Michelag

Who helps me finding a chinese? Had a chat today with the Staxmafia boss, he didn't do the names, but indicated that some time ago, a chinese was selling this modded set with stax plug... Does someone want to be a spy? Or if you do not wanna do the name, also some hint about getting to him would be appreciated? Thanks a lot 😁

Wow! But just for my understanding, this is the limit after which damage to earspeakers can occur, right? I mean, so much power is really needed to drive the most demanding e-stats? Or is it thought as an exercise of pushing it to the boundaries ?

Thought I never shared pictures of my build, et voilà. Those 3.5 and 4.4 input connectors on the front do really a pragmatic job... I fit a normal bias plug (thanks @JoaMat) so the writing is now aged 😁

PBHV2160ZX seem to be out of stock at Mouser?

Same here, 1206 and 50ppm, but drifting

You are one of the greatest, here on my side it's easier to open the mouth instead of go checking updates on the two repositories 😁😔 Hope it addresses also the thermal runaway...

Yes, but it introduces noise 😁

Tried a test build, with silicone thermal sheet, alu plate on some alu piece. Yes, there's thermal runaway. Power consumption begins at 24V/0.8A and slowly takes up to almost 2A, when the board reached 80°C I shut it down. The 400V B+ rail (so the B-) started around 9mA, up to 20mA before shutdown. Offset was around 2V on one channel, 5V on the other one. Amp was in idle condition. @kevin gilmoreDr., you were saying putting a 12V sender in series to 1.1Meg resistor, newbie question, with what polarity? What about trimming the bias ? Do you foresee adding a trimpot in the next release? Thanks, hope it helps other fellow builders.

I'm still getting better at it

Let's see if I'm gonna have a happy birthday...

As written privately to @willsw, I'm in need for some 6 pins plugs, and I'm happy to lend a hand down what regards cad design, 3d printing (will order from jlcpcb though, so beware shipping times), and or pin variants. Unfortunately on the web the set of kt88/el84 pins with screw is to be found quite expensive, 10€ 10 pieces from audioaholics in France. Stax lambda NB already in, and don't have any socket for it 😞 Glad to help.

In what part of the world are you?

Perhaps a little early, compiled a BOM: https://www.mouser.de/api/CrossDomain/GetContext?syncDomains=www&returnUrl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mouser.com%2fTools%2fProject%2fShare%3fAccessID%3dd8cfd9e908&async=False&setPrefSub=False&clearPrefSub=False

still looking for a reputable source of that lovely DC bricks.... Taobao doesn't work (or I am not able to) for me...

Yes, I've exactly these two addresses, but the smd board is not included in there.

Thank you Pars, I had a read of the thread, so, seems that the balanced/unbalanced board per se ends with the file diffinput3.zip; following ones, 5, 5a and 6 present only the diamond buffer though. Since in the drive repository I couldn't find the file I really need, http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/boards/diffinput3smtd.zip I'm asking here, in case someone could supply it. Another point that I couldn't clarify through reading, is buffer needed only when interconnect cables are very long? Or could I use directly the unbal/Bal between DAC and amp? Thanks, Mike

Bumping up the thread, having some difficulties to grasp how this bal/un is working... Shall I use it to get the unbal output of my DAC as an input, to go balanced to my KGSSHV? Referring to v5, the last version... I guess the diamond buffer is included in the schematic and board, but really can't understand what would be input and output in my particular case... Some kind words of encouragement? Thanks...

Wow, they've made replicas also for Stax... What a life's today's life!

All right, thought they were batteries... So perhaps it's not really "portable", to the office yes, but around mmmm

I was thinking, Kevin, are those bricks rechargeable? Does it need a battery management board?

And so, yesterday was the great day of final close in the enclosure, it played flawlessly for a couple of hours, I came back at it for some music after dinner and PAM! A resistor burnt down with sparks and a flame in the region of DN2540 in the B+ board. Me sad . Have to tear it down again to investigate about arcing or whatnot, a nice picture of the event, so that you can smell that burnt chicken flavour 😁 More importantly, forgot to say that that PAM took along my DAP, as if a 450V discharged to ground suddenly, and my Fiio player (5 yo thanks God) broke down, not to restart anymore. One more thing to repair. 😒 I've seen someone experienced something similar, but mainly in the amp board, never on the HV one. Possible cause?

Ok, so between 15/20 V, make it today Edit: done, works like a charm. Discovered also there's enough power to play with unbalanced inputs, later today will try it after my phono preamp. For the enclosure, I guess I'll need some bespoke heatsinks and cutting aluminum myself, the power transformer with its pot has a diameter of 130mm. Please don't suggest me Hifi2000, tough I'm Italian, they're the most expensive around 😅

Not yet, yesterday had the first working power up and wanted to listen to it a couple of hours 😁

And another one's singing. Friends, this is my first home experience with stax cans, now with a sr303 bought for a dime. And I guess it'll be a long, long journey... I'm in love with this cfa, its speed and clarity are a perfect match with speed and clarity of staxes, wow... It is refined, delicate and well behaved (apart the offset that needs a screwdriver sometimes... What's the tolerance for balance and offset? Trying to keep em spot on on zero, but slowly drifts away...) Thanks Kevin! 🙏

Hello Friends, a nice family shot with no load, no current limitation. Have to figure out why the bias doesn't kick in at 580V, otherwise quite happy. Edit, discovered it's the dmm impedance, bias is just right 👍