Fostex X Massdrop TH-X00

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Rotijon, Nov 24, 2015.

  1. elguapo

    elguapo Gringos falling from the skys

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    By the way, thanks to somebody over at HF you can print your own attenuator ring for the X00. Not sure it's worth it over just getting them from Dekoni, though.

    http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2230350
     
  2. starence

    starence Facebook Friend

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    I bought a pair of TH-610 pads for mine, since my ears are too big for the stock pads, and I didn't want something that would change the sound signature too much. I can't really recommend the 610 pads though, they're somewhat more comfortable, but not really worth the cost.
     
  3. elguapo

    elguapo Gringos falling from the skys

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    I finally got my Alpha pads, and they are much more comfortable than the stock pads... but, without the attenuator rings, the bass seems boosted, and the highs are a bit painful. Basically, my impressions exactly match what @Bigferret said here. I'm hoping my experience with the attenuator rings also matches his experience (i.e. closer to the stock sound).

    Edit: Interesting to compare my impressions with the measurements. It seems almost everything is boosted.
     
  4. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

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    So I just got the ebony (ebonies?) today, and have been listening for the last several hours, going back and forth with my mahogany (mahoganies?). Some initial thoughts:
    • They are way more alike than they are different, it should be obvious, but definitely more same than different when compared to something like the the HD580/600/650 family.
    • At low volumes, it is fairly difficult to tell them apart.
    • At higher volumes, the ebony is a much more enjoyable listen for me. At higher volumes the mahogany gets fatiguing for me. This is almost never a problem for me because the gentle U or W that the TH-X00 generally present is great for lower volume listening, and I typically prefer lower volume listening for a host of other reasons. BUT, when I cranked the ebony I do not get the same grating that I get from the mahogany. I am guessing this is listener specific, since people are vulnerable to different frequency peaks. I am tempted to point to the graphs and suppose that its the 8k emphasis on the mahogany that is killing me at higher volumes. I am sure its not that simple, but the high frequency response on the ebony is generally smoother until you hit that 10k peak, and I think I might like the 10k peak on the ebony.
    • The ebony are just a little bit smoother and more refined with busy passages of music. The mahogany are no slouch in this department, and it isn't profound. Again, I think it comes down more to frequency response and tonal balance than technical performance. The mahogany has those little peaks in the lower high frequencies that emphasizes the wrong stuff for my brain.
    • With two sets of headphones I have been able to A/B the stock pads and the dekoni lambskin really easily. For comfort and seal the dekoni's are far superior. Yet... there is something about the bass on the stock pads that I find seductive. I can feel more vibration in the bass and sub-bass with the stock pad. I think it has to do with the way the stock pad seals (or rather doesn't seal): I suspect that because it sits a little less surely around my ear, the actual pad is able to vibrate against my head/neck when the music makes it feel like dancing. Overall I prefer the dekoni, but there are a couple beat drops I really want the stock pads for.
    Again, I am nitpicking right now. Both are excellent headphones. I was really thinking I would just keep the mahogany and re-sell the ebony until I cranked up the volume. I will give it a few more days, but at the moment I am leaning towards keeping the ebony (ebonies?). Good odds there will be some cheap mahogany (mahoganies?) on the For Sale thread soon.
     
  5. elguapo

    elguapo Gringos falling from the skys

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    Finally got attenuator rings printed, and put them into my Alpha pads. They definitely seem to tame the treble, which is good because the headphones were practically unlistenable with just the Alpha pads. On the downside, the headphones do seem more "closed" to me now. As if the sound were playing inside a box. It might be placebo... it's hard to tell.

    Anyway, at least I can use them as I wait for my Dekoni fenestrated pads. These have been recommended without attenuator rings, so I'm curious about the result.

    FYI, the attenuator rings were printed in ABS plastic with 100% infil. I also have ABS w/o the 100% infil, and PLA with and w/o 100% infil. Due to how much of a pain it is to put the Alpha pads on, I'm inclined not to try them out. I suspect there shouldn't be an audible difference.
     
