The Headcase Stax thread

[luvdunhill]

Originally Posted by spritzer

Looking at the drivers I just had a crazy idea, how about replacing the electret film with some nice mylar and using an external bias. It is easy to access the diaphragm with an extra wire to feed it bias and with a D/S gap like that it can easily handle a 1000v bias or even well above that while being driven from a Stax amp.

do it. interesting idea

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by luvdunhill

do it. interesting idea

If I do chicken out on fucking up the very rare ECR-600 then I have some ECR-400 drivers which are essentially the same.

[Smeggy]

Originally Posted by spritzer

The original adapter is included and I have a nice 70's powerhouse to push them. I still don't get any volume to speak off so I have the urge to do some diaphragm work...


Here is some porn for you. You know that you are first in line for them if I do sell them. The connector had to go to the scrap bin so I'm using a ECR-400 cable with a Stax socket on the other end.

Oooh, they is teh precious!!

Very sweet, and nice condition too by the looks of them. My cabling is even more hacked. Gamma cable with the bias wire cut off and bananas on the ends.

[Smeggy]

Originally Posted by spritzer

If I do chicken out on fucking up the very rare ECR-600 then I have some ECR-400 drivers which are essentially the same.

Wouldn't you be better off trying the mod on the 400s as they already have a bad imbalance?

[spritzer]

Oooohhhhh Stax SR-1 in the house, cleaned, all glue replaced and fitted with new earpads!!! Amazingly there is no imbalance and they sound great for something made in the 60's. This set appears to be S/N: 293 but it's of the later variant though not many of these were made and mostly sold in Japan. I paid a fucking fortune for them but having all this history sitting on my head I don't care...

First impressions are that they are very midrange centric and with surprisingly good HF response but small details and bass depth are lacking compared to the later models, even the SR-3. Certainly better then the "first ESP" Koss ESP6.

Originally Posted by Smeggy

Oooh, they is teh precious!!

Very sweet, and nice condition too by the looks of them. My cabling is even more hacked. Gamma cable with the bias wire cut off and bananas on the ends.

A lot of elbow grease, strong cleaners and metal polish made them look like that. The electret cable works like a charm and the stock strain relief isn't fixed to the cable so it was very easy to make it look good.

Originally Posted by Smeggy

Wouldn't you be better off trying the mod on the 400s as they already have a bad imbalance?

Well yeah but I just want to use the massive Sony housing. You are also just saying that so I keep my crazy hands off the 600...

[Smeggy]

Originally Posted by spritzer

A lot of elbow grease, strong cleaners and metal polish made them look like that. The electret cable works like a charm and the stock strain relief isn't fixed to the cable so it was very easy to make it look good.

Well you did a damn nice job of it, they look luvverly

Originally Posted by spritzer

Well yeah but I just want to use the massive Sony housing. You are also just saying that so I keep my crazy hands off the 600...

The thought had never even crossed my mind

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by Smeggy

Well you did a damn nice job of it, they look luvverly

Thanks Next project are some Lambda Signatures in need of some major TLC...

Originally Posted by Smeggy

The thought had never even crossed my mind

Now that I have the SR-1, my interest in the Sony is dwindling fast...

[spritzer]

Here are some pics of the SR-1. It appears that the SR-1 didn't have a white shell like the SR-3 and later phones but this slightly brownish color as it was also on the inside. The baffle was white though. The drivers are very similar to the SR-3 but the stators are smaller and there was some refinement in the later model such as how they are held together.

[randerson3024]

Originally Posted by spritzer

Here are some pics of the SR-1. It appears that the SR-1 didn't have a white shell like the SR-3 and later phones but this slightly brownish color as it was also on the inside. The baffle was white though. The drivers are very similar to the SR-3 but the stators are smaller and there was some refinement in the later model such as how they are held together.

OK, so if I send you some 404's, duct tape, and a hooker, you can make me some magical headphones?

[spritzer]

I've been doing some digging and it looks like this is the last version of the SR-1 so I can't really cross it off my list until I've found one of the early ones...

Originally Posted by randerson3024

OK, so if I send you some 404's, duct tape, and a hooker, you can make me some magical headphones?

I have plenty of tape and loose women so send me the phones and I'll see what I can come up with.

[randerson3024]

I will. I need to find a good source. New ones, or used broken in ones?

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by randerson3024

I will. I need to find a good source. New ones, or used broken in ones?

Lets see what shows up in Japan over the next few months. I'll also find a Sigma for you but if that fails I'll just have to send you my own set.

[randerson3024]

Originally Posted by spritzer

Lets see what shows up in Japan over the next few months. I'll also find a Sigma for you but if that fails I'll just have to send you my own set.

Cool, I am in no hurry.

[The Monkey]

Switched from RCA to Balanced between the DAC1 and the 007t. Big difference. Good difference. Me like.

[randerson3024]

What balance you use?

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by Carl

$4k? That's insane! I know that Javier paid around $4k for his NOS pair, but second hand ones aren't usually much more than a HE60, assuming you can find one.

John seems intent on driving the price up, and then selling it outside of ebay once he gets an offer he considers is high enough.

Replying year and a half later... I'm just too lazy to go through the whole Stax threads with millions of post. I'm trying my best this time... This can take a while...

Anyway, I paid 4.5K Euros for my NOS pair of SR-Omega, which is quite a bit more than $4K. A bit crazy? Perhaps. I like to think that with such limited offer a can is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The things one will do to justify himself...

[Salt Peanuts]

Welcome to Head-Case, Nomad! Sorry about your think skin.

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Replying year and a half later... I'm just too lazy to go through the whole Stax threads with millions of post. I'm trying my best this time... This can take a while...

Anyway, I paid 4.5K Euros for my NOS pair of SR-Omega, which is quite a bit more than $4K. A bit crazy? Perhaps. I like to think that with such limited offer a can is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The things one will do to justify himself...

You are indeed nuts but in a good way. I will be getting a SR-Ω with SR-007 drivers this week so it will be interesting to compare them. The SR-Ω drivers are also included so I can do an in depth analysis on what goes wrong and try and fix it.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by spritzer

You are indeed nuts but in a good way. I will be getting a SR-Ω with SR-007 drivers this week so it will be interesting to compare them. The SR-Ω drivers are also included so I can do an in depth analysis on what goes wrong and try and fix it.

Good luck! If somebody can fix those puppies, that would be you or Alex.
(on page 12 now, 88 to go!)

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts

Welcome to Head-Case, Nomad! Sorry about your think skin.

LOL... It's good to be here. Cheers Salt Peanuts.