[nick n]

Yeah  the SR-50's are electret but I figured it was enough to know if the adapter was going, but now that you mention it that was faulty reasoning wasn't it. The irritation got the best of critical thinking.  I have let the SR-5's run a bit more and so far it has cleared up, but it was definitely odd. So for now... but I should check out the guts of the adapter soon.
 The adapter is an SRD-6 .
 Is it worth opening them up and replacing some stuff in there and/or is there stuff that can be replaced/tweaked that will improve the output quality? Better wiring gauges, special caps, etc? I suppose a look can't hurt but I have to get a new resistance/capacitance meter before I do that.
 
EDIT:
 
Nope still doing it I will have to operate on the adapter.

 

[milosz]

Wow, there are so many different Stax models out there it seems I am always learning of a model I never knew existed....
 
THIS eBay sale is for a Stax SR84, which I'd never heard of, it's kind of a "junior lambda" - an electret model that looks like a smaller version of the Lambda series 'phones.  Seem to have a circular driver instead of the oval driver of the Lambda, but in a similar "box" type housing.
 
Like I said, it's electret. I've never liked any electret headphones all that much- those that I've heard, anyway,  compared to biased ESL headphones-- but still it's always interesting to me to see yet another model I never heard of.

 

[NamelessPFG]

There's a question that's been on my mind lately...
 
Are thinner diaphragms necessarily better?
 
This is all because of this particular Lambda set that has introduced me to the Stax sound. Whoever rebuilt the drivers in these could have sought out some 2-micron-thick mylar, I'm sure, but instead he opted to go half a micron thicker, perhaps to change the sound signature. Meanwhile, Stax made a big selling point of thinner diaphragms in later models, though they had to backpedal a bit after the 1-micron-thick Signature models.

 

[Currawong]

With my SR-5s the membranes would stick to the inner cups, killing the bass. I had to take them apart and clean them to stop it happening.

 

[Lonely_Rider]

Hi!
 
Has anyone tried sr-303s earpads with sr-507? How do they affect sound?
 

 

[Electrostax]

Aaaah... I´m back in audio-heaven.... 

  -Just traded my 507/323s for a 407/006tS kit!   
 
Sound appreciation is a highly subjective matter, and what is praised by some as the absolute best, might not be so for all listeners. 
My recent experience with the SR 507 driven by the solid state SRM 323s was a let down, I hoped things would improve when burned in a couple of hundred hours, but alas, the sound remained what I can only describe as disappointing when compared to the SR 407 / SRM 006tS.
 
It may be that I simply like the harmonic distortions of the tubes, but the sound has so much more "soul" and "body" through the tubes, I feel it is at least as detailed, has more of a "3D" quality and conveys more of a sense that "you are actually there". When you close your eyes it is like the sphere of sound surrounding you extends further and deeper in every direction. The bass and lower mids in the 507 sounded thinner and more hollow than the 407, contrary to what i had expected. This might be due to the slightly stiffer padding of the 507 creating a little larger cavity around the ear and thus diffusing the energy a slight bit. The 507/323 were very good, no doubt, but more on the dry, analytical side, I found them a lot less amazing and entertaining than 407/006. A good analogy of the sound signatures would be analogue vs digital, where the 507/SS kit sounds "digital/hard/edgy/sterile" and the 407/Tubes sound "analogue/good vinyl/organic/vividly alive"
 
I guess what I´m trying to say is that you absolutely have to actually listen to the high end kit in this league before buying, and not blindly go on reviews and opinions on forums. What is theoretically better or objectively measured to be "better" may not always sound better to you!...
The differences are not night and day, they are very subtle, but enough to differentiate "okay high-end sound" and "woohaa! That´s amazing!"
 
I am super happy with my "downgrade" and listening to music once again gives me goosebumps, and conveys real emotions much better than the SS amp could.
This was a long post, but i won´t be posting much more for a while as there is so much music I have to listen to....  

 

 

[nick n]

Quote:

With my SR-5s the membranes would stick to the inner cups, killing the bass. I had to take them apart and clean them to stop it happening.

So assuming the guts in the box are ok and check out, I will have to open up the drivers... thanks for the info on that. I may shoot you a fast pm when I get around to it , maybe a pic or 2 to make sure I am not screwing something up.
 

 

[Ra97oR]

Hi!
 
Has anyone tried sr-303s earpads with sr-507? How do they affect sound?
 

