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Massdrop x Koss ESP/95X Electrostatic System
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Massdrop x Koss ESP/95X Electrostatic System
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Product Description
A revival of the standard-setting ESP/950 released by Koss in 1990, these headphones bring electrostatic quality into a whole new price bracket. Initially designed for live recording, the ESP/950 came with a large carrying case and a battery pack to power the required energizer: a special amplifier for electrostatic drivers Read More
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Customer Reviews
4.3
(317 reviews)
5star(195)
4star(70)
3star(25)
2star(13)
1star(14)
By Feature
Build Quality
3.0
(4)
Sound
4.5
(4)
Comfort
3.8
(4)
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keyboard_arrow_downloadexfa
281
Feb 28, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Very impressed with the sound quality, superb clarity, fast, and slightly bright but not fatiguing or harsh. My favorite is female vocals, rich with great presence. I don't think any of my other headphones do female vocals this well (HD-800 + SDR, Elex, HD-6XX, HE-4XX). Sound stage is spacious and open while the vocals maintain a nice intimacy which I really like. I even noticed a couple small details that I've never heard before which is very rare for me now. I doubt these are more detailed than my HD-800, more likely the tuning brought a couple small details to the forefront that I missed before.
Great for a variety of music, only piece missing is rumble and slam in the bass. As other have said, this is expected and a common limitation with electrostatics.
I did need a couple days of brain burn-in to fully enjoy them. Initially they seemed clear and good but a little boring. Now they are great and hold up strongly with my other favorites.
I find it a little odd that people don't like the build quality. The energizer is smaller and lighter than I expected but I don't think that reflects on quality. The plastic on the headphones doesn't have an "expensive feel" but neither do Sennheisers in my opinion and their reliability is very solid. These have been in production for over 20 years, and have a lifetime warranty, we don't need to worry. Let's not encourage manufacturers to drive up the price to make these "feel expensive".
Recommends this product? Yes
Mohannad13
94
Sep 15, 2019
So you think that the 6xx is more relaxed sound than the 95x but in term of clarity the 6xx has the advantage
loadexfa
281
Sep 15, 2019
Mohannad13I think you meant the 95X has the clarity advantage and yes I agree with that and the 6XX has the relaxed advantage. I find the 95X relaxed enough, they're just not as relaxed as the 6XX.
badboygolf16v
81
Feb 20, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
These are my first pair of electrostatics, and they are certainly different to any dynamic or balanced armature headphones and IEMs I am familiar with.
They are "neutral" in the strict sense of having a flat frequency response, so appears somewhat bright when moving from a more traditional rolled-off treble, I would imagine if these were your daily drivers, one might become accustomed to it. Most people prefer a downward sloping frequency response, so some judicious use of DSP might help.
The sense of brightness is also due to the lack of distortion. When listening to low distortion systems (headphone or speaker based), it may appear that "something is missing". Well something is missing - distortion! This again can take a bit of getting used to. Some people don't like to give up their distortion - witness the popularity of valve amps. It's not for me to say which is right or wrong for the listener - it's a matter of personal taste.
(Bear in mind I'm nearly 50 years old so when I talk about treble, there's a certain part of the spectrum I'm no longer able to comment on. My faculties are in an inevitable decline.)
Do the Koss ESP/95X deliver the fabled electrostatic sound? In a word - yes. The level of detail was quite overwhelming on first listen. And I don't think it's solely due to the frequency response. The hackneyed phrase "I heard details I had never heard before" can, in this instance, be trotted out without a hint of hyperbole. Believe the hype.
They are very comfortable, but it's not very warm in the UK, so impossible to say how they would feel after an extended listening session in hot weather. (Hot weather is not something that UK residents need to consider very often.)
One downside, they are extremely susceptible to ground loops and hum, care is required when situating.
Am I happy I bought them? Yes, I am.
densetsu
195
Feb 14, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
mehrdadgog
2
Oct 5, 2021
densetsuHi
How much is different in sound quality between this can and l300?
I want to upgrade my sennheiser hd650 + apogee groove.
Thx
densetsu
195
Oct 5, 2021
mehrdadgogIt's a different sound altogether, so I wouldn't really say it's an "upgrade" moving to e-stats. Just different. And a difference you might not like.
