ES2a discussions \ reviews \ reasoning \ impressions

[Chefguru]

As a long time stat and stax lover, Idk how to even respond to that post so I'm just gonna stay out of it lol



+1. The recession in the midrange is the only issue I've found and although that typically is a non-starter for me, I can listen to the Es-2a for hours with joy. Overall it has a really nice presentation and is very easy to fall into.

Yeah - I think as you said a while back, this is a headphone that's "easy to figure out".
If Es-lab suddenly stopped making these I'd imagine the resale would spike hahaha

 

[TheAbyss2022]

Yeah - I think as you said a while back, this is a headphone that's "easy to figure out".
If Es-lab suddenly stopped making these I'd imagine the resale would spike hahaha

Someone recently got their pair and said the serial is 80, so if this headphone somehow stopped production now, it would probably double/triple in value lol.

Would I sell it? Only for a 3a!

 

[HappyMachine]

You will forgive the old fart a very, very unpopular opinion/observation.
..but i have to say this, if only for the sake of fairness and overall balance..

I've been in this business for decades. Worked and designed for brands the names you all know of in the US, continued at home later on.

I have yet, on my word, no exaggeration, to see anything more depressing than the electrostatic threads -plural- in this forum.

- The guy who in another forum said his dealer gave him a Linn turntable to re-review his electrostat (and if you don't even know, "expert" that you are, how this is the worst thing you can do, pair an estat with a turntable, or why.. how in the living &^*% are you a self-proclaimed expert, one does wonder. Rhetorical)
- The guy with 009, 009s, 9000, whatever and ES-2a listening and "reviewing" them on a 727 for the love of God and Jesus almighty.
- The guy who listened to his Omega and high-end CD transport/DAC through an entry level stock STAX amp. Was kind enough to ellucidate for us as well. Yes, i remember you too, a couple of years elapsed notwithstanding.
- Another certain regular here that complains, complains!!! That the ES2A needed more forward mids/upper mids.. the first ever e-stat, STAX or non STAX, in almost two effin decades without forward mids/upper mids, ie you can actually listen to classical with it, finally, and the world rejoiced, and what do we get? Another expert's opinion. It needed forward mids. I mean, just ask him.
- The multitudes of "TOTL" (i hate that term, instantly i know this is a person that listens with their pocket or popular opinions [ie they don't or can't [[bad ears]] actually listen]) owners that use the same two amps everywhere. Even though they've been told that both were designed for one -as in singular- very dark, very inefficient specific headphone; and are somehow incapable of deducing, reason alone, that the amp made to balance out a dark, low heavy headphone, just maybe, maybe, isn't the amp to drive all others? I mean.. duh?

I could go on and on, but honestly, it's.. well.. all the above, but surprising too. You'd expect the most discerning listeners to populate such threads, but you get the very opposite. Truly the very opposite.
Can honestly not grasp this, but it definitely is disappointing.

For the most of you, you might want to take a step back and re-consider for a bit. Starting with what and whom for e-stats have to offer.

And i wish i could go on the technical side of things, but this isn't the forum for that. Nor is the other place, the same pure, utter, financial incentives on both. I wouldn't last a day.

Is this off topic? I say no. Maybe someone reading this can now filter through "reviews" a bit better.

I am very glad the ES-2a came out. I sincerely hope it sells well; looks like it does. I have yet to see, exceptions aside, the folks it was made for come and write a proper impression. Just.. the "regulars" (TOTL, turntable, 727, i listen to psy trance on a 7,5K e-stat, etc. etc. Looney tunes material, albeit at all flavours. Very psychedelic, if nothing else).
Again, barring the odd exception.
Sorry to be so blunt. But someone had to say this. Rest assured, i am far, very far, from the only one thinking all this. This is fact, discussions in private made, here, elsewhere.

And having now some proper context? Many, many thanks to bwck for making this headphone. We needed it.

Wow, this is a depressing post. There's so much gatekeeping, snake-oil, and arrogance in this forum but this one-ups everything I've seen.

Anyways @LostHisMarbles, I have some $20,000 gold-plated power cables to sell you. You can't call yourself an audiophile without these

 

[aokman]

Oh yes! Time to start bedding them in

 

[RogueCrusher]

Wow, this is a depressing post. There's so much gatekeeping, snake-oil, and arrogance in this forum but this one-ups everything I've seen.

Anyways @LostHisMarbles, I have some $20,000 gold-plated power cables to sell you. You can't call yourself an audiophile without these

Oh, yes, sorry guys. Please disregard any of my previous posts on the ES-2a (opinions, review, comparisons) for I am but a plebeian who doesn’t belong in the same audiophile circles of the patrician class.

Not sure if I’m misinterpreting @LostHisMarbles post?

 

[HappyMachine]

Oh, yes, sorry guys. Please disregard any of my previous posts on the ES-2a (opinions, review, comparisons) for I am but a plebeian who doesn’t belong in the same audiophile circles of the patrician class.

Not sure if I’m misinterpreting @LostHisMarbles post?

I had to check his profile to make sure it wasn't satire

 

[alota]

Too much steroids on the headphones. Keep calm and listen electrostatic

 

[aokman]

Wow, this is a depressing post. There's so much gatekeeping, snake-oil, and arrogance in this forum but this one-ups everything I've seen.

