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But why would anyone be riding a Segway inside a hotel

Yes whilst that's true I think we are trying to determine what might be an ideal type of amplifier for the LCD2's. I've tried them on several and as Kevin says the results can be variable, particularly as most of them put out 1 watt or less. So can you share your experience with the F1 and other amplifiers you have tried?

The F1 is about 10 watts which should be just about right for job I use my Audeze with an NVA AP10H which is 15 watts, but its transistor not valve so no transformer coupling (NVA are small UK boutique manufacturer)

So would these be a good candidate for one of the Nelson Pass's Current Source Designs aka FirstWatt F1? (I'm told the F1 is great with the AKG K1000 too, but never heard one)

Tyll really enjoyed the article, very well balanced and objective. Just goes to show these days celebrity and fashion is more important than overall quality. I happen to work for a company that pushes the so called Dr Dre(adful) technology and sound in its consumer products which I personally find embarrassing. Do you think we could turn the Stax Sigma design into a fashion icon, a bit of BLING here and there could work wonders. It would certainly get you noticed out on the street. Perhaps we could persuade the new Chinese owners of Stax to develop one as they want to push the technology into the mobile arena.

Don't get me wrong i'm not saying they don't soundstage its just not that big as most other high end phones. Mine are Rev 1's with ALO copper and silver chain cable. Apparently according to Audeze there is no easy way to determine which version they are as the serial numbers are not contiguous. They told me you have to contact them direct with the serial to determine which version of drivers are installed. I also use silver interconnects between DAC and amplifier which seems to give them an extra lift at the top end, but might push Rev2's to being over bright. Your suggestion regarding using these direct out of a transformer coupled amp i'll try, but do you suggest connecting them direct without any protection or via one of those headphone socket/amp switch boxes? http://www.amazon.co.uk/B-TECH-Speaker-Switch-Headphone-Socket/dp/9792400966/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1323690195&sr=1-2 I've also have one of those Antique Sound Labs UHC Signature Headphone Listening Devices http://www.divertech...csignature.html you connect to the terminals of a power amp. I believe they have small impedance matching transformers inside. Do you think something like this might work well or could be as an alternative with an OTL amp?

Kevin are these LCD2 Rev1's or Rev2's? What's your opinion of the LCD2 so far and how do you think they compare to Stax or other stats? The main limitation I find is the relatively narrow soundstage, What improvements do you think connecting it to a speaker amp gives?

Will replace the 909 http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Quad-Elite-QSP-Power-Amplifier/product_5199

Yes very interesting but the thread didn't really come to any firm conclusion, and as we all know stuff on the net isn't always what it appears to be. However the seller address on ebay is listed as Snohomish , WA, United States. Isn't this the area where the Carver and Sunfire amps were produced from when they were in production? There is new site Carvers audio service http://carverservice.../carver_006.htm operating from Snohomish too and the site is copyright Bob Carver? Ritas Vintage Audio Repair mentioned in your thread is also listed in the same town but at 1920 Bickford Ave.! The plot thickens - According to a Facebook entry Ritas is supposedly owned by Bob Carver http://www.facebook....4695717?sk=info Perhaps there is a Head-Case member who lives near Snohomish could check it out in person sometime? Then we might verify if the guy on ebay is genuine or not and might be persuaded to build some transformers

I think this guy on ebay may be the legendary Bob Carver who is retired, and he winds his own transformers. He also builds power amps so might be worth asking him the question? http://myworld.ebay.com/audioshopper/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

http://www.adventure...rd-electronics/ Here is some information on the Radfords, these are legendary British amplifiers and were designed to drive the Quad ESL 57's and later Arthur Bailys transmission line speakers when the Radford company branched out into manufacturing speakers. Together with the Quad II and Leak TL20 they are one of the most sought after classic amps in the UK and Europe. I do see the odd one crop up in the US on ebay though. These vintage McIntosh make serious money over here, at least $3k to $4k or more

How about the old Quad II's (overkill!) or a Radford STA 15 ? A bit pricey these days but classic sound. There is the Leben CS300 which I think is push-pull and has a headphone socket. Tim de Paravicini and his EAR Yoshino models might be worth a try also, he has some great push-pull integrated designs. His HP4 headphone amp is transformer coupled but is only 1 watt so would not meet your power output criteria?

Could cannibalise one of the transformer units as you sometimes see them without the headphones More important would be the design of the bias circuit but perhaps you could copy this again from the transformer box. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that Kevin Gilmore had built something to drive the Jecklin's about 10 years ago with one of his electrostatic amp designs.?

I don't know of any commercially available amp other than this to drive the Jecklins - 1200V @300pf. I thought the ECC81/12AT7 is quite widely used in headphone amps and has a good sound signature, but perhaps a bit under powered for the Jecklin's. I wonder if anyone has come up with any modifications it to improve it? I think I saw a circuit board design somewhere on the net to provide the right bias and load for the them. Perhaps this could be built as an option into a BHSE I was reading about Jorg Jecklin the other day, and he has a very distinguished background and career in the fields of audio, music recording/broadcasting and audio research, particularly surround sound. A bit of a dark horse really.

Well Duggeh you don't really look fat in the photo - more worried about your current one (avatar). Do you have the same condition that Prad Pitt had in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? I see you borrowed one of Tyll's shirts Is the chap standing next to you wearing a yellow marigold rubber glove? Why one - what gives?

Spritzer not sure what you are meaning about the amp - is this an old Icelandic saying ?

Great Bass on theses - Really shifts the ear-wax

Well Tyll I bet you've never had humps like this in your frequency response! Probably too many of these will send you deaf amyway

Well that's interesting Birgir, what sample size of the potential 600 have you based your conclusion on? How were you able to verify which of the units had their original drivers still installed? Do you know if all of your sample tracked were unique serial numbers, or were some the same units being re-sold again every few years? It would be good if you could share your data

I'm not saying I believe one opinion over the other as I respect Birgir's experience with Stax, but I would guess there is some truth in both versions. Perhaps as Birgr says it my be the loose bias pin connection that is the issue, and the Stax service engineers haven't figured this out which is why they replace the drivers?

Yes he sold me his Stax T2 amplifier as the SR-Ω he used with it had failed, otherwise I would never have prized it away from him. I can only repeat what I was told and as he provided Stax repair service for the whole of the UK I think he should be in possession of the facts. As there were so few units made and exported to Europe (cant say for the US) its very difficult for me personally to quote you a failure rate. All I can say is that a high proportion of those I've seen for sale in Europe don't have their original drivers.

Thanks I would love to try a pair, but I would say at least 50% of those I have seen for sale have had their drivers replaced, which is why I have left them alone and stuck with my SR-007 Mk1's. I would be really interested from those on Head-Case who have the SR-Ω how long/much have they used them and what if any problems experienced. Personally I've used various Stax for over 40 years, and have found them to be extremely reliable.

I had forgotten this reference http://www.head-fi.o...5/stax-sr-omega spritzer The other Señor Stax Very few units are sold here in the west so a clear going price is hard to come by but the last few sets have sold for about 300k-400k Yen in Japan. You should be aware that there is something wrong with the driver design which causes them to fail and the only way to repair them is with SR-007 drivers. I have one set like that and love the sound but it slashes the value to bits...

Sorry but don't see the point you are trying to make

I was told by my UK Stax importer Symetry, and one or two leading dealers, that there is a problem with the materials or fixing used in the deign of the SR-Ω driver . They just eventually fail which I why you see so many of the SR-Ω without their original drivers. Its a pin-wheel design like the SR-009 but using the state of the art almost 20 years ago which I think was copper and resin. From memory I think it was the failure of the resin in the design that causes the failure. It was rumored that Stax produced a later driver using different materials but this might just be fiction as I have no direct knowledge of this.