The Headcase Stax thread

[spritzer]

The issue with any Omega is that they are not that well built so you never know what you are going to get.  Some are just fine while others have issues, you can see that with the discussion about different serial ranges sounding different.  Now I've owned 30+ units over the years and when they work as they should... they all sound the same.  If the "grounding resistors" have broken down internally, internal frame issues, micro cracks in the stator supports and other issues... they will sound different but that's because they are slowly failing and need to be fixed.  It's similar to tube rolling while not actually using tubes with similar specs... true shock that they sound different.  

Those are some nice Omega clones.  Where are those from?  

[Omega_ELS]

On 8/24/2025 at 12:46 AM, spritzer said:

Those are some nice Omega clones.  Where are those from?  

I tried to buy them but without success
same story with Chinsettawong Omega or Orpheus or JF
I was looking for them for several years and everyone I talked to didn't want to sell them

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/21643-a-diy-shangri-la-headphone-for-hifi-xmen/

same story with any of these headphones
they are simply impossible to buy anywhere

 

[Michelag]

On 8/24/2025 at 6:02 PM, Omega_ELS said:

I tried to buy them but without success
same story with Chinsettawong Omega or Orpheus or JF
I was looking for them for several years and everyone I talked to didn't want to sell them

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/21643-a-diy-shangri-la-headphone-for-hifi-xmen/

same story with any of these headphones
they are simply impossible to buy anywhere

 

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

[Pars]

I know these aren't Stax, but have any of you tried Audeze CRBN2 in lieu of the 007s? Bob Katz seems quite enamored with them using one of Birgir's Carbons as the amp. Kinda expensive, but not sure what 007s are running these days either.

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/imersiv-d1-dac/

[skullguise]

I like the DAC discussed in the P-F article!  Looks like it'll be about $12K USD though......

[Pars]

41 minutes ago, skullguise said:

I like the DAC discussed in the P-F article!  Looks like it'll be about $12K USD though......

Nelson Pass apparently mentioned it at Burning Amp last weekend. I wasn't there so don't know what he said about it, but the insinuation was that he was favorably impressed by it.

[spritzer]

I like them a lot and they are technically proficient but lately I've been a bit off on ported designs as they lack involvement to me.  Not enough engagement compared to the greats but, not nearly as bad as the Hifiman Shangri-la mini where the sound just hangs there.  I've been meaning to make a proper review of them but this year as a whole has just sucked.  

[spritzer]

This has to be the week of stupid mods, cue this 727 in for full surgery and mods.  Nothing abnormal on top but below I find this:

Hmmm not quite stock that input wiring

In and output wires from the volume pot were simply cut and this new monstrosity was sliced into ends.  The plan was clearly to bypass the volume control but this is a 727... which has a switch to turn off the volume control and bypass it!!  Just flip the switch the volume control does nothing...  fucking hell...  

One more thing, can anybody make heads or tales of this monstrosity?

That's two three conductor cables, basic mic cable would do the job but why set it up like this?  Each conductor is screened and they are bridging it ever 10cm or so for moar cancellation?  Ground for your ground... for your ground?  

Also, I'm not truly prepared for the 727 to be almost 20 years old at this point.  The caps in this one had a date code from early 2007.