Jan-Ove
34
Aug 13, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Probably the best headphone you can get for 500$
As someone who has had Headfi as a hobby for well over 12 years now these headphones opened my eyes, as an owner of both an HD800S and Audeze LCD3 I actually like these Koss Electrostats better then both of them when it comes to sound.
The detail in these are amazing, the bass was what i was most sceptical about, but as far as i am concerened the amount of low end is perfect for the music I listen to, the clarity, resolution and airiness of these cans are out of this world. I've completelely fallen in love with them.
When it comes to the quality feeling im not all that happy, they feel really cheap with hard plastic everywhere, but on the other hand it means they also are very light and very comfortable, not as comfortable as my HD800S but its not far from it, could easily sit whit the ESP/95X on my head all day. Im going to buy new earpads from VesperAudio down the line and probably try out a new power supply to see if it makes any difference.
All in all this far probably the best headphone I've ever owned.
Recommends this product? Yes
oniongrass
7
Dec 8, 2020
Jan-OveIt's a capacitor driving a charged diaphragm. Having metal nearby would change its capacitance to some extent, so plastic resin makes more sense to me. The plastic is well finished and doesn't seem weak.
DiMora
263
Mar 2, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
(Edited)
DiMora
263
Sep 24, 2019
I’m picking up some Audeze LCD-X from a great friend; I’ll give them a review once I’ve had a chance to listen to them at length. Lately I’ve been using my Mr.Speaker Ether CX on a Monoprice THX 788 with its internal DAC. I’ve actually been giving them a touch of EQ to the bottom due to my bass love but even dead-flat they sound very well balanced and detailed. I’ve already heard the Audyssey - and they are quite amazing. I also picked up a pair of THX789 amps so I can do A:B headphone comparisons with identical amps/DACs. More to follow.
(Edited)
Dracon_Arkhon
11
Apr 23, 2020
DiMoraLoL Guys
I've almost forgotten about how the so-called audiophiles can have a heated argument basically about anything...
While at the same time they are just trying to put together a bunch of biased equipment to please their biased ears by balancing their respective imperfections.
If you can't enjoy music coming from a $5 headset you are just f***ed...
(Edited)
Fayne
2586
Nov 6, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Finally, I own electrostatic.
- Everything feels super cheap. Plastic everywhere on the cans and energizer.
- The concentric potentiometer is a nice touch, but I'd love to have a lock on it so I can twist both equally.
- The 9VDC wall wort is total garbage and should be replaced. Preferably with something that can be turned off without unplugging. Probably find some ChiFi linear.
- Fuzzy earpads suck almost as bad as pleather and vegan leather. Skin me some dang sheep. Dekoni Fenestrated pads ordered and on the way, hopefully before I melt from the fuzzy.
- It is incredibly too easy to push the button which makes the cans disassemble. First time taking them off was a very WTF moment.
- These cans are very compatible with large gauge piercings. The ear cups and pads are huuuge.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
birusan
7
Dec 20, 2019
Do you think the ifi pro iesl will improve the sound quality of the 95x over the original energiser and power supply?
Nottagorilla
65
Dec 27, 2019
birusanI am not familiar with this particular product from iFi. It may be very good, & I wouldn't rule out it being better. The E90x is a pretty minimalist (as in: Cheap!) effort, it SHOULD be easy to do better. But as I've said here before, this cheapo E90 still sonically MURDERS anything I've heard by Stax, including the SRM-007t & the new (& incredibly disappointing) SRM-8000. The ONLY amp I've heard that is better so far is a big push-pull EL34 amp from Woo Audio ($3000+USD), never paid any attention to the Model# since for that kind of money I'll one day build my own! I'm going to do a bit of research & get back to you with a stronger opinion & better info. But otherwise, you MUST trust your own ears here. Seek out a dealer to do your own auditioning as brand-names mean NOTHING in Audio much of (too much!!) the time. Another option, the one that works for me, is find your closest annual Audio Show & check out the CanJam portion of it!
