spritzer

That's true but I've sold some 27 headphones since November so I really am cutting back. Now I have only 10 electrostatics that I'm going to keep (some 10 more that are for sale, waiting for mods or awaiting repair) and two orthos. I'm not counting my stash in Japan but they can't be included since I've never even seen them...

Mine is slightly larger then a melon but that's not the point. The size of the head isn't really the problem but the shape of the area around the ears and the angle there. The earpieces need to be at the right angle compared to the ears since there is no swivel mount. Stop talking about the SR-007A/II... I'm really trying to cut back... \

Looks great but how does it sound?

It can be a bit frustrating at times but you never have to do it again.

That will take care of any HV delay problems in an instant.

The Lambda Pro I was selling is a fine headphone and much more in line with the electrostatic sound. The SR-X shows how brutally revealing 'stats can be as it was designed to be a monitor headphone. Any one of the Lambdas is a good first headphone but the price is higher then with the older Stax models which are also a good step into the Stax "sound". You can use transformers to drive the SR-007 but they are far from being good enough. They simply can't give the phones the power they need to shine.

The 727 isn't that bad but it could also be malfunctioning. It's hard to tell without something to compare either the amp or headphones to.

It makes a great marketing tool as we all know that thinner is better.... right?? You don't need to angle the drivers if you use the Lambda earpads since they are already angled. Now if you are going for a more Sigma like design then angle away... I don't know where you can find this stuff in the US but I have used some old IKEA desktop crap as a source for black mesh and it worked really well. You should also make it concave and mount it properly so that is won't vibrate. First off the Sigma isn't a good way to discover the electrostatic sound as they sound very different from a Lambda or a SR-X. They have many of the same strengths but also some weaknesses due to the unique design. The Sigma needs a lot of power so unless you are going with a Blue Hawaii I'd stick with a speaker amp and an adapter.

I've bought 3 sets of SR-007 new over the years and while they improved a little with use it was never a dramatic "ALO" burn in effect. There is a scientific fact why electrostatic transducers need to be run in but the whole 300-500 hours seems like fluff number invented by some K701 owner...

I look at it as the statement piece of the that level of technology and it is no wonder that is was produced well into the 80's with the far from neutral Lambda Pro's leading the way. Nothing wrong with that. It has taken me years of electrocution and torn diaphragms to learn the little I know about this stuff. Electrostatics and pickups are similar in how something so simple can sound so different.

Stator assembly has also a lot to do with it as will the coating used, the housing and the tension the diaphragm is under. Blaming it all on the diaphragm is the same as saying a Dac upgrade will transform a CDP...

The damping material in the earcups takes care of it though there isn't much to begin with. There some treble etch but not a whole lot.

They are monitor phones after all... The need a sheet of double sided adhesive. There are many different kinds, Stax uses some eco friendly crap, and you just have to buy all you can find and test them. The stronger the adhesive, the better.

I have looked at them but the have one bit problem... all the transformers have a single 117v primary. While I could fit a step down inside the case it's just too much trouble. They are very good for sensitive speakers but since my tastes are more planar orientated I need a lot of goos stable tube power.

Transformer coupled 300b's at a sane price are something to look into.

It's a real shame but I think that the monos use a ECC99...

It's his design about as much as the RSA amps are designed by Ray. It's also a very simple amp to build and my only issue is to cram the KGSS psu inside the chassis and the large caps associated with it.

Ehh yeah.... I'm nuts that's all. I have a chassis that is perfect for it (and no other ESP amp will fit) and I have most of the parts already. It's also a way for me to use some of the KGSS psu boards I have here and will otherwise never be used. The only things I need is a transformer (a Hammond 370 does the trick) and some really nice couplers. The amps cost Rudi about 300$ to make so why not make one for that same amount but with 7n7 tubes instead... Btw. I don't hate Rudi but he's incompetent and the crap he's selling should be illegal.

I have them and the Corda Aria (my only dynamic amp for now) and I need to max it to get a good level with the drivers in an open space. It's also a gain issue due to the internal DAC but I need something with balls... It was worth a shot... I'm also combating whether to build something or just buy this. I don't really need another project with the Blue Hawaii under way and my crazy notion to build an Egmont as well...

That explains it but it's still a strange way to do it as many digital components use transformers on the digital line to do just that. It could also be because the drive was designed as a stand alone transport to feed a clock linked dac in the studio and thus making it simpler to build.

You didn't happen to bring some orthodynamics with you...? I'm considering this amp as a neat solution to drive my orthos but I'm not sure it has the current to pull it off.

Why not use ST then? It's definitely a toslink receiver that feeds the DAC but where the other one is going is hard to tell as it is a transmitter. It could be that the JVC drive can only output S/PDIF but a coax cable would be an even better solution.

You can see the part name on the back in the second to last picture (RX176) and that is Toslink receiver. Further to the right you can see a transmitter as well and both are facing the transport area...

Nice pictures but the player could use some work... What the hell is that internal optical cable seen in the second to last picture connected to? It looks like it is connected to the back of the transport (third picture) but that is just wrong on so many levels if it is feeding the dacs...