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The Headcase Stax thread


thrice

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On 5/31/2019 at 5:26 PM, spritzer said:

Now time for something super rare... a balanced SRM-1 Mk2 PP.  I didn't think any of these existed as there was the ATR version for studio use which had a stepped attenuator and balanced inputs but in almost 20 years of searching...none have turned up.  Then I came across this one last year in Japan in pretty rough shape with tape all over it.  DSC00110-2.thumb.jpg.2234586eebd80bc103414c6e4f155098.jpg

I naturally over payed as usual but then again, how often does one find something like this:

DSC00108-2.thumb.jpg.84839b4fe3bc7165c69ef698516423e1.jpg

DSC00109-2.thumb.jpg.cee84611481e3942dd24f91ffcef2dcf.jpg

So years ago I did this and nice to see Stax did the exact same mod as me.  Remove the 100R resistor to ground on the other side of the fet and put two resistors off the board in its place.  The amp also arrived with one channel dead, shorted transistors and  almost open resistors in the front end.  Now for the money shot...

DSC00112-2.thumb.jpg.e40dbe5c365750fca19605743c84eab0.jpg

This is clearly stock from Stax as all the screws match what they used at the time but one odd thing is that the markings are actually engraved into the back and not simply silk screened. 

Can the volume of the two channels be adjusted separately?

Not 100% sure but I think this is the first machine made by stax which has a 4-way VR, not even for srm-monitor which also has a balanced input

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1 hour ago, bwck2000 said:

Can the volume of the two channels be adjusted separately?

Not 100% sure but I think this is the first machine made by stax which has a 4-way VR, not even for srm-monitor which also has a balanced input

Sure looks like it - see top photo where there is a split volume control. Also second photo shows four sections to the volume control, which is what you would expect for a balanced amp.

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  • 1 month later...

Stax noob here. I have an nb Lambda and have been using a srd7. I recently purchased an srd5 to pair with the lambda because I removed the fiber glass on my lambda for fun. Anyway, when I compare the two transformers the srd5 specifically gives me a channel imbalance. Left side is high volume and right very weak volume. 

I know for a fact that it is the srd5...

Any suggestions? 

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20 hours ago, SONY ES said:

Hello everyone
From what I understand
Srm-T8000
Does not justify the investment

I have 009 + 006TS
The source is SA 11S1 MOD

NIAM DAC +TP SUPLAY+ROTEL 975 AS TR

 

SO NOT TO BAY THE STAX -T8000.

AND WAY IS SO BAD?????

 

THANK YOU

Search is your friend. I take it you are asking about the Stax T8000?

https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/13002-stax-srm-t8000/

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On 7/11/2019 at 2:39 AM, SONY ES said:

Hello everyone
From what I understand
Srm-T8000
Does not justify the investment

I have 009 + 006TS
The source is SA 11S1 MOD

NIAM DAC +TP SUPLAY+ROTEL 975 AS TR

 

SO NOT TO BAY THE STAX -T8000.

AND WAY IS SO BAD?????

 

THANK YOU

Buddy you got that much budget to consider a T8000. Why not buy a proven design instead like a Blue Hawaii SE or KGSSHV Carbon?

 

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On 7/13/2019 at 5:40 PM, spritzer said:

The price of these has shot up recently so this will probably just get worse... 

As for the T8000, just get a 727 instead. 

THANK YOU 

I  ME BE GO FOR  SRM-007TII FOR THE  SEME PRICE ?

SRM-007TII VS  SEM 727II 

HOW IS BETER FOR MY SE-009

THE XLR IMPUT ON THE  SEM- 006TS SOUND MACH  MACH  FULL  OR PWOER

SA-11 S1 XLR OUT TO 006TS

THEN THE  RCA. NOT SO FULL IN BODY

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER 

SONY ES 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-stax-thread-iii.677809/page-1198#post-15108864

Ok, it's not often we see this level of shit... but holy fuck on a stick.  So this is claimed to be an "improved Carbon" but the only improvement I can see is an added chance to burn your house down or give you a nasty shock.  Seriously, this is apex level shit and how anybody would ship something like this out...is just beyond me.  Also, gotta love "thinker" who consistently shows any possibility to do just that.... :rofl:

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IMG_2797.jpg

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ok, this scares the shit out of me. hennyo level of quality here.

Second pic, the power supply in the upper right is an ebay high voltage switcher that's $7

I know its $7 because I bought some for the up and coming stax mafia portable, and its actually a pretty decent supply but can handle only about 5 watts of output power.

You can see two more under the fan. Fan is required because those things get hot especially when you try to push them over 8 watts. And according to people at diyaudio that use them for tube preamps, the main diodes blow up at 10 watts.

No way is this a kgsshv-carbon in terms of power. Barely 10% if that. Also limited to about 400v

A pair of switchers on either side of the pot drive the HV supplies. So Switchers driving switchers. Not the most quiet of things.

And the rest of it, yikes

power supply pics here

DSC_0865.JPG

DSC_0875.JPG

Edited by kevin gilmore
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I knew this clusterfuck would have to make its way here at some point. Impressed at how fast it happened.

I'm starting to think this thinker guy is either:

1. A shill, he has shown a serious lack of restraint for praising products over the moon in the past, including Perun products. Hmmm...

2. An unrelenting fanboy who can't conceive that someone he likes would make a sub-par product, let alone garbage.

Rest assured I'll have to agree with Birgir that thinker is not much of a thinker, nor tinkerer :laugh:

Also, for those who want another gem from head-fi, some guy is selling a KSE1500 with a kingsound portable amp that he claims is substantially better (just lol). If this wasn't bad enough he has reterminated it to pro-bias plugs and the cable is a fucking braided cable in the style of typical IEMs. I lack words  for how dumb this is.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wtt-wts-d10-dac-km03-electrostatic-amp-kse1500-bundle-last-price-drop.908902/

Edited by Scgorg
Added in more stupidity
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Ok, the stax mafia has spent quite a bit of time with the kse1500

first the headphones are 200v bias. The kingsound must have been modified to lower bias voltage otherwise these headphones will eventually pop.

yes the kse1500/kse1200 is an extremely low power classAB amplifier with significant distortion. But great battery life. 

The kingsound is a chip amp driving transformers. Might actually sound better, but definitely not stax mafia approved.

A really good battery powered portable electrostatic amp is harder than you might think.

The stax d10 is another example that has issues.

Edited by kevin gilmore
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