spritzer

Let's hope this one is pretty mild as the same system that fees Grímsvötn is also responsible for Laki...

I'm with you there Frank, I see little sense in CCS loading the 6SN7 especially if the goal is to build something cheap. I am itching to build a simple 7F7/7N7 version some day though and cram it in a tiny chassis.

My 6S4A is very different from what Frank did, it's more like the original with a 47K plate resistors for the 6S4A's and a +/-350V PSU.

I see nothing wrong with selling the amp since these issues are all known and documented. I wouldn't bother modifying the boards since they are so small. Also the full blown Exstata 2.0 needs extra heatsinks to work properly. Now the standard reply here would be KGSS but since Headamp is out of boards then it is not an option any more. You could build something truly simple like the Egmont type amps I've been working on. Cost is basically just the transformer and a handful of parts. I especially like the one I built with 6S4A output tubes.

Stax SRM-323S. Crazy I know since I will sell it right away but I need to see just what Stax did to warrant a new model number and I can also teach the noobs how to change the voltage.

Done, thanks for doing this Kerry.

Brilliant news Nate!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

It does look nice but it cost way too much and the nice 30m$ glass sculpture which makes up the outside of it isn't ready yet. Why, well they got some Chinese contractors to make the complex 3D metalwork but said contractor used sub-par steel so everything had to be torn down again.

Hehe...

Happy birthday Justin!!!

The mod is very easy to do and same goes for readjusting the amp once you are done. I really can't see anyone preferring the sound of the stock amp over this... Yup but only at CanJam and my blood alcohol level never dropped below the legal limit... That said I was quick to spot that Stax had changed something as they sounded just fine on unfamiliar equipment. I've been trying to buy a used set to compare since then but none have surfaced that were cheap enough justify a short trip here just to sell it again. The SZ2 I have here sounds lovely with just a little bending of the arcs and careful setup of the earpads but it would be nice to have a SZ3 to compare. Anybody have a set I can buy and place an epic Omega shootout, SR-Omega, Mk1, Mk2 and Mk2.5 plus the SR-009?

This 270m$ pile of fail is opening this weekend so my whole week has been filled with completing a huge order for them. A few thousand units of muffins, cookies and cakes and it is just for Saturday...

The other big change is also how the third stage is handled as it has a CCS now and not resistors as the original used. This is also what Stax did with their newer amps (323/727).

Nope, it is nice and clean.

This is one of the first SR-007A's made so a SZ2. It had the ports completely open but once I had adjusted the arcs for my head there is some obstruction so the bass is only slightly overblown. I do like this sound though as an alternative to the Mk1. I know that a fully modded set is more linear but this setup is a lot more fun. I just did the 150K feedback mod on this one, no need to mess with the gain. The change is pretty startling to say the least...

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Try recoating the diaphragm, that has worked for me in the past. It's also not a problem to rebuild Lambda/Sigma drivers but you have to use the right glue and clean them completely before attempting it.

I agree with Kerry that tapping is very much an art, one you "get it" then it is pretty easy to do but it is still very time consuming. The dissipante boxes aren't that hard to work on, I use 4mm screws to secure the angle brackets and glue to secure the screws in place.

I have those universal pads (EP-007) on my Mk1 and they are identical to the ones on this SR-007A AFAIK. Btw. I just got a SRM-727 to mod and holy hell the 007A/727 combo is bad. Two components with exaggerated bass response don't mix well...

The aim with bending the arcs is to make the headphone disappear really. Most of the time it presses a bit to hard somewhere around the ear so you need to give it some slack and/or adjust how the arc is, as in its height.

Have to tried to bend the arcs to get a better fit? A stock SR-007 will never fit me correctly and the same goes for most people, even those not cursed with "gigantic head syndrome"... The ports are indeed still there on the SZ3 models as well but I guess Stax are using the pads to close them when the headphone is worn. Same thing as I'm hearing but since we have confirmation that the SZ3's are indeed a new version (supposed to have new drivers as well) the whole thing didn't work properly. It's clearly one of the 4 best headphones in the world, there is no denying that fact. The whole problem was that the Mk1 is so astonishingly good that even the SR-Omega has serious flaws in comparison.

Happy Birthday Milos!!!