Koss ESP-950 or HD650

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by MoZo1971, Dec 25, 2015.

  1. MoZo1971

    MoZo1971 New

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    First let me start by wishing you all a merry Xmas!

    As the title says I have those 2 headphones on my radar ... Amazon.ca has the 950 at 50% (599.99 CDN) I know these are very different headphones but I would welcome some feedback in terms of value and key sonic differences from people who know both

    Thx !
     
  2. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    I'm particularly curious about the Koss ESP950 too.

    I own a modded HD650 (aka HD850) driven by Yggdrasil/ZDS as my reference listening system. This easily beats the pants off most so-called TOTL stat setups I've heard IMO but I never did get to try out the ESP950. Some say it's a fairly good stat phone despite its low price although one should upgrade the amp with an aftermarket one.

    At their best, how does the ESP950 compare with HD650? Will it serve as a good complimentary headphone to HD650 or not so much?
     
  3. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    ESP950 can be seen as complementary. It has the lighter estat timbre, w/o the Stax plastic sound. HD6xx will out resolve the ESP950 once you start scaling up the system. I think of the ESP950 as an estat Paradox really.
     
  4. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    I've been thinking about picking up an ESP next time it goes on sale for the $600-700 range. Seems impressive that it's still pulling a VG on Purrin's list after all of these years for a reasonable price.

    I've read bad impressions regarding durability, but considering the price and lifetime guarantee it seems worth trying. Are there any good mods for the stock amp to boost performance?
     
  5. New Reformation

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    I know that my impression does not line up with some others, but I really think that the ESP/950 has a lot of resolution and that it's near distortion-free playback makes for a more transparent sound than the HD650 can reproduce. Sub-bass is also a lot better on the ESP/950's once you get a good seal with the pads (which may require a little DIY). However, I can hear some peakiness/glare (NOT to be understood as brightness...) in the HD650 that REALLY gets on my nerves now that I have noticed it. Comparatively, the ESP/950 has more treble and is much faster, but this relative brightness never leads to fatigue.

    In my experience the use a tube preamp in front of the stock amp can have a nice effect on the overall sound as well.
     
  6. JonCharles

    JonCharles Friend

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    Having owned both, I would say that the HD650 (at least the one I bought this year) is the headphone that I have enjoyed more. There is noticeably more resolution, it hits much harder than the 950 can, and is definitely the more comfortable and sturdy headphone. It also has a silky smooth and detailed midrange that I have never found in other headphones. That being said, the 950 has all the obvious advantages that a e-stat has, along with a fuller tonality than the Stax Lambdas that I have heard. Both headphones are among the best that I have heard for avoiding bright and glaring treble without sounding shelved.

    I would recommend the ESP950 if you know that you enjoy the stat sound, or want to round out a collection. Even though I consider the modern HD650 to be superior, you can't go wrong with either. Even the superior build quality of the Sennheiser has to compete with the excellent lifetime warranty that Koss offers.
     
  7. New Reformation

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    This is a completely honest question: For those who believe it, how do you understand the HD650 to have more resolution than the ESP/950? Are we talking about micro-details? Additionally, is there a way that I can more clearly compare the resolving ability of these two headphones in particular?

    I have been A/Bing these headphones and while they have different sound sigs, the main impression that I come away with is that the ESP/950 is much more transparent sounding with added treble clarity. Maybe my mods which ensure the pads seal, and seal/dampen the baffle make a more significant difference than first thought...
     
  8. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    @New Reformation

    I agree that the ESP950 is more transparent sounding. You get a more effortless sense of hearing the music. At the same time, I think the 950 is more forgiving (although forgiving is often used in a different connotation) in the sense that it's not showing you everything on the recording. Not a warm, rolled-to-shit forgiving, but rather a pleasant, effortless, euphonic forgiving. Hope that makes sense. These things are up to interpretation ultimately.

    FWIW, my reference point is the HD600 rather than the HD650. HD650 is overly bloomy, even purrin's "improved" version.
     

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