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It's worth checking the transformer, but that seems like the less likely issue here. Transformer induced noise will generally either increase with volume (if it is being picked up on the input wires) or be constant with volume (if it being picked up past the pot). And you have pretty good distance here. The grounding, however, does not look very good. It is difficult to see exactly what is going on, but what you need is a single ground point that everything connects to directly. I usually put two terminals somewhere, such as in the middle of the case, spaced about an inch apart. Run a thick-ish piece of wire between them, and call that your star. Connect everything - the PCBs, the jacks, the RCAs, the pot, the PS, directly to it. For earth, connect the earth pin on the IEC to the case as close to the IEC as possible. If everything (jack, pot, RCA) is isolated from the case, then you can use a ground loop breaker to connect that point to your ground star, but if you are grounded correctly, it is probably not necessary, or useful. Instead, I'd just connect that point to your star ground, too.

When I first got into serious audio in the late 70s', I eventually narrowed my speaker choice to DQ-10s, Magneplanar (can't remember the model) and DCM Time Windows. After lots of auditioning, I finally settled on the Time Windows. Never regretted that decision.

My Hera with about a year in between. From: To: She likes well biased amps!

Yea that is the thing about classics it is hard to devote the time needed to complete them unless that is your main passion. One of the people I work with has a red beetle from the 70s but cant recall the year. He really enjoys it. He bought it fully restored though. With all the shit he has to deal with now way he could do it himself. A friend in chicago used to have a 2cv, fuck he probably still has it but he moved to Scottsdale AZ. I love the cars from those times but I know I just am not the right person to have them.

So I tried to do this a couple times, seriously, from beginning to end, but as time progressed and repetitions iterated, I started stopping doing less and less. Now my takeaways are -- because they seem to offer the most return for the least effort: Distilled water -- yes, especially in my area, where I don't even like the taste of the water "...none of the silty sludgy stuff at the bottom" -- not so much. The main reason I do French press is it provides a richer flavour experience. I used to drain the last few drops, but now I don't -- that's the entirety of what I get out of the bottom. Spoon off the floaters -- definitely. Just makes it easier to press, duh. Boiling water -- no, not so much. I believe this is to compensate for the longer wait, so I just don't. I believe there is an optimal temperature for most coffees to brew at -- or at least start brewing at -- so I prefer my coffee slightly too cool and brewed at the "right" temperature. If you think there is an optimal drinking temperature which is hotter than what you get at the end, just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds. I do sometimes do this, because I do believe there is. Freshly ground beans -- alright, you all sold me on that, I definitely grind my beans fresh every morning just before brewing. That said, there is no amount of correctly brewing coffee that will make coffee I don't like into coffee I do like. I tried. Didn't work.

My opinion is that the 1704 is a lovely chip that is probably not going to be easily bettered, there have not been leaps forward in DAC design in the last couple of decades, and that the analog portion matters more than anything in the digital chain. I can't comment on the relative merits of the specific devices.

A nearly 3 month old thread... you have your 1st post and you recommend something that was already recommended back in early December? Not a good start.

I've never seen anything off the shelf for sale but Vesper can make some for you: https://vesperaudio.com/earpads

sure, here's the schematic again. the way it works is the relays flip when you plug in the 20B. because there should always be a time delay on the high voltage and I'd hope nobody is hot swapping the tubes it should be completely safe

It has been a few weeks since I have had time to sit down and listen to my system. Innuos mkii > YGGY > Mjolnir BHSE > 007 Most of my listening has been in my car or BT buds at work. The difference is startling. Makes me think of the republic (if my memory is accurate) where Plato describes people viewing the world via shadows VS the actual objects.

I have tried equalizing using EqualizerAPO based on reference FR charts. It transformed my KSE1500 into a $5 earbud.

I used to think that. Then I built a C-Note set. ? I am aware of no reliable measurements of the later revisions of 007A, but I started with @Tyll Hertsens's measurements of the 007Mk2 from back in the day, adjusted by ear where I think they diverge, and then used AutoEq to find a 5-band PEQ adjustment suitable for the ADI-2. Then I toned it way down, because the Harman target and oratory1990's adjustments can be excessive. FWIW, here's the 007A equalization set I use now: band 1: shelf filter, +2.5dB, 75Hz, Q 1.0 band 2: peak, +2.5dB, 100Hz, Q 1.0 band 3: peak, +0dB, 1.0kHz, Q 1.0 band 4: peak, +2.5dB, 2.5kHz, Q 1.5 band 5: shelf, +0dB, 10.0kHz, Q 1.0 Fairly subtle, but IMO a significant improvement.

