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Massdrop X KOSS ESP/95X Electrostatic Headphone Review

Jake71

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Just a heads up that Drop has this system up again - now $390.
Interestingly they have a gras measurement up, the results are quite different from what Amir found.

I think the measurements look very similar to Amir's results, it's just a matter of different scale and format.
 

AudioJester

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Ah, yes - the scaling got me when looking at the bass response.
 

thisisalloneword

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I absolutely disagree with the first post, I strongly recommend Koss imho

I agree. I can only compare them to the two other headphones I own ( Grado SR-80e and Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee ). The Koss is the most natural sounding . In fact I almost find the Sennheiser unlistenable now. However, the Sennheiser is certainly more "impressive" sounding. If I wanted to show off my system to some average Joe, I would have them listen with the Sennheiser .

The Koss sounds uncolored and non-fatiguing. Brings out more details than both the Grado and Sennheiser . This is just my impression from owning it for a couple month.

I do agree when I first heard the Koss I was not a fan. It took some back/forth listening to get used to the sound since the lack of pounding bass threw me off.
 

Not Daijoubu

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As far as construction goes, I don't think it's bad. Cheap-looking yes but more than adequate enough for practical use. The vinyl headband makes no attempt of feeling like good leatherette, but fit and finish on the plastic and metal parts are excellent, devoid of warping, flash, chipping, etc. Only real issue is some creakiness, though it isn't a big deal to me.

To a non-enthusiast, I'm sure my AD900x would look more premium, but I do think the 95X is better sounding overall.
 

someguy1

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It might help convince if you have some objective reasons why..

As I actually also don't agree with the not recommend status:
Here are some (mostly subjective reasons) why (and some STAX comparison):
- Generally those headphones have a full response (not a super fan of Harman +6db, personally I would do +3db <100Hz above flat)
- with the bass being (for me) like 3db too low and the treble around 1-2db to low (I would not complain about the trebble part)
- but generally it is well extended (actually they EQ quite well)
- only it is kind of reversed slightly 'V' signature
- they are also very clean (not artificially clean)
- it is easy to extract (even some sub-bass) information [with the difference with STAX Lambdas, where there is for me like boost around 50 db, but there is no 20=30-40Hz? content completly; the linear bass shown sometimes for Lambdas is a theoretical concept for: probably when the angled drivers are being forced to be parallel? ]
- no distortion in the bass and very smooth treble
- in summary both treble and bass are not in your face but it is easy to extract information
- the mids are pushed in a way that is very hard to describe, like very wide but small boost above fundamental frequencies: some people might actually like/love that
- it is kind of if you had a coloring book and mids would be precolored by laser print/marker, and rest of spectrum would be colored by pencil crayons [bit different what STAX does, when the boost in the mids can by described by "honky" or something similar, and might be more annoying]
- generally lightweight, not offending sound
- additionally those have large but rather 2d headspace (compared with smaller and 3D space of Lambdas: angled drivers?) with fairly sized instruments
- which basically adds on to the fact that it is really easy to extract information (I used this phrase for the 3rd time :( ) from this headphone, even though noting is really in your face
- this headphone kind of grows on you (generally such statement is indicative of problems, but here it has more to do with the relaxed character and some mid-focus, where some parts might feel like missing, espacially if you expect something out of ordinary)
- not much of a wow-factor (maybe withthe exception of a large feeling for freedom/expanse in the headspace) so I do understand people which are underwhelm by it [by comparison with STAX 307 you get that bass boost, at least with pop music, and the 3D/holographic soundstaging + that boost near 1kHz which make the voices stand up from the rest: somewhat artificial? clearness of sound]
- very light weight on your head: you almost don't feel them [contrary to stax, where at minimum the pads are too shallow]
 
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milosz

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I am listening to my ESP-950's now with Amirm's EQ (but I added a bit more low frequency) on my KGSSHV

They sound pretty good. I'd say more open sounding, smoother highs than my 4-screw Hifiman HE6's (again with Amirm's EQ). Not as good as my Stax SR-007 mk I's (Eq'd) - the SR-007's have tighter, deeper bass and better spatial sound. ("imaging" if you must use that term, but I contend that headphones don't "image" at all, only speakers in a room present an image, or I suppose headphones could if you had a head- tracking DSP like that Smyth gizmo) Headphones can give a spatial effect but this is not imaging.

Anyway I think anyone who has electrostatic headphones ought to try an amp that has better bias regulation, more linear amplification and much greater voltage swing than the Stax amps or the little Koss box. Getting my KGSSHV was a revelation. Maybe there are other amps out there that work as well as the Gilmore designs, I am not familiar with any but there's no reason why such amps could not be designed and built. With the Stax amps I've used, decent levels of low frequency EQ cause the amp to sound like "bluph bluph" instead of "boom boom" on kickdrum. The stax amps just can't swing enough voltage - add some EQ using a Stax amp? Forgetaboutit.
 

Atratusnex

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HAHAHAHA

So I assume you have a better idea to share with us?
Ya.. The Oratory1990 optimum HIFI target ...similar in mid and treble to Harman, less in bass

Oratory1990 about his target
A headphone version of B&K‘s 1974 Optimum HiFi curve.
Turns out that it essentially confirms Harman‘s research: Same results at mid and treble, and slightly different results in the bass (which is well within the scope of Harman‘s research. Bass needs to be personalized, as the Harman papers make abundantly clear).

