Koss ESP950, do you think I'd like them?

[obobskivich]

so, if I were going to buy the ESP-950's, anywhere I should look? Amazon wants $700, Koss wants a grand, and anything cheaper is looking kind of sketchy, so either I'm not "in the know" or i'm going with amazon (and, is going with amazon a bad deal due to the warranty?)

 

[dcpoor]

there's some on ebay for ~650. with the current live search 30% cashback... mighty tempting.

i've been considering getting them all day.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif there's some on ebay for ~650. with the current live search 30% cashback... mighty tempting. i've been considering getting them all day.

How do you access that?

I find the link when I search for the ESP950 using Windows Live Search... but the link to the "Live Search" page is not active.

 

[olblueyez]

Buy PCNation.com Products: Koss Headphones >> (112128) Esp950

590

http://www.provantage.com/koss-112128~7KOSS177.htm

582

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Buy PCNation.com Products: Koss Headphones >> (112128) Esp950 590 PROVANTAGE: KOSS 112128 ESP950 582

Thanks... some great prices.

I may try them.


Also... do you know how to access the Windows Live Search link on the search page when you search on "Koss ESP950?"

Or... is there some 30% discount off the eBay prices?

I've seen these references before - buy my browser can never access those links (neither IE7, or Firefox).

 

[olblueyez]

I use Yahoo for all my shopping, I never use microsoft.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, you need a ESP/950 - bear in mind that my ES/950 were re-cabled and modded by APS, installing a Stax PC-OCC cable, and some of the dampening material is removed in the process. With my SRM-1 Mk2 Pro or Woo GES prototype amp, my Stax-cabled ESP950 beat my balanced SR-325i and balanced D2000, even though I enjoy them very much too. Although the balanced HD600 are better than the SR-325i and D2000 they cannot pass up the ESP950 either. The ESP/950 also beat most of my vintage Stax including SR-5, SR-5NB gold edition, SR-Lambda and SR-Lambda Signature in terms of frequency response and soundstage. My Stax Lambda series are very good still, but the soundstage is a little fuzzy and smeared out wide, and there is a little upper mids etch present that hurts the transparency a little. The ESP/950 are more forward and present, with less coloration, and while the soundstage is smaller it is easier to pinpoint instrument placement. Now, my Senn HE60 do some things the ESP950 can't do, and the ESP950 do some things the HE60 can't do - they are polar opposites. The HE60 are spacious and airy and delicate, the the ESP950 are forward and dynamic and punchy. The ESP950 have impact closer to a dynamic with the speed and detail of an electrostatic. So the HE60 soundstage is bigger, but I find I can still pinpoint instrument placement - what they lack is the impact of the ESP/950. Both do treble well, but it sounds to me like the ESP/950 is more accurate in tone.

I still stand by these comments 6 weeks later. But I have new information.

This weekend I had the chance to listen to some classical organ music and the Stax Lambda and Lambda Signature did have lower and deeper bass extension than the ESP950 which seemed rolled off at the very deep end. And while the bass levels seem boosted with the Lambdas, the ESP950 are more natural with acoustic instruments like string bass. The ESP950 are a little more transparent, and sound less like a small speaker next to your ear. All the stats I have compared them to are still very nice on their own, and I still enjoy all of them even when switching from one stat to another.

Switching from my stats to my dynamic headphones is much more difficult to adjust to. The ones that are the least shock to my ears when switching from the stats are my RS-1, AKG K240M 600 ohm, and the loaner markl modded MD5000 DE. My HD600 and D2000 (and ATH-A900) are more difficult to adjust to after listening to the stats and adjusting to their sound, and even when balanced they are not as detailed. Coming straight to the HD600/D2000 without listening to stats first is much more pleasurable and fun. I haven't pulled out the Edition 9 for these comparisons yet. Sometimes it's too much trouble to get them out of and back into their case since I went with the stiffer techflex sleeving on the APS V3 re-cable instead of super nylon.

Nevertheless, I have been considering selling my ESP950 now that I believe my Stax O2 Mk2 are superior (as are my HE60 which I wont sell). I've had to sell off a few things to help pay for the O2 Mk2, and now I have to pick something else to go. I just wanted to avoid confusing people when I posted here that the ESP950 are good and then I sell them - it wasn't because they weren't good (don't forget these have a Stax PC-OCC cable on them and I'm running them with a $2500 maxed Woo GES with extra inputs and outputs). I'm still considering letting the Lambda Signature go instead, although they are a fun headphone to play with. And don't ask me to buy them because Sherwood and Blutarsky have 1st dibs on them

 

[obobskivich]

just wondering, you've said you're not using the E/90 for the ESP-950's, how does the sound change when you go from the stock Koss drive unit (if you have it still/ever had it/ever heard it/etc) vs an upgraded amplifier (such as your Woo, and I know theres a few others, GS makes one iirc)

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obobskivich /img/forum/go_quote.gif just wondering, you've said you're not using the E/90 for the ESP-950's, how does the sound change when you go from the stock Koss drive unit (if you have it still/ever had it/ever heard it/etc) vs an upgraded amplifier (such as your Woo, and I know theres a few others, GS makes one iirc)

Honestly? I've never tried it. Silly me, but with amps as nice as mine I just haven't felt the need to pull out the E9 amp and hook it up. I suppose I should, eh?

