TO TWEAK OR NOT TO TWEAK THE STAX 007A? THAT IS THE QUESTION

[mopps]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Both SR-007's have no treble emphasis to speak of so that plus the natural decline of HF perception as we age could be the cause here.

I don't think it's the aging. I think the brain adjusts in the long run and levels the decline out impalpably to one's usual listening experience. I rather think it's the individual ear and the HRTF which remain constant over lifetime and match with the headphone - or not.
As for me I hear exactly the same things in the SR-007A as described by Clarkmc2. IME the O2II sounds unbalanced, unnatural and muffled with recessed treble.
AFAIK I was always more attracted by the brilliant, lean, forward, tight and wide sounding headphones (K 1000, SA 5000 e. g.) and couldn't cotton up with these "weird" things named HD 650, DX 1000, Westone 3.. and finally 007A and 003 which I decided to sell off now and keep your ex-4070 (which OTOH is slightly overly brilliant IME but more thrilling).

 

[edstrelow]

Having had a reasonable opportunity to compare the 007 MK1 and Mk2 at Canjam, I am not at all unhappy with mu modded 007Mk2. It definitely has a treble peak of some significance and a lower/mid bass boom. I find the bass boom more of a problem.

Using Spritzer's spring mod, both problems were lessened. But I also rotate the ear pads compared to most users. Interestingly when I tried the "normal" rotation, with the straight edge of the pads behind the ear, it reduced the trebel emphasis. However I missed all that nice detailed treble so I went back to the rotated pad setting.


Quote:

Originally Posted by mopps /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think it's the aging. I think the brain adjusts in the long run and levels the decline out impalpably to one's usual listening experience. I rather think it's the individual ear and the HRTF which remain constant over lifetime and match with the headphone - or not.

The problem with the "brain adjusts theory" is that it suggests that all phones will sound the same after a while since the brain makes them all match one's "one's usual listening experience." This seems contradicted contradicted by many facts including that we keep looking for new phones which will sound better than those we are used to.

There is however a "temporary threshold shift" which tends to smooth out peaky response characteristics by raising the threshold of hearing for the peaks. In effect that would make different phones sound somewhat the same but is also associated with auditory fatigue. Eg. boomy phones or speakers leave you feeling somewhat numb after a while.

 

[billqs]

But I also rotate the ear pads compared to most users. Interestingly when I tried the "normal" rotation, with the straight edge of the pads behind the ear, it reduced the trebel emphasis. However I missed all that nice detailed treble so I went back to the rotated pad setting.

I just noticed the same thing! Turning the D so that the flat part is in the front and adjusting the head fit with the metal headband I get lots better treble response than I got the other way.

 

[billqs]

Question: Would sealing the pads to the baffles on the 007a be good, or would the lack of some air between the spring and cup cause a problem with the driver?

 

[jrfmd]

my port has been sealed for years--no problem. I didn't find the 007 to be listenable without the mod (because of the bass problem). I think the sound from the phones depends a lot on the electronics, tubes , etc which are flavoring the sound on the way to the phone and there must be a totally different sound coming from the setup of each of you which probably accounts for the different opinions
jeff
stax sroo7 mark II with port mod
blue hawaii se with old stock russian tubes
blu & dave
apple lossless digital red hat quality file from my macbook pro

 

[silversurfer616]

Coming from SR009S I was shocked about the missing clarity of a bass port modded SR007Mk2.5.
Reversed the mod and I can actually hear more detail and I am somewhat happy with the headphones.
Still, can’t be compared to the SR009S running through KGST.

 

[Jon L]

In the year 2020, I find it incredulous that there is not a tonally well-balanced Stax flagship, which would have to be somewhere between SR007 and SR009 series, both of which I own.
If Stax is listening, it's time to regroup and seriously reassess their house sound, perhaps hire some fresh ears in the tuning process.
Not to mention recycling ancient energizer designs over and over...AND over, and coming up with flagship energizers with fancy outside boxes yet recycled internals, charging $$$$$.
Electrostats are no longer unassailable as SOTA, and people WILL walk away from Stax toward the likes of Raal SR1a ribbons, Abyss 1266 Phi TC, Susvara, Focal Beryllium, MySphere, etc.

 

[billqs]

I had a channel imbalance repaired by Stax by replacing the drivers on my SR007 mk2 about a year ago. With the pandemic I finally have the time to do the blutack port mod. I’ve noticed the diaphragm enclosure looks different to the one on Spritzer’s guide. There is a plastic piece that sits on top of where the cable hooks up to the drive assembly that appears to not leave room for a port. I took a before and after pic removing the plastic piece.

is there a modified way to do the port mod since the white plastic piece meets the rest of the circular drive assembly?

Mine:




Design for MK2 for Port Mod Before:

After: