[Avi]

Originally Posted by HemiSam /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 I think they'll last a long time, but it's plastic and pleather.
 
 

Sounds like a Saxon song rip-off

 

[thecatjinx]

For any US members looking to get this headphone, Amazon.ca has them for 659 Cdn which translates to roughly 528 US.  I'm not sure about the tax and duties to the US though.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

Amazon ca says they can't ship electronics internationally. Love to get this price. But it don't look good for me.

 

[HemiSam]

Best of luck with the border....
 
 

 
HS

 

[DivergeUnify]

So I think a little perspective is in order here after a few people have been disappointed with the Koss' as told in this and some of the Stax threads.....

The ESP-950s are not the greatest headphones on earth. They have some shortcomings in sound and build quality. But the point is that if you can buy them for around $600, they are pretty amazing especially when compared to other headphone systems near that price. I spent close to $700 on AKG 702s and a Schiit Lyr2 system. I have the same amount invested in my Koss system with the regulated power supply and an upgraded power cord. The Koss' killed the K702 system in the areas that are important to me. Others might prefer the K702s for different reasons.

I've never heard an HD700 or '800 system or flagship models from other companies. They are a lot more money even before you add amplification. I would expect that they do some things better than the Koss'. If I was an owner and they didn't outperform, then I'd be kinda pissed. Same with the upper end Stax systems. An SR-009 with a BHSE or something similar should obliterate the Koss because at that point your talking at least 10x the money of the Koss system.

I only mention this because the pattern I see when people aren't real happy with the Koss', is that they tend to own much more expensive gear, and it really isn't a fair comparison.

The Koss system is the most expensive pair of headphones I've ever bought. I've owned a good sampling of headphones in the $80 to $250 range, so the Koss' were a big jump up for me. It took me a while to realize that my taste in headphones is very similar to my tastes in a primary 2 ch speaker system. Slammin' bass is not a priority for me (can often be a distraction), but midrange neutrality and the ability to convey micro details are. So by this criteria the Koss' do really well for me. I could probably achieve the same thing with dynamic headphones but I'd have to spend a lot more. And I'm cheap. Could a similarly priced Stax system do the same or better? Maybe. but this is the route I chose to take, and I can eventually upgrade to a better amp if I want to with these headphones.

Nice post. I don't own them, but I have heard them I thought they outright killed the Senn HD650s! Even with them falling apart I wish I owned them at the time. I still would like to own them sometime. I think they're hard to recommend given the build quality. I think if someone offered 3d printed, higher quality parts and replaced the pads, they could compete really well in the modern HP market

 

[DivergeUnify]

For any US members looking to get this headphone, Amazon.ca has them for 659 Cdn which translates to roughly 528 US.  I'm not sure about the tax and duties to the US though.

such a nasty deal

 

[Hun7er]

Anybody from Canada can buy it and send it to me ?

 

[georgep]

It would actually be $744.67 CDN because of taxes (at least for Ontario buyers). The add shipping to wherever else it might be going...

 

[doctorjazz]

So I think a little perspective is in order here after a few people have been disappointed with the Koss' as told in this and some of the Stax threads.....

The ESP-950s are not the greatest headphones on earth. They have some shortcomings in sound and build quality. But the point is that if you can buy them for around $600, they are pretty amazing especially when compared to other headphone systems near that price. I spent close to $700 on AKG 702s and a Schiit Lyr2 system. I have the same amount invested in my Koss system with the regulated power supply and an upgraded power cord. The Koss' killed the K702 system in the areas that are important to me. Others might prefer the K702s for different reasons.

I've never heard an HD700 or '800 system or flagship models from other companies. They are a lot more money even before you add amplification. I would expect that they do some things better than the Koss'. If I was an owner and they didn't outperform, then I'd be kinda pissed. Same with the upper end Stax systems. An SR-009 with a BHSE or something similar should obliterate the Koss because at that point your talking at least 10x the money of the Koss system.

I only mention this because the pattern I see when people aren't real happy with the Koss', is that they tend to own much more expensive gear, and it really isn't a fair comparison.

