The Headcase Stax thread

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by deepak

Ah alright. So the seller is including the original SR-Omega drivers with the headphones?

Yup, one works and the other is faulty.

[The Monkey]

Looks like a SRM1/MK2 just went for $580 over on HF, and there's another one for sale for $500+. That's pretty high isn't it?

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by The Monkey

Looks like a SRM1/MK2 just went for $580 over on HF, and there's another one for sale for $500+. That's pretty high isn't it?

It's a bit on the high side but it is the final price including fees and shipping so it wouldn't be much more then a 500$ sticker price and could even be less.

[blessingx]

There's a srm-1/mk2 pro and lambda pro set over at Audiogon for only $5750.

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by blessingx

There's a srm-1/mk2 pro and lambda pro set over at Audiogon for only $5750.

:faints:

I wonder, quite honestly, if he meant $575...

[Voltron]

Originally Posted by n_maher

:faints:

I wonder, quite honestly, if he meant $575...

I was guessing $750.

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by Voltron

I was guessing $750.

We'll find out, I sent him an email. I might bite at 575, not at $750 though.

[blessingx]

Yeah, that first 5 is awful close to the $ on a keyboard. I wrote him about half an hour ago too (just out of curiosity). We'll see what he says. $750 isn't bad though for a good condition set though. The only set I've seen lately in the $500 range (on eBay) was really beaten up.

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by blessingx

Yeah, that first 5 is awful close to the $ on a keyboard. I wrote him about half an hour ago too (just out of curiosity). We'll see what he says. $750 isn't bad though for a good condition set though. The only set I've seen lately in the $500 range (on eBay) was really beaten up.

Given current SRM prices $750 doesn't seem to bad at all, just out of my current "i have no need for this" price range. At $575 I could try it and still pass on a good deal to the next person in line without losing my shirt.

[spritzer]

I just finished repairing and restoring the most disgusting headphone I've ever had the unfortunate pleasure of coming across, a Sony ECR-600. They have that "special" cable Sony invented for the ECR-800 and the insulation had literally turned to goo with 4 copper conductors sticking through. Just to add to my pleasure the "goo" stuck to everything. The headpiece had a thick layer of dirt on them but after a good scrub and a Stax electret re-cable they are good as new. My problem is that I can't get any volume out of them either with the BH at full volume or with the adapter box driven by the B22. My old ECR-400 box is long gone so I can't use that for testing but this isn't normal. All the connections are fine as there is no imbalance at all, just not enough volume.

Btw. It's probably the best built supra-aural 'stat I've ever seen and what limited impressions I have they sound stunning. Milled metal cups and an ingenious headband which puts just enough force on the ears. I will post some pics when I get off work tomorrow for the Sony ECR nut cases out there.

[The Monkey]

Does anyone know if the manual for the SRM-1/MK2 is available online?

[faust3d]

Originally Posted by spritzer

I just finished repairing and restoring the most disgusting headphone I've ever had the unfortunate pleasure of coming across, a Sony ECR-600. They have that "special" cable Sony invented for the ECR-800 and the insulation had literally turned to goo with 4 copper conductors sticking through. Just to add to my pleasure the "goo" stuck to everything. The headpiece had a thick layer of dirt on them but after a good scrub and a Stax electret re-cable they are good as new. My problem is that I can't get any volume out of them either with the BH at full volume or with the adapter box driven by the B22. My old ECR-400 box is long gone so I can't use that for testing but this isn't normal. All the connections are fine as there is no imbalance at all, just not enough volume.

Btw. It's probably the best built supra-aural 'stat I've ever seen and what limited impressions I have they sound stunning. Milled metal cups and an ingenious headband which puts just enough force on the ears. I will post some pics when I get off work tomorrow for the Sony ECR nut cases out there.

Shweeeet Now go find Sony ECR-800

[slwiser]

Sony ESPRIT #30: ECR-880 & ECA-80

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by faust3d

Shweeeet Now go find Sony ECR-800

...and you think it isn't on my list? I have let one system slip past me and one solo energizer but I will find a set eventually.

Btw. I just realized that the ECR-600 is identical to the 800 but only with a 4 core cable. They are pretty comfortable for a supra and the Stax SR-X earpads are a near perfect replacement. Yay Stax for saving yet another planar.

[faust3d]

Originally Posted by spritzer

...and you think it isn't on my list? I have let one system slip past me and one solo energizer but I will find a set eventually.

Btw. I just realized that the ECR-600 is identical to the 800 but only with a 4 core cable. They are pretty comfortable for a supra and the Stax SR-X earpads are a near perfect replacement. Yay Stax for saving yet another planar.

The cable on the 800 should be very good, Sony put a lot of testing into it. Was 600 cable completely decomposed with age? Was it do to mistreatment or is it just not durable enough to survive after 20 years?

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by faust3d

The cable on the 800 should be very good, Sony put a lot of testing into it. Was 600 cable completely decomposed with age? Was it do to mistreatment or is it just not durable enough to survive after 20 years?

It seems to me that longevity wasn't one thing that they thought about. It had simply decomposed everywhere and turned into liquid form, even inside the phones and the connector. The phones were in horrible condition, every metal bit has a thick layer of oxidation and they were covered in filth so the cable breakdown could be caused by some external source but it had to be airborne to reach the inside of the earcup and the wires inside the molded plug.

Testing them off a SRM-1 I get only a very soft sound at full volume but it isn't much better from the damn adapter box with all of the 3 amps I've tried. Pushing 75w into the damn thing and it won't play so I may have to get drastic and find some 1:100 transformers to play these things.

Btw. I just saw that my Stax SR-1 should be delivered this evening. Time to see just how good the original is.

[spritzer]

I just opened up the ECR-600 drivers and Sony were indeed nuts. The spacers used to hold the diaphragm are 1.2mm thick!!! The stators are slightly recessed so shave 0.3mm off that number but a D/S gap of 0.9mm is unheard off in headphones save for the Jecklin Floats. Stax normal bias uses a 0.3mm gap and Stax Pro bias is 0.5mm so just imagine what it takes to get any volume out of these drivers with an electret film.

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.

[faust3d]

Originally Posted by spritzer

I just opened up the ECR-600 drivers and Sony were indeed nuts. The spacers used to hold the diaphragm are 1.2mm thick!!! The stators are slightly recessed so shave 0.3mm off that number but a D/S gap of 0.9mm is unheard off in headphones save for the Jecklin Floats. Stax normal bias uses a 0.3mm gap and Stax Pro bias is 0.5mm so just imagine what it takes to get any volume out of these drivers with an electret film.

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.

So do you have the original Sony adapter and a big amp to drive it? I bet they would sound nice out of my DNA-1 Deluxe

[Smeggy]

Spritzer, you know where those 600s really belong

I'm sure I could get them singing if you ever decide to part with them. Congrats you lucky bugger!

Oh, and hurry up with those pics. I'm drooling at the thought of them. I'm wearing my 500s right now and loving every second.

[spritzer]

Originally Posted by faust3d

So do you have the original Sony adapter and a big amp to drive it? I bet they would sound nice out of my DNA-1 Deluxe

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...

Originally Posted by Smeggy

Spritzer, you know where those 600s really belong

I'm sure I could get them singing if you ever decide to part with them. Congrats you lucky bugger!

Oh, and hurry up with those pics. I'm drooling at the thought of them. I'm wearing my 500s right now and loving every second.

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.