John Buchanan
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Posts posted by John Buchanan
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Happy Birthday, Birgir!
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Ouch!
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Yes - my thinning the herd sale resulted in selling the Sigma/404's for AUS$1800, but not before some drongo from Europe PM'ed me on Ebay saying I was selling a fake which wasn't as good as the original Sigmas and then asked me what I wanted for them. I suggested he might like to fuck off.
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Yeah, it's just those two boxes glued together as they don't even share a power transformer. Also the XLR inputs on the back aren't balanced at all so bone stock ED-1 and SRM-1 Mk2.
As Spritzer said, except the two are placed in a large box - they aren't actually glued together in reality. I love the sound of mine, but opinions vary tremendously on diffuse field equalisers - that's why Stax abandoned them.
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"slight defect where the cable was pulled out" LOL.
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I'd stay away from the SRM-600 given the very high failure rate. It's always the plate resistors that die so they could just be replaced but that's pretty much the amount of work needed to change a T1/006t to use ECC99's so hardly worth the price difference.
The Koss isn't a bad choice. Simply upgrading the wall wart for the E/90 amp won't make a dramatic difference so your best bet is always a Stax amp. Even cheaper is the Stax SRS-2170 which is pretty much untouchable at that price. Sounds far better than the 307 too and the Japanese units are easy to use with a domestic 12VDC psu modified for the correct pinout.
Any of the Lambda Nova units would also be a good choice but many of them aren't aging all that well. The adhesive used is acting up and the pleather parts are flaking or even worse. Some of my favorite headphones ever though and my main set these days is pretty much a Nova Signature.
The Lambda Nova Signature is an excellent ear speaker. I would love to hear one on a BHSE.
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This ED-1 is tuned for the L-Pro but none of those around so SR-202's should be close enough and my pile of other Lambdas.
So what do you think of the sound of the Stax ED-1/202 combo, Birgir?
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How are you finding the sound, Birgir?
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Here's an optimist!
I've sent a message to get them to correct the description.
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You're going to love them. Can anyone who has had this done (apart from the usual suspects Ed and Birgir) please report back here?
LOL I meant tell us about what you thought of the changes in sound with the modification. Photo optional. My photo is with the unmodified Sigma prior to it being sent off to Accutech. I just like the photo - captures the joy of listening well, I reckon.
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Sounds like a Stax 303 is in my future.
Thanks for the info, John.
You're going to love them. Can anyone who has had this done (apart from the usual suspects Ed and Birgir) please report back here?
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Had a listen a few hours ago to the Sigma normal bias and O2MK1 and HE60 on my almost completed KGSS.
The HE60 was the most addictive. I kept coming back to them to compare them to what the others were doing.
The Sigma had the best bass, but lost out in resolving power to the other 2.
After packing these two away and concentrating on the O2MK1, it took about 3 tracks to tune in to the sound.
They are more melifluous phones than the other 2.
I suppose the difference between the HE60 and the O2 is like the Grado RS1 and Senn HD600.
One screams "Listen to me" while the other patiently waits for you to discover it's virtues.
The Sigma seemed to distort at what I find a slightly uncomfortable volume.
IMHO, the Sigma normal bias is far too dull - it translates as what you might hear as a loss of resolving power. The basic sound is fantastic, but too rolled off in the high end. The 303 or 404 driver implants transform this phone into what the Sigma promised and couldn't deliver (or, if you find a Sigma Pro, you're already there - I was lucky to find a NM Sigma Pro to add to the Sigma/404 for $700).
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@John I did the same but with the 507.
Is there a way to alleviate the 507 clamping ? I'm afraid to stretch it since its made of plastic. The Lambda were so much more comfortable..
Maybe buy a 407 headband assembly ( they are called arc assembly by Stax)?
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Well, the Sigma 404 is pretty good.
I keep thinking about selling them to fund the 009 but I like them to much to let them go.
Like John says, they are great for hot summer nights, when the 007's get too toasty.
I know Birgir might think I'm a complete fwit, but I sold my 007 Mk 1 instead of the Sigma/404. And haven't regretted that for one second. Sound and comfort reasons both.
IMHO, the Sigma/404 and the 007 Mk1 were almost exactly the same efficiency - volume control was the same for the same volume. The LNS is far more efficient. Probably due to the increased driver -> ear distance of the Sigma series compared with the same driver in a Lambda frame.
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Wouldn't that be a pro bias Lambda?
Sigma drivers (non-pro) -> Lambda 303 chassis
Lambda 303 drivers -> Sigma chassis
As Birgir said, my friend. And the Sigma/303 sounds very very good.
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Simple answer......No. The driver should be close to 90% to 100% visible.
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They should be here any day... (fingers crossed)
n3rdling is a big fan of the unmodded normal bias Sigma so I will be spending a lot of time with them before making any decisions to swap drivers.
Though I will only be running them off an SRD7 transformer box. I will need an adapter cable to use them with my KGSS.
I run the Sigma Pro and Sigma/404s from an SRD-7 Pro. They sound very good.
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What exactly was I wrong about? Look at where the Jecklin design came from, or more importantly the drivers, and there is a whole lot of room for improvement.
As for Stax not sounding natural, you are joking right? Which set and with what amp would be a much better question. If the Float sound is to your liking then it has to be a Sigma, preferably a Sigma 404.
The Float/PS2 I had sounded nothing like a Sigma/404. Maybe there were different versions, but with the one I had, it literally had no bottom end - deep bass that was apparent on the Sigma and LNS was not audible on the Float/PS2 (and specifically Tony Levin's descending stick playing on "Projekct 1 Live At The Jazz Cafe", track 3 at the beginning of the track where Tony's bass literally disappeared on the Floats, where the Sigma/404 played on without turning a hair). Also, they were far too bright. The dynamics of this headphone were unbelievable, however. They barely fit my head also (ala Birgir). I sold the Jecklins. The Stax Sigma/404s (and the LNS) were far better.
These new Jecklins would need to be a big improvement to be even competitive. -
I have some normal bias Sigmas on the way from Japan, can't wait to hear them
Let me know what you think. They are my least favourite of the Sigma series - a Sigma/404 upgrade is a good way to go.
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Loving listening to the Sigma Pros energised by the Stax SRM-Monitor. Bill Frisell's "All We Are Saying" CD is packing a nicely done smooth wallop with superb definition to well recorded cymbals which are totally devoid of the "spray-can" sound. Mr Frisell seems to inhabit excellent musical and recording circles - wonderful sidemen and superbly recorded. "Gone, Just Like A Train", "Good Dog, Happy Man" and "East/West Live" are fantastic jumping off points, as are the two Ginger Baker Trio recordings.
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That's excessive but expected.
I'm sure I just saw a vision of a brand new Float Electrostatic in Birgir's future!
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The Lambda wool is still available from Stax USA - I got some for a set of Lambda Pros at the beginning of the year - the Lambda Pros were too damaged when they arrived to salvage the drivers (the rest of the parts were good however).
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Now I remember, Birgir - you mentioned the transformer solution in the past. Sorry, old brain!
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But they are a heavily inductive load, and that definitely pisses off some power amps.
Interesting - is that why the SRD-7 Spritzer (and pre-Spritzer) hums with an Audio Research amp amd not with a Studer amp?
The Headcase Stax thread
in Headphones
Posted
I was lucky enough to snap up a mint Stax SRM-Monitor which has the Stax ED-1 and SRM1 mk2 together in one large and handsome chassis many years ago. Very very rare.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ctdZf5NQOmE/U3cQCfPMr3I/AAAAAAAAKLg/S1H0uBl85ks/s1600/Monitor.jpg