ES Labs ES1a (homage to the Stax SR Omega)

I am using a DIY KGSSHV carbon Amp. I find that it’s a great estat amp and that extra power that it can deliver over any current stax amp really helps something a lot like the SR007 since they are very inefficient. The ES1a and SR009 also benefit from the carbon but if you want or have to go with other options that may not have the same amount of power it does not take a bigger hit to SQ. I’ve got another amp on the way but I’ll need more time with it.

about the company, well it’s a one man show and from what I’ve gathered he’s a engineer and musician. He’s been repairing headphones for awhile and had been thinking of making his own for a while. Funny thing is I found this ES1a listed on eBay Canada and without spotting it I would have missed it. Interestingly I have a friend who fixed another friend’s Stax SR Omega however dust got inside after sometime the friend who has the SR omega somehow found this guy at ES labs and he fixed that pair. Interestingly enough during the last DC meet in December I was able to hear that same SR omega. It was great sounding and I feel ES lab workmanship is excellent. Removing dust from estats is no joke esp on a pair of 10k unobtainium SR omegas.
From what I’ve been told atm he been selling in Asia and was delaying being known more widely, I think it’s that he makes about less than 10 of these a month and it’s hard already to keep up with domestic demand.

 

550 grams puts it into 'just bearable' territory for me, the suspension headband does a great deal to relieve the pressure and make the weight comfortable if the length \ width of the band is adequate.

Would love to hear these but i'd need to sell additional gear to afford them at this point Lets get a loaner going.

 

ESLab ES-1α Measurements:
(MiniDSP EARS. 500Hz 84dB normalized. All graphs use 1/12 smoothing.)
(Notice: Electrostatic measurements and headphone measurements are using different rigs)
(Headphone Rig #1: Laptop->Oppo Sonica->Massdrop THX 789->MiniDSP EARS Rig #1)
(Electrostatic Rig #2: Laptop->Soncoz SGD-1->STAX SRM-T1W->MiniDSP EARS Rig #2)

(^MiniDSP Ears #1 (blue) vs MiniDSP Ears #2 (red) measuring the same Sennheiser HD6XX with THX 789)
*TLDR: Rig #2 (electrostatic rig) registered less bass due to the different MiniDSP EARS units & also I'm using a STAX Tube amp which may have a sub-bass rolloff.

Now with the preface out of the way, now lets get to the measurements!

ESLab ES-1α (blues) vs STAX SR-507 (reds) <Raw Measurements. Both Electrostatic Rig #2>
\\ Thick Line blue/red = Averaged

\\Solid blue/red = Left vs Light blue/red = Right

(^I had difficulty getting the Right channel to seal properly. Left channel seems to be more indicative of the sound I'm hearing and henceforth I will be just using Left channel measurements.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ESLab ES-1α (black) vs STAX SR-507 (purple) <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Both Electrostatic Rig #2, Left Only>


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Verum 1 <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>
\\ ES-1α (black) vs Verum 1 w/ Default Pads (olive) vs Verum 1 w/ Perforated Pads (brown)


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Hifiman HE-500 Focus-A Pad (green) vs Audeze LCD-2 non-Fazor Dekoni Velour Pads (red) <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Focal Elex (lilac) vs SendyAudio Aiva (orange) <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Beyerdynamic DT1990 w/ Analytical Pads (teal) <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Sennheiser HD800S (crimson) <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>


ESLab ES-1α (black) vs Sennheiser HD6## <Pur1n's SBAF Compensation. Rig #2 vs Rig #1, Left Only>
// ES-1α (black) vs HD600 (brown) vs HD6XX/650 (pink) vs HD58X (red) vs HD660S (green)


My Early Impressions:
I feel the ES-1α has very natural bass and mids and that is comparable to DT1990 w/ Analytical Pads, Verum 1, Hifiman HE-500 & Audeze LCD2. There is some brightness in the 1.5kHz region which is more elevated than the Sennheiser HD600 and are also present on the SR-507, SR-007, Focal Elex and SendyAudio Aiva. Upper treble is well extended giving it an airy feel and big soundstage. The uneven treble does make some vocals (particularly female vocals) recessed like in the HD800S, which you may or may not like.

 

After measuring the ES-1α yesterday, I became concerned with the 1200Hz peak and went to EqualizerAPO to try to EQ out that huge peak. Here are my findings after fiddling with EQ.

v1) Firstly I tried to get the 300Hz-2000Hz to my beloved HD800S as closely as possible
This meant getting as much as -7.5dB@1200Hz and -6.4dB@1000Hz
In the first few iterations, I instantly felt female vocals getting cleaner and no longer heard the nasal sound. However as I approached the set target, I instantly felt the sound quality drastically reduced. Vocals no longer sounded nasal but now sounded rather plasticky and the sharpness within tracks were more pronounced.


v2) After looking at some graphs at diyaudioheaven, I decided to focus on the 1000Hz region.
I decided to reduce the emphasis on the 1200Hz-2000Hz region and sound fidelity improved, gaining clarity.
At this point it was -4dB@1000Hz but I felt I was trying to EQ it too much.


v3) After referring to my measurements of the revered Sennheiser HD6## series, I decided to get it to -2dB@1000Hz.
I adjusted and removed many of peaking filters and ended up with this final iteration.
This EQ removed the nasal just enough that I could no longer notice the nasal & tinny sound from my songs.
I kept the adjustments on the 300Hz-700Hz region but you could remove it without affecting fidelity,


v4) I tried adding sub-bass by using a low-shelf filter of +4.5dB@20Hz.
My measurements showed -5.5dB@10Hz but the SRM-T1W was specified to be ±1dB@DC-20Hz so I set it at 4.5dB.
I felt that the difference was minimal and this reduced fidelity overall because I had to do adjust the whole frequency band by using a preamplification of -4.5dB and also limited the volume you can push your headphone/amp to.


