I'll probably catch alot of flak on this but I dumped my Sennheiser HD600 for the Koss ESP/950 and never looked back. To my ears, there was no comparison; the low distortion and low coloration of the Koss made the Senn sound crude in comparison.
In addition I found the Koss to be a little more comfortable. By the way I found a brand new pair on Ebay for $375. It's been said many times that the Senn HD600/650 needs good amplification and that adds to signifcant cost.
There is a downside to the Koss, though. Build quality isn't as good as the Senn. For whatever marketing reasons Koss imagined this as a portable/home unit which compromised build quality. The phones come apart if handled in a certain way. Really, how many people are walking around with a Walkman attached to 6 cell battery pack attached to the dedicated amp unit attached to phones that are about the size of the HD600? What was Koss thinking? It would have been much better to construct an amp with better rca connectors and a dual concentric volume controls that accurately tracks.
I really think the Koss is an overlooked gem if you can find it priced under $400 or so. And, no, I haven't heard Stax phones in many years. I have no doubt that they rule supreme.
In addition I found the Koss to be a little more comfortable. By the way I found a brand new pair on Ebay for $375. It's been said many times that the Senn HD600/650 needs good amplification and that adds to signifcant cost.
There is a downside to the Koss, though. Build quality isn't as good as the Senn. For whatever marketing reasons Koss imagined this as a portable/home unit which compromised build quality. The phones come apart if handled in a certain way. Really, how many people are walking around with a Walkman attached to 6 cell battery pack attached to the dedicated amp unit attached to phones that are about the size of the HD600? What was Koss thinking? It would have been much better to construct an amp with better rca connectors and a dual concentric volume controls that accurately tracks.
I really think the Koss is an overlooked gem if you can find it priced under $400 or so. And, no, I haven't heard Stax phones in many years. I have no doubt that they rule supreme.