  6. Vanheim

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    There's something about the PH's mids that I love. It's recessed but done so to make things sound liquid smooth and never fatiguing. But I cannot point out what is going on up in the treble, it feels slightly fatiguing over long periods of listening. But my god is it clean. Bass in stock form is big and bouncy! these are definitely what they were advertised as: fun. But they still have crazy detail to them, they bring out nuances in music that even my Zmf Ori failed to do. But the these cannot touch the grand golden mids of the Ori's. Guitars don't sound nearly as good. Overall very happy with the purplehearts, I highly recommend them.

    Waiting on the fenestrated pads as well, interested to see if they can fix my two issues with them: comfort and mids.
     
  7. elguapo

    elguapo Gringos falling from the skys

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    Am I the only person who finds the clamp on the TH-X00 too strong? After an hour or two I need to take them off. I guess my head is bigger than I thought. Initially I thought it was the extra thickness of the Alpha pads, but I still have the problem with the Dekoni pads. I suppose it could be related to where the pads sit on my head.

    FWIW, after trying the stock pads, Alpha pads, and Dekoni fenestrated pads, I find the Dekoni to be the most comfortable by a good margin.
     
  8. MattRG

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    It's been 6 months since I've owned a pair but I can remember the same feeling, mostly due to my ears. I don't have a large head but after an hour or so my ears would start to feel compressed and overly warm. So not necessarily head clamp issues but ear clamp issues. I have the Emu Teak's on the way and I am hoping the Dekoni hybrid pads on the Teak will alleviate that feeling somewhat.
     
  9. Vanheim

    Vanheim Acquaintance

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    ayy just got my fenestrated sheepskin, initial impressions are very positive. My ears don't get sweaty at all, and it doesn't feel as firm and sticky as the stock pads. Sound changes are a little harder to discern right now. Definitely more mid presence. Vocals are clearer and more forward. Mid bass over bloat seems to be gone. Sub bass may be slightly less. I like it! A much more listenable and wearable headphone now!
     
  10. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Found this over at r/headphones - [​IMG]
     
  11. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    About time they released an open-backed (or would these still qualify as semi-open?) biodynamic driver model! Hopefully this balances out the sound a bit and presents a "roomier" sound, not that I felt the 610s were in any way claustrophobic.

    https://ascii.jp/elem/000/001/516/1516071/17_800x1200.jpg

    Finish still looks a bit rough, which is understandable for a prototype. Love the look though, reminds me of my childhood.
     
  12. Ringingears

    Ringingears Honorary BFF

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    Tried using search, but no answer, so I'll ask here. Has anyone here paired the TH-X00 with the Black Widow? Marv indicated at one point he thought the BW would not be the best match with this headphone, that was before these cans first dropped. Any experience since then?
     
  13. JoshMorr

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    I've owned both, having trouble remembering if at the same time or not.

    That said, I do not think the TH-X00 would be a good pair with Black Widow. BW has some added organic bloom to it, TH-X00 already is pretty boomy and muddy in lower mids, might to too much in one direction. For this reason, I prefer hd600 over hd650 on BW. Also THX00 didn't scale very well, wouldn't benefit from BW power and clarity like other cans will.
     
  14. Ringingears

    Ringingears Honorary BFF

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    Thanks very much. I own the BW, and have heard the TH-X00, but not together. I felt it would not be a good match either. Any amps that pair especially well with it?
     
  15. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    Jot is pretty darn good, also tube amps seem to liven it up. It sounded great out of the Zana Deux.
     
  16. Ringingears

    Ringingears Honorary BFF

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    Thanks @cskippy! Maybe the Valhalla 2 might a good match. I own that at the moment,
     
  17. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    Oh yeah! It won't have the best bass detail and control but the balance will be more neutral and you already have it so worth a try.
     
  18. MattRG

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    With my Emu Teak the Vali 2 was quite excellent but it sort of depends on what type of presentation you like. If you like fast and aggressive the Jot is probably your best bet. If you like a more organic and delicate presentation than the Vali 2 is where it's at.
     
  19. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

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    I will second the jot, as their strengths line up and their weaknesses tend to cancel out. I like the pairing a lot. I agree that val2 would work fine but it's greatest weakness is bass slam and detail, which is where the th-x benefits most from amping.

    Another option that initially surprised me is gov2 balanced. Given space constraints, I often use the v2 at work with th-x and find it impressive.
     
  20. MuppetFace

    MuppetFace Sultana of Seafoam Green - Moderator

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    Getting some serious Ultrasone Edition 10 vibes from those cups...
     

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