It sounds far better to me... than the harman target amirm uses.
 
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Atratusnex

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HAHAHAHA

So I assume you have a better idea to share with us?
And to add further

"The Optimum HiFi curve is virtually identical to the Harman Curve, except :

In the bass region (around 20-175 Hz), where there is a clear bass attenuation that reaches -5.5 dB

In the high treble region (around 6-10 KHz), where there is a slight treble attenuation that reaches -1 dB, probably hard to notice by ear
The bass attenuation brings out the midrange and the treble, which can be great on a variety of songs "


out of the Mega Switcher for Equalizer APO Manual, by Jose de la Mancha
 

Svperstar

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My Koss 95X developed an issue where if you jiggled the cable the right headphone would go up and down in volume, and also got the dreaded buzzing noise coming from the energizer.

I sent them off Wednesday before last with a check for $9, they were delivered last Friday to Koss. I called them Tuesday for a status update. They let me know they were being worked on and should ship out soon. I asked them to please ship them back USPS. They said they would email me a tracking number.

They showed back up at my place today sent USPS 2 Day priority and I wasn't charged for that, never got a tracking number but no biggie. New cable and I am not hearing the buzzing anymore.

The most annoying thing with the 95X is the horrible volume knob which you will always slightly knock off balance. I got a little preamp with a volume knob that has tubes. It takes a minute to power up as the tubes turn on. Instead of using the built in volume knob on the 95X I just use my little tube preamps knob:
20230115_010500.jpg


I use the AutoEQ profile plus I have played around with +bass on the RME ADI-2, bass sounds fine with the combination of both.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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And to add further

"The Optimum HiFi curve is virtually identical to the Harman Curve, except :

In the bass region (around 20-175 Hz), where there is a clear bass attenuation that reaches -5.5 dB

In the high treble region (around 6-10 KHz), where there is a slight treble attenuation that reaches -1 dB, probably hard to notice by ear
The bass attenuation brings out the midrange and the treble, which can be great on a variety of songs "


out of the Mega Switcher for Equalizer APO Manual, by Jose de la Mancha

3. Harman & Optimum HiFi.png


Blue = Harman AE-OE 2018, Red = Optimum HiFi.
It's all a matter of taste, really. But why choose when my little app brings both curves at our fingertips? ;)
 

abm0

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I absolutely disagree with the first post, I strongly recommend Koss imho
Same. Sounds like a review after rushing to test the 95X right out of the box, no foreplay, no energizing it for tens of hours, no warming it up with playback for 1-2 hours, and likely no A/B vs. something else in the price bracket. Once I warmed this thing up it absolutely smoked my HE-400i on stock tonality, extension, bass punch, stage size and instrument separation / detail. No speed? What other than speed can create such levels of instrument separation?

Only significant open question I still have is on the dynamics / "body" of the sounds / depth of the stage - I will have to A/B again for those. After 1-2h of warmup playback I find barely a thing left to be desired from its bass, maybe some extra energy below 40-50 Hz.

Could be Amir's starting expectations were too high because of all the hype around electrostatics(?), but the 95X absolutely satisfied my expectations for bringing a big jump in SQ over my 400i - worth every last eurocent I paid for it. And I haven't even EQ'd it to my HRTF yet.
 
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Jose Hidalgo

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  • Friendly reminder: we are on ASR here. Any subjective claims that aren't backed up by actual science/measurements are worth nothing here.
  • Personal thought: I don't want a headphone that I need to "foreplay" / "warm up for 1-2 hours" every time I want to use it. That thing alone is utter nonsense. :facepalm:
  • Same as "energizing it for tens of hours". Nobody has ever proven (as in "scientifically proven") the benefits of tens of hours of break-in time for an equipment.
  • Additionnal comment: No need to discuss further IMHO, unless you can back up your claims with science. Feel free to do so of course. :)
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Like I said, that is not science. Just people with "a lot of experience" talking, talking and... wait for it... talking.

If it doesn't measure, it doesn't exist. All other discussions belong on "audiophile" forums, not on ASR.

Happy listening with your estats. No more discussing on my side.
 

abm0

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Like I said, that is not science.
I don't know what Cult of the Holy Graph it is that you believe in, but in our human world anecdotal reports are absolutely part of human science. They often appear at the beginning of the scientific process, as the first motivator for more rigorous experiments and measurements to be performed, but also sometimes later as triggers for updates to our otherwise well-established body of knowledge, like the accumulation of patient reports of side-effects of medications after their public release, which can trigger changes in medical practice and even in regulatory provisions.

If it doesn't measure, it doesn't exist.
Who said changes to estat performance with the duration they're energized "don't measure"? Whom have you seen try this and fail to find anything?
 

IAtaman

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anecdotal reports are absolutely part of human science.
If by "anecdotal reports" you mean normal people's observations that contradicted current science, and later discovered to be correct, driving scientific knowledge forward, I agree, that does happen. However it is also demonstrably anecdotal, as in, for every case you can find for such observation resulting in advancement in human knowledge, I can produce a million that it is just people being ignorant.
 
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