I second the good iron.... I bought a cheap iron with crap thermal regulation and little thermal mass... so as soon as it touched a joint it would cool down. So I increased the amount of time the iron was in contact with the joint.... this increases the time the joint has to oxidize, the flux in the solder would all burn off and the joints were horrible. The solder would not stick to the oxidized joints and it was frustrating. Some years ago, I purchased a hakko fx888d and instantly my joints improved thanks to the good thermal regulation and thermal mass I only needed apply the heat for a short time. So, the flux built into the solder not run out before the was made and cooled. (There is a wealth of good information on you tube) I high recommend the eevblog I would also say a good desoldering station like a duratool d00627 makes like much easier. It has a built-in heater and vacuum pump. You place the tip over the joint, wait for the joint to melt, hit the trigger and the solder is gone. Its far easier and more reliable than trying to hear the tip with a soldering iron and use a spring loaded pump in your other hand, or using solder braid. It gives you the confidence that if you screw up (and I have multiple times) you can fix the mess easily and without lifting tracks off the pcb. Its so useful. I had a problem with the 400V- on my alpha centauri power supply. I figured it had to be one of the transistors, so I desoldered all of them on the -400V side tested each one found a transistor that had decided it was two back to back diodes, put all the other transistors back, replaced the bad transistor and had the psu up and running in half an hour.) I also second the good multimeter with input protection in all modes is also a must. I have this bad habbit of working on amps after work when im tired so I make mestakes... I managed to have my multimeter in ohms mode and tried to measure +400V.... I got a spark just before the probes touched the screw terminal. The psu went into current limit mode and the multimeter survived... a bit of a drama but no harm done. A cheap multimeter without input protection would probably have died. I have a brymen bm869s, its overkill for features and accuracy but its very robust . The brymen being abiused Regards and please consider DIY... James

The good news here is that for the KG electrostatic amps that are often mentioned here (such as Blue Hawaii, KGSSHV, Carbon, Grounded Grid, etc.), there are proven PCB's for both the amps and the PSU's that many have built working and reliable amps with, myself included and I do not have a science degree and never forged a knife in my life! Extra safety precaution does need to be followed strictly given the high voltage involved! With that said, if you source correct parts from reliable vendors (Mouser, Digikey, etc., not eBay, not Taobao...), stuff the right parts in the right spots on the PCBs, exercise good soldering practice (many good tutorials on Youtube) and pay attention to layout of components (circuit boards, transformers, connectors, etc.) and wiring, your success rate is very high. On top of that, many knowledgeable people here will come to rescue should some things do go wrong provided that you have done your homework! It's lots of fun and a very rewarding experience!

Alas, I don't have the DIY skills to build any amps. I wish I did! ? The bass was also a bit weak in the L300 Limited, but EQ fixed that pretty nicely. Here's a good ASR thread about L300 Limited measurements and EQ'ing them. I am under the impression that the 007 and 009 require more power, but these lambdas are much much easier to drive. I just wish there were proper Stax amp measurements like there are with normal headphones. Maybe somebody here has the knowledge to explain why Stax/electrostat amps are harder to measure?

ok, this scares the shit out of me. hennyo level of quality here. Second pic, the power supply in the upper right is an ebay high voltage switcher that's $7 I know its $7 because I bought some for the up and coming stax mafia portable, and its actually a pretty decent supply but can handle only about 5 watts of output power. You can see two more under the fan. Fan is required because those things get hot especially when you try to push them over 8 watts. And according to people at diyaudio that use them for tube preamps, the main diodes blow up at 10 watts. No way is this a kgsshv-carbon in terms of power. Barely 10% if that. Also limited to about 400v A pair of switchers on either side of the pot drive the HV supplies. So Switchers driving switchers. Not the most quiet of things. And the rest of it, yikes power supply pics here

Is it open for a tour?

Removable cables... Bloody should have been the standardized 20+ years ago after the release of the SR-Omega. It like buying a new cars with no ABS brakes.

Is there a problem with plugging stats into a live amp or unplugging from a live amp, as opposed to plugging into & unplugging from an unpowered amp? I have made those mistakes a couple of times.

@spritzer Interesting. I always hear 'fables' of the original Omega so I was quite curious. The 2.9 is the best Stax phone I have ever owned by a long shot. Is the midrange on the 2.9 more akin to the 007mk1 or the more tilted midrange of the mk2.5? Or are the mid ranges pretty much the same

A method I use to determine average prices is to go to eBay, look up an item, click on "Completed Items" and look at how much people actually paid (those are the auctions and Buy It Now items where the price is green - if the price is in black it didn't sell). I also add in the shipping cost if that is listed.

black-anodized CNC aluminium case, sheep skin with memory foam earpad, copper electrode with 25% more open area than typical stax models, carbon fiber skeleton on the electrode and plastic parts made of industrial grade 3D-printed nylon. The electrode design is similar to the omega driver I posted eariler in this thread. Regarding the diaphragm and the coating, I can't speak too much but the coating is nothing similar to what you can buy in Walmart or Amazon. the diaphragm's active area is 90mm. The sensitivity is similar to 007 but lower than that of 009. Its sound quality is very interesting. its tonality is similar to 007mk1 and less darker but the clone's detail revival ability and soundstage size surpasses 009. The only weakness I noticed is the bass. 007 gets more punchy bass and some people might prefer how the bass is presented on 009 more. IMO stax sacrifice quite a lot of other aspects of sound quality to produce a better bass on its top model.

