[nefilim]

Can't seem to find any discussion on these, they've been out for a few weeks at least now I believe?

I've been running a pair for almost 36 hours now, trying not to be too critical but hopefully they break in like AMT tweeters are renowned for breaking in ... very dark and rolled off in the high frequencies (like night and day compared to my SRH1540s). Good midrange clarity & immediacy, nice punchy bass with good rhythm.
Definitely stupid easy to drive, much more sensitive than the Shures or Audio Technica ATH-M50.

According to the positive feedback review these needs about 150 hours of break in? Not a huge believer in break-in (especially for electronics) changing the fundamental character... I'll be amazed if these open up enough for me, really hope I'll be pleasantly surprised, pretty nice otherwise.

 

[Maelob]

wow I just read the latest review on positive feedback, thats the most over the top review Ive ever read, he is just saying they compete with 1k headphones, really? I am sure they are good but saying that they are worth 1k without comparing them to anything ,except a bogus comparison with Ultrasone, is hard to swallow. I think the review borderlines on irresponsible, hyping a product that nobody has heard. Maybe is true, but I am skeptical

 

[ostewart]

Just got a pair of these in to review, out of the box they are a bit dark and full but I'll let them burn in.

 

[nefilim]

Curious to hear what you find. Mine did not change much in terms of character, still dark. Yet I still keep listening to it, definitely some appeal to it. Very different experience than listening to my Shure SRH1540 through Sonarworks, I keep switching back and forth.

 

[ostewart]

Curious to hear what you find. Mine did not change much in terms of character, still dark. Yet I still keep listening to it, definitely some appeal to it. Very different experience than listening to my Shure SRH1540 through Sonarworks, I keep switching back and forth.

Yes it'll be interesting once I've had some time with them. And I don't think that other review is very honest either...

 

[ostewart]

Here is the back of the driver plate.

It is mainly the earpads holding the sound back, stick on some velour ones (Dekoni Elite Velour work best) (sony 7506 size) and they open up a lot.

 

[nefilim]

Oh interesting, thanks for the tip! Ordered some pads!

 

[Mojo Warrior]

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ess-252-ess-422h-headphones/


Well, I don't usually post a review but I feel compelled to respond to the wildly, over-the-top review posted in PF that is referenced above.

I have been a fan of the ESS Heil AMT driver since the 1970s. I have happily lived with the AMT-1 Towers for several decades. There have been rumors of AMT headphones for years. When the 422H review appeared in PF I was eager to try them out.

Out of the box they sound bass heavy (dark, if you prefer). I am not a big believer in burn in but I gave them about 75 hours of burn-in to give them the benefit of doubt. The PF reviewer specifically stated that they need 150 hours of burn in. I will continue the burn in and re-post in 2-3 weeks.

My first impression was the phones were defective or the Heil AMT drivers were not functioning. I listen mostly to rock and folk music, so bass frequencies are important, but here they are overblown. I think ESS missed the boat here. These cans, as configured, probably would have made an outstanding open back headphone. But make no mistake, these are closed cans and therefore the soundstage doesn't come close to open back cans at this time. The bass boost is probably at least 6-8 dB and thickens the vocals. This gives the vocals more heft at the expense of detail and texture.

The upside to this is that when listening at low levels the effect is like having a loudness button/switch on your 1970s silver faced receiver. This can be a welcome deviation if your electronics lack the ability to boost bass frequencies and most of your listening is at low volume. However, when I increased the SPLs the bass rapidly overwhems the sound. Personally, I found that induced aural fatigue. If you listen exclusively to classical music, this may not be an issue.

These are very efficient headphones and play much louder than my other headphones. So, this is a plus when they are driven by cellphones, laptops, DAP or portable amps.

I will take issue with the PF reviewer. A clear and unequivocal statement about the sound prior to 150 hours of burn in should have been included. I have already ordered a couple of pairs of replacement earpads. So my purpose is to inform prospective purchasers that the sound of these headphones may be quite different without extensive burn in. I can only hope that more burn in will transform the sound.

Let the trolling and modding begin.

 

[nefilim]

Thanks @Mojo Warrior - keep us posted. I have to say mine did not change much with 200+ hours on them in terms of the rolled off treble. I do feel that the bass smoothed out and is no longer as pronounced.

