Better and cheaper?  The ESP950 with an amp is very competitively priced compared to what it competes against.  Especially considering the discounted prices is regularly goes for on Amazon and other sites.

I've only heard the ESP950 at a meet.  It was the station right next to mine and had the stock "amp".  I had my Asgard and HD600 there.  I was able to bounce back and forth between my Asgard + HD600 and the ESP950 + plastic amp.  Every time I preferred the ESP950 over my HD600.  No matter what the music.  Considering the discounted price for the ESP950 with its "amp" is just a little bit more than a HD600 and an Asgard, I would consider the ESP950 to be a good deal.  I can't think of much that is better and cheaper for my preferences.  The ESP950 is really nice.  Unfortunately it's an electrostat which makes it not very practical.  I'd like to get one, but other more practical gear has a higher priority on my want list and limited funds.

The amp has a lot to do w/ that.


The light, 'stat timbre' you mention I find more applicable to Stax and using the 950 on it's E90.  Senn stats have much more body and presence.  Hell, so do the older Stax tbh.  People need to hear the 950 on the Electra.  I could not beleive how much it scaled and transformed.  Became incredibly open and spacious with great balance top to bottom w/ lots of detail.


$500 for an e-stat and amp w/ lifetime warranty that doesn't suck is a very good deal.  No one else has that.

I've read about them going for $500 to $700 but the lowest I have seen is about $950 on Amazon. Has anyone seen them recently (in the last year or so) in the first range, if so, where?

Ah yes. Either double the price or cut it in half for the holidays. Ho, ho, ho! Merry Capitalism   

These could be had for a little over $300 used on Headfi and Ebay easily back in the day. But street price (new) was also never more than $650 back then.

Guess the secret is finally out on them.