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Dekoni Premium Earpads for Koss ESP/95X Headphones
01 / 06
Dekoni Premium Earpads for Koss ESP/95X Headphones
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402 requests
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239 Sold
Product Description
For most audiophiles, electrostatic headphones are an undeniable step up from the usual setup. Unparalleled sound deserves uncompromising comfort, and the Dekoni Premium Earpads designed for our highly regarded Koss ESP/95X Electrostatic Headphones deliver just that Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downPointy
16
May 17, 2021
Compared to the ESP/95X pads, these remove some bass but increase transparency to near-upper-end Stax levels. The opposite is the Vesper pads which add bass volume and extension but remove some transparency. These get a bit hotter than the ESP/95X pads and aren't quite as comfortable.
adeadcrab
258
Apr 10, 2022
PointyI have also noticed this. Through my system, with stock earpads, the midrange was hazy and overall really boring.
The Dekoni fenestrated sheepskin earpads cut that haziness out of the midrange, made the bass more linear, and instruments sound incredibly realistic and lifelike. They also make less noise when I move my head. A must-buy for ESP/95 owners.
erickong
7412
Audiophile Moderator
May 16, 2021
GrampusJust be patient and don't be afraid to break them. Get them started and slowly work your way across
Pointy
16
May 17, 2021
GrampusIt takes some practice. I've pad swapped these about 20 times. I can get both on in about a minute.
You hook one end, then start around the edge while keeping tension on the end that's hooked. Really dig in there and tug to pull out the lip that's folded under. Once you get to the opposite end, give it a good pull and hook it over, then just slot in the remaining side.
(Edited)
bloodpig
157
Apr 29, 2020
I would love to try them out but at 84 bucks with VAT and shipping i would like to pass that experiment. :( Maybe if thay were cheaper i would.
foghorn
2
Feb 12, 2020
I have a pair of original Koss ESP-9 headphones. Will these ear pads fit my original ESP-9?
foghorn
2
Apr 29, 2020
Thank you for your comment. Yes, I did purchase 3 pairs of pads directly from Koss [some time ago]. Of course, they were not "liquid filled". TofuTak, are you saying that the Drop "after market" ear pads for the later versions of the Koss ESP/950[X] will NOT fit the vintage Koss ESP9 headphones? Thank you.
TofuTak
18
Apr 29, 2020
foghornNo, they will not fit as they have different measurements.
As for the pads, they do use a “Fluid filled” technology if you read the old manuals and sales brochures. They moved away from that pad design for the ESP-10, as the pads were costly for them and a source of failure over time.
Ordering from Koss directly is the only place I’ve heard of for replacement pads on the ESP-9
TofuTak
18
Apr 30, 2020
ManofTaste@rosso @970EVO
Alright folks, they arrived in the post today, and I am sitting here jamming out with them as I write this first impression.
Before throwing these on, I did a few songs in rotation to test them out, some electronic, blues, pop, and jazz. I also tested out three different pads:
Koss ESP-950 pads (pleather, $5 to replace from Koss)
Koss/Drop ESP-95x pads (velour)
Dekoni Fenestrated
Fit/comfort:
First off the differences physically between the three. I enjoy both the Dekoni and the 95x pads. Both are slightly deeper than the 950 pads, which is nice for me. As both a glasses wearer as well as someone with pretty sensitive ears, these are the sweet spot. They do not lift the headphones too far from my ear but also are not too shallow. The 950 pads cause my ears to slightly rest on the inside of the headphone. After a few hours this gets a bit too sensitive for me, and also get noticeably hotter. Both the 950 and the 95x pads have a wider opening, which for my head leaves a small opening on the bottom of the headphones under my ears.
The Dekoni pads are an improvement in all the areas. Deep enough to not have my ears touch the interior and they are thick enough to not cause the aforementioned gaps. The memory foam is another added touch, providing more comfort for my glasses. As far as heat, as expected they're between the original pads and the velour. Of the three, Dekoni wins.
Sound:
Before Dekoni, I preferred the original ESP-950 pads. They are darker and take away some of the sparkle to the treble (and this is coming from a treble head); however, the gains from the bass were noticeably improved. I would much rather take the more rounded sound with more bass than the bright 95x pads that drop off a bit too quickly in my opinion.
