[manywelps]

Your dac question doesn't really belong in this thread. It's not really headphone specific

Electrostatics don't pair differently with DACs?

 

[Keithpgdrb]

  Electrostatics don't pair differently with DACs?

Not in my opinion.  The stats just present the sound they are given, just like any other headphone.  If you don't like a dac, its probably because you don't like the dac, not because it doesn't pair well with stats.  you just need a good dac, period.
 
I'm just saying that grouping all stats together doesn't work.  the stax lambda is different then the koss 950, which is different then king sound, etc. you have to look at each headphone individually.
 
You wouldnt ask what dac works well with dynamic cans, would you?
 
I may have missed it, but are you asking what dac everyone likes with the 950 specifically? 

 

[manywelps]

I may have missed it, but are you asking what dac everyone likes with the 950 specifically? 

Sure, that works.
 
I was looking at Stax ones as well, so I asked it in a generic manner.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

Yeah, you just want a good quality DAC.  Researching in some of the DAC threads would help you more.  I'll recommend the ifi Nano dsd dac as something to consider though.  I've been using it for a couple weeks, and i'm fairly impressed.  only around $200.  lots of people talking about it in the going digital thread.

 

[manywelps]

I'm going to see if I can listen to some at the head-fi meetup in SF.  Never been to one of those. 
 
The HE-500 is the other good one I can think of in the $500-600 price range.

 

[vonjack]

Did anyone disassemble esp950 and be willing to upload some pics?
I'm thinking of replacing my broken stax sr-404's broken electrostatic units with esp950's, and using stax's amplifier.

 

[AudioCats]

driver info can be found in the more technical ESP950 thread.

 

[crazychile]

Does anyone have the stax / koss pinout diagram for making the adapter cable? I tried the wiki.faust3d.com link towards the beginning of this thread but the link is dead now. Funny thing is that it worked for me a week ago.

Thanks.

 

[WilCox]

Does anyone have the stax / koss pinout diagram for making the adapter cable? I tried the wiki.faust3d.com link towards the beginning of this thread but the link is dead now. Funny thing is that it worked for me a week ago.

Thanks.

 
Here you go:
 

 

[crazychile]

Here you go:

Thanks! That diagram shows the HE-60. The colors are the same on the Koss plug?

 

[WilCox]

Thanks! That diagram shows the HE-60. The colors are the same on the Koss plug?

 
The colors are just there on the drawing for clarity to make it easier match colors rather than letters and symbols.

 

[WilCox]

Here are a couple more pictures to make it more clear (hopefully not more confusing):
 

 

[ardgedee]

Does anyone have the stax / koss pinout diagram for making the adapter cable? I tried the wiki.faust3d.com link towards the beginning of this thread but the link is dead now. Funny thing is that it worked for me a week ago.

 
There's a list of the pinouts for most headphone connectors on Head-Fi.
 
For whatever it's worth, according to my notes when I made an adaptor a few weeks ago, the colors of the wires on the Koss extension cable are:
 

Wire color	Cable marking	Electrical	Stax pin
White	White dash	L+	3
Orange		bias	1
Yellow		L-	4
Green		R-	5
Orange		bias	1
Red	White solid	R+	2

 

[Avi]

  Does anyone have DAC suggestions for electrostatics?
 
I recently discovered that I'm actually sensitive to DACs...
 
AK4396 in an X-Fi USB HD makes my ears hurt after 10 mins, even at very low volume.  Maybe it's too harsh?  (Google shows some comments about how it was famous for that)
 
Cheap CS4382 DACs in the creative soundcards didn't have that effect, although they're still cheap DACs.
 
The WM8741 in a Fiio E10 was quite nice and was much sharper than the CS4382 without giving me fatigue.
 
I'm trying out cheap ones right now, but I'm gunning for somewhere around $500, so a used Gungnir or a super Bifrost (When they release the multi-bit capability) has my attention.
 
For now I'm messing with sub $100 DACs just so I can get a feel for the actual chips (Got a Sabre 9023 coming to listen to), fishing for a BB PCM1793 platform (like the Aune T1)

 
Personally, I use Centrance DACport LX (the version w/o the amp) with my Koss (at work) and I don't feel fatigue at all. I think the LX is an excellent overall DAC, although it is certainly north of $100 ($250 list, althoughI have seen it for around 200).

 

[ericj]

I like the wm8742 in my gamma2

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes