Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart Measurements and Quick Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by purr1n, Mar 24, 2016.

  1. Zed Bopp

    Zed Bopp Friend

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    I already have Denon D2000's - are the TH-X00 and PH just a slight variation of the same thing?

    D2K's have a bit too much bass for most music I listen to and it is quite loose. Those highs could be smoother / less peaky but I haven't had big problems with it. EQ helps with those lows. The Denons cost me less than half what these would (in the EU-zone with taxes etc.). So, are these clearly better than the Denons SQ-wise? Those PH-looks won me over very quickly :)
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Kind of different. The D2000 bass has kind of mushy and enveloping mega bass with lush lower mids leading to a super midrange scoop (distant treble) which is followed up by sharper treble. X00 has tauter cleaner bass and the treble isn't as sharp. There is also a middle midrange bump.
     
  3. Zed Bopp

    Zed Bopp Friend

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    Cheers. I just joined the drop, luckily I still have time to ponder if I really need the PH's... Of course I don't, but you know what I mean :)

    D2000 is the only hp that I've frequently used EQ with that I actually like a lot. That bass just gets too much sometimes. They are very comfy and tons of fun. CAL! has been a favourite of mine for years too, so maybe I'll stick with the drop til august.
     
  4. The_206

    The_206 Come at me bro - new member

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    It's a little ridiculous they raised the price, but I think that wood is rarer. Wasn't as impressed with them as I thought I would be, but they're decent for under $500.

    Thought they'd replace my Smeggy Thunderpants, but they just didn't quite do it for me.
     
  5. Zbells

    Zbells New

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    Speaking of which, are the Fostex variants with their biocellulose drivers known to need burn in? Is this something buyers should keep in mind when purchasing the th-x00?
     
  6. Korotnam

    Korotnam Acquaintance

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    I agree with this. With the HE560 I definitely felt as though I could dig a little deeper into the intricacies of the music compared to the X00. However, I always felt that the 560 sounded a bit fake, and thus found myself steering away from them. A "plastic timbre" is definitely a great way to describe it.
     
  7. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    wtf, how is this ridiculous? Oh, I guess the version with the rarer/more expensive cups should cost the same? It's not like they saw a huge price bump.
     
  8. JoshMorr

    JoshMorr Friend

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    As a woodworker I would argue that not only is the purpleheart more expensive but also more difficult to work with. I bet at least 10% of the cups they made split in two and are tossed. Mahogany is much more predictable.
     
  9. jeroen

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    Just recently ran into massdrop and the fostex purple hearts. special thanks to the guy with the cat photo as his input made me get one. does seem that the hype train ran out of steam a bit, as its 125 people on this one whilst the previous drop got to <1000 units? either way, i feel lucky to have found them at 450. cant wait..
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2016
  10. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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    I think you're referencing the second drop for the purplehearts. The first one filled up relatively quickly IIRC.
     
  11. jeroen

    jeroen New

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    yes sir, i mean this last one where they have both options available.
     
  12. Blixy

    Blixy New

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    About to join the club for these headphones. Will post impressions and comparisons to Audeze LCD-2, Grado RS1i, Sennheiser HD700 and Sony MDR-Z7 when I get them :bow:
     
  13. jeroen

    jeroen New

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    Congrats, you´re in for a treat. i use them every day and are by far my favorite. exactly the sound signature i was looking for.
     
  14. tomtan

    tomtan New

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    I'm currently hesitating about buying the massdrop purpleheart thx00 since I love the th900 so much. I wonder which would complement the th900 best, the purpleheart or the ebony (hopefully there'll be another massdrop for the ebony)?
     
  15. Zbells

    Zbells New

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    Sup folks \/ -- Just trying to revive this thread and see if anyone has gotten the opportunity to compare a set of Purplehearts with any of the other Fostex/Emu variants? The Purpleheart seems to get none of the love the other models get, but I haven't been lucky enough to do any side-by-side comparisons.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  17. zolkis

    zolkis Acquaintance

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    My experience so far with the Massdrop versions is that they measure better and sound more muddy than the TH900. I have kind of given up trying to predict sound character based on measurements. For my taste, they should sound good an measure acceptably, rather than vice versa.

