KOSS ESP-950 Thread

[Sorrodje]

Mine has arrived in my friend's home Last saturday. it's currently travelling to France .. i'm like a kid before Xmas.

 
I think i'll soon try to find a good Stax amp. The SRM1/Mk2 is first on My wish list. But I'll try seriously the Koss with the E/90 before any more buy.

 

[crazychile]

  Promo code did't work for me, sadly. Tried buying the 950.

 I just bought a pair and it worked fine. After my previous post I noticed that the deal is posted on their website, so it wasn't some secret for their email subscribers, so this should be easy to use. Maybe try clearing your cookies?
 
And free shipping too!

 

[crazychile]

  Mine has arrived in my friend's home Last saturday. it's currently travelling to France .. i'm like a kid before Xmas.

 
I think i'll soon try to find a good Stax amp. The SRM1/Mk2 is first on My wish list. But I'll try seriously the Koss with the E/90 before any more buy.

 I subscribed to a Stax thread and those guys admitted that the ESP950s were pretty outstanding with an upper level Stax amp. I figure I'll start with the stock ESP950s and gradually upgrade over time.
 
A basic Stax system can be purchased right now from Stax USA for a little over $700. The long term reliability of electrostatics scare me a little bit. So the Koss lifetime warranty was what tipped me over to Koss.

 

[paradoxper]

 
 I just bought a pair and it worked fine. After my previous post I noticed that the deal is posted on their website, so it wasn't some secret for their email subscribers, so this should be easy to use. Maybe try clearing your cookies?
 
And free shipping too!

Maybe it wasn't ready at the time. Just ordered as well.

 

[One Fan To Another]

I just bought a pair of these, too.  I needed something different from my AKG K701s.  My last purchase of a set of Beyer Dynamic DT150 was a huge letdown.

 

[Blueshound24]

Hey I'm stoked, just bit on the Koss Cyber Monday 40% off deal on the ESP950's. Picked them up for $600! I had been looking for a deal so I'm super happy this came up!
 
Koss.com

 

[Rossliew]

This set-up is a great and affordable introduction to electrostats. The sound is a tad warmish though so it makes a lot of lossy files sound more acceptable. Am currently using the ESP950 with the KGST until my 007s arrive. 

 

[Sorrodje]

wow. that's a big ESP950 revival.

 
If the Koss ESP950 has something of the SR007mkII sound sig. I'll be happy. Best compliment I could ever dream of for m HD800.  I tried the 007 at a meet las saturday and I really loved it.
 
I think I'll soon purchase a good stax amp to drive the KOSS. That amp will allow me to discover other old and new Stax. That's why I'm interested in a a amp which provide both normal and pro bias outputs.
 
 
I've a question.
 
This is a Stax extension cable :
 


This is the Koss Extenstion cable :
 

 
 
The two cables seem similar. So my idea would be to cut a Stax extension cable and the Koss one and then solder the wire.  anybody knows if the wire of the two cables are organized in a smilar way ( R+ for the wire with the plain line,  L+ for the wire with the dashed line , B for the Wire 2 and 4 , ...
 
It would be easier and less expensive to purchase and solder a Stax extension cable  for me

 

[crazychile]

This is the Koss Extenstion cable :
 

 
 
The two cables seem similar. So my idea would be to cut a Stax extension cable and the Koss one and then solder the wire.  anybody knows if the wire of the two cables are organized in a smilar way ( R+ for the wire with the plain line,  L+ for the wire with the dashed line , B for the Wire 2 and 4 , ...
 
It would be easier and less expensive to purchase and solder a Stax extension cable  for me

 
I don't recall the thread but yesterday I came across an old post that showed the Koss and Stax pinout configs. From what I remember,  Stax uses 2 wires for bias that you tie to the single Koss bias pin. But don't quote me on that. I think I did a search for "E/90" when the thread came up. It was a short thread, maybe 3 pages.... I know that doesn't exactly answer your cable question but may get you a bit closer.
 
If I knew what connector Stax uses, I would build adapters for the Koss in a flash. My plan is to eventually upgrade to a better amp like so many of you have mentioned.

 

[Sorrodje]

   
I don't recall the thread but yesterday I came across an old post that showed the Koss and Stax pinout configs. From what I remember,  Stax uses 2 wires for bias that you tie to the single Koss bias pin. But don't quote me on that. I think I did a search for "E/90" when the thread came up. It was a short thread, maybe 3 pages.... I know that doesn't exactly answer your cable question but may get you a bit closer.
 
If I knew what connector Stax uses, I would build adapters for the Koss in a flash. My plan is to eventually upgrade to a better amp like so many of you have mentioned.

 
If I'm not wrong : 6 pins was for old Staxes (Normal Bias) . , All Modern Stax have the 5 pins connector. Here's the part you can buy http://www.moon-audio.com/stax-cable-mount-5-pin-din.html# . 
 
 
But buying a Stax cable + the 5 pin stax connector from US would cost me more money thant purchasing an offiial Stax Extension cable. That's why I need information about the wire organization of Stax and Koss cables

 

[crazychile]

  I just bought a pair of these, too.  I needed something different from my AKG K701s.  My last purchase of a set of Beyer Dynamic DT150 was a huge letdown.

 
Hey, I've got a pair of K702s. I wouldn't mind comparing notes once the ESPs arrive and you have a chance to compare.  I haven't gotten my shipping confirmation from Koss yet for my ESPs, but assuming they're shipping from Milwaukee, (which may be incorrect) I'm only 1 day shipping time from them. So maybe I'll see these before the weekend. Drool.

 

[mrscotchguy]

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-ESP-950-5-pin-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00LCKWG40/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417538624&sr=8-3&keywords=koss+esp+950
 

 
Not saying it's a good deal, but for those of us with no soldering skills... this might just be the way to go for a koss > to stax adaptor

 

[crazychile]

  http://www.amazon.com/Koss-ESP-950-5-pin-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00LCKWG40/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417538624&sr=8-3&keywords=koss+esp+950
 

 
Not saying it's a good deal, but for those of us with no soldering skills... this might just be the way to go for a koss > to stax adaptor

 Yeah I saw that a while back and thought it was pretty crazy. But there are some who probably buy it.
 
I seem to remember that in the earlier posts of this thread, someone commented that the extension cables from Koss parts were very reasonable. I need to check into this. If true I might be up for making a small batch of these. Someone would need to figure out where to source the Stax plug. I don't know if it's proprietary or something that can be sourced from Amphenol or Neutrik or someone like that.

 

[Michgelsen]

I don't remember precisely, but I believe there is an Amphenol equivalent of the Stax plug. Do a search in the Stax Thread II and you will probably find a part number for the Stax plug. Else you can ask again in the current Stax thread or in the DIY forum maybe.
Same goes for the organization of the Stax wires. This info should be around here somewhere.

 

[ambchang]

 
 
$159 for that cable is crazy.