To conclude, I feel the only noticeable sonic weakness of this headphone during my early impressions seems to stem in the 1kHz region. It's surprising how a -2dB EQ can affect the fidelity of this headphone and it's a testament to how sensitive our hearing is in this region. As with any headphone and IEM, there is some sibilance with the ES-1α but the EQ for that is dependent on the length of your own ear canal.

 

Note: friend’s Stax SR Omega however dust got inside after sometime the friend who has the SR omega somehow found this guy at ES labs and he fixed that pair. = I the omega that was repair was not done by ES labs tho eS labs has repaired omegas before.

 

I believe it is just a single guy, and big thanks to him for sending the ES-1A my way for a demo. I was initially going to listen to it before I made my own eStat purchase... but I wound up getting a good enough deal on a new in Box 009 that I couldn't pass it up.

Which worked out as I prefer "bright neutral" headphones anyways. So HD 800 (SDR) and 009 on Tubes and the Dan Clark x Drop Ether CX without the stock foam on a solid state amp sound the most correct to my ears.



First and foremost I want to thank the Team at ES Lab for giving my self the chance to hear this headphone! While minimal, the overall presentation in person is stunningly polished. The grain on the wood storage box has both a nice feel and look to it, there's even a pair of wood wings for the outer face of the cup which make the headphone lighter.
Additionally there are two sets of pads, a "dark" pad with a fabric center and another set of pads without the fabric. For this review the Dark Pads were used as they removed some mid-range etch at the expense of just a little top end energy.

Overall Sound Signature

ES-1A has a slightly dark neutral sound with a rich harmonic presentation. I find it's sound stage to be cohesive with good precision, it's mid-range is rich with a little added body. High frequencies are a bit rolled off but don't sound lifeless or lacking extension.


What impressed me the most was it's overall speed and impact for low frequencies, it's not to often I find a headphone with this much body AND slam that doesn't come off a little sluggish at times.


Amplification and System Pairing

My current reference system includes a Bricasti M3 which runs exclusively on Networked Direct Stream for reviews, I pair it with a Mjolnir Audio CCS Modded SRM 007tA fed XLR input for Electrostats and my Modded APPJ PA 1502A SET for dynamic headphones. Additionally my Koss ESP 95X has been modded with a Stax Pro Bias Adapter and Angle'd Hybrid Vesper Pads with the stock front facing Driver Foam removed.

More aggressive DACs and dry or linear solid state amplification would pair best with ES-1A. On my tube system I did find it a little soft tho I recognize this is partly due to the amplification. My CCS Modded SRM-007tA was picked to pair with 009 to help even out it's hyper fast presentation. Regarding DACs, while I continue to find the Bricasti M3 to be un-compromising to my ears I understand not every one will be running such a source in their system.

So I can say I did prefer ES-1A with more aggressive or harder sources like the SMSL SU-9 over my own RME ADi-2, while the ADi-2 gave ES-1A slightly better detail and blackness I felt ES-1A was too round and the leading edge of sounds lacked a realistic edge with the RME ADi 2. With SU-9 the overall presentation was more natural, despite there being a bit less overall detail.

To get a feel for how ES-1A sounds I did take a moment to compare it with a few other headphones. Comparisons were done volume matched and will be listed initially with a Greater Than Rank ( x > y ). Details regarding the individual comparisons will follow as in some cases I felt there were qualities regarding an individual trait that were more different than simply better or worse. In those cases an equal sign ( = ) is used.

Relating to the low frequencies I'm listening for texture, body, and impact

Body

• L700MKii > ES-1A > 009 > 95X
• ES-1A > Elex > HD 800

Texture

• 009 > ES-1A > 95X=L700MKii
• ES-1A=HD800 > Elex

Bass Impact

• ES-1A > 009 > L700MKii, 95X
• ES-1A > Elex > HD800

Regarding the Mid-Range Frequencies I'm listening for richness, detail, and naturalness

Richness

• ES-1A > 95X > 009 > L700MKii
• ES-1A = HD800 > Elex

Detail

• 009 > ES-1A = L700MKii > 95X
• ES-1A = HD800, Elex

Naturalness

• 009 = ES-1A > 95X > L700MKii
• ES-1A > HD800 > Elex

Regarding the High Frequencies I'm listening for Response, so dark vs bright, Air, and Extension

Response

• 009 > L700MKii > ES-1A = 95X
• HD800 > Elex > ES-1A

Air

• 009 > ES-1A > 95X = L700MKii
• HD800 > ES-1A > Elex

Extension

• 009 > ES-1A = 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 > ES-1A > Elex

Regarding Sound Stage and Imaging I'm listening for Cohesion and Blackness, Size & Shape and Clarity

1. Cohesion being precise smooth movement within the audible space,
2. Blackness being how quite the trailing edge of sounds reaming before becoming indistinguishable from the noise floor

I find often times a headphone with an extremely black sound-stage is also equally cohesive and vice versa, tho "blackness" relates more to depth or far back into a room you can follow sounds


C & B

• 009 > ES-1A > 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 = ES-1A > Elex

Size & Shape

• 009 > ES-1A = 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 > ES-1A > Elex

Clarity

• 009 > ES-1A > 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 = ES-1A > Elex

Regarding the Presentation or qualities of the Envelope I'm listening for emphasis on either the;

1. Leading Edge so the attack and decay, emphasis here creates a perception of a "faster" sometimes more aggressive sound
2. Trailing Edge so the sustain and release, emphasis here creates the perception of a "slower" or laid back sound
3. Balance how the headphone presentations sound in relation to time domain regarding both the trailing and leading edges

More Aggressive

• L700MKii = 009 > ES-1A > 95X
• Elex > ES-1A = HD800

More Laid Back

• 95X > ES-1A = 009 > L700MKii
• HD800 = ES-1A > Elex

Balance

• 009 = ES-1A > 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 = ES-1A > Elex

Finally regarding Detail I'm listening for how audible and discernible transients are.

Regarding Dynamics I'm listening for how discernible both large changes in volume are, Macro Dynamics, and smaller changes in volume, Micro Dynamics

Detail

• 009 > ES-1A > L700MKii = 95X
• HD800 > ES-1A > Elex

Macro

• L700MKii > 009 > 95X > ES-1A
• HD800 = Elex > ES-1A

Micro

• 009 > ES-1A = 95X > L700MKii
• HD800 > ES-1A > Elex

1 on 1 Headphone Comparisons

Track list is entirely lossless streamed locally through my home Ethernet network and is as follows;

• Chesky Records Ultimate Demonstration Disc:
  • 15 - McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson - Ask Me Now (Presence)
  • 27 - David Chesky - Best Of Chesky Jazz And More Audiophile Tests, Volume 2 (Bass Resonance)
• Chesky Records Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc:
  • 48 - Drum Kit Dynamic Range Uncompressed Test
• Dr. Chesky's Sensational Fantastic & Simply Amazing Binarual Sound Show:
  • 15 - Choir Of The Church Of The Blessed Sacrament - Mozart Ave Verum
• Kamiya - Beethoven's Appassionata: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 - I Allegro Assai
• Sarah Jarosz - Build Me Up From Bones: Simple Twist of Fate
• Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew: I Don't Know
• The Greatest Bits - DK Island Swing
• Rob Wasserman feat Jennifer Warnes - Duets: Ballad of the Runaway Horse

ES-1A vs Focal Elex

Bass:

I found ES-1A in particular had similar levels of body but with better texture and a more linear response. Elex has a slight mid-bass hump which combined with it's fuller bodied lows makes it kinda thumpy in comparison to the more solid, tactile and extended bass on ES-1A. The Double Bass in particular had an obvious humpyness with excessive punch on Elex, where has with ES-1A there was a more cohesive full bodied KICK. Yes there was punch when the riff and play style implement it but as a whole the improved extension and linearity resulted in a much more natural sounding presentation of low frequencies.

Synthetic bass lines had the same lack of low end extension on Elex as well, where as ES-1A presented a far better impact and kick due to it's improved sub bass extension and resolution overall.

Mids:

One thing I LOVED about Elex was it's stunning body and vocal vibrato. Those sustained notes and their slight shifts came across beautifully, how ever Elex has a slight disconnect between the more lively pronunciation and sound from throat and lips and the weighty body that emanates out from one's chest. So for some tracks and vocalists it's stunning but for others it's a bit uneven.

With Elex strings often came across a bit too sharp for my tastes, lacking some body and having a bit too much bite. There was a touch of emphasis on the attack of strike of the string it self that I wasn't often a fan of. I was happy tho to find horns and other wood winds to come across naturally. With a realistic mix of both body and bite.

ES-1A on the other hand was far more cohesive, aside from an occasional minuet upper mid forwardness, I didn't find it's mid-range to be in any way uneven to the point of being a distraction. An while vocals didn't always have that beautifully vivid but emphasized vibrato, there wasn't a disconnect either I felt. So I wouldn't say it lacked "beauty" more so that it didn't add any. It's presentation in the mid range had a bit more tactility as well again providing a cohesive palpable edge throughout the entire mid range likely due to it's richer but still faster presentation.

ES-1A was to my ears more natural overall.

Highs:

Sadly Elex has some unpleasant forwardness in it's top end response. Technically this helps to add air and extension but... this is assuming you can look past the emphasis. Hard S sounds were particular forward, enough that I found it distracting.


ES-1A while have a darker less forward response was again more cohesive. With better air and extension due in part I feel to it's lack of over-emphasis.

Sound Stage, Dynamics and Detail:

For the most part ES-1A outclassed Elex in all three of these qualities, the only exception is Macro Dynamics. Elex's some what forward mid-range and top-end combined with it's relative speed give it a LOT of macro dynamic contrast. An while it doesn't lack micro dynamics it's simply not as vivid regarding micro-dynamic contrast as ES-1A.

Presentation:

Elex is noticeably more aggressive but not as balanced, it had an over-defined leading edge for some sounds but a slightly recessed edge for others. ES-1A while never having quite the "edge" that Elex can present, was far more balanced and tactile through out the entire spectrum. It was consistantly faster through the spectrum as a whole, VS Elex which is often times faster with some frequencies ranges and slower with others.

Still that's not to say Elex is by any means a bad headphone, given the $1000 difference [not including the specialized amp] I'd say Elex performed about on par.

ES-1A vs Koss 95X w/ Angle'd Vesper Pads & No Front Driver Foam

Let's start by discussing what the Angle'd Pads and removal of the Front Driver foam do for the stock Koss ESP 95X. The pads help to improve the size of it's staging, adding a touch of both width and depth and the Hybrid Vesper Pad I purchased includes a sewn dust filter which allowed me to rip out all the nasty adhesive foam covering over my 95X.

Removing this foam helped improve mid-range clarity far more than I expected!

Both headphones provide a dark neutral presentation with a rich tonality. I was surprised at how similar these two were with ES-1A coming across as a direct linear upgrade to 95X.

Bass:

95X presents a much softer polite low end, while it has fairly linear extension it's sub bass is noticeably recessed. I did find however it retained much of the same low frequency texture as ES-1A did but with far less body and impact.

ES-1A presented a richer low end with a truly linear sub-bass extension and stellar impact. What ever 95X does well with comes across on ES-1A spectacularly.

Mids:

Even with an upgrade amp, no front foam and new pads 95X retains the slightest bitch of mid-range etch. A kind of forward hardness in the presentation, an while it's NO WHERE near L700MK2 levels, it's still audible. Tho not enough that I can't ignore it after a few minutes.

ES-1A with Dark Pads does not have this etch and provides both more detail and richness. Providing a more natural sound overall.

Highs:

Both were quite similar in their presentation of higher frequencies. Dark with an audibly recessed response but not lacking in air nor extension.

Sound Stage, Detail and Dynamics:

I felt on my system both had fairly equivalent sized sound stages with ES-1A a bit deeper with better blackness. Each was equally cohesive as well with ES-1A retaining slightly better clarity as a result of it having better detail overall. Neither really struggle with congestion during busier passages of music.

Surprisingly I did find 95X had slightly better macro-dynamic contrast than ES-1A did with both having equivalent micro dynamic contrast. 95X's one flaw is it's detail, there's a level at which it simply does not render sound... so occasionally it'll simply gloss over entire transients.

ES-1A does not have this floor for detail, an often times renders full seconds of audible detail that simply is not present with 95X.

Presentation:

The trailing edge of sounds have similar presentations on both headphones, ES-1A however presents a slightly more defined leading edge over the polite Koss 95X.

Regarding balance I do feel 95X comes across as a bit laid back where as ES-1A is not. Tho It's not particularly aggressive either I'd say overall it's fairly balanced.

Ultimately I find ES-1A to again provide a direct upgrade path to those that appreciate the Koss 95X. Tho at almost triple the price I can't say it's three times as good, still I feel it's enough to merit a purchase if it will serve as your only headphone.

However in my system where 95X offers about 89% of ES-1A's detail and speed I find it serves as an excellent compliment to my own 009.

ES-1A vs HD800(sdr)

Even with SDR Mod I find HD 800 is still a Bright Neutral headphone that falls ever so slightly on the "laid back" side of things. I enjoy it mostly on Tubes my self as I appreciate it's tonality, delicate tactility, detail and beautifully immerse staging. There is some music that simply isn't the same on any other headphone.

On the flip-side we have ES-1A which is a Dark Neutral that has a rather neutral presentation on my Tube System but I'd wager would fall ever so slightly onto the "aggressive" side of things on a Solid State Amp. Tho even on Tubes it's bass Impact is on an entirely different level from HD 800 I can only imagine how much it would improve on a solid state amp more tailored to compensating it's weakness rather than the tube amp that I own which over-emphasis it's strengths.

Bass:

Not even going to mince words here, but HD 800 has no ground again'st ES-1A regarding the low frequencies. ES-1A has better texture, more body in the lows and exceptional better impact and SLAM. All of this one a tube amp that's slightly softening it's low end ...

While HD 800's texture and body aren't far behind I don't think it will ever quite match ES-1A's impact...

Mids:

I'm happy to say both headphones present a fairly equivalent mid-range in terms of both detail and richness. Ultimately I find that naturalness goes to ES-1A, as it has just the slightest bit of tactility when presenting lower mids that HD 800 simply does not. This makes drums have a bit more punchy. Some would say ES-1A has better P.R.A.T and despite my hesitation to use the term... for those familiar with it I find it's fitting to describe the difference between these two headphones. This I feel is more a function of it's presentation which I will elaborate upon in that section.

HD 800's staging works again'st it sometimes, as within certain mix's and recordings it's mid-range presentation can be a bit distant. ES-1A is overall more consistent at presenting a natural mid range.

Highs:

Where ES-1A dominates low end performance I do feel HD 800 takes the cake in the top end! I found overall it had more air and extension. Despite the slightly forward response, HD800 presented a more natural texture and decay on things like high hats and crash cymbals. Percussion in particular had an ethereal airy nature and just felt alive up top. Going back to P.R.A.T, for music that maintains a sense of time entirely within the high hats or top end HD 800 pulls ahead.

Certain styles of Jazz come to mind that employ a particular ride pattern executed exclusively with high hats and cymbals.

An Aside Regarding Music

ES-1A is rock'n'roll to the HD 800s Jazz. Regarding classical however the size of the orchestra or ensemble makes a big impact on which sounds better overall.

Sound Stage:

This is where the two have the biggest difference I feel, while ES-1A isn't intimate in of it self I feel it presents music recorded or mic'd in a more intimate manner more naturally.

On the flip side recordings captured in massive spaces feel more alive and cohesive on HD 800.

That said neither does well where the other exceeds. Mozart Ave Verum is capture'd within a MASSIVE Church with the Mic suspended in mid air. While ES-1A captures the sheer brutal FORCE of the organ better... it does not render the size of the space as transparently and naturally as HD 800 does.

Sarah Jarosz's Simple Twist of Fate has a deep but some what intimate stage with ES-1A, tho on HD 800 the musicians sound a bit too far away. While I've not seen Sarah live the many Folk shows I've attend are often held at venues where the depth of the stage is more apparent than it's width.

