ES Lab ES-2a ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONES
ES Lab ES-2a Electrostatic Headphones are made by a small company in Hong Kong and cost £1749. In this review, Oscar Stewart takes a listen and sees if he can find an electrostatic he enjoys.
ES Lab are a small manufacturer based in Hong Kong, and after years of experience repairing electrostatic headphones, they decided to enter the market with a design of their own – the original ES-1a.
Many of their models are a homage to older headphones, and the ES-2a in for review are a tribute to the legendary Stax Omega. They use a 90mm driver and run off the common 580v pro-bias via a 5-pin plug and copper cable.
These headphones come in around the £1749 price point. As someone who has voiced on a few occasions how electrostats are not usually my thing, will these finally change my mind?
BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE ES-2a
Whilst ES Lab may be a small manufacturer, they make things very well and with premium materials throughout. The housings are made of an aluminium magnesium alloy for stiffness and weight considerations, the cable is copper and sheathed in fabric for comfort, terminated in a Pro-Bias type 5-pin plug with great strain relief built in.
The headband and earpads are made from high-quality PU leather, the yokes from metal, and the headband from some form of plastic. Combine all of this, and you have a comfortable headphone that is lightweight and extremely comfortable for long listening sessions.
Feature-wise, there isn’t a huge deal to talk about. These are electrostatic, so you will need a dedicated energiser for them; they use a 90mm electrostatic driver that features an ultra-thin mylar diaphragm, and the dust screen is designed in a way that allows it to be acoustically transparent as well as being able to reduce distortion.
That’s it really, as there isn’t a lot to say about a passive, electrostatic headphone.
SOUND QUALITY
As per usual, my main reference system was used, consisting of the iFi iCAN Phantom paired with an S.M.S.L D6s DAC in fully balanced configuration. I am aware that the ESL stage on this amp may hold these back a little compared to a fully-fledged electrostatic energiser, but it is, however, quite well designed and has been used with a few electrostats before.
Honest first impressions; these may convince me to enjoy electrostatics. They are a complete-sounding headphone that does bass impact and body better than most other electrostatics I have heard. They have a fuller, slightly more organic sound that still has all the traits of a good electrostatic headphone – speed and resolution.
I’ve just been reviewing the ZMF Ori 3.0, and jumping into these is a completely different experience, and one that took my brain a bit of time to adjust to. A vocalist I have used quite a few times for reviews is Lights. Her song Real Thing (dEd version) came on with the ES-2a, and I was honestly surprised at the deep bass these headphones are capable of. They give you a good sense of bass presence and depth, whilst the vocals are superbly portrayed in a slightly up-front, but natural way. Ok, these are not going to rattle your skull with bass, but they do sound more articulate and fuller than some other electrostatic headphones I have used. The separation, resolution, transient response, and smooth yet well-extended treble are also highlights of this headphone’s presentation.
More female vocals, this time from Deolinda and their song Bote Furado, a Portuguese folk-pop band with excellent recording quality. These headphones do a fantastic job when it comes to the layered vocals in the chorus; the dual traditional guitars are well separated, and you get a bit of body from the double bass line. These are clean-sounding headphones; they have brilliant detail retrieval, and whilst the soundstage may lack a tiny bit of width, it makes up for it in separation and imaging. They have a well-defined centre image with good space between all elements within the song. This is still a “typical” electrostatic sound, yet here they are not overly aggressive or fatiguing, and they have a somewhat more laid-back sound for this driver type.
Lachryma by Ghost has quite a driving bass line with an energetic drum beat. You can’t exactly call these headphones highly engaging; however, I did enjoy this song through them. A little more impact wouldn’t go amiss (which is where the XBass setting on the iCAN Phantom is your friend), yet you are left with a more honest and open sound that allows you to hear what’s in the mix. There is just enough drive and groove to this track through these to prevent them from being boring; the panned drums are expertly placed within the stage, the cymbals sound lifelike and trail off without a hint of early roll-off. When the guitar solo hits, well, it put a smile on my face, and the chorus is so catchy with the way these do vocals, I genuinely had a lot of fun with this song on these headphones.
Just Breathe by Pearl Jam is another great track to play through these. Once again, it’s that midrange that shines here. Eddie Vedder’s signature vocals front and centre, whilst you can hear every finger-picked note of the acoustic guitar. This track slowly builds, and every element is allowed to occupy its own space, the strings are beautifully rendered with nuance and poise, and these never lose control or sound congested at any time. One thing that I noted during this was that the lower midrange had realistic body to it, and the lower sung notes had good weight to them.
Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana also shows off this weight to some degree, with an articulate and surprisingly full bass line that is ever-present throughout this track. Everything is well balanced here, and nothing is fighting for your attention. The treble is a region I found to be very well tuned. Electrostats often have a crispness to them that can be a little harsh at times, yet these don’t; they have plenty of energy up top, yet it is never presented as brash or in-your-face. I do love the way these are able to dig deep into a mix and bring out subtleties that are often masked by other headphones.
I’ve mentioned in a few reviews recently that certain headphone models are not tuned with more energetic, or bass-heavy music in mind, and these are one of those. Whilst these do have more body and depth than some other electrostatic models, they still lack a little engagement for genres that require a good degree of punch and impact.
Saying that, Waiting in Vain by Bob Marley sounds lovely and full on the ES-2a, showing that they can do bass; it’s just the type of bass required by more full-on genres like metal and EDM that these don’t quite master. Reggae, though, sounds brilliant through these, the groovy bass beat with crisp treble and layered vocals all coming together in a coherent and enjoyable manner, which is simply fun to listen to (and it made me want to listen to more).
On the other hand, The Crossfire by Polaris is a heavier metalcore track that is more in line with my daily listening, and it falls a little flat on these. Everything is there, the hits are clean, and even the bass digs deep when called for, however, they are lacking impact for me, and this is where I always revert to planar (or even AMT like the HEDDphone TWO GT) headphones. Both of which manage to offer up more impact whilst still retaining similarly snappy transients. In no way is this a negative, though, as these still present this style of music in quite an impressive manner; it purely comes down to personal preference when it comes to the sonic presentation of a pair of headphones or speakers.
Let’s finish the sound section with another song that sounds fantastic on the ES-2a – with a twist. This time, I enabled tube mode on the iCAN Phantom along with xBass set at 10Hz (lowest frequency setting). Feather on the Clyde by Passenger (Anniversary edition ft Nina Nesbitt), what a rendition of this beautiful song. The vocal harmonies are well separated yet coherent, each voice occupies its own space, whilst the delicate guitar line leads the song. You can hear every little detail, fingers on the fret board, breaths taken by the vocalists, it is as if they are there playing for you. The realism is high here, and if this is your kind of music, then these headphones are going to impress. This is another track where you don’t need a huge soundstage, the separation between instruments and stereo imaging make up for a more intimate presentation here.
QUIBBLES
As always, electrostatics are a matter of taste, and it is best to audition them as they might not suit your preferences.
CONCLUSION
Having lived with the ES-2a for a few weeks, these are the first electrostatic headphones I have genuinely enjoyed long-term. Yes, they still have their drawbacks for me and the music I listen to, yet they manage to sound rather convincing most of the time. These have great overall balance with plenty of detail and that signature snappy transient response that electrostats do so well. These still seem to play their best when listening to jazz, folk, acoustic and the like, rather than metal/EDM, which does warrant a little more engagement and impact.
Paired with the right energiser, I do think that a lot of people will appreciate what this headphone brings to the table, especially when compared to some models out there. These appeal to those who don’t necessarily want the ruthless and clinical sound that some electrostats can have. These paired well with my iCAN Phantom in Tube mode with xBass set at 10Hz, giving them a hint of smoothness and a tiny lower bass bump without throwing off the overall balance. This is a natural and enjoyable headphone with the right music, and there is a lot to love here.
AT A GLANCE
Build Quality And Features:
Lightweight yet sturdy build quality
High-quality fabric sheathed cable for longevity
Sound Quality:
Smooth, natural, with surprisingly good body
Detailed, clear, and open
Value For Money:
You get a lot of sound for your money here; you just need the right kit to be able to use them (and an electrostatic energiser is required).
We Loved:
The comfort and level of natural sound from an electrostatic headphone
We Didn’t Love So Much:
Still lacking a tiny bit of impact for more upbeat genres
Elevator Pitch Review: Electrostatic headphones have pros and cons; ES Lab have managed to close the gap when it comes to cons here and has created a very natural-sounding pair of headphones. Ok, they still don’t rival planars when it comes to punch, yet they do have great body and depth, whilst still having that snappy and clear sound electrostats are renowned for. Give these a demo if you love acoustic music; they sound truly fantastic with the right music and offer up a lot of sound for the money.
Price: £1749
Oscar Stewart
SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION
- Transducer Type: Electrostatic
- Operating Principle: Open Back
- Frequency Response: 10-41000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 99db / 100v r.m.s.
- Housing: Aluminum magnesium alloy
- Bias Voltage: DC 580V
- Termination: 5-Pin Stax Type Pro Bias
- Cable Length: 2.3 m
- Weight: 450g (w/o cable)
- Temperature / Humidity Range of Use: 0-35 °C /0-90%
