[Lunatique]

My Stax 007mk2 and 717 are coming soon, and I just wanted to know if there are specific idiosyncratic stuff I need to know about an electrostat system? For example, I've read that you cannot have water near because it will fry the system, or the weather can affect the sound, or that you need to warm up amp and "charge" the headphones before you listen. So how long should I warm up a solid state amp like the 717? And what's this "charge" all about? Anything else I should know in terms of operation and maintenance?
 
BTW, I NEVER would've thought I'd spend thousands of dollars on headphones even just earlier this year, but it really is a lot like drugs, isn't it? Something like the M50 or the HD555 are like gateway drugs, and then you get into the harder drugs like the HD650, K701, then even harder drugs like the D7000, LCD-2, and before you know it, you are a full-blown junkie searching all over the internet for a flagship Stax system. This really is it though. My headphone journey is definitely over (at least for full-sized cans). Well, I still need to upgrade my IEM though. The W3 just isn't my cup of tea.
 

 

[Brighten]

I think not having any water around electronics in general is a basic principle to follow. 
 
As for the 717, I've never noticed a difference from letting the headphones charge for more than a few minutes. It would probably be a good idea to charge up the headphones for a few hours though if the setup you're receiving hasn't been played in sometime. Put the O2s away after each use (or use a dust cover). I'm pretty sure getting dust in the drivers is hard, but I never like taking chances with $1400 headphones. 

 

[Lunatique]

$1,400? That's killer price. The cheapest brand new ones I could find was $1,859.

 

[Clarkmc2]

Quote:

My Stax 007mk2 and 717 are coming soon, and I just wanted to know if there are specific idiosyncratic stuff I need to know about an electrostat system? And what's this "charge" all about? Anything else I should know in terms of operation and maintenance?

Charging the phones with the bias voltage will be all over in a fraction of a second. There are somewhat unrelated issues that can be eliminated by leaving them plugged in to the Stax receptacle, power off, when not in use. If there is such a thing as Stax break in, it would not take long. My guess is a few seconds of playing music. Any "proof" of it being otherwise usually lies in the speaker wire discussion category of pseudoscience. (The dealer I purchased mine from had heard 100 hours. All I heard was the non sound of me getting used to the new setup, which is probably what most break-in really is. In any case, the mechanical construction of the 007mk2 has nothing to break in. Spritzer will tell you that nothing that is not supposed to move can move, and whatever moves is free to do so from the start.)

 

[Lunatique]

Ok, so leave the headphones plugged into the energizer/amp, and the charge happens instantaneously, so it's nothing to worry about at all.
 
What about the amp warm up? How long does it usually take for something like the 717 to warm up to adequate levels?

 

[n3rdling]

I've never really cared to listen for warm up.  I consider the amp ready when it turns on.

 

[Clarkmc2]

Quote:

Ok, so leave the headphones plugged into the energizer/amp, and the charge happens instantaneously, so it's nothing to worry about at all.
 
What about the amp warm up? How long does it usually take for something like the 717 to warm up to adequate levels?

I don't have a 717, but I would believe Nelson Pass over lesser authorities. In reference to my FirstWatt F2 JFET, a solid state device, he says:
 
The amplifier requires about 1 hour of operation to reach normal operating
temperature, and this warm-up time is appropriate for the most critical
listening, but is not otherwise an issue, as the performance difference
between 5 minutes and 60 minutes is very marginal. I do not personally
see a reason to run the amplifier all the time.
 
The F2 is designed to run at a particular temperature (hot) and does not share much technology with the 717. So the 717 is probably even less particular about operating temperature. If it makes you feel better give it the five minutes.
 
Clark

 

[forbigger]

for me, i just clean it with damp cloth every 3-5 days. and make sure its not covered in dust. if i'm away for long period of time , just stow it on the flight case thats it. as for warm up, i believe my kgss reach its full potential after 30 mins of operating. Placebo or not, I really not sure. btw, i'm 100% sure ur search for the perfect system not over yet. bet you'll start thinking hows this o2 sounds with kgss? or bhse? or wes? I can tell ones journey on stats is 97% over when he/she reached bhse+02 (both mk1 and 2)+ 3-5k source. To go for HE90, well its another realm altogether, a realm that few lucky ones can reach and i seriously dont bother and cannot afford to reach it.

 

[Amarphael]

Congrats Lunatique, Where did you find setup at? I'm also on the prowl for a SR-007 but i'd like to stay away from climbing on 2$K rooftops if i can.

