If you only have a zen dac to drive them, I would def go for the 95x imo, the ananda will not preform all that well on a zen dac
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Jetman is selling a set on the Buy / Sell thread. I traded those to him a few months ago. I can guarantee you those are a very well taken care of headphones, and Jetman is great to do business with in my experience. FYI.
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I am not at all an expert, but wouldnât the warmer sound of the zen dac tame the slightly bright ananda?
I think the trouble is that itâs not a proper level of power for them.
Aha. Yes, the zen dac is not very powerful, however the ananda is about 102db/mW and 25 ohms
Do you have any experience with the ananda? Is it really hard to drive?
The zen dac is indeed warmer, but also somewhat slightly peaky in the treble as well
That is true, but they also really appreciate power, remember that sensitivity is just a rating of how much volume 1mw gives a 1khz tone will get, unrepresentative of music and they never tell you it will sound good at that level lol, to actually get the drivers moving during music and sound somewhat dynamic, the ananda appreciates having more current behind it than the zen dac can provide
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Thanks. Also sometimes my harsher headphones sound louder than it actually is and with warm headphones I get really loud without noticing. I guess volume is also slightly subjective. I also have a 5V external power source for the zen dac, donât know if it helps?
Can see that
It would, but it wouldnât really improve the zen for use with the ananda (but will improve itâs quality for something like a 58x or for use as a dac)
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hello i bought an old system stax (sigma with srd7 low bias) and i would like to know your opinion on their difference from a koss system.
thank you 
So unfortunately itâs been quite a long time since Iâve heard a sr-sigma, so I canât really remember what one sounds like to make a comparison
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Not sure if I asked already⊠but is it actually worth it buying a STAX energizer+adapter to replace the ESP/95xâs energizer (as DMS recommended)? Or if I am willing to spend more on electrostats, to just get a STAX system instead and sell my Koss system?
I canât decide which one would be more worth it if I currently have only the 95x system.
It is worthwhile as long as you enjoy the 95x in stock form, although once you get to a certain level it is worthwhile to move to a higher end stax like the l700 or 007/009 (or other higher end stats), but on the same amp I think it can still make sense to stick with the 95x over a l300 or l500. I just wouldnât spend over a grand on the energizer for the 95x as at that point you might as well upgrade the estat itself after you do that
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Yeah, my point as well.
Did any reviewers actually test with a STAX energizer? I donât remember that, but if someone can confirm that the improvement is small, then I also donât think investing 2-3 times the price of the whole Koss system for such a tiny improvement is a good idea.
I got my ESP/95x 2 days ago. The detail retrieval is insane! Out of the box they sounded very good and never offensive.
But lows were indeed weak and not punchy, so I boosted them a few dB with EQ. I lowered the 1.2 kHz peak, as well as lowering the treble just a tiny bit to make them nicely chill.
Now they sound perfect!
I just hope my future hybrid leather Vesper pads donât change the frequencies, because I wonât be sure how to EQ them in this case.
Not that these need heavy EQ at all⊠they are great, I just wanted to make them perfect with slight changes.
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Damn itâŠthey lasted only a few days until constant buzzing white noise appeared in my right ear cup. Since Iâm in EU, I really hope I donât have to pay the huge customs taxes (twice?) for sending them for repair lol
Did you try it on a different power socket in your home? I had a similar issue with white noise hum. I switched to another socket in my room and it was gone
No, I only tried on a power strip where I connect all my devices (PC, monitor, a hub, speakers, the amplifier and the energizer). You are suggesting I move the energizer to a separate outlet? I thought I was way below the max limit of the power strip, but I will try it.
I have had experience with 2 pairs (3 if you consider the 2nd one I got back from repair as ânewâ again) and they all squealed a little within the first hours of use. My 2nd pair which I have now is silent ever since.
My first one was defective with consistent squealing in my left driver. I put up with it for a week and tried various stuff like tapping the side, changing outlets, blowing air through the cups, etc before asking for a replacement from Drop.
Koss quality. 
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I would try it. I remember that one old powerstrip produced noise aswell with the 95/X. Maybe it helpsâŠ
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MON has tried them with several stax energizers. They say there is a noticeable improvement.
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