The boards are indeed sold out but you can get KGSS boards from Headamp.com and Dr. Gilmore and I are working on a couple of new designs for the DIY community.
Looks like you have Koss earpads on there so why not give them a call and order a ESP950 extension cable. It's not as nice as the PC-OCC stuff Stax uses but it is a 6-core ribbon. Dirt cheap too.
Thanks for the tip on the ESP950 cable, Spritzer. I think I will order 2 or 3 for future headphones.
I've cut a new version of stators and spacers today. They are rather small compared to my old ones. Let's see how they will sound.
This is much smaller! Is the geometry based on the Omega? Please let us know how they sound. I suspect you already have them connected...
Hi Wachara,
I'm loving the headphones
I've been listening to them everyday and try to turn them on about an hour before I plan on using them so they are ready to go. I'd like to make a nice tube phono preamplifier so I can hook up an all tube analog front end to this little amp. I think that might be nirvana.
Are your new stators totally round? It looks like they might be from the photos. These should be fairly easy to make housings for.
Matt
I'm loving the headphones
I've been listening to them everyday and try to turn them on about an hour before I plan on using them so they are ready to go. I'd like to make a nice tube phono preamplifier so I can hook up an all tube analog front end to this little amp. I think that might be nirvana.Are your new stators totally round? It looks like they might be from the photos. These should be fairly easy to make housings for.
Matt
Hi Matt,
Yes, the stators are round. I've made a drawing of the enclosure, but just didn't finish the cutting yesterday. My CNC machine is located outside of my house, as it makes too much dust and noise. And my wife always complains whenever I run the machine.
At night here, there are too many mosquitoes - it's just impossible for me to work.
I've been looking at a few alternatives for the headphone cable. I've found a LAN cable to be a good candidate. I might just try it.
Wachara C.
Yes, the stators are round. I've made a drawing of the enclosure, but just didn't finish the cutting yesterday. My CNC machine is located outside of my house, as it makes too much dust and noise. And my wife always complains whenever I run the machine.
At night here, there are too many mosquitoes - it's just impossible for me to work.I've been looking at a few alternatives for the headphone cable. I've found a LAN cable to be a good candidate. I might just try it.
Wachara C.
Hi Matt,
No, the enclosures aren't completely sealed. There are openings at the back. The back stators are damped with a piece of sponge. This sponge is the original part that comes with the enclosures.
For hearing impression, I can only say that they sound pretty good. The bass isn't as much as the ones we made earlier. Mids and trebles are about the same.
I don't like the ear pads on them. They press on my ears, and my ears become warm quickly. They just aren't as comfortable as my previous ones.
Oh, I found that using a static control solution for coating on the diaphragm is actually better than the coating formula we have been using. I got a free sample from Staticide. It's called Staticide 6300. I use a very, very little drop of this solution for coating the diaphragm. The best improvement from our coating formula is that it always charges up the diaphragm instantly. Therefore, there is no need to turn on the amplifier half an hour before listening.
How do you like your headphones so far?
Wachara C.
No, the enclosures aren't completely sealed. There are openings at the back. The back stators are damped with a piece of sponge. This sponge is the original part that comes with the enclosures.
For hearing impression, I can only say that they sound pretty good. The bass isn't as much as the ones we made earlier. Mids and trebles are about the same.
I don't like the ear pads on them. They press on my ears, and my ears become warm quickly. They just aren't as comfortable as my previous ones.
Oh, I found that using a static control solution for coating on the diaphragm is actually better than the coating formula we have been using. I got a free sample from Staticide. It's called Staticide 6300. I use a very, very little drop of this solution for coating the diaphragm. The best improvement from our coating formula is that it always charges up the diaphragm instantly. Therefore, there is no need to turn on the amplifier half an hour before listening.
How do you like your headphones so far?
Wachara C.
Hey Wachara,
I have ordered a sample of the Staticide 6300 you mentioned and would like to try it with a new diaphragm thickness.
I am currently using the super thin mylar you recommended to me from Indoor Specialties. It seems I remember you had moved to a slightly thicker mylar and I can't remember what it was.
I love the headphones but would like to work a couple of things out on them. Actually I'm not sure if it is the energizer or the stators but if I turn it up too loud it starts to distort heavily. I don't know if this is the energizer running out of power or the diaphragms/coating are not optimized. I also have a slight bit of buzz from my amp that I would like to sort out. Having said that they are one of the best sounding headphone setups I have had.
I have ordered a sample of the Staticide 6300 you mentioned and would like to try it with a new diaphragm thickness.
I am currently using the super thin mylar you recommended to me from Indoor Specialties. It seems I remember you had moved to a slightly thicker mylar and I can't remember what it was.
I love the headphones but would like to work a couple of things out on them. Actually I'm not sure if it is the energizer or the stators but if I turn it up too loud it starts to distort heavily. I don't know if this is the energizer running out of power or the diaphragms/coating are not optimized. I also have a slight bit of buzz from my amp that I would like to sort out. Having said that they are one of the best sounding headphone setups I have had.
Hi Matt,
I think that the amp needs a pre amp. I too find that if I turn it up too loud, I get a lot of distortion. However, that's hardly the case, because I never listen to them that loud anyway. Another thing you can try is that you can try to increase your bias voltage a bit more. That way the headphones will be more efficient and you can play a lot louder. I've tried them up to 1.2KV with no problem. Try it, if you dare.
Wachara C.
I think that the amp needs a pre amp. I too find that if I turn it up too loud, I get a lot of distortion. However, that's hardly the case, because I never listen to them that loud anyway. Another thing you can try is that you can try to increase your bias voltage a bit more. That way the headphones will be more efficient and you can play a lot louder. I've tried them up to 1.2KV with no problem. Try it, if you dare.
Wachara C.
1.2kv is little scary on my head
I don't listen loudly either. I'm just thinking if it distorts that quickly that perhaps there is some low level distortion happening at the volumes I do listen at that could be potentially eliminated.
I'm going to try the 3 micron film with the staticide this time around and see how that sounds. I think while I have them open I will install a new cable and do some cosmetic work to the housings. Of course I will post my work
I don't listen loudly either. I'm just thinking if it distorts that quickly that perhaps there is some low level distortion happening at the volumes I do listen at that could be potentially eliminated.
I'm going to try the 3 micron film with the staticide this time around and see how that sounds. I think while I have them open I will install a new cable and do some cosmetic work to the housings. Of course I will post my work
Hi Matt,
If you are scary about 1.2KV, then maybe you can try 900V for a start.
Frankly, 3 microns and 0.9 micron films don't sound that much different. But it's nice to try.
Yes, please show your work. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Wachara C.
P.S. Can you try the amp with a pre amp? I'm sure that it will sound better at higher volume.
If you are scary about 1.2KV, then maybe you can try 900V for a start.
Frankly, 3 microns and 0.9 micron films don't sound that much different. But it's nice to try.
Yes, please show your work. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Wachara C.
P.S. Can you try the amp with a pre amp? I'm sure that it will sound better at higher volume.
I've made some improvements on my headphones. I have to because I've just found out that the sound from Stax 407 that I bought recently is so much louder than mine. It's like 100% louder. So, I cut new spacers which are now 30% less in thickness than the old ones. At the same time, I cut new stators which have more open area.
After the parts are cut, I sanded and spray painted them.
This is how the back side look like now.
After the modification, the sound level is still 15-20% less than Stax. However, that much difference doesn't bother me any more as I can compensate it by turning up a bit more on volume.
I did some AB listening tests. The treble on Stax seems to be better than mine, but I don't like it. It seems colored. Mids and lows are not so much different, though. These impressions are solely my own and don't represent anything.
Wachara C.
After the parts are cut, I sanded and spray painted them.
This is how the back side look like now.
After the modification, the sound level is still 15-20% less than Stax. However, that much difference doesn't bother me any more as I can compensate it by turning up a bit more on volume.
I did some AB listening tests. The treble on Stax seems to be better than mine, but I don't like it. It seems colored. Mids and lows are not so much different, though. These impressions are solely my own and don't represent anything.
Wachara C.
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