spritzer

So if it is anything like this: https://6moons.com/audioreviews/viva/4.html Yeah... this is utterly terrible. To make things worse, those are Rifa caps, known for one thing only... failing internally and presenting a dead short. Plus they are PSU caps, why they are used for coupling is beyond me. This does stink of SinglePower... Some more pics here: https://www.audioshark.org/amplifiers-8/amedeo-viva-visits-suncoast-audio-16591.html Look at this trash, 17k$ and all you get is an Alps RK27 for a volume control that costs less than 10$...

That's very cool. 🙂 The old ones were brass?

My schematic shows 8.2K for that position so not sure what schematic you have. Also check R44 and R45 if the voltages look a bit low.

I think Stax use the new Tung Sol GTB in the 700T so that is new production. Whether you can get them anymore... I'm not sure as they are made in Russia. As for the voltage, the GTB tops out at 450V so it's better than the regular version but still a long way from the 6S4A etc. There is also the 6BL7 but no new production that I know of.

It really doesn't matter, 5% is plenty good so just go with what ever fits.

If you want to use a 6SN7, I'd always use the 6SN7GTB's since they are higher voltage. I wouldn't touch the PSVANE tubes nor believe their specs though...

Check the resistors in the power supply, they are known to go bad.

For me the 007's are a clear step up in every way, much more controlled, actually layered sound stage (which so few headphones can do) and far more resolving. Once you get past a certain point the SR-Omega gets lost and confused. They are still great but yeah, 007's were a big improvement. I really don't agree about the X9000 bass compared to the 007's, it completely falls flat on its face. Apparent resolution vs. real resolution to me.

Price is always tricky, the 007's should be far more expensive based on the parts and their quality but the true cost has been amortized over the last 25 years. The CRBN without the forged carbon, CF headband and the fancy metal mesh could have been far cheaper. Then you have the issue of things being far too cheap so they aren't taken seriously. They way I see it is CRBN vs. Voce, both made in the US and similar enough in price these days. Voce is trash though...

This shit is just too retarded!! 😂 I for the record gave the entire 009 lineup another chance recently. Since they are so cheap now, for even like new used sets, I got a 009 and 009S... and they are still awful. This was actually one of the last 009's to be made and still sounds the same as my very early example. The 009S was also pretty new and yeah, still sounds the same sad mismatch of ideas. As for the X9000, it's not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination. Since I got a pretty much brand new SR-Omega for my birthday this summer I dragged out the X9000 for comparison and that lasted two songs... I couldn't get rid of the X9000 fast enough so it's back in the display case. Next comparison was SR-Omega vs. SR-007 nr. 35 of the production line... much closer but the 007 is easily better in every way.

I don't really give a shit what you think but my views/impressions are never for sale. The CRBN is flawed but still an excellent set of headphones with production quality rivaling Stax is many ways. In terms of sound, that is always subjective, but it's clear, based on the market, that people are not happy with where Stax are going. Used prices of 009's are now often below that of a used 007 (not even a rare Mk1) and the 009S's are headed that same way. Also notice how little talk there is about the X9000 from the long term Stax owners, those that did buy a set, quietly sold them off as they just aren't good.

Not sure, ones been sitting unsold in Japan for weeks for just over 3k$.

Nope, no way to do that and with roughly 40% failure rate, no way I'm ever touching one of them again.

This just makes the original Stax T2 sad... That hum's like there is no tomorrow.

No, not wasting my time on that pile of crap

One of the sets I received had that issue and Audeze replaced it, it was far too touchy.

Thanks everyone. Just got back from London, first proper trip since the whole pandemic nonsense and fuck am I tired... 😂

No KGSS Klassik has ever come in for servicing so highly reliable I'd say. Closest comparison would be a fully modified 717.

It's a voltage divider feeding a voltage doubler

Great work and Stax had endless issues with the SR-Omega... same as Sennheiser with the glass stators.

Well it is certainly not something brilliant but we'd need better pics of the amp section to be sure. I'm certainly not impressed by the 9$ Alps RK27 volume control...

That was excellent and what happened to that original Jr. set?

If you are using a Samsung drive they have their own utility which is excellent for this stuff.

I have plenty of them in stock but they were not cheap.

New design