How something is mic'd tho makes a big difference on which presents the more natural staging and I appreciate both as they cover each other faults well.

Both maintain equal clarity with both simple'r and busier passages of music, but I do find HD 800 to be blacker. Sounds often travel deeper into HD 800's stage and are at times discernibly audible for longer periods of time.

Detail and Dynamics:

Both present stunning transient clarity with each revealing all the tiny minuet detail around how the musicians play their instruments. HD 800 however also presents more "mechanical" details, foot steps, page turns, breathing and other oddities perhaps captured during the recording process that may have been unintended.

ES-1A's some what darker tonality doesn't mask over these details but doesn't present them as vividly as HD 800 does. An I don't feel HD 800 is forward or in your face with this information, rather it's larger stage naturally accommodates these added details.

Regarding dynamics HD 800 also provides better micro and macro dynamic contrast, I'll also mention that I feel HD 800 presents more macro dynamic contrast than even the 009 on my system!

So while ES-1A's dynamics aren't by any means poor or compressed, they simply do NOT compare to the vividness and precise discernment offered by HD 800.

Presentation:

Even on tubes I find ES-1A to have better definition regarding the leading edge of sounds, it's attack was more defined with a harder edge faster decay and noticeably faster release. Each had some slight emphasis on sustain.

HD 800 on Tubes is often a bit softer, and while I have the option of swapping over to a solid Silver Cable and utilizing a solid state amp to add a touch of hardness back into to HD 800's presentation I find a high quality copper cable on a dry tube amp maintains more of HD 800's magic. Namely it's almost limitless release and blackness. There are some tracks where sounds seem to fade endlessly into silence without detracting from the clarity of the fundamentals tones that often overlap atop. HD 800's massive staging and rich harmonic profile combined make it one of my favorite dynamic headphones. An while it isn't soft and syrupy, the emphasis it places on the trailing edge of sound within that massive stage is enough to create a delicate polite perception of how the leading edges are rendered.

For my tastes adding additional hardness to HD 800's presentation kinda takes away what makes it so special, in terms of speed it simply can not match an Electrostat like ES-1A. ES-1A's more palpable presentation certainly provides a more balanced listening experience with some types of music and mixs. I would imagine on a Solid State amplifier ES-1A would prove it self an excellent compliment to HD 800 while maintain it's similar rich tonality.

Overall I find the two offer a lot of value within their respective markets despite having different defining characteristics! An honestly both would make an excellent primary headphone depending on the listeners preference.

ES-1A vs Stax 009

Going to start with totally transparency here... my system is built specifically with 009 in mind. An I'm lucky to say it performs exactly how I want on said system! The same amp that adds a bit of excessive richness and softens ES-1A... allows 009 to maintain it's insane speed and detail without sounding fake and excessively hard.

Bass:

Let's start with Impact as I feel both have equal amounts of impact just at different initial levels.

On one hand ES-1A hits HARDER but doesn't sustain that "force" as long... 009 doesn't hit with the same initial force but maintains it for a longer period. ES-1A has more body and that body eventually softens the initial IMPACT as that sound wave beings to release and fade into silence, and don't get me wrong ES-1A's impact KICKS but it doesn't always last quite as long.

009 on the other hand doesn't hit with the same initial force... but maintains a palpable sense of weight for longer as the sound fades into silence. A double bass is an excellent example, that initial kick and impact of the instrument is more vivid with ES-1A but that resulting sub sonics that continue to ring out through the floor as the string begins to rest aren't.

009 on the other hand presents that kick with just as much clarity but it feels different. There's a sense of GRIP with 009 in the low frequencies, a delicate almost limitless gentle force that just LINGERS. It's not as forceful as what ES-1A presents but it maintains a tighter grip.

This is however only true with acoustic instruments. With Electronica and EDM where synthetic bass lines are often not as complex I find ES-1A is simply better. It's heavier full bodied initial KICK sounds more correct for this style of music than 009's delicate powerful GRIP.

Mids:

Again this is another instance where the two are rather different but still equally natural. For my tastes I prefer the more vivid texture of 009 over ES-1A's richer tonal presentation.

There's a softness at times that I don't enjoy as much about ES-1A that isn't present on 009, tho my system is again geared towards complimenting 009 an often over-emphasis ES-1A's strengths. Still there's a level of detail and precision about 009 that I don't think ES-1A can match. A life like delicacy about how textures are presented atop of harmonics.

An ES-1A lacks this delicate richness to my ears and on my system rather it's often fuller and wetter than I'd like.

Drums in particular are an excellent example of this, there's a sense of immediacy weight and speed about tom drums. Not just the texture of the membrane but even the slight variation of how the drummer's stick hits...

Where as ES-1A simply presents a fuller more impactful hit without as much of that nuance.

Highs:

Once again 009 takes the cake in both it's slightly forward response, improved air and ultimate extension.

Going back to P.R.A.T 009 owns both the P.R (Pace & Rhythm) in the toms and snares alongside the A.T (And Timing) from the high hats and cymbals.

Sound Stage:

Overall I find there are times where ES-1A has a bit more width, but never the same level of blackness, depth or clarity. Like HD 800 things seem to fade into silence forever... but overall 009 isn't as expansive as HD 800 can be. So for those more intimate recordings where HD 800 sometimes falters 009 pulls ahead of even ES-1A. Returning back to this varying naturalness depending on how something is Mic'd, mixed and mastered. For my tastes and in my system HD 800 and 009 are perfect compliments, where HD 800 sounds exaggerated 009 comes across more naturally. Just as when 009 is a bit too fast or rushed HD 800 sounds just right.

