Overnight Sensations and Fostex P1000-BLH

Disclaimer

• This is my short experience with OSMT and Fostex P1000-BH. (a week with OSMT and 2-3 days with Fostex)
• Just like any quick impression, could change substantially later but this is my first “hear”. Also I kinda suck at describing what I hear...

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Sound
10/25/16---------------------------

• OSMT has very pleasant and almost perfect tonality. It reminds me of HD650, a bit of a bump in the mid bass, a bit warm. It has enough soundstage, it is easy to find layering in music. The music is palpable and you can feel the individual notes. Especially in electronica, the bass is very textured and it has that heart-pounding aspect in bass heavy music. With stuffing inside the cabinet(I filled about 80% with Polyfill), the notes seemed tighter…more in focus..smudginess, I previously experienced, is gone. It made the high frequency especially more pinpoint. Perhaps too much pinpoint that the highs hurt my ears after awhile. Maybe soundstage improved by 10%. Overall it does everything right and I highly recommend OSMT is anyone's first foray into speakers.

• Fostex seems a bit top heavy. Perhaps a bit more like HD800/DT990 in its curve…It is very easy to pick out the high frequency notes and locations. The real strength of it is probably in how smooth it is especially with the vocals and mids. The notes come in and out very naturally and fast. Each note has its own place. The melody sounds...cohesive... Crystal clear, picture a serene lake on top of a mountain. I can imagine it being best for Jazz or vocal heavy music. Bass was a big let down though. Compared to the OSMT, it seemed 2D, flat, and uninteresting especially in electronic heavy music, although with music with real instruments, it produced nice “horny” type of bass, like tuba perhaps. It also doesn’t go low as the OSMT, which could be part of the problem. I attribute to the P1000-BH's ok-ish cabinet

11/2/16---------------------------

• So I let @thegunner100 borrow my Fostex P1000-BH and I spent the past 4 days exclusively listening to OSMT. I just picked up my Fostex P1000-BH back and I have a stronger opinion about these two speakers...Read on.
• OSMT vs Fostex
  • Music notes are more "physical" in OSMT but Fostex sound is more "ethereal" or "hollow". Maybe akin to dynamic vs electrostatic (it's been so long I heard these, sorry If I offended any STAX fans). This in retrospect seems to give the sense of mid/high being very smooth. As ironic as it is, it's kind of grainy ethereal quality...kind of like TV signal full of noise but very smooth noise(??)... like female's raspy vocal. OSMT's sound is very smooth and sounds "full"
    
  • OSMT soundstage is bigger than Fostex. Fostex has soundstage of computer speakers.
  • At least in the P1000-BH kit, there is barely any bass approximately below 100Hz.
  • Fostex frequency still reminds me of Grado now I think about it as spwath mentioned, maybe a bit more high presence.
  • One thing I feel like Fostex does better is, for example, if there are very low volume, bubble, piano keyboard sound, wind sweeping, it really separates them out from rest of the music and it's easy to pick them out compared to the OSMT. In that aspect, I think it has a bit more resolution if you define it that way. I think my initial impression was mostly based on this positive point.
  • At this point P1000-BH kit sounds best with female vocal + piano.
  • In conclusion, I am having a headache coming back to Fostex now for some reason. I think it's the grainy texture of the sound + soundstage that resembles a line "--------" = computer speakers. OSMT sound is more "physical" "smoother" and actually has bigger 2D depth.

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DIY

• OSMT is pretty fun to build. Crossover can be a challenge but if you take it slow and plan out how to place your components it will be easy. It’s more like adult lego, you just follow directions. Make sure to stuff the cabinets in. I think I stuffed too much (about 80%) and the highs hurt my ears. I thought this was supposed to affect the bass? (someone correct me). Bass seems tighter and sounstage seems bigger but it’s subtle. Also make sure to wipe off the glue while the clamps are in place every 10 minutes because they ooze out. Don’t go away for 30min-1 hour.

• Fostex P1000-BH is hardly a DIY (although OSMT isn’t either but good 1st project). You just drill holes for the driver and screw it in. Done in 10 minutes. OSMT took me 8 hours just to build one speaker (learning how to solder too). Cabinet is very nice though in looks, not sure about thickness/inside…

Summary (my opinion)

• I think everyone should listen to these two speakers because they present a big crossroad for which speaker type that suits you the most. They are quite different. @sphinxvc gave me advice that you have to priotize what you want from speakers. I didn’t know what he meant at the time but I think I understand more now...lol Someone in the forum mentioned that 2-way’s are for accurate people and Full-range are for plankton eaters (I think that’s what he wrote). I think this is very true.

• OSMT is tonally pretty much perfect (like HD650). With higher-end speaker model you get much more detail and layering and crazy 3D soundstage. OSMT is amazing value and I can’t imagine being satisfied until I spend about $1500-2000 (assembled, retail, new).

• Fostex has magical midrange. It’s so silky smooth and notes come in and out rapidly. Keep in mind my driver is not broken in and I can “hear” some rough edges here and there and I am projecting some of my imagination what it will sound once it settles in. Even then, two speakers offer something different enough that one has to picture what higher end model of each type of speaker will sound like.