Anyways @LostHisMarbles, I have some $20,000 gold-plated power cables to sell you. You can't call yourself an audiophile without these

You ain't see nothing if you think here is bad lol… Too much rabid elitism on STAX stuff which is what scares off so many new buyers and keeps the segment so small and limited… I had had to convince many people and hold their hands to bring them into estats on the cheaper side…

Get a pair and just enjoy them, one doesn’t need to be better than the other, just different flavours

 

[number1sixerfan]

You ain't see nothing if you think here is bad lol… Too much rabid elitism on STAX stuff which is what scares off so many new buyers and keeps the segment so small and limited… I had had to convince many people and hold their hands to bring them into estats on the cheaper side…

Get a pair and just enjoy them, one doesn’t need to be better than the other, just different flavours

I think more than elitism it's just that Stax has completely dominated the market. So anything else that hits the market essentially will be compared to Stax and judged in reference to them. I do think you have a point though in terms of how the focus is nearly always on the very TOTL and most expensive flagship products. That's kind of a bad habit of mine (but mainly because I'm on the tail end of my hobby career). But in general for a lot of ppl and especially in summit-fi we tend to focus on the most expensive products. Thankfully the broader Stax thread includes a lot of commentary on vintage/non-premium priced stats.

But there are a lot of affordable estats that sound really good and many that are powered pretty easily. I know I was pretty surprised at just how good the L300 was when I got it as a backup test stat (obviously it has its own limitations at its price point, but does many things right. I also think ES-Labs is a godsend as you can get very high level performance at a fraction of the cost, certainly wish them continued success across the board.

 

[Chefguru]

I think more than elitism it's just that Stax has completely dominated the market. So anything else that hits the market essentially will be compared to Stax and judged in reference to them. I do think you have a point though in terms of how the focus is nearly always on the very TOTL and most expensive flagship products. That's kind of a bad habit of mine (but mainly because I'm on the tail end of my hobby career). But in general for a lot of ppl and especially in summit-fi we tend to focus on the most expensive products. Thankfully the broader Stax thread includes a lot of commentary on vintage/non-premium priced stats.

But there are a lot of affordable estats that sound really good and many that are powered pretty easily. I know I was pretty surprised at just how good the L300 was when I got it as a backup test stat (obviously it has its own limitations at its price point, but does many things right. I also think ES-Labs is a godsend as you can get very high level performance at a fraction of the cost, certainly wish them continued success across the board.

You think so? I can only think of Dan Clark that doesn't get good reviews, probably because they're not that good.

Hifiman - I don't like them but they have plenty of fans.
Audeze - CRBN/CRBN2 is well received
Sennheiser - People love their estats universally
Es labs and other small estat companies have predominately had good reviews

 

[number1sixerfan]

You think so? I can only think of Dan Clark that doesn't get good reviews, probably because they're not that good.

Hifiman - I don't like them but they have plenty of fans.
Audeze - CRBN/CRBN2 is well received
Sennheiser - People love their estats universally
Es labs and other small estat companies have predominately had good reviews

I meant from what we most focus on and talk about on here. I think now more than ever there are a lot of viable alternatives, and many as you mention with a good deal of success. And those threads have good engagement, but in most stat related threads it still feels like Stax either dominates the convo or that's what each headphone by other manufacturers are compared to.

 

[aokman]

First quick impressions after a few hours, I will say the ES-2a definitely is harder to drive than my L700s. My Sansui 907MR is handling it no problems though with 200W/pc and the Lundahl 1630s.

Some early subjective thoughts on them, very fast and detailed, great rounded body to the overall sound. I feel the sound is less forward or in your face… just relaxed / smooth.

Comfort is fantastic, don’t feel any real clamp or weight to them. Head strap is nicely sized for me as my L700s tend to slide down, even on the lowest setting.

Will leave them idling on bias for a while and work them through some sound libraries to run them in more.

Might dig out my old SRM and see if it can drive them to decent volume also.

 

[jody2k]

First quick impressions after a few hours, I will say the ES-2a definitely is harder to drive than my L700s. My Sansui 907MR is handling it no problems though with 200W/pc and the Lundahl 1630s.

Some early subjective thoughts on them, very fast and detailed, great rounded body to the overall sound. I feel the sound is less forward or in your face… just relaxed / smooth.

Comfort is fantastic, don’t feel any real clamp or weight to them. Head strap is nicely sized for me as my L700s tend to slide down, even on the lowest setting.

Will leave them idling on bias for a while and work them through some sound libraries to run them in more.

Might dig out my old SRM and see if it can drive them to decent volume also.

Your description does remind me of the hifiman Susvara which sounded less forward and rounded sound+more relaxed/smooth.

 

[fidgeraldo]

I feel the sound is less forward or in your face… just relaxed / smooth.

That's compared to L700mk2?

Cheers!

 

[aokman]

That's compared to L700mk2?

Cheers!

Correct but like I said, just some early thoughts... I'll do more testing later and try to gain match them for volume for a proper comparison. Due to the 2a being harder to drive, it's hard to do an A/B comparison directly. Though reading some other comments, we seem to be saying similar things... Regardless, both have a home in my collection. Going to take me a while to develop any opinions on sound stage, layering etc.