Dynamics:

009 proves to have better micro and macro dynamic contrast than ES-1A.

Detail:

An were back to beating the dead horse, but here's something cool, my copy of Kamiya - Beethoven’s Appassionata: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 - I Allegro Assai is actually a vinyl rip or "Needledrop". It's off a system I trust and the 009 captures the slightest bit of noise off the vinyl it self. ES-1A and even HD 800 don't quite render this noise, but at the deepest levels of the noise floor... 009 presents this discernible and varying hiss. Not just a constant "white noise" but the sound of the needle again'st the vinyl that changes at the various depths of the record. You can hear it when the music it self suddenly becomes more intense and loud and follow it as it moves the deeper grove of that louder passage.

Still, time and time again, there is a nuance to 009 that isn't present with ES-1A. Tiny fractions of seconds where on ES-1A there's silence but with 009 there's more information! The quietest most minuet shifts in energy on the trailing edge of sounds comes across perfectly with 009.

Presentation:

Straight up the Stax 009 is AGGRESSIVE and has some slight but apparent emphasis on the leading edge of sounds to my ears... how ever I find that on a tube amp you also get all of this insane speed and definition without sacrificing or de-emphasizing the sustain or release. Yes the decay of things is often a bit rushed but 009 handles vocal vibrato and other sustained sounds wonderfully. I never feel that the fundamental tones overshadow the richness of the underlying harmonics. Rather 009, to my ears, maintains this beautifully realistic balance.

An while ES-1A doesn't sound "slow" on my system, it can't quite match 009 combined speed and harmonic profile. ES-1A will always present more prominent harmonics overtones regardless of it's system relative to 009. So there will be some of you that find 009 even on Tubes is TO Dry. At this level Naturalness and balance come down to preference and I know that I usually prefer a drier sound to a wetter one.

I should mention however that I do NOT enjoy 009 outside of my Bricasti M3 system. I do NOT feel 009 scales down what so ever, on my RME ADI-2 I found it sorta soft and un-impressive and while It was pleasant with iFi Zen Dac... it was almost kinda boring.

I'll also add that I do NOT enjoy 009 on solid state amps as it becomes down right shouty and fake sounding! Overall I find the ES-1A's fuller marginally rounder presentation to be more accommodating of a wide variety of sources and amplification.

ES-1A, again, maintains it's rich impactful tonality without ever tipping into the levels of unpleasantness or disengagement Stax 009 can achieve on the wrong system.

As a whole I find ES-1A doesn't necessarily have better balance than 009 but it's more consistent when your building a system on a budget.

Conclusion:

ES-1A is just $1650...where as Stax 009 get's maybe as low as $3200 new. I imagine one could build an entire system for ES-1A for less than the cost of a new Stax 009. Thus I give the ES Lab ES-1A my full recommendation for those of you wanting a detailed perfectly musical listening experience! It's hard to deny it's been tailored to sound the best on the myriad of excellent solid state amplifiers available for Electrostatic headphones, this purposeful choice really allows ES-1A to bring tremendous value to any system that can accommodate it.

 

Second post as I hit the 30,000 limit on the first one

ES-1A vs L700MKii

I want to start by mentioning that to my ears I find that L700MK2 and ES-1A present music with two entirely different presentations.

ES-1A is again more rich and cohesive, where as to my ears, L700MK2 is aggressive and IN YOUR FACE. Especially when volume matched, now when you listen with L700MK2 at a quieter average than ES-1A it's a bit more balanced perceptually but overall when ES-1A and L700MK2 are at the same average volume their presentations are starkly contrasted...

An regarding volume most people don't have a set value they listen at, most turn it up to a level at which it sounds "good," that level can depend on both the music it self and the headphone. As different response curves will be perceived as "good" or "better" or "worse" at different average volumes depending on their individual peaks and dips.

For the purpose of this review I volume matched L700MK2 to the level at which ES-1A sounded most correct to my ears. An quite frankly the other 4 headphones in this review also sounded "most correct" at similar levels which were around 76 dB on average. Assuming a dynamic range of 10 dBs at least gives us peaks at 81 and dips as low as 71. Only L700MK2 sounded "more correct" at a quieter average volume...

Bass:

Some how... L700MK2 had more body than ES-1A, with electronica it came across as quite taut but ultimately more punchy than impactful. An I had to do my listening on L700MK2 without my glasses to achieve the best fit.

With double basses and big drums L700MK2 again had a lot of BODY but came across as more "thumpy" or "boomy." Often times it had a clean taut punch but a sloppy loose presentation extension as the frequencies dropped. Not quite recessed but not quite right either. Interestingly enough with Piano music there where times I could not discern any impact from the lowest registers... where as ES-1A would present a stunningly realistic weight and nuance at those lower frequencies.

Despite having less body, ES-1A was more natural and impactful. Providing a real effortless sense of WEIGHT and SLAM. Kicking and punching as needed vs L700MK2 more limited punchy bass response.

Mids:

Again on my system and to my ears L700MK2 was mostly uneven. There were times where vocals would sound quite pleasant... then the singer would shift octaves and SUDDENLY be SCREAMING in my ears. I had the same experience with Piano compositions as well.

I will say Brass horns sounded stunningly beautiful on L700MK2 tho a bit delicate... but even then ES-1A presented them with equivalent bite and a more cohesive full bodied tone. Despite being not quite as delicate at times it was far more cohesive.

Worse of all tho were drums and percussion, L700MK2's presentation was wholly disjointed and I struggled to appreciate or much less enjoy percussion. Yes on one hand you could say it was EXPLOSIVE... but some what un-natural. Strings suffered from this problem as well, being just wholly uneven.

