[clarknova]

I have a chance to get these for around $500 , is that a no brainer deal? I've never used Stax's before , is it a type of sound that many find overly critical ? 
 
I've heard the praises being sung of how great these are for detail but I would imagine the bass response is below average? I'm just curious what I would be getting myself into.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I bought a used pair for around $450 iirc and just sent them in for repair/replace because the inner foam had rotted out which was an additional $25 or so in shipping.  From my limited time with them and missing the foam padding, I would not call them bass deficient at all, it was one of the first things that stood out for me. Unless you are a bass head or something they should be pretty solid.

 

[obobskivich]

$500 is around average - they're around $600 new. 
 
Regarding the sound quality - it's a departure from dynamic headphones in terms of bass/midbass reproduction. Additionally, they're also planars, which influences the sound as well. The extension is there, but the impact is very different. 
 
Detail is not super-human, high-end dynamics can approach/mirror in terms of detail, speed, etc but again, the above differences make for a very unique listening experience. 
Quote:

I have a chance to get these for around $500 , is that a no brainer deal? I've never used Stax's before , is it a type of sound that many find overly critical ? 
 
I've heard the praises being sung of how great these are for detail but I would imagine the bass response is below average? I'm just curious what I would be getting myself into.

 

 

[powerlifter450]

They run in the Mid $600.00s new. I just picked some up. For the price I had to try them. If I don't like them I'll put them up for sale on here.

 

[powerlifter450]

Amazing detail retrieval, very clear good mids and highs. Only somewhat lacking with bass. Any way to hook a subwoofer to my Dac or something?

 

[obobskivich]

Not correctly. 
 
You could run splitters and feed it the line-level signal and use it's internal LPF, but it won't be properly x'ed into the ESP/950's. Lots of people do this, and it's not a bad experience to be quite honest. 
 
Alternately you could try a tactile transducer, or tone controls/EQ on the 950's themselves. 
 
Quote:

 Any way to hook a subwoofer to my Dac or something?

 

 

[dagothur]

So I was putzing around on the internet looking at some ATH cans, and I found this system for $200.  It's on a site called 'cameragps' from the UK, has anybody heard of it?
Edit: Never mind.  Complete scam.

 

[n3rdling]

Yup, those sites are definite scams once you google them.

 

[dagothur]

Quote:

Yup, those sites are definite scams once you google them.

I realized that quite quickly, although seeing the W5000 for $300 should have been an immediate indicator.
 

 

[powerlifter450]

You're talking about splitting off one of the channels after it leaves the DAC? Such as getting a splitter and using it to split off either the left or right channel, feeing part of that signal to the subwoofer?
 
Quote:

Not correctly. 
 
You could run splitters and feed it the line-level signal and use it's internal LPF, but it won't be properly x'ed into the ESP/950's. Lots of people do this, and it's not a bad experience to be quite honest. 
 
Alternately you could try a tactile transducer, or tone controls/EQ on the 950's themselves. 
 


 

 

 

[powerlifter450]

Yes, I too, realized that no one is selling these new for $200.00. These chinese scam sites have been on the internet for many years. They like to use consumer elctronics such as audio gear, TVs, Cameras, and cellphones.

 

[obobskivich]

I'd take both channels through two splitters, but yes this is what I'm talking about. You'll need a sub that can do L/R in via RCA (it'll pad and sum them internally, which is what you want). Alternately, if you really wanted to screw around with it, you could get something like the M-Audio subwoofer and use it's internal crossover. I'd start out fairly aggressively around 100hz, but play with it and see what you get. From ye olde measurement land, the 950 doesn't provide any isolation or boost until you clear 1k, so you should hear the sub just fine (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/Koss%20ESP950.pdf). Imho they're perfect taken straight up, or with a slight EQ on the bottom, but to each his own. 
 
Do realize that even the most expensive subwoofer you can find will not "blend" perfectly, both because they're headphones, and because they're stats.
Quote:

You're talking about splitting off one of the channels after it leaves the DAC? Such as getting a splitter and using it to split off either the left or right channel, feeing part of that signal to the subwoofer?
 


 

 

 

[powerlifter450]

Sounds like a quality plan. thank you!

 

[dagothur]

Does anybody know where I might find a Koss to Stax adapter, or a guide to making one?  I'm thinking of purchasing these 'stats in the fall, and if I like them enough I might upgrade the driver unit to a Stax offering.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

You can buy 5-pin stax male ends at moon-audio
You can buy 6-pin stax male ends at allied electronics
 
Via these options you can make an adapter cable out of the stock extension cable or recable the esp950's end.