ktm

I had a St-202. It's rolled off high end didn't cut it. I've still got it's polar opposite here, the Rotel RB980. Too bright. The Aragon, or it's cheaper cousin the Acurus, would be a much better choice. I've seen the A250 go for as little as $300.

The Aragon amps are good. The NAK PA-7 is also a good pick. Emotiva? Not even in the same class. How about adding Bryston to the list? Or this? AudiogoN ForSale: Belles 150A You can find about a zillion great amps in that price range.

There's a lot of small floorstanding speakers out there. And they really are a better choice than bookshelves/stands. Rega, Totem, old Linns, Spendors, and god knows how many others. There must be a temping set of towers up on the local Craigslist every day here in Dallas. Just like a bus, if you miss one, wait a little bit and another deal pops up.

I've had experience with smoke/water damage and electronics. Even if it works ok at first, the combo of moisture and smoke causes all sorts of corrosion in switches and controls. In a couple of months, it gets real nasty. I'd sell it as is, and buy something else. It will be nothing but trouble for years to come.

At over 400 pounds, I'd need piano movers to bring it in. At $21k I'd need a second mortgage. But if it performs like it looks, it would be quite an experience. I always liked Wilson stuff. My used SVS 25-31 PCI was $200. That will have to do until I hit the lottery!

I just got a 10 year pile of stereophile mags from a local guy here in Dallas. The print was so small, I finally broke down and got a pair of reading glasses. But there's lot of pictures. IF we ever finish with speakers, there's always some of those high end turntables, too. Here's a couple sets I can reach out and touch in my office! Damn, I can't find the pictures of the Rega R3's. But's here's Hales, Proacs, and PI's

Sounds like I sold it too cheap:rolleyes: I'm glad you're enjoying it. What are you going to do with the mc2100?

The sr-202's are glue, not sticky tape. That might explain why the 202's sound a bit different than the 404's, along with the smaller cable. The highs are less aggressive. My experience with woodies and damping on Senn's was that it's hard to find a medium. Anything that helps one end of the spectrum really screws up the other end. I did not glue the driver to the front mounting plate. I used sticky tape. I looks like the only way to really improve the newer series Stax is an enclosure change, or a change in driver contruction.

Boy, some DIY guy I am. But I got one housing open on the 202's. Same two sided sticky tape. You can see some of it on the inside mounting plate. I hope the rest of the assembly is glued. The inside charged pieces look glued, but I cant tell if the screen that faces the plate is glued or sticky taped to the driver assembly. I'll wait for daylight to look. Do I need to wipe off everything and white glove it on re-assembly?

You have my attention with that find. Nothing like the company screwing with a proven design to save time/money. Good news, it would make many sr-404 owners happier. Bad news, it would spoil the resale value of a lot of vintage Stax gear. I've got both a 202 and a 404 here to play with. I'll have to pull one of them apart next week when I get a chance. Im scheduled to work this weekend:mad: