A S.E.X. for Stax. Putting the E back in sEx :)

[tdogzthmn]

If I only had STAX and my Orcas I'd be more interested in modding my SEX to drive just those, but I don't see myself getting rid of my K240DF or K400 anytime soon.  I would be most interested in a dedicated STAX amp which would probably yield the best results.  Are there many other STAX owners on this forum?

[Paul Birkeland]

The overwhelming dynamism and freshness of its dazzlingly vivid sound enhance further the attraction of ear speaker listening pleasure.

Hey PB, where's that hyperbole circuit you drew up?

I forgot to install a power switch, and when it wouldn't shut up, I put it in the wife's trunk and forgot about it!

[johnsonad]

If I only had STAX and my Orcas I'd be more interested in modding my SEX to drive just those, but I don't see myself getting rid of my K240DF or K400 anytime soon.  I would be most interested in a dedicated STAX amp which would probably yield the best results.  Are there many other STAX owners on this forum?

If you already use your SEX amp for those listed cans, you could use it for all three (standard cans, Stax and speakers).  Dedicated Stax amps are an expensive undertaking and the so called "good" ones run several thousands of dollars.  As I've posted before, I wasn't impressed by any of the current Stax offerings.  Take a look at the Stax amp thread on Head-Fi for YEARS worth of conversation on the topic.

[adamct]

FWIW, you could build a KGSSHV or a Megatron. Those are both Kevin Gilmore designs. There was a group buy for boards that just closed, but I believe there are still a few available. Check the DIY forum at Head-Case.

Best regards,
Adam

[johnsonad]

FYI, just be forwarned about Head-Case as it can be a very direct forum. Read the must read before you post there and read a few of their threads.

[earwaxxer]

I have posted on Head-Case even though I'm not a headphone practitioner. They seemed mostly nice. I think I was chiming in on the Schiit stuff. Anyway, interesting how you find different folks out there. I think the forums that tend to have older members are a bit more casual and friendly.

[tdogzthmn]

If I only had STAX and my Orcas I'd be more interested in modding my SEX to drive just those, but I don't see myself getting rid of my K240DF or K400 anytime soon.  I would be most interested in a dedicated STAX amp which would probably yield the best results.  Are there many other STAX owners on this forum?

If you already use your SEX amp for those listed cans, you could use it for all three (standard cans, Stax and speakers).  Dedicated Stax amps are an expensive undertaking and the so called "good" ones run several thousands of dollars.  As I've posted before, I wasn't impressed by any of the current Stax offerings.  Take a look at the Stax amp thread on Head-Fi for YEARS worth of conversation on the topic.

Your SEX is able to drive all three devices?  That would certainly be ideal for me, and save some cash rather than buying an all new piece of gear.  I'm a fan of consolidation whenever possible! 

[johnsonad]

I'm only using it for the Stax and speakers and the moment but you would need only to wire the standard headphone jack in that comes with the S.E.X. kit and you could drive all three. There is very little room on the top plate so you need to be creative

[tdogzthmn]

I ended up getting a STAX SR-7 SB energizer which will connect to the speaker outputs of my SEX.  I'm hoping this combo will have enough power to properly control my SR-507 at listening levels.  I'll post some listening impressions later in the week once I get it hooked up!

[johnsonad]

It will.  I did the same thing with the SEX but with half the iron (no step down to step up).

Btw, the SEX is sounding better than ever with my speakers. I'm working on adding a second base now to adjust for the extra transformers under the hood and have been playing around with capacitors. I'll post a pick later this week once finished.

[tdogzthmn]

I have the impedance switches also installed on my SEX so I can alter the amp's output if needed or try the Balanced setting to see if it will have an impact.  Glad to hear your SRD-7 plus SEX combo was usable.  Do the modifications you made to your SEX work better than using the SRD-7 with the stock amp?  Hopefully you can snap your pics of the completed amp once you've got it in "final" form.

[johnsonad]

I never used the 7 with the SEX. I have one for use with other amps. It sounds better than it should and helps give a point of reference when comparing.

[tdogzthmn]

Good to know it works favorably with your other amps.  It would be nice if the SRD + SEX combo is able to beat my dedicated STAX amp so I can sell it off!  I hope to have the unit in by the weekend.

[johnsonad]

Let us know how it turns out!

[johnsonad]

I've been busy with the SEX.  The second wood base was finished and glued to the original base.  It's pretty tall now but doesn't look bad.  I put in two paralled 1uF KBG-MN (2uF) for the PF and I'm breaking in a pair of Mundorf S/G/O for the coupling caps.  The caps are on twisted wire extensions and attached to the lower base. 

While the SEX is burning in I swapped back to my Quad 303 for speaker use and was very impressed by the sound.  Neither amp is perfect and both offer subtle differences.  To be honest, the differences are so little that I'm wondering if I got lucky and have a SS amp that has a sound signature of a SET or if I'm at a point of diminishing returns and that my system isn't able to reflect the changes at this point.  It could also be that I'm changing for change sake and just need to relax for a while.  Both amps sound wonderful and I'm very happy with the system as a whole.