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In the Forum: Melquiades Amplifier
In the Thread: Staxquiades project
Post Subject: Source qualityPosted by N-set on: 9/26/2012
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Scooter, thank you for the warnings. I already own O2 MkI for +/-2 yrs and got to know them a bit. As I said I do not like headphones in general
but I have no other choice. I own 2 more staxes: Sigma and Lambda Pro and Omega can do things others cannot. But so far in my limited exerience this depends a lot, a BIG lot on the source. With some sources O2's are "trying" to ameliorate it's shortcommings and make it listenable (my old Sony 707 CD) with others are very brutal for some reason (EMT155).

 scooter wrote:
In all cases I felt fatigued / bored (whatever the word is) of listening after a few minutes.


I had exactly the same feelings when I tried to listen to my EMT930 with it's stock 155s amplifier. After 10mins I was switching the system off.
Change to DIY Pussyfied 834 did change the situation completely (although my 834 is more time on the workbench...). Quite a few times I got already completely lost and submerged in music.

 scooter wrote:
I don't know what to attribute the variance to; key suspect is differing quality of electricity going into the 717. Could have been the source CD players I suppose. Like you, I also thought the headphones could do a lot more, although that may be biased from reading to much stuff. 


Firs of all I've never thought that headhones can do a lot more. I'm not a headphone type of guy. But the change in the phono pre did rise my apetite.
I'd put forward the thesis that this is the source which matters in the leading order. I've never been on CanJam or any other meeting, but if you look at the pics what "level" of sources are used there, no wonder the sound is crap. Same with all that head-fi and head-case crowd. I've never seen anybody with a sophisticated source there. Not even the Stax mafia like Spritzer or KG.
So, having a +/- sophisticated source and a mediocre amp I'm wondering what is behind the curtain of poor amp. Maybe nothing....
I may try to look around and borrow a BH or Woo but I doubt that there are many of them in Spain and the owners would be willing to borrow.
But frankly I just don't get Kevin Gilmor's EE style. Maybe it all sounds good, but in the speakers amp what he uses is a well known no-go crap.
It seems that almost nobody (apart from one guy at head-case building SET's) have tried to execute a Stax descent amp....maybe not worth it?

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