ESS 422H Headphones | Price & Reviews | Drop (formerly Massdrop)
That is a great deal! Way to go ESS!
@merlin: If Beyer DT880's are anything like HD600, these 422H's are much much better. It is a different sound though being a closed back. However, the resolution and clarity beats any headphone I have heard. This is not surprising if you have experienced a speaker with an ESS AMT tweeter. The super high sensitivity crushes any other over the ear can I have heard ever.
That is a great deal! Way to go ESS!
@merlin: If Beyer DT880's are anything like HD600, these 422H's are much much better. It is a different sound though being a closed back. However, the resolution and clarity beats any headphone I have heard. This is not surprising if you have experienced a speaker with an ESS AMT tweeter. The super high sensitivity crushes any other over the ear can I have heard ever.
So I am kind of disappointed. The left side (with the connector) does not produce any sound. I tried with different cables and players and it is still the same. I will not judge the sound by one side only - but the single side sounded quite OK. Now I will most probably have to go through the international return martyrium with cost that will negate this super deal price. I hope in getting a free replacement as was the case with some of my US bought stuff. I would have to pay the custom charges again, but that would leave me with the damaged headphones as a source of spare parts.
Or I may try to fix them if the shipping cost would be too high. There is a 99.9% chance it is just a fallen off wire.
Or I may try to fix them if the shipping cost would be too high. There is a 99.9% chance it is just a fallen off wire.
True.. TRS plugs will go into a TRRS socket..
Early morning post before coffee (and thinking!).
Glad that you found the problem. I guess it happens sometimes, but good that it was an easy fix!
I've seen a couple of reviews where people have 'improved' the sound using Shure 1540 pads. Might be interesting to try.
Early morning post before coffee (and thinking!).
Glad that you found the problem. I guess it happens sometimes, but good that it was an easy fix!
I've seen a couple of reviews where people have 'improved' the sound using Shure 1540 pads. Might be interesting to try.
With all the quarantine business going on, all my meetings are via telecons on MS Teams or Zoom, or WebEx. The 422H's work great and gives you a distinctive look from all your colleagues with their boring Plantronics or Logitech headsets. 
Plus, the sound is amazing.
Did you notice that the cable has a custom made matching walnut covered TRRS plug that goes into the headphone? That is a nice touch, usually only done on high end stuff. The cable itself is textile covered so doesn't snag like sticky rubber. The jack that goes to the amp has an unusual 45 deg angle which I have never seen anywhere else. It is a nice touch because 90 deg is too much and 0 deg pulls out too easily. Lots of little details that make it nice. the case is very nice with double zipper pulls and a mesh pocket on the inside. I mean they put a lot of thought into this. Any other sub $200 headphone pales in comparison given all the features included and sound quality. The compressive force of the band is abit tight - but that gives it a great seal for excluding background noise.
Plus, the sound is amazing.Did you notice that the cable has a custom made matching walnut covered TRRS plug that goes into the headphone? That is a nice touch, usually only done on high end stuff. The cable itself is textile covered so doesn't snag like sticky rubber. The jack that goes to the amp has an unusual 45 deg angle which I have never seen anywhere else. It is a nice touch because 90 deg is too much and 0 deg pulls out too easily. Lots of little details that make it nice. the case is very nice with double zipper pulls and a mesh pocket on the inside. I mean they put a lot of thought into this. Any other sub $200 headphone pales in comparison given all the features included and sound quality. The compressive force of the band is abit tight - but that gives it a great seal for excluding background noise.
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They are made of nicely cast metal frame and solid wood cups. No plastic to be seen or felt, except maybe the ear pad covering appears to be pleather (or might be leather - I can’t tell). They are heavier than most headphones at 414g, but are compact (low profile cups without sliding metal rods or wide yokes, or big hinges protruding out) and very comfortable to wear. They do a great job of sealing out ambient sound. Some people might find the clamp pressure a bit high, this can be adjusted by gently bending the head band.
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.Got mine on Friday, not happy.
They arrived on Friday and were nicely packaged and looked great. Don't sound great, though. First, my dead silent WHAMMY all of a sudden developed a fair amount of hum. Switched back to my original cans and it went away. After some fiddling and switching of source, amp, and cables it seems to me that the tweeter is not putting out much -if any- sound. Vocals appear distant and weak while bass seems like it's down in a well. Both channels the same.
I waited so patiently for them and really want to like them, but may have to return them for repair or replacement.
I would have liked some kind of owner's manual also. The foam pads don't seem to warrant being called "hard" as in some reviews I have read.
Anybody have any service information, in case I decide to try to fix the problem myself?
They arrived on Friday and were nicely packaged and looked great. Don't sound great, though. First, my dead silent WHAMMY all of a sudden developed a fair amount of hum. Switched back to my original cans and it went away. After some fiddling and switching of source, amp, and cables it seems to me that the tweeter is not putting out much -if any- sound. Vocals appear distant and weak while bass seems like it's down in a well. Both channels the same.
I waited so patiently for them and really want to like them, but may have to return them for repair or replacement.
I would have liked some kind of owner's manual also. The foam pads don't seem to warrant being called "hard" as in some reviews I have read.
Anybody have any service information, in case I decide to try to fix the problem myself?
As I wrote above, mine had a wire inside broken. Left side was dead silent. I fixed that myself - I soldered it back. It sounds like there might be a short in yours.
Have you tried a 3.5 mm stereo cable as replacement for the original one?
They can be easily taken apart and the inside wiring checked.
Have you tried a 3.5 mm stereo cable as replacement for the original one?
They can be easily taken apart and the inside wiring checked.