Between all of L700MK2's peaks and dips I felt it matched ES-1A's detail in the mid range... but was not at all natural.... and what ever richness was present was not consistent through the spectrum.

Again it provided an insanely fun presentation that I don't quite think aligns with what I enjoy or want when I'm listening to my music...

Highs:

... where is the "beating the dead horse" emoji when you need it. As that's all I have to say about the top end... L700MK2 just comes across as both more forward but ultimately uneven.

ES-1A despite being darker, having a slightly recessed response, remains more cohesive giving it realistic air and extension.

Sound Stage, Detail and Dynamics:

To my ears L700MK2 has some of the most aggressive and vivid macro dynamics, it was again EXPLOSIVE with a wide variety of music. This quality tho doesn't translate well for my tastes within the some what cramped and narrow stage of L700MK2. An while it's VIVID Macro Dynamic contrast does extract a surprising amount of detail... there's often times too much congestion during busier passages of music to appreciate it.

Regarding it's micro-dynamics I just felt L700MK2 was a bit lack luster.

ES-1A was offered far more cohesive imaging within a larger sound stage as a whole. An while it simply could NOT match L700MK2's macro dynamic contrast it's mix of macro and micro dynamic contrast came across as more natural and cohesive. An honestly I found it more engaging. Overall there was an equivalent quantity of detail for simple'r less complex passages of music between the two headphones, but during busier passages ES-1A provided audibly better resolve due to it's lack of congestion.

L700MK2 to my ears lacked any real blackness as it was hard to discern or follow the trailing edge of sounds given how much emphasis was on the leading edge...

Presentation:

ES-1A despite having some slight emphasis on the trailing edge of sounds, didn't lack a realistic tactile edge. Rather it's presentation was rich and palpable... unlike L700MK2's hyper-aggression which I felt violated my personal space more than a few times.

Overall, I just don't think I had the right system nor listening levels to really appreciate L700MK2... price wise I've seen it as low as $1199, however it's listed on Stax's International website at $1569 making it a rather immediate competitor again'st ES-1A... personally I feel L700MK2 has qualities that make it an interesting compliment to something as transparent as ES-1A but I cannot recommend it OVER ES-1A unless you find deep pleasure from a hyper aggressive forward presentation...

Again maybe at quieter levels L700MK2 will perform better, but for my listening level's hands down ES-1A is all around the more resolving balanced headphone. Period...

I also feel the need to state that I STRONGLY disagree with any notion regarding the L700 as a "baby" Stax 009... to my ears it lacks all of the nuance that defines 009... I guess they share similar strengths but L700 (MK2) contrasts it's obvious strengths with equally obvious defects. Where as 009 is less OBVIOUS overall. What it does well and poorly isn't hard to discern but it's not as immediately apparent either...

 

Hi Guys,

Today we are talking about a very interesting headphone from Hong Kong, made by the company ES-Lab. ES Lab started out repairing old Stax headphones, and doing DIY work, eventually leading to the release of their ES1a headphone, their take on the Stax Sigma, and most recently their recreation of Sony’s legendary R10. The ES1a is styled after the original Stax Omega from the 1990s, but all in black, with gold screws. Although the looks are very similar, the sound between the original Omega and the ES1a is supposedly somewhat different, although I have never heard an original Omega to do a direct comparison. The ES1a retails for right around $1750USD which for the performance it provides, is honestly quite compelling in todays headphone market, especially in term of electrostatic headphones.

The vast majority of this review was done with the HeadAmp BHSE, a KGSSHV Carbon, and an iFi Pro iDSD DAC as supporting gear.






In terms of level, the bass of the ES1a in its stock tuning is not enough for my personal preferences. I think this may partly be due to the very loose clamp force the headband provides. I do have quite a large head, and even I found it to be a very loose fitting headphone. When I very lightly provided a more secure seal, the bass level did rise slightly, and seemed to also be a bit punchier. If you are open to EQ’ing up the bass via a simple low shelf, then that also solves the problem easily. There is about the same amount of bass as a stock SR009 I find, and certainly a bit less than the SR007mk2. With that being said, after a small EQ boost, the bass is entirely satisfying, and has a somewhat rounded off leading edge. There is slightly more impact than the 009 and about the same amount as the 007. Overall, I think people’s perception of the bass may differ depending on the clamp level they experience from the headphones, and the seal they are able to get with their head shape and the ear pads , but the overall bass quality is actually very good and can be tweaked via EQ to the users preference. Once thing to note is that it helps to have a powerful amplifier, as these headphones are quite hard to drive, especially if you take negative gain compensation on the EQ if you are boosting the low end.

The mids of the ES1a make them a less thick and warm sounding headphone than the SR007mk2, yet less cold and thin than the SR009. They really do split the difference between the two quite nicely. There is a slight amount of warmth and “sweetness” to the mids that I really enjoyed. Around about 1khz there is a bit of a bump I think, and this seems to be an electrostatic thing, as a lot of examples I’ve tried have this bump. Honestly, I could have thoroughly enjoyed these without any tweaking via EQ, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some people preferred a little dip via EQ at around about 1khz. I never found the ES1a to sound somewhat nasal and honky due to the 1khz range where on some other headphones that certainly can happen. Apart from that, there really isn’t much I found about the midrange of the ES1a to be offensive at all. I really liked how these headphones worked with all sorts of music styles and were never overly shouty or harsh in the upper mids.