I just replaced the earpads as suggested above, didn't change that much to me and is less comfortable for long stretches, I'll give it a bit longer.

It's a shame, I had such high hopes as I'm a huge fan of AMT drivers also.

 

[Maelob]

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ess-252-ess-422h-headphones/


Well, I don't usually post a review but I feel compelled to respond to the wildly, over-the-top review posted in PF that is referenced above.

I have been a fan of the ESS Heil AMT driver since the 1970s. I have happily lived with the AMT-1 Towers for several decades. There have been rumors of AMT headphones for years. When the 422H review appeared in PF I was eager to try them out.

Out of the box they sound bass heavy (dark, if you prefer). I am not a big believer in burn in but I gave them about 75 hours of burn-in to give them the benefit of doubt. The PF reviewer specifically stated that they need 150 hours of burn in. I will continue the burn in and re-post in 2-3 weeks.

My first impression was the phones were defective or the Heil AMT drivers were not functioning. I listen mostly to rock and folk music, so bass frequencies are important, but here they are overblown. I think ESS missed the boat here. These cans, as configured, probably would have made an outstanding open back headphone. But make no mistake, these are closed cans and therefore the soundstage doesn't come close to open back cans at this time. The bass boost is probably at least 6-8 dB and thickens the vocals. This gives the vocals more heft at the expense of detail and texture.

The upside to this is that when listening at low levels the effect is like having a loudness button/switch on your 1970s silver faced receiver. This can be a welcome deviation if your electronics lack the ability to boost bass frequencies and most of your listening is at low volume. However, when I increased the SPLs the bass rapidly overwhems the sound. Personally, I found that induced aural fatigue. If you listen exclusively to classical music, this may not be an issue.

These are very efficient headphones and play much louder than my other headphones. So, this is a plus when they are driven by cellphones, laptops, DAP or portable amps.

I will take issue with the PF reviewer. A clear and unequivocal statement about the sound prior to 150 hours of burn in should have been included. I have already ordered a couple of pairs of replacement earpads. So my purpose is to inform prospective purchasers that the sound of these headphones may be quite different without extensive burn in. I can only hope that more burn in will transform the sound.

Let the trolling and modding begin.[/QUO

Thanks for posting, totally agree, that PF review was totally over the top.

 

[ostewart]

ESS have retuned the 422H, a revised pair are on their way to me. I'll keep playing around with these though, be an interesting project.

 

[audio_dude]

ESS have retuned the 422H, a revised pair are on their way to me. I'll keep playing around with these though, be an interesting project.

That's really good to hear. I chatted with Rick a few weeks ago after I picked them up, and he suggested letting them break in for a few dozen more hours. Doing that seemed to help a little bit, but I'm still left with the bloaty bass and a bit of sibilance in the treble range.

Have to say though, even with the issues I find myself craving listening to these sometimes. There's just something about that molasses rich and dark sound that's irresistable.

 

[NU62]

That's really good to hear. I chatted with Rick a few weeks ago after I picked them up, and he suggested letting them break in for a few dozen more hours. Doing that seemed to help a little bit, but I'm still left with the bloaty bass and a bit of sibilance in the treble range.

Have to say though, even with the issues I find myself craving listening to these sometimes. There's just something about that molasses rich and dark sound that's irresistable.

 

[NU62]

They definitely need a lot of break in. I probably have 70 hours on my pair and they are just starting to change for the better. Texture, separation, tonality and detail is significantly improved vs. their out of the box sound.

 

[audio_dude]

A little update. Send another message to the ESS Facebook page inquiring about potentially getting some more info on any kind of tweaks or changes they have been testing out and whether I'd be able to try one.

Got an email back from Mel the next day mentioning that they had processed a few exchanges, and offered to send me out a second pair to audition next to my original set so I could pick the one I preferred and send the other back. Have to say, first time buying from ESS, but I'm a big fan of personal and supportive customer service like this. Especially for just a $200 purchase the dedication to making sure every customer is happy really makes my day.

Will definitely be taking them up on the offer to try the second pair. I've also picked up a handful of different pads to try on these to see how they're affected. First impressions trying a set of very thick angled pads (pleather, standard foam) are good. Will continue to report back as I experiment.