The Dekoni pads sit in a happy medium. They are not quite as airy or bright as the 95x pads, but the difference is negligible. What is given is an even more improved bass than the stock 950 pads (I presume part of this is the ability to better seal around my ears). Its a happy medium between the two, gaining some of the top end sparkle from the 95x pads, but also improving the bass that caused me to switch to the 950 stock pads.
Hands down are these come very comfortable pads and a noticeable improvement all around. I bought these just a few days before this new round of the Drop, and even with the higher price directly from Dekoni, they are well worth it.
Grampus
24
Feb 8, 2020
I haven't been able to mount the replacements on my headphones. I am asking for advice.
RayF
22220
Feb 8, 2020
Still prefer the comfort, soundstage and aroma of my H. Simpson pads over the Dekonis
Jestercow
108
Jan 18, 2021
I assume you would never use a different tire on your car than the ones that were installed from the factory, as they're the best option, period? No reason to get snow tires or higher performance tires or longer-lasting tires (depending on how you use your car), since the manufacturer spent so much time making sure their car worked perfectly with the tires you bought it with...
RayF
22220
Jan 18, 2021
Jestercow
I own a car that already came with highly-rated, performance tires. When it came time to replace them (all four, just last month), I did indeed buy those same (highly rated, performance) tires.
Snow falls infrequently here in Las Vegas, so no sale there.
Moral of the story: if you buy a performance car, it's highly unlikely that the manufacturer scrimped on the tires; those cars are expensive to begin with and the cost of Z-rated tires is hardly material at that point. On the other hand, mounting up a set of Z-rated Michelins won't make you Corolla go 149+ mph.
I own a set of MDs HD6XXs and their HE-4XXs--I like 'em both okay and while I allow changing the pads might make either pair more comfortable at some point, I don't think it would make either sound better. They are after all, Toyota-grade headphones, not Focal Utopia, Tournaires ;- )
(Edited)
npc2
43
Nov 3, 2019
Got mine yesterday which was a bit surprising since the drop had an estimated ship date of Nov 18 and they used USPS for once which took like a week less than it would with Drop's usual Fedex Home Delivery.
Initial impressions (take them with a grain of salt...) are that there is more bass (likely due to a better seal than the firmer 95X pads) though perhaps at the cost of being less airy/open. Where previously I was using hardware EQ (Loki) to (only) give a boost around 20 Hz, I don't think I would do so with the Dekoni pads. I did find myself playing with boosting ~2 kHz a bit so I wonder if it is recessed there like the 950 pads and unlike the 95X pads. I will need to put the original pads back on again to compare more precisely to decide which I prefer. It would be helpful if Dekoni could provide their measurements compared to stock like they do for other headphones.
As for comfort, I usual prefer velour pads since they aren't as warm, but because the fenestrated sheepskin pads are less firm and don't make annoying scratchy sounds when moved like the stock pads, it is probably a net improvement for me.
Edit 2020-01-25: I think I have concluded that I prefer the original ESP 95X pads. The Dekoni pads lose a lot of airiness (airiness being something I wanted in an electrostat versus other headphones I own) and are probably more rolled off in the highs compared to the stock pads had and I still have an impression of a dip around 2 kHz. I think I would also agree with ElectronicVice's reply to my original comment mentioning earlier roll off in the sub-bass with the Dekoni pads even if the quantity of mid bass might be higher. I think I will mostly use the stock pads as they seem more balanced to me.
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Nov 7, 2019
npc2Only about an hour in myself but I'm not sure how I feel about the sound changes from the "stock" 95X pads. The bass overall has elevated with a bit more body but the sub bass rolloff seems much steeper than velour. The mids feel a bit pulled back and acoustic guitar has lost a bit of its magic. Soundstage also appears to have taken a small hit. Comfort is, as usual with Dekoni, greatly enhanced. They feel more secure and look more inline with the 950's $999 msrp. Another small hit for a micro tear when mounting. Swapped pads on several other cans, many times and never had a tear before.
(Edited)
dekoni
477
Dekoni Audio
Oct 28, 2019
thearkiveOuter UP - 135mm
Outer across - 92mm
Inner up - 90mm
inner across - 50mm
depth - 22mm
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