    Waiting for the ebony version, should arrive soon. Will also measure the ebony cups on the TH900. Also, some pads and damping materials waiting to be rolled. High hopes...
     
  18. Huxleigh

    Huxleigh Almost "Made"

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    Definitely recommend the Dekoni pads as a possible solution if you're finding the TH-X00's sound muddy. Did the trick for me, although I enjoyed it plenty with the stock pads.
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    That's because you don't yet know how to interpret them.

    The muddier characteristic of the X00 compared to TH-900 is because the TH-900s have significantly less distortion in the bass. The X00 only measures more linearly than the TH-900 in terms of frequency response and CSD. The X00 has less bass below 50-60Hz and has a smoother treble. The TH-900 has a strong V-shaped response with more sub / low bass and spikey treble (seen on FR and confirmed on CSD). The last two factors make the TH-900 un-listenable to many people here on SBAF; but many others such as yourself may not have a problem with it.

    Frequency response linearity tends to have a higher priority among the members here, but it certainly does not determine "better" for specific individuals, especially for those who may prefer a lot of bass or are less sensitive to (or perhaps even desire the sharpened or more detailed sound of) lower or mid treble peaks.

    The three most important measurements for headphones (and speakers) are 1) frequency response, 2) distortion, and 3) CSD. All other measurements are superfluous or can be derived from or sourced back from these three. Ignore all other measurements until you master understanding of these three. Other measurements may provide good supplemental information, but only serve to impede understanding. You can actually tell a lot of how a headphone sounds like based on the trifecta (FR, distortion, CSD) of measurements.

    Ebony version of X00 won't sound much different from the other X00 versions. The X00 is limited by its motor magnet. The TH-900 has a bigger magnet. No amount of pad or materials rolling will help. You can't make a Honda Civic go faster than a Lotus Elise by adding a big rear wing, cold air intake, or installing red trimmed Recaro seats,
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2017
  20. zolkis

    zolkis Acquaintance

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    Probably. I have mostly measured speakers so far, but headphones are a bit more tricky, so... whoever says they can infer sound quality based on measurements alone (especially with headphones, especially in the treble), I leave them alone with that. A slice of the truth in best case, but it's in fashion nowadays. Not that it's not useful. I didn't mean to diminish the value of measurements, nor your contributions on that (thanks by the way). For me measurements are just a tool to check if I screwed up something, but I also prefer using my ears to check sound quality... Isn't it interesting that Skaaning (the grandpa) made better drivers (by ears) before the Thiele-Small parameters were invented... anyway.

    Yes, they are overdamped IMHO.

    Actually not a V shape, but a W shape: there are 2 nasty notches with the TH900, that skew the sound sig too much.
    I managed to fix the treble in the TH900; I prefer my Stax for sure, but ain't piercing any more. But I could not fix the 2 notches so far, other than making them open, which defies the purpose.

    Yes, I am usually looking first at the CSD (love yours) and distortion to check for issues, then on impulse and FR. I hear subjectively big changes that don't correspond to a big change in the FR.

    I heard the ebony sounds actually the best, but remains to be seen. What I meant is to check if the ebony cup improves the TH900, not the other way around. That is, to put the ebony cup on the TH900 and check if e.g. the 600 Hz notch is still there. From the Massdrop plots it seemed the ebony version was more linear in that region, and if all other things are the same among the TH-X00 versions, the wood has to make the difference. I just wanted to check if the phenomenon is proven on the TH900 as well, secretly hoping for yes.

    Then, I have a pretty good grasp on tuning the TH900 (damper, pads and cups) apart from the notches, so I'd go some rounds again, given the new cups and pads. I know they won't suddenly become R10's, but so far the improvements on the TH900 have been subjectively rather significant.
     

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