Fostex T60RP Teardown

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Oct 8, 2020.

  1. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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    I got one recently and ended with putting it up for sale, but it really isn't easy to get rid off. Seems like nobody really wants it.

    To me the biggest offender here is the big upper mid-range dip and boosted treble. In my experience using angled pads or just even repositioning the headphones (pushing the headphone all the way back until your ears touch the front of the stock pads) helps a lot. The treble though is another story. Using pieces of toilet paper kills the sibilance but then there seems to be much less treble extension and a severe lack of detail. On another note, I really hate that these are considered "semi-open". All they have are 3 bass ports that leak a bit of sound (well quite a bit actually). I think closing the bass ports, getting Brainwavz angled pads (which restores the bass after closing the ports and fixes the midrange) and applying EQ to the treble, makes for a great closed hp. Stock though, it has no reason to exist.

    BTW, try to play a sinesweep on them at moderate volume. Chances are yours gonna rattle.
     
  2. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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    BTW, since the treble seems to be the worst and most difficult thing to fix via mods (2 ply of tp is not good IMO), has anyone here tried to open the drivers and dampening the metal inside? Looks like the first thing the sound waves hit after being generated by the drivers, is metal (the magnets which I know you cannot damp, but also that metal enclosure that keeps everything together). I think by just using some soft, thin felt on the metal enclosure from the inside, the treble problems could be alliviated without sacrificing extension or detail.
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I don't think dampening the metal enclosure will help much - it doesn't seem to be a resonating element.

    Filling in the depression (the areas marked with x) on the front of the baffle with hi-density foam should help.

    From this:
    f60rp.jpg

    To this:
    [​IMG]

    I wish the Drop on these didn't fail: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/fostex-t-x0-ii-headphones.7972/ That Drop kit came with everything needed to easily mod it to be somewhat neutral sounding.

    TP will always kill some air and transient response. I dislike it, but sometimes the alternative is worse. I don't think I'd take a any other closed HP under $1500 over a well modded Fostex.
     
  4. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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  5. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    nah this isn’t necessary. You can get extremely clean extended treble out of the T50rp without opening the driver. This fact combined with the presence of that metal cage is part of why I think “magnet diffraction” is BS. But that’s for another place.
     
  6. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    received from @Philimon

    Stock measurements on EARS with a tweaked older SBAF comp curve (hasn't changed since the measurements in my sig)

    [​IMG]

    The upper mid dip does shift a bit depending on where the pinna sits within the pad. Not sure if it's unit variation or different comp curves but even with a bit of pressure applied, this pair shows some substantial rolloff below 100hz on both sides. Then again, treble shows less hot than on Marv's measurements. They don't sound overly bright to me.

    First thing to do is peel off all the rear paper so I've got a match with @rhythmdevils
     
  7. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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  8. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    @E_Schaaf I may have forgotten to remove tp mod. Oops. Was not intent to play trick - I really did forget.

    The tp I think is held under the foam rings, which probably disturbs the foam ring’s seal and causing the bass roll off.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    The cups on the T60rp are about half the depth of the T50rp. Could be good could be bad depending on the mod. Not so great for me not enough ideal space. Either way soundstage is going to be capable of being bigger with the T50rp.
     
  10. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    If you're just stuffing the T60rp with cotton balls, the smaller cup size could be better because it damps the driver more and gives you more treble and less bass. But there are some quirks about this phone that require more extensive modification to get something truly better sounding.
     
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Has anyone discovered what causes the rattle? I read someone say loose screws but it has no more screws than the T50rp. And they are the same kind of screws.

    I don’t know if mine rattles or not I don’t mod orthos using sine waves or test tones (I don’t even own any sine waves or test tones) just music and I haven’t listened to hardly any music with them yet I’ve been busy modding them yesterday and today. About 3/4 done with attempt #1.
     
  12. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Not much discussion out there unfortunately. Multiple early reports of rattling and squeaking got t60rp put on the ignore list. Or at least thats why I passed on getting a pair originally.

    Besides listening for rattling, would it show in measurements? Can we get some stock distortion and CSD and compare to t50rp? The decreased cup volume means more treble/reflections, but less resonant cause wood tho?
     
  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    no not more reflections, the smaller cavity behind the driver damps the driver more than a larger cavity, giving you more treble and less bass. But smaller soundstage.
     
  14. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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    Put on some music, adjust the volume to a comfortable level, then pause and play this:

    Mine rattles slightly, just a hair from 20Hz to around 50Hz, then it stops. I am wondering if it has something to do with my little amp (FiiO K5)? It outputs around 1'5W into 32 Ohms. I wonder if I were to connect it to something like an Asgard 3 if the rattle would disappear? Theory being that I wouldn't have to push the volume pot that much to get to a similar output level. I am probs talking nonsense here.
     
  15. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    It’s ok I prefer to use music. Just a kind of semi rule of mine. I’ve always modded my orthos with nothing but music and an iPod and like the way that works. :)
     
  16. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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    The other stuff that IMO could cause the rattle are a smaller driver enclosure (on my unit it really sounds like the membrane is hitting the outer walls of the enclosure), or a bent diaphragm. There is also that part of the driver that's outside the enclosure, where the solder pads/cables are. I thought at first that this was causing the rattle, but nope, holding it in place made unfortunately no difference in my case. The rattle was still there :( Somebody on Head-Fi said, that using double sided tape around the perimeter of the driver fixed his issue.
     
  17. señorhifi

    señorhifi Friend

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    I am excited to see what you'll come up with. I am following this thread closely
     
  18. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    So after working on them for a few days the right side died all of a sudden. I’m super careful with the solder joints (I stumbled upon a modding video on YouTube that was HORRIFYING watching him let the baffles hang from the solder joints. Ahhhh.) so that’s not it.

    so I either f**k it or I send it to @dBel84 to investigate who of course offered immediately. Could be the cable I don’t know.

    bummer dude
     
  19. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    @rhythmdevils

    If you’re still interested in modding another t50rp variant I can give you a T-X0v1 I don’t like. Its unmodded and barely used.
     
  20. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    @dBel84 is fixing my T60rp. Looks like the cable that runs from left to right driver has a break in it somewhere so he’s going to thread a new wire there. He does this because he loves orthos so much he just likes resurrecting them from the dead.

    Thanks @Philimon I might be interested in modding the t-xo drop version afterwards. But likely I’ll try to find more T50rp mk2’s.
     

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