The Koss system is the most expensive pair of headphones I've ever bought. I've owned a good sampling of headphones in the $80 to $250 range, so the Koss' were a big jump up for me. It took me a while to realize that my taste in headphones is very similar to my tastes in a primary 2 ch speaker system. Slammin' bass is not a priority for me (can often be a distraction), but midrange neutrality and the ability to convey micro details are. So by this criteria the Koss' do really well for me. I could probably achieve the same thing with dynamic headphones but I'd have to spend a lot more. And I'm cheap. Could a similarly priced Stax system do the same or better? Maybe. but this is the route I chose to take, and I can eventually upgrade to a better amp if I want to with these headphones.

Nice post. I don't own them, but I have heard them I thought they outright killed the Senn HD650s! Even with them falling apart I wish I owned them at the time. I still would like to own them sometime. I think they're hard to recommend given the build quality. I think if someone offered 3d printed, higher quality parts and replaced the pads, they could compete really well in the modern HP market

Agree with Crazychlie, I've done the power upgrades he mentions, brings some body to the mids and bass that is lacking with the stock set up. I added a Stax 303 amp, some more improvement along the same lines, but didn't improve it that much (from memory, house being painted and rooms redone, haven't used much in a bit), not really cost effective after the power upgrades (but, cost effectiveness goes away as you start spending more in any case). I have a few cans, not TOTL, but in that next tier down, however you score this stuff, and the Koss hole their own. Yeah, the HE-560 has more bass slam and body, as do the Shure 1650 and FAD Hope VI. But the Koss detail like nobody's business, have open, wide soundstage to who knows where, and have this way of, I'm not sure how to describe it, let go of a note, that just makes it sound "real" in a timing sort of way (as opposed to the tonality sort of way). There's some "tail" or reverb that's subtle, but drivers add it to a signal, I believe, and the Koss doesn't (at least, much less so), which gives it's own "snap" to music when called for. I'm not quite getting the description right, but it gives it a sort of "rightness" in that dimension that is addicting (the HE-560 has its own version of "rightness", of course). As for the plastic, sure, I got the same disappointing feeling when I took them out of the box that most probably do, "$1000 list price for THIS?!" But, the plastic does make them really light and comfortable, as others have noted, and I find them more comfortable for a long time than, say, the Hifiman HE-560 or the others mentioned above. I pain in th mid $600 range before I started with all the other upgrade stuff I mentioned, less than $600, if you can get it, is a great deal for these imo. Of course, depending on your sonic preferences, you may hate these, but I really enjoy them.

 

[Kokomo O]

You know, I read all these complaints about the plastic and wonder what the big deal is. It makes them light. Are they less durable than if the equivalent parts were metal of some sort? Probably. But then if you used metal, they'd be heavier, unless you used some exotic titanium alloy. But I've had mine since 1992, and they survived two kids, one of whom has used them lots over the years, and are just fine. That's plenty durability for me.

 

[doctorjazz]

I'd advise against using them as a Frisbee...

 

[DivergeUnify]

You know, I read all these complaints about the plastic and wonder what the big deal is. It makes them light. Are they less durable than if the equivalent parts were metal of some sort? Probably. But then if you used metal, they'd be heavier, unless you used some exotic titanium alloy. But I've had mine since 1992, and they survived two kids, one of whom has used them lots over the years, and are just fine. That's plenty durability for me.

well I think modern plastics could be light and more durable

 

[ericj]

well I think modern plastics could be light and more durable

 
Yes. There are some pretty awesome fiber-filled polymers available these days. I hear that VW has started shipping engines with plastic oil pans. And that they are likely more durable than the AlSi-11 alloy pans they had previously been shipping. 
 
Most of AKG's TOTL headphones over the last 20 years have been made from glass-filled polymers, iirc. Pretty durable. 

 

[WCDchee]

Been using the koss for a while now and damn are they amazing! As with the stax 007 and 009 ive tried, the air, speed., resolution and transparency is amazing. On first listen i was not too greatly impressed due to the roll off but after some slight eqing to fix the roll off on both ends, it started to sound like that 009 that i loved

However, i do note that when the bass goes very very deep and strong, there is some slight rattling. May i know if anyone has experienced that? Thankfully for me most of my music doesn't have that sort of bass quantity so it barely affects me

 

[HemiSam]

KGST mo' betta than the stock unit....
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
....a lot.  A big shout out to headinclouds.
 
 

 
HS