Jhead
38
Mar 5, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
I believe as some others here that these surpass a good many other's when listening to vocals which I do a fair amount of I have a long list of favorite Female vocalists that I very much like listening to through the output of a oppo 105D player these to me are more impact full then any other of my other Headphones which consist of Massdrop Sennheiser & HE-6XX,HiFiManHE-4XX
Austrian made AKG-701. I would have to say these are not for Bass Heads so would suggest that you look else where if you value low powerful bass above all else. And going into making the decision to spring for these I did a lot of Internet search reviews on these.So going into I was very aware of how cheaply these appear to be made as well as being very aware of the weakness that Electrostatic drivers have in the lower frequencies which is partial due to there inability to move the air needed to reach low in the frequency extreme . These truly shine from the Mid-bass on up these to me are a real treat to listen too in the area's that they do well in which to me seem's to be many .
Mohannad13
94
Sep 15, 2019
JheadDo you find the 95x superior to the 4xx and 6xx in every aspect except the subbass ?
Have you noticed a huge sound quality improvement over the 6xx and 4xx ?
Jhead
38
Sep 15, 2019
Mohannad13What I consider to be Subbass personally would fall below 20 cycles.For my opinion only on the Koss 950 between the 6xx they have a even more airy sound to acoustic instruments and how they are presented in time and space there's been a acronym coined for this (Prat) pace,rhythm and time I think that the Koss has this characteristic in spades from say 100 to 10,000 cycles where a huge portion of sound we as humans hear.And if you prize the midrange the 950s at $500 are champions at it.
octokid321
17
Dec 7, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
TL;DR-Amazing and recomended but have certain quirks that you must deal with.
Ive owned these for almost two years now. If i had written this review when i first got them i wouldve given them 5 stars. However things have changed and i have since acquired and listened to better headphones that have completely changed my definition of 5 stars. With that out of the way lets get into it.
These headphones are great and in some areas amazing. They were my first set of electrostatics so naturally i was blown away by the speed, clarity, etherealness of the sound. The bass on this headphone is decent. Its very neutral, if not slightly bass light. However it is clear, punchy, and fast. But this along with most other electrostatics, isnt gonna blow you away in the bass department, unless EQ is applied. If you are a bass head this is not the headphone for you as are most other estats with a few notable,but very pricey, exceptions. Stick to planars and dynamics for that. However if that doesnt describe you and you are someone that revells in the mids and treble then please keep reading. The mids and the treble are nothing short of transformative. If your have never experienced estats before this is the area of the sound that they are known for. They have speed, clarity, impactfullness, and an almost "ethereal" quality to them. Youll hear that word alot if you decide to go down the estat rabbit hole. While it almost sounds pretentious, after owning a few sets of estats now, it is an accurate description. The sound is so quick and so clear that its like it appears from thin air and then vanishes as quickly as it came. Now you might be thinking "holy crap this sounds amazing let me buy these right now!" STOP! Before you purchase these there are a few very important quirks and features (doug demuro would be proud) that you MUST be aware of with these headphones and other estats in general. I will list them as follows:
- DUST, DUST,DUST- I cannot stress this enough. Due to the nature of electrostatic driver construction (something which i wont get into here to save time, google is your friend) dust is the kryptonite of estats. Dust will weigh down the driver and cause popping, hizzing, and other electrical noises that deminish sound quality. It will, not it can, it WILL cause these problems aswell as channel imbalances. Store these in a dust free enviroment. I literally just drape a big ziplock bag over them when not in use. Cheap but effective.
- Wierd noise- These headphones can make wierd noises when music is not being played while turned on. It sounds like electrical noise or squealing. Usually tapping the cups gently with your fingers fixes the problem. This is my only pair of estats that do this, my other ones dont have this problem. However this problem while remedied easily is just a part of this headphone's character as it is very common among owners. Sometimes these noises can become permenant so its a good thing koss has a legendary no hassel life time warranty. Most of these noises are due to the energizer unit being subpar which is will expand on in the energizer section of this review.
