[obobskivich]

I believe APS sold these but I'd urge people to stay away from them.  Never heard about any issues but the list of troubled transactions is quite long.  ALO and electrostatics, now that is a frightening thought....

It was/is APS:
http://apuresound.com/ehrc.html (thank DuckDuckGo for finding that out!).

I know nothing about either manufacturer, I just remember the pre-made adapters being mentioned a while back, and that it was one of the A acronym companies.

 

[Mad Dude]

Got my ESP-950 today.
 

 
Amazing.
Need to go back to listening now.

 

[obobskivich]

Glad to hear you like them!

 

[Mad Dude]

I'm so amazed because these sound EXACTLY like the Sennheiser HD600 where the frequency response is considered (and that's exactly how a headphone is supposed to sound, in my opinion). Combined with a better soundstage, slightly better resolution and a grain-free sound, the result is heavenly. To my ears, anyway.
 
I don't know how many times I've read that headphone so-and-so, when paired with such-and-such amp, sounds "like the HD600, but with better extension, more resolution, better soundstage and...". So far, I never found something that actually lived up to this promise, hence the reason why I always went back to the HD600. Perhaps I've finally found what I've been looking for all the time... And now I'm wondering why I've spent a lot of time and a ****load of money on fancy headphones and silly tube amps while I could have bought a headphone that's been around for what, decades? And for a fraction of the price...
Of course there's the possibility that with prolonged listening I'm going to notice some shortcomings, but I've aquired sufficient experience in this hobby to tell relatively quickly what sounds good to me and what does not. And the ESP-950 definetly belongs to the former category. I don't know if it IS good, but it sounds good to my ears

 

[obobskivich]

I'm so amazed because these sound EXACTLY like the Sennheiser HD600 where the frequency response is considered (and that's exactly how a headphone is supposed to sound, in my opinion). Combined with a better soundstage, slightly better resolution and a grain-free sound, the result is heavenly. To my ears, anyway.

Yeah, you're doing it right.

Perhaps I've finally found what I've been looking for all the time... And now I'm wondering why I've spent a lot of time and a ****load of money on fancy headphones and silly tube amps while I could have bought a headphone that's been around for what, decades? And for a fraction of the price...

Still doing it right.

It's been around for a little better than 20 years (I've heard 1990 as the oldest release date, but something tells me that's probably a little generous, my box says 1993, Stereophile was reviewing them in 1992).

Of course there's the possibility that with prolonged listening I'm going to notice some shortcomings, but I've aquired sufficient experience in this hobby to tell relatively quickly what sounds good to me and what does not. And the ESP-950 definetly belongs to the former category. I don't know if it IS good, but it sounds good to my ears

Yeah, it *is* good - it measures as good as it sounds.

Your response is exactly why I suggest this headphone right and left, and why I'm absolutely flabbergasted when people shoot it down and trash on it (of course having never heard or used it) in lieu of some dolled-up mega-buck amp for their HD 600 or similar massive sink. They take everything the Sennheisers do, and do it better, and more comfortably (imho). And have a better warranty and (due to the insane price hike on headphone amplifiers and the MAP) usually end up costing less than an HD 600 + amp configuration.

 

[Mad Dude]

I suppose it takes some time to find out what sounds good to one's ears... And, more importantly, to realize & admit that good sound is not necessarily achieved by the most expensive toy available.
 
I had to go through some gear until I've realized what I'm looking for in a headphone (with speakers, it seems to be easier...). And then of course there's always the curiosity to experience the "next level" in sound, which supposedly can be achieved with the newest, most expensive, flagship headphone and the fanciest amplifier on the market. Sites like Hype-Fi Head-Fi don't help in that regard...

Sure, the ESP-950 isn't the end-all headphone. If someone is looking for a different sound signature, there are always alternatives. But I've now listened to three of my favourite albums with this thing, and it passed the test with flying colours. Among the criteria I have when evaluating a new headphone is a silly one: I don't want the resolution to be too high. I know that it is desirable for some people to have the equivalent to an electron microscope in a headphone... I don't. On too many records there's too much nasty stuff I don't want to hear. Especially headphones with boosted treble tend to highlight even tiny flaws in the mastering of a record - the ESP-950 doesn't. The flaws are audible, yes, but not distracting.
 
And yes, they're very comfortable too. I'm not very fond of the pleather earpads, but that's about it.
 
One question, is there a possibility to lock the volume controls for left and right channel on the E90? I love to be able to control both channels individually (why don't dynamic headphone amps have this feature?) but it's a bit finicky to change the volume without altering the channel balance.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I find there is a +/- range with the dual volume knobs; these days I listen @ lower volumes and where the l/r knob is at an equal balance at low levels is not exactly identical at high levels (looking at position relative to the notches on the knobs for instance).  I think we just have to live with it unless you want to swap out the pot!

 

[Mad Dude]

Oh well, I can live with having to adjust both channels. In any case, it's a simple but very helpful feature: Many recordings, especially those from the early days of stereo, tend to have a hard left/right separation which can lead to one channel being louder than the other. Crossfeed is one way to tackle this, but the simple adjustement of one channel is a lot more effective.
Still, I wish they had done it like Stax did with their amps - both channels stick together when adjusting the volume but still allow individual control of left & right.

 

[brokenthumb]

Mad Dude, I looked through your headphone inventory and read all of the little descriptions and now I really want to try the Koss Esp-950.  You've owned some of the best out there.

 

[obobskivich]

Mad Dude,

Apart from taping the controls together or something, no, that's probably the one flaw with that amp (I agree they should lock together like most dual pots). I'd also agree on the detail vs treble boost point.

 

[Mad Dude]

HELL I can't believe it. After two days of ownership my ESP-950 has started squeling and hissing in the left channel, and not subtly at all. The first few times the squel disappeared after tapping the earcup, but now it's here to stay. After reading a few pages back in this thread it seems that this isn't exactly an exception. Dammit, why does everything that sounds great seem to have serious technical issues? I feel the urgent need to bash my head against a wall or something.
 
Yes I'l probably send them in for repair, and if the Koss warranty is as good as it's said to be that it should be no problem to get a repair or replacement. Still, shipping from Europe to the US and back isn't exactly cheap...
I really should quit this hobby and just stick with the HD600.

 

[M3NTAL]

While wearing them.. give them a good solid press against your ears. The air pressure will settle things down. Might have to do it a few times. Sometimes the squeal creeps up, but that always gets it to settle down for me.

 

[Mad Dude]

Thanks a million! That actually did solve the problem... for now. If the squealing can be remedied as easy as this, it's negligible. I only hope it doesn't get worse.

 

[M3NTAL]

It should hold you over for a while. It could have just been some dust .

 

[obobskivich]

I'd recommend keeping them covered when not in use - to keep dust out of them.

And yes the warranty is solid - $6 and shipping and they'll take care of you. I wouldn't view your headset as indicative of ALL 950s - it's a problem that SOME of them have. Is your unit second-hand or new?