The treble performance of the ES1a is where it excelled for me personally. There is a bit more energy in the highs than the SR007mk2 but less than the SR009, again splitting the difference between the two very well. I didn’t find the treble at all tizzy or sharp, bright or harsh. Yet at the same time it never sounded dull or as if it was smoothing over details and going towards being a darker tuning. Overall, the treble response of the ES1a is probably the best aspect of its overall tuning and is incredibly pleasing and addictive. In a way, it reminds me of the treble of the Hifiman Susvara. It’s not as finely detailed as the Susvara, but in in terms of its overall character and tuning, there were similarities to my ears.






In terms of technical performance, the ES1a is quite impressive, especially in terms of their price/performance ratio. Their overall detail level seemed to be quite similar to the 007mk2 from Stax, but the overall sound image was much larger than both the SR007mk2 and the SR009. The soundstage was wider, taller, and larger front to back than both of the Stax offerings. I suppose this may have to do with their pad shape and tuning. Microdetail was also quite well done for an electrostatic headphone in this price range. I did find that they were again similar to the SR007mk2 in terms of their dynamic performance, both micro and macro. Nothing groundbreaking, but again, very good for the price.

The ES1a is about on par with the SR007mk2 in terms of how hard they are to drive, meaning they seem to love power, and will do best with a good powerful electrostatic amp behind them.






In terms of build quality, the ES1a seems entirely acceptable and actually feels more substantial than the SR007mk2 The construction materials are a mixture of metal and plastic, and although they do weigh quite a bit, they never felt like a burden to wear (as some Audezes and similar can feel over time.) I would personally like slightly more clamp force, simply to make the ES1a feel a bit more secure and snug on the head, and I also think it might help their low end performance slightly. The cable is very similar to the ribbon cable you get with Stax headphones, and seems well built, and does the job nicely. In terms of aesthetics, I think they look awesome. They take the shape and design language of the original Stax Omega and update with a sleek all black look, with slight gold accents from the screws. It works for me, and I think they are one of the better looking headphones I have come across.




Photo taken from ES-Lab website


Overall, the ES1a is a great pair of headphones, especially if you tend to favour electrostatic headphones and what they do well. Although the low end in its stock tuning isn’t really anything groundbreaking, the mid and treble tuning are very well done, and the detail and technical performance is very good for their asking price. If you don’t mind boosting the low end a little with a bit of EQ, then I could see these being great all rounders. If someone were looking into buying a Stax headphone at SR007/009 type pricing, but can’t figure out which they would prefer, or just want a better all rounder whilst also saving some money, I would seriously recommend giving the ES1a a try. They seem to split the difference between the two former flagships from Stax, and also look better (in my opinion) whilst doing so.

 

Hey all, from reading here...this does not really sound like the original Stax Omega?

Is there anything that does sound like the OG Omega? That was the one e-stat headphone I almost bought from @n3rdling to go down the stat path. I'd like to hear that one again or one closest to it.

 

Can you recall how it sounds over contemporary or well-referenced Stax? I do think ES-1a had strong sonic resemblance to og omega possibly because of similar cup dimension and structure (this makes many acoustic interaction similar). But my og omega audition memory is extremely faint/outdated -- it's literally 1.5 decades ago. Enough to misremember I think.

No matter how perfectly es1a mimicked omega og (or not), as ufospls concluded, it's pretty damn great headphones.

 

^Cool, thanks. I am looking forward to checking them out sometime and re-visiting stats at shows or meets.

I really loved the Omega for the mids presentation, without any big peaks or suck-outs from what I can recall. The 007 Mk II has always been a little dark for me and the 009 was a bit bright but I did like the 009s (that I heard at Tokyo Headphone Festival when it had just come out). But the Omega was known for driver issues and that was scary. If someone is making things like the Omega now with product support, that is interesting.

I've got a lot invested in dynamic stuff but I do like to check out planar and e-stat progress from time to time to see if something has taken over and become more compelling. I have my ESP95X and those can actually scale with crazy power. I think Marv recently put his ESP95X on Tyr or something and they came alive. I'll try to check that out in Texas next month.

 

95x makes comparison easier as I liked them and owned them for many months. More comfortable to say than something about og omega long long ago lol.

I still think 95x is better, righter, and smoother in tonal balance by comparison. Also better suited for timbre-sensitive people. But es1a is better in the following ways (if I should pick one, I doubtlessly pick up es1a regardless of the price delta)
1) Extended a lot deeper effortlessly. Part of the reason I think is 95x pads failed to seal well on my head. But es1a seem to inherently sound much more delicate and delinearating. I do like es1a's bass than 007/009.
2) Sounds less thick and more responsive all over the spectrum. Doubtlessly a lot more resolving, synergizing very well with Stax or KG amps. I don't have any data points with better received energizer/amp. But my speculation is Koss may scale better with Schiit power amps + step-up transformers.
3) Lots of air and great sense of space. A little artificially realistic.. but I liked it.

To me es1a's mid-upper highs are 65-35 blend between 007mk2(later revision I recall.. mk2.9) and 009. 009s (I liked it, too!) was brighter than es1a. Brightness must be quite similar to esp95x. Maybe a tick or two darker.

 

Coincidently enough a Stax Omega just went up for sale on Head-fi yesterday - https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/stax-sr-omega.26811/

 

Asking prices for Omega og and HE60 being popped in HF are always .. well... I'd rather keep silent. I've personally never met any pair of headphones worth paying for the super premium. This applies to commonly-mentioned rare legendary products. Maybe my flavor is too much new-schooled.

 

Wow, yeah I think SR-Omega were going for like $3K used when I was considering them. $8500 is quite a mark-up since then.