Soon...

I have tried them with the Stax SRM-1 Mk2 Pro and Stax SRM-T1 and they sound great with those, as well as with a 12 watt nuforce speaker amp and SRD-7 Pro.

 

[obobskivich]

lol, well, I'm not denying that if you have something better, use it, but I don't really want to spend $3000 on an amplifier, when I can get the whole thing for like $700, and in theory, not have to upgrade it (or at least not have to upgrade it for a good long while)

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have tried them with the Stax SRM-1 Mk2 Pro and Stax SRM-T1 and they sound great with those, as well as with a 12 watt nuforce speaker amp and SRD-7 Pro.

Yeah, but they sound best on a KGSS or BH, biased at 620v, not 580v. It really does become a different headphone at that point, enough so to convince me NOT to get an OII, and to build a proper amp to run at 620v for Koss and 560v for the he60.

Ping me if no one else has dibs on the Koss - it would save me having Alex recable another pair.

 

[Faust2D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still stand by these comments 6 weeks later. But I have new information. This weekend I had the chance to listen to some classical organ music and the Stax Lambda and Lambda Signature did have lower and deeper bass extension than the ESP950 which seemed rolled off at the very deep end. And while the bass levels seem boosted with the Lambdas, the ESP950 are more natural with acoustic instruments like string bass.

Very interesting information. So your ESP950 with damping removed and Stax cable don't go as low as Lambdas? My stock ESP950 go as low as any Lambda I have, they actually go as low and stay as controlled as my SR-007. Just for the record I got my Koss new and it seems to be from a late batch. I have seen somewhere that they changed something for the new batches in the driver design. Go figure.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, but they sound best on a KGSS or BH, biased at 620v, not 580v. It really does become a different headphone at that point, enough so to convince me NOT to get an OII, and to build a proper amp to run at 620v for Koss and 560v for the he60. Ping me if no one else has dibs on the Koss - it would save me having Alex recable another pair.

So, do you think I should send my GES back and have the 230v normal bias jack replaced with a 620v pro bias jack, so I can run the ESP950 at 620v? My GES has a 580v pro and a 230v normal bias jack and I am keeping the 580v pro jack the way it is for my HE60 and O2.

What happens if I plug a Stax pro headphone into the 620v jack by accident? Remember the 620v will be a stax jack because I have a re-cabled ESP950.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faust2D Very interesting information. So your ESP950 with damping removed and Stax cable don't go as low as Lambdas? My stock ESP950 go as low as any Lambda I have, they actually go as low and stay as controlled as my SR-007. Just for the record I got my Koss new and it seems to be from a late batch. I have seen somewhere that they changed something for the new batches in the driver design. Go figure.

Yes. The SR-Lambda go lower than the O2 Mk2 which go lower than the APureSound modded ESP950 which are about on par with the HE60. I wouldn't have known this without the deep organ music (or a test CD I still need to burn to disk).

I am going to try a couple of other DAC to make sure that it isn't my Apogee mini-DAC rolling off, because if memory serves me I think plaidplatypus's Lavry DA10 might have gone lower last weekend when we listened to stuff. Not 100% sure since we didn't compare them directly, and my apogee listening was last night (without the Lavry).

 

[Faust2D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes. The SR-Lambda go lower than the O2 Mk2 which go lower than the APureSound modded ESP950 which are about on par with the HE60. I wouldn't have known this without the deep organ music (or a test CD I still need to burn to disk). I am going to try a couple of other DAC to make sure that it isn't my Apogee mini-DAC rolling off, because if memory serves me I think plaidplatypus's Lavry DA10 might have gone lower last weekend when we listened to stuff. Not 100% sure since we didn't compare them directly, and my apogee listening was last night (without the Lavry).

Well I had SR-Lambda and it never was able to properly do very deep bass tones like Koss, O2 mk1 or even my LNS can. I tested them specifically on with the test CD and some tuba recordings

I don't like organ church/classical music all that much.

SR-Lambda played low bass tones (~20Hz) but they were rolledoff and not very controlled. Koss does this much better. Could it be that when you remove the damping you change this somehow?

more observations: Sr-Sigma has this same issue it does not deal well with bass notes below 25-30Hz, but it adds a bit of an impact that Lambda does not have.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, do you think I should send my GES back and have the 230v normal bias jack replaced with a 620v pro bias jack, so I can run the ESP950 at 620v? My GES has a 580v pro and a 230v normal bias jack and I am keeping the 580v pro jack the way it is for my HE60 and O2. What happens if I plug a Stax pro headphone into the 620v jack by accident? Remember the 620v will be a stax jack because I have a re-cabled ESP950.

Well overloading the phones is never a good idea so an external bias supply would be a better idea. You should know that the bias unit is question is far superior to any other bias supply in any amp so that may be part of the equation.