spritzer

I'm not really good at compromises so if it is good enough for Kondo it is good enough for me. The irony is that it will probably be disconnected most of the time if my damn APL 3910 ever gets here as it has a brilliant volume control.

It also bothers me a lot and I'll go for a single RK50 4-tier pot in my next amp.

Good to hear that you didn't have to pay anything. Btw. Stax is always FTW!!

That's true because they are called orthodynamics and are planars...

Yup. Back then I didn't really know what expensive really is...

Programming just makes me suicidal... I was always much more into the hardware side and doing crazy stuff to it. I loved the pirates but I usually ripped the kits apart with in a week and built something else. The ships were cool though and some of the forts and stuff.

I'm with you there. I really would have liked the programmable stuff back when I was 8 though...

Yup, you do more then qualify. A triple stacked ESL must have been something else as I was mightily impressed by a double stack. Who needs meets when you have the best...

That is a very nice and expensive amp you've got there. There is at least one published DHT amp design for electrostatics. It was in the second edition of the Morgan Jones "Valve Amplifiers" book and aptly called "The Beast". The whole chapter is a great read as he talks about how scary it was to test it and how none of his equipment was meant for 1kV+... The cost is a major obstacle so I went with a new BH instead as 15k$ for a headphone amp is insane. A properly designed DHT amp will drive the Quad ESL57, KLH Model Nine and Stax F81 directly with ease so it might be justified for a hardcore ESL nut...

That kind of stuff can land you in jail up here but it is easy to do. Not that I have ever done it or anything... This is the reason why I offer buyers from EU the option to declare the package lower if they want to and assume all the risks involved.

He would have to pay VAT of the import price but making him pay it of the original retail price is insane and they have no right to do that. Still it is only the VAT as we have a nice collection of fees up here that add to about 70% on hi-fi and televisions.

This sucks ass!! I take it the system was insured at full value so why do you have to pay more then the VAT of that? If something is bought inside the EU but the buyer is outside (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland etc.) then there is no VAT added as buyer is supposed to pay it in his home country. I does seem odd to me that they are asking for the VAT of the retail price as there is none (EU rules) and you have documentation showing how much money you sent. That should be more then enough. I assume that the same system is used in the rest of Europe where businesses pay the VAT on products and services they buy but it gets deducted from the stuff you sell on the report you file.

That is a very impressive amp and I like the stab at the SP gold plated nonsense... It's expensive but quality iron costs a lot and it was wise to use the 7n7 instead of the 6SN7.

Make sure you are using a good amp to drive the HE60 or they wont stand a chance. Properly amped I do prefer them to the He90 despite all their flaws as the bass is much cleaner, midrange better focused, so is the soundstage and they cost 1/6th of the HE90.

It's tough to recommend just one combo but a SRM-1 Mk2 Pro amp with either a SR-Lambda or SR-Lambda Signature makes for a very good combo.

Cool. Mine was reterminated with a Stax plug so that adds something (150-200$) to the base price.

Around 1500$ shipped.

The 404 is simply brilliant after it's been transplanted into the Sigma housing but I'm not a big fan either of the stock model. The SR-Lambda is one of the best headphones you can get at any price with very few flaws. The bass could be deeper, the treble more clear but the musicality is hard to deny.

Here is a pic: Having something made wouldn't be too hard but simply buying the 4070 arc would be even better.

Ok, didn't know that.

Ask EIFL or Yama's. Just so you know there are no forks to attach to a housing due to the different design of the SR-007. What is included is just the two metal arcs, headband and the plastic pieces that hold it to the base plate on each side.

The SR-303, 404, SC-1 and 4070 all use the same driver but the 303 uses the older PC-OCC cable and the SC1 is cryo treated. While all of the Lambdas look alike the drivers are very different and there are some subtle differences. I wouldn't do this mod with anything less then a SR-404 The glue I use I found at some local store and they have no idea where it's from. It's not marked in any way but I bought up everything they had so I have enough for some time. The glue with the yellow backing that I used to mount the damping material is also good and you should be able to find it at a local crafts store. One thing that you need to know is that this is far from easy and you need to be able to do repairs to the drivers as it is guaranteed that you'll rip a dustcover (or two) or even rip one driver apart. Working with electrostatic drivers takes a lot of practice and there is no room for error. One slip and you can throw the driver in the garbage. I'm not trying to discourage you but you should know the risks involved.

If it all goes haywire then a new arc assembly costs 100$ and that includes the headpad. Find a used SR-404, that is the best way. Second best would be to buy a new one from Japan and cut it up. Please be aware that the success of this mod is in the glue used to mount the drivers. I've spent a lot of time to find the best one as it needs to be strong, no mess and very thin.

It great that you guys are liking the Stax experience... Bending the arcs on the SR-007 is absolutely crucial for them to reach their full potential. It's a bit sad how many have dismissed the SR-007 in favor of other phones just because the fit wasn't right...

That price is all kinds of crazy.