[gazzington]

I think the KSE 1200 sounds fantastic on everything with the right Dac/Amp but particularly good with Violin. As Emilsoft notes the buds make a huge difference too - I normally find the KSE 1200 a bit screechy and need to pull down the high frequencies a little to listen to music with a lot of vocals. I was sceptical that changing the tips would make much difference but I ended up getting them and don't need to equalise anymore - no more sibilance!

What tips are you using with the kse1200?

 

[mrboggieman]

The Final Audio silicon tips, there is a link in the previous comment, they look similar to the silicon ones that come with the headphones but are softer on the outside, I got a mixed size pack but found the large to most comfortable and good seal (bass response is affected) depends on the size of your ears I guess

 

[fldttchr]

Do the kse 1200 suit a particular kind of music, say male vocals, if the are the upper mids?

Hey ZappaMan.

I've had my KSE1500 for about 6 months, and have put a good amount of hours on them. They're my first foray into electrostatics of any kind. Prior to this I had Audeze iSine 20s, which were good but not great, before that Bose over-ears that were okay. I've heard some Audeze LCD4 headphones that were beyond my price range. They sounded good, but not as good as these KSE's. I find they flatter everything i listen to on them, and i listen to a lot of music new and old across most genres, flipping from Spotify to Youtube to vinyl to high quality vinyl rips to HD tracks purchases, and recently some R2R. Audiophile recordings are great on these of course, but I listen mainly to non-audiophile recordings. I'm not one to flip between multiple pairs of headphones or IEMS, based on what type of music they flatter, i think that's dealer-speak trying to hide design issues (just my opinion). Lean/little bass is one of the the few criticisms out there on the KSE, but there's actually plenty of deep, impactful bass. They're so fast and clean, that may be where folks say the bass is lean, compared a driver that rings out longer or is slow and clunky? Any type of music you like, you'll find yourself hearing WAY deeper into the song, not only because of how clean and fast they reproduce a musical signal and then its gone, but also due to the ~35dB isolation they provide, makes for an all-round quiet listening session. You could crank them to the max in the middle of church and no one would be the wiser. I listen mainly while i work my day job, sometimes i take them for a hike, to the grocery store, to the gym, even listen to them while driving. they're very detailed but not fatiguing, which is a problem for me because i'll end up turning the volume up as the day progresses, be careful if you like to listen loud, they want to be turned up loud.

I'm sure there are better IEMs out there, but not for the price. And i bought mine used for like $1,150 as opposed to $3k brand new. I think they compete/beat IEM's above their price range, especially when you factor in the cost of DAC/amp.

My criticism would be they don't necessarily slam the hardest, and i find myself wanting to turn them up loud for more slam.

Good luck.

 

[nephilim32]

Hey ZappaMan.

I've had my KSE1500 for about 6 months, and have put a good amount of hours on them. They're my first foray into electrostatics of any kind. Prior to this I had Audeze iSine 20s, which were good but not great, before that Bose over-ears that were okay. I've heard some Audeze LCD4 headphones that were beyond my price range. They sounded good, but not as good as these KSE's. I find they flatter everything i listen to on them, and i listen to a lot of music new and old across most genres, flipping from Spotify to Youtube to vinyl to high quality vinyl rips to HD tracks purchases, and recently some R2R. Audiophile recordings are great on these of course, but I listen mainly to non-audiophile recordings. I'm not one to flip between multiple pairs of headphones or IEMS, based on what type of music they flatter, i think that's dealer-speak trying to hide design issues (just my opinion). Lean/little bass is one of the the few criticisms out there on the KSE, but there's actually plenty of deep, impactful bass. They're so fast and clean, that may be where folks say the bass is lean, compared a driver that rings out longer or is slow and clunky? Any type of music you like, you'll find yourself hearing WAY deeper into the song, not only because of how clean and fast they reproduce a musical signal and then its gone, but also due to the ~35dB isolation they provide, makes for an all-round quiet listening session. You could crank them to the max in the middle of church and no one would be the wiser. I listen mainly while i work my day job, sometimes i take them for a hike, to the grocery store, to the gym, even listen to them while driving. they're very detailed but not fatiguing, which is a problem for me because i'll end up turning the volume up as the day progresses, be careful if you like to listen loud, they want to be turned up loud.

I'm sure there are better IEMs out there, but not for the price. And i bought mine used for like $1,150 as opposed to $3k brand new. I think they compete/beat IEM's above their price range, especially when you factor in the cost of DAC/amp.

My criticism would be they don't necessarily slam the hardest, and i find myself wanting to turn them up loud for more slam.

Good luck.

Hi. I of course know this response wasn’t for me, but I just wanted to thank you for your candid impressions. I’m very interested in getting the KSE 1200. I’d love to have some kind E/Stat in my audio world.
Thanks again. Pretty close to pulling the trigger on a pair.

 

[willd3]

Hey ZappaMan.

