mk2 circuit (so a multiplier basically) but it works better for the post 1993 Stax models. 
 

 
So it is confidential or is it poosible to get more information?
 

It isn't confidential but I can't see any upside in sharing the design. 

 

[jgazal]

 

Certainly one may say, ‘Freedom to speak or write can be taken from us by a superior power, but never the freedom to think!’ But how much, and how correctly, would we think if we did not think, as it were, in common with others, with whom we mutually communicate!
- Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason
 
This is an upside.  

​

 

[sokolov91]

Alright, well I certainly hate to be another noob asking for advice and able to contribute nothing here goes:
 
I am looking to get out of the Dynamic headphone game. the Audeze LCD-2 and Stax are of interest to me know. I was going to go for the HD 800, but for the price, why not get off the dynamic boat?
 
The most I can spend will be about 1500-2000$ to spend in the summer. My source currently sucks, but I might get a better SE dac before.
 
Are STAX worth getting and using in SE or should I just get a balanced source first?
 
You guys are mostly in the US, but do you buy local or from Japan? Prices in Canada are absurd. I was wondering how risky it would be to buy from Japan so save some money. If anyone has experiences and could share that would be great.
 
Also, I have read the basic 202 kit enough for people to get a taste of STAX, but I don't like the rolled of treble comments...
 
How is the the 404 "signature" kit? http://www.seyo-shop.com/product.php?productid=15406&cat=15210&page=1 I found an add here and price seems to be decent. I realize I will have to get a step down  transformer though.
 
As far as being under amped, is it REALLY worth the extra ~800 bucks to go for a 404 + GES combo? I really don't like how it uses a potentiometer that that price point -_-.
 
Any feedback and advice would be great
 

 

[n3rdling]

You could probably find a used O2/717 combo for $2k if you look in the right places...

 

[sokolov91]

Where would those places be? every time I look on audiogon, the only decent set has been snatched up likedy split... also they are usually models from like the 80s.
Quote:

You could probably find a used O2/717 combo for $2k if you look in the right places...

 

 

[dreamwhisper]

Quote:

 
This is an upside.  

 
Maybe, but a noob asking for special information should at least spell-check his post/question out of respect to the person he's asking.
In addition, it was a gross miss-spelling, and no one likes a pottymouth.
 
Quote:

The most I can spend will be about 1500-2000$ to spend in the summer. My source currently sucks, but I might get a better SE dac before.
 
Are STAX worth getting and using in SE or should I just get a balanced source first?
 
You guys are mostly in the US, but do you buy local or from Japan? Prices in Canada are absurd. I was wondering how risky it would be to buy from Japan so save some money. If anyone has experiences and could share that would be great.

 
I have tried my 717/O2's balanced and SE and the change isn't as noticeable as the sound signature differences between sources.
Yes it would still be worth getting, but I would personally go for the LCD2 with your budget.
 
Yeah most Stax gear is sold on Yahoo Japan Auction so that's where the stuff comes from.
It's not any more risky to buy from Yahoo Japan auction than from eBay I would think, although more inconvenient if you don't speak Japanese.
Luckily, Craig at Kuboten will act as a middleman for a small fee.

 

[catscratch]

Also, you could run the O2 from a pro-bias transformer box provided you have a good speaker amp. You will not get good bass control this way but with a really good amp behind it you could have some very nice sound. The catch is that a pro-bias transformer box is probably harder to get a hold of than the 717 is, but if you already have a good speaker amp it will save you some money. If not though, 717 all the way. However with the 717, you will need to do some source matching as IMO the 717, while being just about the only budget amp that can reign in the O2's bass and a nice amp overall, is not voiced in the ideal manner for it - a bit laidback, polite, and dry. So get a fluid and forward sounding source.
 
But maybe that's just the tubehead in me speaking.
 
Also, shoutouts to Craig at KuboTen for being awesome to work with. Highly recommended if you need all things Stax, at least in my experience.

 

[Currawong]

You'll often get reasonably-priced Lambda (of some sort) + T1 or T1S sets on Yahoo come up for reasonable prices.  The main danger with that though is the foam and the pads deteriorate, so you have to check the condition carefully and the Google translation sometimes says the opposite of what the Japanese means, but the sellers are almost universally honest about the condition, especially if it's a shop selling.

 

[DyBre]

anyone know where to look for a new set of SR-404 LE? 

 

[graben]

Quote:

anyone know where to look for a new set of SR-404 LE? 

I'm pretty sure that no one is selling them new anymore. It's probably used or nothing.
 

 

[Cya|\|]

So you all guys buy the japanese version of the stax amp? How much is the cost of a stepdown tranformer, from 240 to 100v? Does it "ruin" the sound quality or not? I mean a tranformer for the stax 323 amp

 

[padam]

Most amps have a jumper inside so it is easy to change the voltage(some even have it on the back which makes it even easier), others are relatively easy to re-wire and the newest ones are not easy to re-wire afaik.
And yes, a bad quality step-up transformer can degrade the SQ.