 

[Anders]

You can listen to the 717 directly after it has initialized but it sounds better after 30 - 60 minutes. Some DACs need more time than that for best sound.
 
The largest problem with O2 is to find the best position on the head (at least for mk1, I have no experience of mk2). You can find much about that in the Stax thread.
 
There is also a switch on the back on the amp that you must set according to what inputs you use (RCA or balanced).

 

[Lunatique]

Thanks for the tips everyone.
 
forbigger - I'm certainly curious as to how the O2mk2 will sound on the insanely expensive amps, but I have enough experience in pro audio to know that the level of diminishing returns at that point is just too hard to stomach for me (but if I win the lottery, then it's a different story). I also can't be bothered to deal with maintenance of tube gear--I don't own a single tube gear in my entire studio. I also don't believe in crazy expensive DAC, CD Player, cables...etc (and even amps in many cases). I've done enough comparisons and listened to enough double-blind tests over the years to know that so much of it is placebo, or the differences are so minute that you'd have to concentrate hard to even be able to tell.
 
For me personally, I only buy expensive stuff when the improvements in quality are obvious and unmistakable (which often rules out the ultra-high-end, where you spend insane money to get that last 5% of improvement--if even that much)). Truth is, if I had the opportunity to test out the cheaper Stax amps, I'd do a listening test across their amp lineup and pick the one that's cheaper but sounds just as good (which is what some people have told me after they did their own listening tests). But since I don't have access to that option, I play it safe by getting the 717, which is the only electrostat amp I have heard in person.
 
As for the HE90, I remember reading that it does not have the substantial and authoritative bass that the O2mk2 has, and satisfying bass is extremely important to me.
 
For source, I'm perfectly happy playing lossless or high-quality lossy files on the computer, running through pro audio quality interfaces. I never listen to CD's anymore since I love the flexibility of a computer-based rig where you can manage tons of files, make playlists, shuffle, use DSP processors, find tracks fast and easy...etc.
 
Amarphael - I bought mine from the Hong kong distributor listed on the Stax site.

 

[forbigger]

actually tube gear did not require that much of maintenance or money to run. One set could easily last you 2 years on average of 5-6 hours of hearing sessions unless you're the tube rollers junkie which I'm not in my case. Better DAC/source scale very very well with O2 and a better amp would instantly be audible. Cables, this I agree with you 100% as I'm not a believer too, any decent good build cable is as good as $5k/foot cable/IC.
 
On separate topic, I also run my music collection from hard disk. I agree that the convenient of having tons of music out weight the better SQ of having a CDP.
 
That's all I can say. When you have a chance, audience the better amp, better source and hear for yourself. In the meantime, just enjoy your new acquisition.

 

[DaveBSC]

Dust cover is a good idea. The "official" Stax cover goes for around $20, but I'm sure pretty much anything would work. I'm like you, tubes aren't for me either, but I'm very interested in the KGSS-HV and that other SS amp, the one spritzer described as the supercharged SRM-1 Mk2. If you do have any technical questions, spritzer is the master of all things Stax.

 

[Maxvla]

Luna, you've come a long way from your M50 bass test. I hope you find what you are looking for in the O2/717. Should be a very fine combo.
 
As Forbigger stated, tubes are no more trouble than SS. Once every 2-3 years you'd replace your tubes which takes a total of about 5 minutes. I prefer the sound of tubes, as well, but your ears may vary.

 

[Lunatique]

But aren't tube replacements expensive, if you want the quality stuff? That's like spending hundreds of dollars extra each time you do a replacement., and you have to do replacements periodically, while with solid state, you don't have to do anything at all. Then there's also the notorious warm-up time you must give tube equipment, so let's say I want to listen to something right now, like maybe a track a composer friend sent me, and I gotta power up the tube amp and let it warm up for God knows how long before I can listen to it the way I prefer, while my friend is tapping his foot waiting? I suppose tube gear is for people that are willing to wait.

 
I've read more than once that the 717 sounds more like tube than SS, so I guess that's a good thing. From all the comments I've read when people compare SS to tube, it seems tube is just smoother, less extended on both ends, and warmer, while SS is more analytical, extended, and punchy. I really can't say which I'd prefer until I have done the comparison myself.
 
I don't get the dust cover thing--is this specific to electrostat headphones? I suppose the more delicate drivers need that level of protection from dust accumulation, and dynamics don't?