The Koss ESP950 thread (ESP owners, please contribute! :)

[ericj]

Yeah, I've heard such stories - it seems that i should have put more thought into the "they may just shove it to the back of the workbench for a few weeks and do nothing" option when thinking about the worst that could happen when sending it in.

I don't have a high-bias stax amp but i've tried it with one of the adapter cables I've made and a regular SRD-7. It didn't squeal but instead buzzed. I'm pretty sure the problem isn't my energizer - but i guess if they insist on my sending in the energizer i will. If it comes to that i guess i should ask if they need to inspect the leather case as well?

 

[grawk]

I didn't send the bag.

 

[ericj]

Alright, Koss just called back. Lady mumbled something about my esp950 having a 'different kind of element' and needing to 'match it up with the energizer'.

Also that whoever told me they'd send me back accessories for free was confused.

Oh, and the battery pack is still available as an accessory for $10.

And they want me to pay for return shipping too.

So tomorrow i mail them my E/90. I wish they'd been up front with that when i called them 18 days ago. Or even if they'd just called me when they received them 14 days ago.

 

[grawk]

:: KOSS :: Welcome

It says pretty clearly that you need to send a check for $6 when you send them.

 

[ericj]

My mistake for calling them instead of just reading the website?

I'm not upset about $6. I'm upset about having been told 72 hours when what they meant was 336 hours and then maybe they'll call me. And not telling me they needed the energizer.

Oh, in case I was unclear, they've had it for 2 weeks and have done nothing. Except they finally got around to telling me to send the energizer.

 

[edstrelow]

I'll be sending mine in for service soon to correct a channel imbalance. It's good that Koss has such a fine warranty. Too bad that you have to use it so much.

 

[ericj]

Just called Koss, they said my ESP/950 is going out today.

From the sound of things they've been gutted and rebuilt with new parts but, no offense, the lady who answers the phone has told me things that weren't exactly true before. Or maybe she's just easily misunderstood? But she said it should come with a complete explanation of the work done on them when it arrives.

She implied that they replaced the headband arc. which i didn't send them. Maybe I'll have a spare?

She implied that they need the energizer so that they can 'tune' something to 'match'. Maybe they resolve channel imbalance in the energizer? That would be unfortunate.

 

[AudioCats]

interesting. Please keep us updated.

If Koss is resorting to tweaking the amp for channel imbalance, does that mean they are already running out of drivers? The next step will be cannibolize completed stock units for repair parts.....

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif interesting. Please keep us updated. If Koss is resorting to tweaking the amp for channel imbalance, does that mean they are already running out of drivers? The next step will be cannibolize completed stock units for repair parts.....

She didn't actually say that, but there was some mumbling about tuning and matching.

I can't figure out how to disassemble the e/90 without damaging it so I'm not sure if it's even possible.

It would make sense to me that you'd want to be sure the e/90 wasn't a source of problems, though.

 

[spritzer]

You have to remove the sticker on the front panel on the E/90 to open it up.

 

[ericj]

That figures.

I don't think I'm that curious.

 

[spritzer]

C'mon... take one for the team. [size=xx-small] I really need to see the bias supply...[/size]

 

[padam]

Can I still send them to KOSS without any further issues if I do that?

 

[grawk]

It says no questions asked.

 

[ericj]

Alright, i have it back finally.

Koss shipped it back with adult signature required at delivery. They had my home address so i got home Friday to discover that they'd attempted delivery, and had to request will-call for monday and just wait out the weekend.

They gave me an additional headband arc for free, even though i told them i have one and just didn't send it. So, if anyone outside the US is in desperate need of a replacement arc for an esp/950 or a/250, send me a PM. I sure don't need three of them.

It looks like they replaced the drivers + cable as a single unit, and installed new foam lining and new pads. They also attached badges to the yokes where mine had none, but I'm certain that the back frame of the earcups is still the same back frame; there are still the same minor dings to the plastic and I still have the red grilles, though the one that was slightly pushed in has been pushed back into place.

When i sent them out, both headphones and energizer had the same serial number, in the 5xxxx range. The energizer now has the same serial number as it did before, but the headphones now have a 1xxxx serial number.

Energizer looks like it's been wiped down with armor-all and the front panel sticker appears new, so I'm assuming they really did have it open - to do what? who knows. "tuning" or "matching" of some sort, so they said.

And of course they now work perfectly. To my ears they may sound slightly brighter than before, but i could be wrong - it'd been more than two months since i last heard them.