$400 for yet another pair of headphones makes you like Scrooge McDuck, youâre fine.
You have many convenience headphones, go ahead and roll with the Koss ESP/95x if it strikes your fancy.
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I will repeat, under $500 if you have access to good music/source, the Koss system as a whole is a damned near unbeatable deal. You have an energizer and headphones that gives detail, quality and clarity. Add a good source and DAC and you are set for any average situation and genre. Yes it does not do everything exemplary and it has limitations in volume, the very low end And some soundstage but overall you get a great value and a nice higher end system for a relatively reasonable price compared to other options available in this hobby and best of all KOSS has an exceptional service, return, replacement policy! Head and shoulders Better and above and beyond most other manufacturers despite the high level of Failure RELATIVE to how many pieces have been sold over the past 2 decades.
If i had started with the Koss system and was not obsessive compulsive i would have simply stopped there and moved on with my lifeâŠ
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I second this. The 95X is great (I really like it w/ Dekoni pads). Enjoy it with video games (itâs shockingly good for competitive shooters) & non-basshead music. Use basshead headphones for basshead tracks and your wallet will thank you =).
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Hey⊠at least Koss is nice enough to make sure they still play music even if the drivers are defective (ahem Hifiman and Focal). 
I jest. Koss please get your shit together. The SP330 among other headphones could have been great - on-ear, closed back, d-cups, detachable cable, good tuning, good price⊠but then detachable earcups too.
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This one can be improved in the bass area with an amplifier which has a boost bass. The Esp95x become to another level of awesomeness. I verified this using the fiio Q1, I can tell that some little bit of detail is missed, but there are still amazing and satisfying results in the bass.
I am taking seriously buying the if zen can in order to improve the results in the bass and detail manner.
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Hey guys, would the koss be an upgrade to a an hd650 + little dot mk2? I like the tonality of my Sennheisers, but being used to high-end stereo speaker setups, they seem too âheadphoneyâ and claustrophobic, sometimes lacking in resolution and separation. For example, when listening to Jacob Collierâs Moon River (the more complex sections), the sound becomes smeared and shouty, lacking in clarity. Would the ESP95x help?
Idk how a 95X would compare to an HD650, but the 95X is quite detailed with good seperation and some sembelence of depth and height. None of my dynamics (all under $200 though) even come close to sheer detail retrieval and texture.
If you think the 650 sounds too âheadphone-yâ the 95X may not be it. The FR, dynamic compression, and lack of bass impact compared to a typical dynamic makes it a pretty sterile/boring experience to some people. I think it is a pretty unique and cool presentation, but definitely a bit reserved/restrained/laidback.
I would describe the sound to be sort of floaty, effortless, aloof.
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âAdd a subâ 
But⊠really⊠
Does this mean âthe ESP/95X has no dust coversâ was a lie all along? 
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Do they distort when you boost the low end in a comfortable spot? I meanâŠcan the driver produce clean low end punch if EQ-ed in that area?
And sorry for the dumb question, but will my JDS Element 2 pair well with this system? Iâm not yet familiar with energizers and how to connect them.
Regardless of what headphones you use, youâre gonna want to use a negative pre-amp gain in the EQ if you boost a frequency so the signal doesnât clip digitally (I think thats how software EQ works, correct me if Iâm wrong).
As for the actual drivers, no, I donât really hear distortion from moderate bass-boosting. People often say the 95X are very friendly to EQ. Have no issues cranking it up for classical music either.
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They can get a pretty fair amount of slam with some eq but you gotta be careful how you do it or it gets really weird in the mids
has anyone done pad swapping on the 95x to see what difference that can make?
Your options are slim with the headphone due to how large the cups are. I very much prefer my vesper pads on them. Pads goes Vesper hybrid>Stock>Dekoni Fenestrated. The Dekonis are good, but they donât bring the low end that these need. Just remember that with seal and slam comes the minor annoyance of the membrane sticking to the stators. Happens to me with the Vesper pads far more than the other 2 FYI.
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i like the dekoni fenestrated ones personally but if there was a huge comfy velour option i guarantee that would be my preference
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I went with the Dekoni Fenestrated and never looked back. They retained most of what I like about the sound and are very comfortable
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Sorry if already answered, but which Vesper pads exactly are you talking about? I see like at least 5 types of Vesper pads for the ESP/95x in their website and also Iâve no idea how to order them (probably by email).
Also, is it really worth it getting Vesper pads if I have to EQ them anyway?
So, if you EQ and get a good seal to begin with, comfort is the difference then. Vesper pads are more comfortable to me. I use hybrid pads, leather and alcantara/suede. Prob. suede tbh since mine were not custom ordered.
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Seriously considering whether I should get some angled. The stock pads feel fine, but pressure between front and back are different lol. So annoying. I donât want to bend the arms like Zeos did eitherâŠ
Angled pads are really good!
if you go the vesper route, send them an email and ask for conditions/ options.i think the prices are really fair!
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