Is this shop legit? Their prices are almost used price.

The KSE1500 with foam tips are amazing. Even in noisy environment, the noise isolation is just incredible.

Fucking hell... I'll buy one. How bad can it be...famous last words.. Funny how they can do a proper 6 core flat ribbon cable at this price but Hifiman can't do it on a 50k$ product...

100% fits

Yes. Run a bead of silicone caulk around the ear pads and seal it to your head.

This has probably been asked to death but I couldn't find the answer through search. I know direct sunlight is no good for STAX, and ambient light is okay. I just want to confirm is sunlight through a window okay? Or should I rearrange things to keep them away from windows too. Thanks!

The front fell off.

I've no problem with glasses. Using those.

You don't really need to go straight to the BHSE/009. Even a regular lambda/kgsshv combo sounds good. Or an 007/kgsshv combo to give u top tier sound.

...in other news I have the SR-009S sitting on my head. This is one of the very first sets shipped out and I only plugged them in just over an hour ago so first impressions only. It's funny to see what is essentially SR-007's parts on them and they do look very nice. Those stators always should have been gold plated as it looks so much better. In terms of sound my reaction is more mixed. Now the good...that horrible forward balance on the old 009's is gone. The treble is extended but well controlled, more like a refined version of the L700's without their slight bright nature. This is a massive change to the better. Now for the less great part...the bass suckout which is present in a part of the spectrum. When I got them I just plugged them into my office system (regular Carbon fed by a Denafrips Ares) and put the player on random. Don Henley - The boys of summer came on (fitting given the lack of a summer here) and the track just sounded thin and distant. I also tried one popular Icelandic song which starts with all the focus on the snare drum (Das Capital - Blindsker in case it is online) and it just sounds weird. They should sound powerful and heavy but on the 009S it is weak and distant sounding. I need to do some digging as to what is causing this but two things spring to mind, a port hidden in there or those awful earpads. The 009 earpads are a terrible design so that will probably be my first stop. I will need to do a bunch more listening but I'm a bit disappointed now...

Where the earspeakers at, tho? :thinkinghandonchinemoji: :

I'm pretty sure I've seen Fragships in Doom or World of Warcraft.

By the time a lot of us got to the point of owning Stax, there was a lot less hair to deal with. Other than maybe ear hair?

Stax are still stuck in the distributor model but slowly embracing e-commerce. There is a certain comfort level in only dealing with a limited amount of customers world wide and having them be your reps with anything customer related. Things are changing though as Stax now has a proper online shop in Japan where everything they sell is listed, including the spare parts.

Nah, it makes them sounds more exotic. Also encourages people to learn japanese.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

Thanks to the Wayback Machine the page is stored at https://web.archive.org/web/20171221234807/http://stax.co.jp/Export/History.html

The amp is only putting out about 20ma assuming a KG design, not to sure about stax. Even with all that voltage all you will get is an annoying zap. Just to give you an idea of how little current that is, 20ma is less than we normally use for temporary pacemakers in cardiac surgery and those leads go directly into the myocardium of the heart to regulate the beat. We typically use 50% higher voltage to start and go up from there..

orrrr you could wait, just wait for a bit, don't be a hero. wait until it's reach full maturity or everything become clearer or whatever. think like a pedophile case. if only they could wait, it would be okay i think

......

It's KGBH SE (Analog Edition) made by Flux Lab Acoustics. http://fluxlab-acoustics.com/Products/18 I'm usin' it for my personal enjoyment with ES headphones.

If it passes the Spritzer test, it will have passed the hardest one. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, all. Feeling more relaxed about the entry point I've set up for myself. I'm an engineer (digital hardware verification), so I appreciate the dedication I see here from folks like Spritzer in picking apart the 727 and other products. Critical analysis is absolutely necessary to keep the pursuit of perfection ever-advancing; it's what ultimately enables us to appreciate every wrinkle and vein in the petals of those sonic flowers. :-P It doesn't bother me to hear that the amp I chose is imperfect; I happen to firmly believe that perfection isn't a state of being, but rather a target that forever remains on the horizon. It's helpful to have expert opinions of where the 727 might be lacking. I just wanted to make sure it's not a total lemon. Even the best companies will swing and miss once in a while. Pretty sure this setup is going to blow me away. I'm setting aside my anxieties and mentally compiling playlists. Can't wait for my first few steps into Stax-land. Maybe I'll pop back in and share some impressions when I get it all running. Cheers!

As much as I love making electrostatic headphones, I don't think that I will ever make them for money. I'm just too busy with my work, and I really prefer sharing my knowledge and encouraging people to try to build them by themselves. I am willing to share everything of my design with everyone. Just let me know if you're interested to build. By the way, making a pair of good sounding electrostatic headphones isn't that difficult, but to make them as efficient as Stax headphones is not so easy. Until MrSpeakers and Phenomenon can make their phones to sound as loud as Stax, I would say that they still have a lot to learn.

I'll just leave this here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/electrostatic-headphones-perun.837230/