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Koss ESP950 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£1,010Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Koss ESP950 Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Koss ESP950
5.6/10

Overall score

Score
5.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 83% of models
Score components

80%

5.1

Technical score

20%

7.4

User score

â–¼Worse than 83% of headphones
5.5

Value for money

Value for money
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 97% of models
Score components

70%

5.6

Overall score

30%

5.2

Price

â–¼Worse than 97%
5.1

Technical score

Technical score
5.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 89% of models
Score components

52%

5.8

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.2

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.3

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 89%
7.4

User score

User score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
Score components

70%

8.4

User ratings

30%

5.1

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
â–¼Worse than 77%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Koss ESP950

Technical score
Technical score
5.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 89% of models
Score components:

52%

5.8

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.2

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.3

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

5.1
User score
User score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
Score components

70%

8.4

User ratings

30%

5.1

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
7.4
Popularity
Popularity
5.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
Popularity:
Koss ESP950 has a popularity score of 5.1 points, which is lower than that of 58% of products in this category.
5.1
Value for money
Value for money
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 97% of models
Score components:

70%

5.6

Overall score

30%

5.2

Price

5.5
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
electrostatic
Driver size
100 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 100 mm, larger driver size than 98.7% of headphones and equal to 0.4% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
8 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 8 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 80.3% of headphones and equal to 2.8% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Koss
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
353 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 353 g, heavier than 91.9% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Koss ESP950 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 60 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (100 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    100 mm vs 40 mm
  • 10 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (8 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    8 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 0.29 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.01 % vs 0.3 %
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 38 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (98 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    98 mm vs 60 mm
  • 0.6 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (1.8 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    1.8 m vs 1.2 m
  • Removable battery
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • 38 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (98 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    98 mm vs 60 mm
  • 0.6 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (1.8 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    1.8 m vs 1.2 m
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 60 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (100 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    100 mm vs 40 mm
  • 10 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (8 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    8 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 0.29 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.01 % vs 0.3 %
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 16 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (126 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    126 dB vs 110 dB
  • Removable battery
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 61.9% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (353 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    353 g vs 218 g
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 11.22x more expensive
    Koss ESP950 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£1,010 vs £90).
    £1,010 vs £90
  • 33% worse value for money
    Koss ESP950 has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (5.47 vs 7.3).
    5.47 vs 7.27
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 11.22x more expensive
    Koss ESP950 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£1,010 vs £90).
    £1,010 vs £90
  • 33% worse value for money
    Koss ESP950 has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (5.47 vs 7.3).
    5.47 vs 7.27
  • 8.1% lower user score
    User score
    7.4/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Koss ESP950
    the average pair of headphones
    Koss ESP950 has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (7.4 vs 8).
    7.4 vs 8
  • 61.9% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (353 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    353 g vs 218 g
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • No neodymium magnet
    This pair of headphones does not use neodymium magnets, the average pair of headphones does. 81.9% of headphones use neodymium magnets.
  • 5 dB SPL lower sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a lower sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 26 older release date
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (1990 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    1990 vs 2016

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

7.0
Z Reviews
≈ estimated
19/03/2018
Hands-on review · portable use and controls
Verdict
Koss ESP950 is pretty good as a portable electrostatic set, but the volume knob is a real annoyance.
9.0
Mike Thomas
≈ estimated
24/11/2014
Hands-on review · sound, build and issues over a month
Verdict
Koss ESP950 is strongly recommended, as the reviewer really loves it despite the cheap-feeling build and occasional noise.
Not graded
Not graded

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

S
stereophile.com
03/08/2010
Summary of the review
Stereophile Koss ESP/950 electrostatic stereophones
majorhifi.com
27/11/2016
Extended listening · Electrostatic headphones
Verdict
The Koss ESP 950 is a very clean, detailed electrostatic for detail-first listeners who don't mind light bass and a bulky power transformer.
headfonia.com
09/12/2009
Value review · Electrostatic headphones
Verdict
The Koss ESP-950 is an excellent-value electrostatic that beats the Grado RS1 on speed and separation, though its plastic build looks budget.
stereophile.com
30/10/2016
Listening review · Electrostatic over-ears
Verdict
The Koss ESP/950 excels at lively, intimate midrange, but its weak bass and fading top end make it less complete than the Audeze LCD-X.
cnet.com
30/01/2016
Listening review · Open-back electrostatic
Verdict
The Koss ESP-950 is an open, natural-sounding electrostatic that suits midrange and spacious recordings, but it lacks the punch of rock and bass-heavy music.
hifitest.de
21/05/2019
Listening test · Electrostatic over-ears
Verdict
The Koss ESP/950 suits midrange and detail lovers, though its lean bass and need for a special amplifier are its main drawbacks.
highresmac.de
02/02/2016
Hands-on test · Electrostatic headphones
Verdict
The Koss ESP 950 is airy and detailed for acoustic and vocal music, worth the money, but too thin for rock and hip-hop.
high-amp.de
Keine Angabe
Measurement test · Amp and headphone
Verdict
The Koss ESP/950 shows real potential, but its included E/90 amplifier wastes much of it with thin sound and almost no bass.

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: November 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Koss ESP950

  • Unbeatable technical performance for the price, offering high clarity and resolution
  • Exceptionally lightweight and comfortable for long listening sessions
  • Smooth, non-fatiguing treble and realistic, lush midrange
  • Wide, airy soundstage with excellent instrument separation and imaging
  • Exceptional limited lifetime warranty that covers repairs or replacements for life
  • Scales significantly with higher-end aftermarket amplification and EQ

What customers don't like about Koss ESP950

  • Cheap-feeling 'plasticky' build quality that does not feel like a premium product
  • Low-end response is fairly lean and lacks sub-bass impact without EQ
  • Bundled E/90 'energiser' amp is considered a weak link and prone to background noise
  • Known issues with an intermittent high-pitched 'squeal' or buzzing in some units
  • Fiddly dual-channel volume knob on the amplifier can be annoying to use
  • Proprietary connection requires an adapter to use with third-party electrostatic amps

Verdict

The Koss ESP/950 is a high-fidelity electrostatic headphone system featuring an ultra-low mass 1.5-micron polyester film diaphragm and an open-air circumaural design. It delivers a wide frequency response of 8 Hz to 35,000 Hz with a high sensitivity of 104 dB (at 100 Vrms) and an exceptionally high input impedance of 100,000 ohms. Main characteristics include a remarkably natural midrange, fast transient response, and a spacious soundstage that offers excellent instrument separation. Key pros include its lightweight 12.45 oz build, extreme comfort for long listening sessions, and the security of a limited lifetime warranty. However, notable cons include a plasticky and somewhat cheap build quality, occasional low-level electronic 'squealing' or humming in some units, and a lack of deep sub-bass impact compared to modern planar magnetic or dynamic alternatives.

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