• Personally what I want is Full-range speaker with a lot better bass than what P1000-BH can produce. Looking around it seems like it has much have to do with cabinet design, bigger and better. I want to keep the speakers small enough for desktop usage so I will need a subwoofer or two. Perhaps someday when I own a place and intend to stay for a long time I’ll look into bigger models. Some suggestions here and from PMs I got - Frugel-Horn MK3.

Questions/Comments

• Is single full-range speaker’s weak bass inherent to being a single-driver design or because P1000-BH has small, crappy cabinet?
• What does filling inside the cabinet do? (in my experience it improved imaging and maybe soundstage)
• I would be willing to send my Fostex P1000-BLH for a loaner after it has sufficiently been broken-in.

• Mario and Luigi
• Mario does everything right, he's player #1. Everyone likes him.
• Luigi is his little bro, he is awkward but he has the best gangsta face. Some chicks like Luigi more cause he's taller.
• Your pick.

 

Interesting. I've been considering getting that fostex blh for a while...

 

If this is your first time with speakers, I think OSMT (or JBL305?) is the best intro and decide from there what you like about them and what you can let go. P1000-BH seems a bit more niche, very strong midrange and imaging but overall OSMT does the job better. Personally I like OSMT more now.

That's true, lol. I imagine shipping would be around $30-50. If some people are willing then by all means. The kit + shipping cost me ~$245.

 

I have a pair of Omega Mini Me speakers. You described the P1000-BH as more bright, and I like the bright sound signiture of my Grado's, so I was thinking Imight like them.

 

Adding poly affects the bass because it changes the volume of space in the cabinet. If you turn your amp volume up higher to get the equivalent bass level as pre-stuffing then that could be why the highs seem strident. Maybe play around with the amount of stuffing a bit to see if you can get a better balance?

 

I just listened to the Fostex P1000-BLH at Hooncake's house and also brought them home. To me, the OSMT beats them hands down no competition. The only thing I can really say that the Fostexs do better is the transition between the mids and the highs due to the single drivers. However, there's some sort of honky or hollow quality to the sound. They don't sound "right" to me, or at the very least they sound different from what I'm used to with my various setups. These things are very bass anemic in both my bedroom and Hooncake's living room. At the very least the treble is fairly smooth without any sharp peaks. Soundstaging and imaging seem to be pretty decent on them as well.

Anything I listen to from these speakers is just disappointing in comparison to the OSMT. I don't think I can last through the night with these speakers.

 

For anyone reading and interested, the OSMT kit is on sale for $120 from Parts-express at the moment.

 

Updated the sound impression. I felt like I needed to update so SBAF is not mislead...

 

Interesting. I might like the fostex more. In fact, I modded my t50rp's to sound like my grado sr80e's

 

I know the nyc crew has been singing the osmt's praises ever since we heard the kit @OJneg made for @thegunner100. Frequency response wise they have measured much better, more neutral and smoother, than every other speaker we have measured and in every room. This includes jbl 530, kef ls50, phil bmr, phil be prototype and @sphinxvc devores. This was at @sphinxvc 's , @Hooncake's , @thegunner100's and at my own home.

Having reference level neutrality in a a small speaker that works in every room you put it in, is insanely valuable. Yes it isn't the most resolving, no it doesnt go down very low and it does have a slight mid bass hump. However the osmt's makes your feet tap and your head bop, even with complicated material. And they can very easily be paired with a sub/s for those that demand better bass. At a price of 120, and an evenings worth of diy. Crazy fun, crazy value. Highly recommend.

@Hooncake I look forward to listening to your Fostex P1000-BLH as well as comparing it your incoming omega super 3u XD

 

The fostex are not bright though. The treble is overall pretty smooth but the mids have the most presence.

Very well put. Sometimes things like absolute resolution and bass extension aren't as important when you come home from work and just want some music to relax to. There's a lot less effort and fuss to the OSMTs than the high end speakers, and they've sounded good in every room that they've been in.

 

Is there a reasonably direct step up from the ONSMT's when it comes to resolution? Still in a bookshelf size? They sound from their descriptions like they are voiced just the way I would want them, but I'd like whatever I decide to build let me dig into a recording (a couple people have mentioned that they might lack in resolution). Paul Carmody kind of indicates that his Amiga's or Core 2-ways might be what I'm looking for, but those were designed as small towers.

 

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/new-city-new-system.3046/

 

Thanks! I saw that thread and will certainly consider those. I look forward to your impressions if/when you have a chance to post them.

 

Idk, I've shipped 2 large speakers with 10" woofers for about $30 total, and a 5.1 receiver for about $20. These things are not all that expensive.


But I just want to try out these fostex blh's, so who knows if I'm a refutable source.
But I am.

 

You're in Chicago! Go over to OJ's and have a listen . Even then, the OSMT are so cheap and easy to build that you might as well get a pair for backup or for another room.

 

Looking for such speakers myself. Direct upgrade to OSMT but small enough for desktop use. Maybe they are mutually exclusive.

 

As far as small computer monitors I really don't think it gets much better than the OSMT. and given all the sonic constraints around the desktop setting it's hard to justify spending much more