- Energizer- An energizer is just a fancy word for an electrostatic amplifier. This heaphone comes with one, which is part of the reason this deal is game changing. These headphones by themselves are already a steal at 500$. That being said this energizer, the E90, is the weakest link in this system. It is very cheaply made and has had the same design since it was released in 1990. As such it is very prone to electrical noise and makes the headphones operate at a fraction of their potential. The electrical noise can be remedied by buying an aftermarket 9v power supply. IFI makes a great one for 50$. The sound quality can only be remedied by buying a better STAX amp(used ones start at around 500$ and only go up from there) but you must also purchase a cable adapter and those cost atleast 100$. Now before this is disheartening, the stock amp still sounds great and is likely leagues above anything else most people are used to hearing. I only mention its short comings to give you an idea of an upgrade path with this headphone as well as inform any estat enthusiasts that read this.
- Warranty- As stated above the koss lifetime warranty is legendary and you WILL use it at some point when owning this heaphone. They are very delicate and will accumulate dust causing all the previously stated problems no matter how careful you are. My personal pair has to be sent out due to a channel imbalance that appeared a couple months ago and i babied them. Now this isnt too big of deal because it is a lifetime warranty but its still an annoyance and unfortunatly just another part of owning this headphone.
- WORK- If all the afformentioned quirks and features havent spelled it out yet, owning Estats is work. They have problems unique to them. They cost a mountain of money(exluding this bundle). They have to be stored properly. They require special hardware to work properly. I could go on but i think you get it.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
DennisB
16
Jan 20, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Very impressed right out of the box.
I would dispute the other reviewers on the "quality" of the headphone build. For home listening , they are well constructed..........the only time I see it being a problem is if you are an NFL coach and you want to rip them off your head and fire them into the ground they probably won't make it thru the season. Otherwise , what are they doing with their cans? GREAT DEAL at this price. Dennis B
adeadcrab
258
Dec 12, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Unique + A Good Deal
Some might call the build 'flmisy' or 'cheap'. I would call it aerodynamic and lightweight. Space age.
I wanted some time with these headphones before giving them a review, and I'm glad I did. Initially I thought they were decent, but not reference quality as they have a tonally dark sound signature. While it sounds phenomenal out of the box with older recordings and acoustic guitar-dominated records, it doesn't have neither the slam in the low-end, nor the tizzying highs (there is a headphone currently on Drop that does those things in spades. I'll let you guess which one).
The real magic, I found, came after watching a youtube review by Metal571 where they extolled the virtues of EQ on the 95x. I have been a lifelong skeptic of EQ, partly due to a warped pride in refusing software to 'fix' my headphones, partly laziness, and partly a sense of being overwhelmed by the choices presented to me through the EQ panel. Luckily, there is someone called 'Oratory' who has done most of the legwork. Here is their EQ settings -
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vpktmiuj5ogw67p/Koss%20ESP%3A95X.pdf?dl=0
This fixes much of what was lacking, although I've adjusted these numbers to lessen the big valleys between the midrange and the rest of the audio spectrum.
So, with that out of the way -
The 95x being electrostatic has unique staging and imaging qualities, thanks to the massive drivers and earcups. Compared to other headphones, it almost 'stretches' the image vertically. You get used to it quickly, and is probably my favourite headphone for live recordings where it replicates the space of a concert with ease.
The soundstage is quite good, doubly so with a Linear Power Supply to replace the stock wall wart, and doubly again using a preamp to feed the signal to the energizer. Speaking of the energizer, I have had to channel match with a sound level meter, only to find one of the channels has increased in volume on its own! I have them turned up nearly to the max on the energizer, using digital attenuation, so your mileage may vary. This is the main negative I've experienced.
Oh, you may experience some crackling noises from time to time. This was plaguing me for weeks, I even asked for a replacement unit (which Drop so kindly sent out before even receiving the defective unit) only to have the crackling persist. Eventually, I tried turning off both the energizer and the LPS at night, giving them a rest before the next day of listening to the 95x. This has worked for many months so I think that was the issue.
I also experienced ground loop hum, the energizer is susceptible to electrical intereference and turning off the motor in my motorized desk fixed this.
With these EQ tweaks and details to keep in mind I am now enjoying a reference-level electrostatic system. I may get some new earpads from Vesper down the line for a more premium fit and feel.
Thanks Koss and Drop for collaborating and giving members of the community this opportunity!
Recommends this product? Yes
ManofTaste
4
Apr 9, 2020
adeadcrabWhich linear power supply did you purchase? Inquiring minds want to know!
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