[Solude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok How do you know it's not a good value if you've never heard it?

And how do you know it is if you haven't owned the KGSS? Simple facts, Kevin helped Mikhail with the ES-1 design and to me it looks like an all tube KGBH. But I never said the ES-1 wasn't a great amp, its just not a good value.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok The Stax OII is $1500. The HD650 is $300. Why don't you take the HD650 instead then?

Are you saying that the Senn 650 sounds like the Stax O2? Is there a way to get that O2 sound without spending O2 dollars? I also don't remember saying the O2 was a good value. It is however the only headphone I've heard at or above the Senn 650 price that's actually better.

 

[Konig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solude And how do you know it is if you haven't owned the KGSS? Simple facts, Kevin helped Mikhail with the ES-1 design and to me it looks like an all tube KGBH. But I never said the ES-1 wasn't a great amp, its just not a good value. Are you saying that the Senn 650 sounds like the Stax O2? Is there a way to get that O2 sound without spending O2 dollars? I also don't remember saying the O2 was a good value. It is however the only headphone I've heard at or above the Senn 650 price that's actually better.

The O2 box is very useful. In some situations it looked like it can deflect bullets or be used as a weapon at critical times.

 

[mikeg]

I owned the ESP/950, and drove it with a McAlister amp, and with it's Koss Energizer, and I powered the Energizer with the battery pack, and with a high quality variable power supply. This Koss headphone sounded best when driven by the McAlister amp. It performed almost as well when its energizer was powered by the battery pack, and by the variable power supply. It performed least well when powered by the wall wart that was included by Koss. I also briefly compared the ESP/950 to a Stax O2, when driving both with my McAlister amp, and I found that the O2's performance was substantially superior to that of the ESP/950. So, while I feel that the ESP/950 is a good headphone that can perform about as well as an HD600, it's peformance doesn't equal that of a Stax O2.

As for what an inexperience headphone user should begin with, I suggest beginning with dynamic headphones, rather than an electrostatic headphones. Use of dynamic headphones provides a greater opportunity to develop and understand an appreciation of music listening enjoyment using headphones. IMO, progress to the use of really high-end headphones should be done incrementally, because it adapts ones hearing to this special mode of listening, and it also establishes ones realistic expectations. Perhaps purchase of two headphones, such as an HD650 and a DT880, and a good single-ended amp., would be preferable to starting with a Stax O2. Good dynamic headphones can readily be bought used, and then sold again, with little financial loss. I suggest listening to a variety of dynamic headphones for about a year, before seriously considering buying expensive electrostatic headphones.

 

[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeg As for what an inexperience headphone user should begin with, I suggest beginning with dynamic headphones, rather than an electrostatic headphones. Use of dynamic headphones provides a greater opportunity to develop and understand an appreciation of music listening enjoyment using headphones. IMO, progress to the use of really high-end headphones should be done incrementally, because it adapts ones hearing to this special mode of listening, and it also establishes ones realistic expectations. Perhaps purchase of two headphones, such as an HD650 and a DT880, and a good single-ended amp., would be preferable to starting with a Stax O2. Good dynamic headphones can readily be bought used, and then sold again, with little financial loss. I suggest listening to a variety of dynamic headphones for about a year, before seriously considering buying expensive electrostatic headphones.

Aside from the specific headphone recommendations, I'd have to agree. Go dynamics first and see if you like high-end headphones at all first. Buy them used in good condition, and resell them in the same condition if you don't like them, or want to upgrade.

 

[[AK]Zip]

If all goes well I will be able to do a small review of the Stax Omega 2 vs the ESP950's vs the HE60.

-Alex-

 

[mikeg]

Peter McAlister, who constructed and equipped my McAlister amp. to simultaneously drive an HE90, two Stax headphones, and an ESP/950, owns an Omega. Since he has great experience with both listening to headphones, and designing and constructing amplifiers, I really respect his judgement. My reason for asking Peter to equip my amp to drive an ESP/950, was my hope that this McAlister amp/ESP-950 combo would equal the performance of much more expensive electrostatic headphones, such as the Omega and an Orpheus HE90. Unfortunately, even before I received the newly constructed McAlister amp., Peter told me that the performance of the ESP/950 was inferior to that of the Omega. It turned out that he was clearly right; i.e., in my brief comparisons of the ESP/950 to the Omega, the Omega's peformance was clearly superior. I also briefly compared the HE60 to an HE90, with both driven by my McAlister amp., and by a Sennheiser HEV90 amp. The result was clear; the HE90's performance was substantially suprior to that of the HE60. Although I didn't directly compare the HE60 to the Omega and to the ESP/950, I think that the HE60's level of performance was between that of the Omega and the ESP/950.

Quote:

Originally Posted by [AK]Zip If all goes well I will be able to do a small review of the Stax Omega 2 vs the ESP950's vs the HE60. -Alex-

 

[Duggeh]

Given the price ranges involved, would it not be more fair to compare the ESP950 to the SR-303 or 404?

 

[krmathis]

Guys, please use the correct naming when you talk about the Stax phones.
"Omega" and "Omega 2" are two different headsets.

The OP talk about the "Omega", while other ones talk about the "Omega 2".
Of course it would be great to hear how you guys rank the phones (ESP950, Omega, Omega 2 and even the HE60) though.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by [AK]Zip If all goes well I will be able to do a small review of the Stax Omega 2 vs the ESP950's vs the HE60. -Alex-

Looking forward to it, Alex.

 

[mikeg]

When I referred to an Omega in my preceding posts, I meant to O2. Sorry for the confusion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis Guys, please use the correct naming when you talk about the Stax phones. "Omega" and "Omega 2" are two different headsets. The OP talk about the "Omega", while other ones talk about the "Omega 2". Of course it would be great to hear how you guys rank the phones (ESP950, Omega, Omega 2 and even the HE60) though.

 

[retro]

So, while I feel that the ESP/950 is a good headphone that can perform about as well as an HD600, it's peformance doesn't equal that of a Stax O2. Posted by miked

So you are saying that the esp-950 can NOT better the HD600 and that the HD650 is better that the esp-950 ?

 

[mikeg]

It's been a while since I've done the comparison with the 600, but I never compared the 950 with the 650. From what I can recall, I think that the 950 was about equal to the 600.

Quote:

Originally Posted by retro So, while I feel that the ESP/950 is a good headphone that can perform about as well as an HD600, it's peformance doesn't equal that of a Stax O2. Posted by miked So you are saying that the esp-950 can NOT better the HD600 and that the HD650 is better that the esp-950 ?

 

[BrianS]

i tried the koss at the national meet, and the left to right separation absolutely disgusted me. was it a problem with the amp/source or is that how it is? it was like each speaker was separate unlike he90, o2, hd650 which is more like a combined performance with sound coming from the sides and inbetween.

 

[mikeg]

I've listened to the 950 alot, and never heard that. Could perhaps have been the CD that you were listening to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianS i tried the koss at the national meet, and the left to right separation absolutely disgusted me. was it a problem with the amp/source or is that how it is? it was like each speaker was separate unlike he90, o2, hd650 which is more like a combined performance with sound coming from the sides and inbetween.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianS i tried the koss at the national meet, and the left to right separation absolutely disgusted me. was it a problem with the amp/source or is that how it is? it was like each speaker was separate unlike he90, o2, hd650 which is more like a combined performance with sound coming from the sides and inbetween.

I think it was a source problem or possible amplifier issue. I have never heard such a thing nor do I recall any reports of this type of issue.