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The Koss ESP950 thread (ESP owners, please contribute! :) - Page 9

post #121 of 346
10/27/07 at 6:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
There are some variations with the basic toroid principle but its pretty similar all but they aren't used much in this role. The main issue is the capacitance of the transformers as that will have a huge effect on the sound.
You mean inductance, don't you?
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post #122 of 346
10/27/07 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwkarth View Post
You mean inductance, don't you?
Nope but inductance is a factor as well. There is always some capacitance in transformers and the phones are very vulnerable to that or rather the amps.

Btw. With this being the ESP thread, has anybody got any pics or specs on the transformer box that was included with the ESP950 when it was first released?
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post #123 of 346
10/27/07 at 7:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
Nope but inductance is a factor as well. There is always some capacitance in transformers and the phones are very vulnerable to that or rather the amps.

Btw. With this being the ESP thread, has anybody got any pics or specs on the transformer box that was included with the ESP950 when it was first released?
So the ESP/950 used to come with a transformer box instead of the amplifier it comes with now?
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post #124 of 346
10/27/07 at 8:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
The main issue is the capacitance of the transformers
capacitance between primary and secondary windings? or.....
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post #125 of 346
10/27/07 at 9:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwkarth View Post
So the ESP/950 used to come with a transformer box instead of the amplifier it comes with now?
That's what I can gather from the old material I have on hand. I've never seen it though or know what it was called but it did exist.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioCats View Post
capacitance between primary and secondary windings? or.....
Also stray capacitance and the one caused by any shields used to isolate the windings. Making transformers is such a black art...
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post #126 of 346
10/28/07 at 12:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
Nope but inductance is a factor as well. There is always some capacitance in transformers and the phones are very vulnerable to that or rather the amps.

Btw. With this being the ESP thread, has anybody got any pics or specs on the transformer box that was included with the ESP950 when it was first released?
The only thing you could possibly be referring to would be secondary capacitance. (the output windings) But I can't imagine that would be a significant factor compared to the inductive value.
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post #127 of 346
10/28/07 at 2:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioCats View Post
Well I have been asking questions about SI T-amps lately, on the amp forum...

So here comes a question for somebody (edstrelow ?) with a converted ESP950, a E90 and a pro-bias SRD-7:
How do the E90 compare with a SRD-7 pro driven by a good speaker amp? While the E90 is not as good as a SRM-3, is it better than a Stax transformer?
I don't currently have a Stax transformer. I can say that my portable Stax SRDP lacks power to run the Koss 950 well. EDIT* a longer warm-up allowed it to run more or less ok.

Someone should report on the 950 driven by a transformer. My impression, based mostly on the Koss E9 is that transformer systems lack air and detail but can give good dynamics if driven by the right power amp.

Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
The SRM-3 is a horrible amp so the E90 must be awful but the transformers could be better. :
I am not sure why you say this. I don't find the SRM-3's to be horrible or bad. They're not as good as my 717 but better than my SRDP - good for a mid price Stax amp. I believe you are tube guy however. Oddly, I rarely see one for sale so I suspect many people keep them. I have 2 SRM-3's and am not inclined to sell one.

As regards the E-9, I was favorably surprised when I finally got one which hadn't been messed up. I think that if you can get a complete, working ESP9 for about $100.00 that would be a good deal. Many of them are screwed up by the deteriorating foam and need serous cleaning. Just to have an electrostatic with acoustic isolation makes these worth having. However, you will get more thrills from a well set-up Stax system.
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post #128 of 346
10/28/07 at 7:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwkarth View Post
The only thing you could possibly be referring to would be secondary capacitance. (the output windings) But I can't imagine that would be a significant factor compared to the inductive value.
It's the capacitance that is the killer when driving electrostatics. The 300pF value of the Floats is why no amp can drive them properly. Normal audio transformers don't have a lot of electrostatic shields but some power trafos do and that will cause extra capacitance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by edstrelow View Post
I am not sure why you say this. I don't find the SRM-3's to be horrible or bad. They're not as good as my 717 but better than my SRDP - good for a mid price Stax amp. I believe you are tube guy however. Oddly, I rarely see one for sale so I suspect many people keep them. I have 2 SRM-3's and am not inclined to sell one.
I bought one for a friend a few years ago used and I was shocked at just how inferior it was compared to the 313. It's pretty similar to the SRM-Xh in that regard. I'm a tube guy but I do listen to SS every day but my friend was happy with it so I didn't say anything.
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post #129 of 346
10/30/07 at 11:25pm
Thread Starter 
There is a 10 system (phones and trans box) on ebay right now, just in case anybody might be interested.
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post #130 of 346
10/31/07 at 12:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by edstrelow
I am not sure why you say this. I don't find the SRM-3's to be horrible or bad. They're not as good as my 717 but better than my SRDP - good for a mid price Stax amp. I believe you are tube guy however. Oddly, I rarely see one for sale so I suspect many people keep them. I have 2 SRM-3's and am not inclined to sell one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spritzer View Post
I bought one for a friend a few years ago used and I was shocked at just how inferior it was compared to the 313. It's pretty similar to the SRM-Xh in that regard. I'm a tube guy but I do listen to SS every day but my friend was happy with it so I didn't say anything.
How do these amps compare to Stax SRM1 Mk2? Will any of them be an upgarde? I know that 717 is better, but what about 3 and 313? Do you think Stax SRM1 Mk2 drive ESP-950 properly?
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post #131 of 346
10/31/07 at 5:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Faust2D View Post
How do these amps compare to Stax SRM1 Mk2? Will any of them be an upgarde? I know that 717 is better, but what about 3 and 313? Do you think Stax SRM1 Mk2 drive ESP-950 properly?
I like the SRM-1 Mk2 more but it was also much more expensive back in the day then either of the "3" amps. It will drive the ESP950 really well as all other Stax amps will.
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post #132 of 346
11/5/07 at 12:42am
Thread Starter 
what is wrong with ebay nowadays, the ESP9 system routinly sells for around $100 and that mighty ESP10 sytem only went $75??

I wish I had bidded, I can at least use the tranformer box.......
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post #133 of 346
11/5/07 at 3:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioCats View Post
what is wrong with ebay nowadays, the ESP9 system routinly sells for around $100 and that mighty ESP10 sytem only went $75??

I wish I had bidded, I can at least use the tranformer box.......
A good working ESP 9 for $100.00 is a good deal. However many of them need a least a significant cleanup of the circuit boards in the phones and won't work well until that is done.

So what does the ESP 10 sound like compared to the 9 or various Staxen?
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post #134 of 346
11/5/07 at 4:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
So what does the ESP 10 sound like compared to the 9 or various Staxen?
I don't know, I only have the phone, no transformer box, and I haven't have a chance to recable it to fit my 950 transformer yet...

I think birgir had a brief review about the 10 in one of the Stax thread....
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post #135 of 346
11/5/07 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by edstrelow View Post
So what does the ESP 10 sound like compared to the 9 or various Staxen?
It's pretty dark and they have a strange resonance here and there but are on the whole ok. I would take a SR-5 over them but they are well worth the 75$.
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