I've had my KSE1500 for about 6 months, and have put a good amount of hours on them. They're my first foray into electrostatics of any kind. Prior to this I had Audeze iSine 20s, which were good but not great, before that Bose over-ears that were okay. I've heard some Audeze LCD4 headphones that were beyond my price range. They sounded good, but not as good as these KSE's. I find they flatter everything i listen to on them, and i listen to a lot of music new and old across most genres, flipping from Spotify to Youtube to vinyl to high quality vinyl rips to HD tracks purchases, and recently some R2R. Audiophile recordings are great on these of course, but I listen mainly to non-audiophile recordings. I'm not one to flip between multiple pairs of headphones or IEMS, based on what type of music they flatter, i think that's dealer-speak trying to hide design issues (just my opinion). Lean/little bass is one of the the few criticisms out there on the KSE, but there's actually plenty of deep, impactful bass. They're so fast and clean, that may be where folks say the bass is lean, compared a driver that rings out longer or is slow and clunky? Any type of music you like, you'll find yourself hearing WAY deeper into the song, not only because of how clean and fast they reproduce a musical signal and then its gone, but also due to the ~35dB isolation they provide, makes for an all-round quiet listening session. You could crank them to the max in the middle of church and no one would be the wiser. I listen mainly while i work my day job, sometimes i take them for a hike, to the grocery store, to the gym, even listen to them while driving. they're very detailed but not fatiguing, which is a problem for me because i'll end up turning the volume up as the day progresses, be careful if you like to listen loud, they want to be turned up loud.

I'm sure there are better IEMs out there, but not for the price. And i bought mine used for like $1,150 as opposed to $3k brand new. I think they compete/beat IEM's above their price range, especially when you factor in the cost of DAC/amp.

My criticism would be they don't necessarily slam the hardest, and i find myself wanting to turn them up loud for more slam.

Good luck.

Yep, everything sounds great on the KSE1500 IEMs! When the bass isn't hitting quite as hard as I remember, I replace the tips with new ones. Usually I know, just by the way the tip has deformed that I need to replace it. I ordered 5 packs (of 3) of the triple flange tips, when I first got the KSE, so I've got plenty of inventory. Also, I trim the stem of the tips for proper fit.

 

[Thomastb]

1. Hi is kse1500 still one of the best resolution iem in the market right now?

2. Is it possible for kse1500 to swap cable? Any other dac amp possible for kse1500?

3. I read that true electrostatic will lose the electric charge on the diaphragm after using for some time, and won't be functioning anymore. is it true?

4. If I rmb right kse1500 dac is up to 24/96 bit rate. While it's one of the most resolving iem in the market. Does it mean all those high-res / lossless sound sources / DAP a scam?

Thanks all

 

[TYATYA]

1. Hi is kse1500 still one of the best resolution iem in the market right now?

2. Is it possible for kse1500 to swap cable? Any other dac amp possible for kse1500?

3. I read that true electrostatic will lose the electric charge on the diaphragm after using for some time, and won't be functioning anymore. is it true?

4. If I rmb right kse1500 dac is up to 24/96 bit rate. While it's one of the most resolving iem in the market. Does it mean all those high-res / lossless sound sources / DAP a scam?

Thanks all

1. Yes, sure
2. No, too risky to do
3. No, unless you store or using by a very bad condition, enviroment
4. No, almost owner doesnt say like that.
Dac inside Kse (exact: Ksa1500) is flat and 2D sounding with best sharpness. And, nothing more.

 

[siruspan]

1. Hi is kse1500 still one of the best resolution iem in the market right now?

2. Is it possible for kse1500 to swap cable? Any other dac amp possible for kse1500?

3. I read that true electrostatic will lose the electric charge on the diaphragm after using for some time, and won't be functioning anymore. is it true?

4. If I rmb right kse1500 dac is up to 24/96 bit rate. While it's one of the most resolving iem in the market. Does it mean all those high-res / lossless sound sources / DAP a scam?

Thanks all

1. Yes
2. It's not possible to change IEM cable easily but you can swap interconnects if you use external dac.
3. That is correct only for electret headphones. True electrostatics like KSE does not have charged diaphgram that is why they need external energizer (amplifier).
4. Technically that is correct but both KSE1200 and KSE1500 can be hooked to external dac/dap which is highly advisable to hear their full potential.

 

[Thomastb]

1. Is the dac in kse1500 good quality or is it better to get a dac + kse1200 combo?

2. Is kse1500 airy? Good Soundstage? Thanks

 

[Meejay]

KSE1200 + DAC is better combo. KSE1500 dac isn't really good.

It is airy. Soundstage isn't the best imo, but layering is at the very top of IEM world.

 

[Thomastb]

KSE1200 + DAC is better combo. KSE1500 dac isn't really good.

It is airy. Soundstage isn't the best imo, but layering is at the very top of IEM world.