I had the opposite, got a pair of 404Sig and swapped pads with 404LE/507 pads. The bass tighten up nicely and treble is even more airy but somehow the soundstage is slightly reduced but still acceptable.

 

[sphinxvc]

What the heck is going on with prices?
 
I'm looking for SR-003s.  The older FS listings I'm seeing, or the references to old prices from places like Audiocubes, are as low as $120-$179. Now it's $299 from Audiocubes and being sold for $272 on Ebay.
 
I was in the market for Lambda Pros for a month but I'm turned off by the high prices I'm getting quoted.  Again, old prices: around $200.  New prices: $350 up to $800.
 
/rant.

 

[NamelessPFG]

 
Quote:

What the heck is going on with prices?
 
I'm looking for SR-003s.  The older FS listings I'm seeing, or the references to old prices from places like Audiocubes, are as low as $120-$179. Now it's $299 from Audiocubes and being sold for $272 on Ebay.
 
I was in the market for Lambda Pros for a month but I'm turned off by the high prices I'm getting quoted.  Again, old prices: around $200.  New prices: $350 up to $800.
 
/rant.

I asked myself the same thing some time back. eBay, AudiogoN, Head-Fi, it didn't matter where I went: getting a vintage Lambda for under $300 with a driver unit of any sort seemed impossible these days, now that people have apparently caught on to the value of vintage Stax. If anything, it was tough to get even old SR-X/MK3s, SR-5s, and SR-3s for less than that with a driver unit. This also makes it difficult for me to simply recommend people Stax setups in the $250-500 range.
 
But then that one Head-Fi B/S/T listing showed up, and I knew that was my chance, just when I had all but given up on having a Lambda-series setup at under $300.
 
A lot of this boils down to luck, I suppose, being in the right place at the right time while having that much money to spend. Not too long ago, before I got my Stax setup, there was a Lambda Pro here for $260 + shipping IIRC. No driver unit, though, so that would have been an extra expense.
 
Simply put, don't give up and keep your eyes peeled. It may take a while, but you can get it at the price you want.

 

[cosmopragma]

Quote:

What the heck is going on with prices?

This might be partly due to the  declined value of the US$.
 
Quote:

I'm looking for SR-003s.  The older FS listings I'm seeing, or the references to old prices from places like Audiocubes, are as low as $120-$179. Now it's $299 from Audiocubes and being sold for $272 on Ebay.
 
I was in the market for Lambda Pros for a month but I'm turned off by the high prices I'm getting quoted.  Again, old prices: around $200.  New prices: $350 up to $800.

Really?
Maybe I should sell some stuff .I have SR-003s I never use lying around stored in their box here and Lambda Pros as well.The latter get some listening time.Not much though since I do prefer the SR-4070s.
I doubt I would get that much in Europe.
I estimate $150 for the SR-003s.
$350 for the Lambda Pros isn't that unrealistic.That's about €250 and close to the european market value.With a little patience you could get them for €200 here, but that's still $280, and after all importing from Europe is due to all those fees (currency exchange, international Paypal transfer fees, shipping costs, customs fees) and the inherent risk no option for those located in the US.
 
On the other hand $350 is maybe 50 more than you'd have to pay for used Senn HD650s in good condition.
From this point of view 350 doesn't seem that overprized.
 

 
 

 

[anetode]

Quote:

What the heck is going on with prices?
 
I'm looking for SR-003s.  The older FS listings I'm seeing, or the references to old prices from places like Audiocubes, are as low as $120-$179. Now it's $299 from Audiocubes and being sold for $272 on Ebay.
 
I was in the market for Lambda Pros for a month but I'm turned off by the high prices I'm getting quoted.  Again, old prices: around $200.  New prices: $350 up to $800.
 
/rant.

FWIW, I just received a new SR-003 I ordered off of ebay for $200.
 Horrible fit, decent sound.

 

[dogears]

It's fun to hunt for the tips that will work with your ears, and once you find them - it's musical bliss

 

[anetode]

Yeah, I've read over the Baby Stax appreciation thread and I can't find those Sony tips anywhere online. I'm going to hedge my bets with the large Comply T-200s.

 

[jjinh]

Quote:

FWIW, I just received a new SR-003 I ordered off of ebay for $200.
 Horrible fit, decent sound.

 
Are you using the headband? If so, dont.
 
I actually find the fit quite decent.