STAX anyone?

[iggyting 0]

I have not previously owned dynamic headphones at the level of stax, so I cannot comment on the difference against electrostatic headphones. However, if you read the stax forum in headfi, many have stated that they have moved from dynamic headphones to electrostatics and stayed there since. This could just be a matter of opinion and best decided after extensive hearing of the both. I know that I am guilty of short circuiting the circuit by going straight to electrostatics.

 

For stax headphone pads you can email Craig at support@kuboten.com. He is a really nice guy to deal with. I find their prices cheaper than say - audiocubes, moon audio, eifi export home page etc. Kuboten is a Japanese company but I think Craig is not Japanese so communication in English is fine. Depending on which headphone you have, replacing the pads can get tricky but not impossible.

 

Hey thanks! Don't you find the bass of electrostatic, though extended, may lack dynamic in some instances? What about the soundstage? Interesting to know your impression, regards

[Tubeman 0]

Hey thanks! Don't you find the bass of electrostatic, though extended, may lack dynamic in some instances? What about the soundstage? Interesting to know your impression, regards

 

Music preference to me is like choosing a wife. Different looks and character, amongst other things, will appeal to different people. Like they always say, "one man's meat is ..........!". I have only auditioned some dynamic headphones such as HD600, HD650, DT 880 and the like. Not auditioned headphones over $1000 before.

 

Stax presents music in a different way to me. The music appears to dance around the "space" of my mind, sweetly and musically. Dynamic headphones that I have so far auditioned, on the other hand is more in the head to me. On extended listening I tend to feel tired. It may be different for others and I will be quick to respect their views with full support. To be fair, I do not own the dynamic headphones and have not lived with them for long. Perhaps if I do I may think differently.

 

The bass of stax is soft but very deep and extended. It vibrates the flesh on my face. This, for whatever reasons, is something I cannot get with the dynamic headphones that I have so far auditioned. This comparison is using the same songs, and source but different amp for the dynamic headphone. Yes, in a way it is not a fair comparison as the amp is different.

 

Stax can appear to lack dynamics. This can cause the music be become less lively, dark sounding (they call it a veil), not so involving, sleepy and slow. The following can affect:

 

1. So far, I have found that when a more powerful amp is used to drive the same headphone the dynamics are much improved. The immediate feeling is the soundstage expands and the music is much faster and more engaging. Overall, more enjoyable to me.

 

2. For a tube amp, the tubes, amongst other things, play a big role in the supply of power (like transistors for SS amps). Different tube brands of similar configuration will produce different amounts of drive required. More importantly, a tube that is old and fatique will show the above symtoms described.

 

3. The tube MUST be biased. The sound difference of a properly biased system is night and day to one that is not; not to mention the effects on the life span of the tubes as well. Biasing can be tricky as the reading can drift like mad. Patience will achieve rewards.

 

4. Cables are also crucial. They are meant to conduct and not to resist the signal. What is the best cable? Like they always say "no cables". Use TPC cables and you may be in trouble. Many out there are TPC cables but in different brands. OFC cables are the minimum. LCOFC would be a step higher. Top of the range is the OCC cables. Choice and taste will often be a matter of one's requirements, preferences and priorities.

 

5. RCA drives with 2VMS but balanced at 4VMS. This is double the current. What happens is that the source suddenly become higher output. The difference between the 2 - for stax, being high impedance headphones can is very audible. Through RCA is fine, but once I plugged the source through balanced, I have never gone back to RCA again. This result only applies possibly to high impedance headphones like stax. With low impedance headphones the improvements may not be as much a jump. Some may, on the other hand prefer using RCA for a different music presentation and other reasons. This is a matter of choice.

 

6. Stax amps often come in a non-240v and an external voltage converter is required. External voltage converters can degrade the performance of the stax amps substantially depending on the quality of the external transformer. In any case, whatever the quaility of the external transformer it is still better to have the mains current direct to the stax amp than to go through another media (external transformer). Most stax amps can be converted to 240v. I have found little trouble configuring them internally. Unless I really have no choice, I would personally avoid external transformers.

 

These are some of the things that can be done in a basic way to make the stax system perform better. There are of course many other things that can be done as well.

 

Happy listening!

Edited October 16, 2008 by Tubeman

[jig_sg 0]

Sure, will be happy to cross listen to each others BH/BHSE (which come in 2 boxes - one for the amp and one for the power supply). Justin told me that earliest I can get it is early next year. So as not to get my own hopes high I have adjusted my own expectations to say June 2009. Why is you BH taking so long to get to you?

 

It's being looked through by Justin before shipping to me.

[Tubeman 0]

It's being looked through by Justin before shipping to me.

Its a good idea. Past owners may have changed certain things. Whilst there, you could also get him to rewire the transformer to 240v and also bias the amp (change of voltage will often affect the bias)and perhaps look to see if the tubes are worn out, though unlikely.

Edited October 16, 2008 by Tubeman

[jig_sg 0]

The unit is already in 230V. I really doubt he'd change any tubes, perhaps caps that require change but I doubt tubes unless of course they're dead.

[Tubeman 0]

Was at stereo just now. The koss ESP/950 powered by the E/90 Amplifier is now available at stereo. Did not ask for the price but did listen to it briefly.

[Guest dragonboy]

Was at stereo just now. The koss ESP/950 powered by the E/90 Amplifier is now available at stereo. Did not ask for the price but did listen to it briefly.

Yeah ..saw that too. It's probably 1/4 of the price of the STAX. I didn't get to listen to it, but I'll definitely put it on next list. Of course, I don't expect the same quality as the STAX.

[blackmouth0 0]

i just done a simple review on the koss one.

 

Happened to tried it out

[slwiser 0]

This is the Stax, the SR-007MkII, that I have. I also have a KGSS with black gates built by Justin of Headamp to power these. The first couple of months these were very much a reference sound then they started taking on a more musical side that they had not had. These now are my best headphones, even better than my beautiful sounding Ultrasone Edition 9s.

 

But for the money I could just as easy take a ATH-ESW10JPN using my Yamamoto HA-02 amp than normally powers my UE9.

 

These three headphones are very good and very different.

Edited October 31, 2008 by slwiser

[Valgrind 0]

Just got my black sand violet Z1 power cords yesterday. Did some research before buying them. The review did say that they were capable of beating many cables many times its price but I was skeptical. In fact, I thought that the reviews were somewhat overstating. In any case, I took the plunge as it was not too expensive. Boy, I was wrong, this cable is as good as the reviews made them out to be. They were very dynamic. When used with my T1s and my LNS the increase of the transparency was far from what I expected. The clarity, musicality, separation, extension of bass, smoothness, decay of music from instruments and the vocals and size of headstage made me feel like I was listening to my O2 mk1. When I used it on my O2 mk1 and my 717, the improvements was just as substantial. It was the feel of quailty power with smoothness and dynamics!

 

Valgrind = Tubeman and partner (Aron)

Edited November 7, 2008 by Valgrind

[Tubeman 0]

Justin had been asking some for balance payment for the BHSE - the balance payment of 75%. Also understand that Justin is hoping to send out all the BHSE by end of the year. I have not been asked yet.

[jig_sg 0]

Justin had been asking some for balance payment for the BHSE - the balance payment of 75%. Also understand that Justin is hoping to send out all the BHSE by end of the year. I have not been asked yet.

 

Just received my BH, yet to try it out. Good luck on your BHSE.