I see you got monarch mk2, U12t,, kse 1200, variations
Can u rank them base on :
Resolution
Tuning
Soundstage
Holographic

Thanks thanks

 

[siruspan]

2. Is kse1500 airy? Good Soundstage? Thanks

It sounds airy with good soundstage however it's not the biggest nor the widest. On the other hand the wider sounding iems do that at the cost of depth and ones with bigger soundstage don't have the same precision of imaging.

It's a matter of preferance really. For example I've owned at the same time Sennheiser HD800s and Audio Technica ADX5000. Senn's are considered the king of soundstage which is true in terms of size however positioning is not that great to be honest. They give the general direction where the source is located where ADX5000 gave smaller image but with pinpoint accuracy of sources with more convincing imaging also with more air at the same time. KSE are more similar to ADX5000 in terms of soundstage that is they are not the biggest but very precise. Also with less air and not as bright

 

[Meejay]

I see you got monarch mk2, U12t,, kse 1200, variations
Can u rank them base on :
Resolution
Tuning
Soundstage
Holographic

Thanks thanks

It sounds airy with good soundstage however it's not the biggest nor the widest. On the other hand the wider sounding iems do that at the cost of depth and ones with bigger soundstage don't have the same precision of imaging.

It's a matter of preferance really. For example I've owned at the same time Sennheiser HD800s and Audio Technica ADX5000. Senn's are considered the king of soundstage which is true in terms of size however positioning is not that great to be honest. They give the general direction where the source is located where ADX5000 gave smaller image but with pinpoint accuracy of sources with more convincing imaging also with more air at the same time. KSE are more similar to ADX5000 in terms of soundstage that is they are not the biggest but very precise. Also with less air and not as bright

Those are pretty much my thoughts about KSE. I would only add that I don't like their stock tuning. But they are really good with EQ, probably one of the best sets if you like to tweak.

My favourite IEMS are u12t as I think they don't have any weaknesses (except maybe pushed back vocals which can affect certain genres). Resolution and layering is only second to the KSE.
Monarch Mk2 are very safe tuning and my second favourite set. Their lifelike vocals remind me of my HD600s which I still listen to to this day (10+ years). Technically they are very capable, but worse than u12t/KSE. Bass also isn't the best.
Variations have best performance for the price (10 % worse than TOTL iems, maybe), but I don't like elevated mids and lack of bass thump. This really depends on personal preferences imo. They are still very cohesive set.
I honestly don't KSE at all, because I switch my sources all the time and its quite a hassle to swap everything and apply parametric EQ. But if you only have one station, its not too bad. Portability and stock tuning are two potential downsides of this great IEM. I do have to mention that the IEMs are quite small and super comfortable, along with really good noise isolation.

 

[ShureUser]

Does anyone know what's happening with the large size Shure foam sleeves? They're out of stock everywhere I look. Hopefully not discontinued because they are the best sounding for me on KSE1200.

 

[Therkild]

Hi All.
New forum member and new owner of a pair of these in-ears.
Short about myself, aged mid 50`ties, hifi nerd and amateur musician since my teenage years (bass player)
I`ve had hifi as a serious hobby for more than 20 years and have had literally all types of especial amplifier technologies
in my system. I`ve heard electrostatic speakers numerous times and always liked them, but never had a pair as
they require space around them to really function well, which I previously haven`t had a chance to facilitate.
Current amp and speakers are April Music Eximus DP1 dac and S1 amp driving a pair of british ATC speakers. The latter
are known for their studio equipment and reference speakers by What Hifi as I recall.

My headphone adventure is very new but for now consist of the Shure in-ears together with an A&K Kann dap playing Flac files.

So, what`s the immediate experience? I would say that the resolution overall is fantastic. I`m hearing details never heard before,
and especially in the lower register. The membrane technology simply allows the low frequency details to be presented in a way
I`ve never heard before. Being a ”musician” and bass player myself, what I hear transferred are all the little nuances l use myself while playing,
such a changing the sound a little simply by the way you twist your hand plugging the strings.

It seems that the best fit I get is with the tripple flaired ear tips, so I`ve ordered a handful to experiment with the length of them.

Also to experiment with is off course EQ`ing. I played with it last night, emphazing below 125 hz, dipping around 315 Hz to clean up low registerr,
slight emphazing around 2 KHZ to forward vocal, and a slight bit above 6,3 KHz to introduce more air. Result was a solid fundament, while
umasking vocals allowing me to suddenly hear how the vocals on one track consisted of not the previous two voices I have heard before, but actually three. One of my refrence songs for this has always been Robben Ford with the number ”Good thing” from the “Handful of blues” album.
Other reference numbers are from artists such as Sara K, Diana Krall, Donald Fagan, Simple Minds, ranging from natural acoustic instruments to complex artificial (Synthesized) studio arrangements.

Kind Regards
Thomas from Denmark.