Orthodynamic Roundup - Page 739

Oh boy! I think tomorrow my Fostex T50RP arrive home Lets see how my first contact with an ortho goes. So far I have been listening with my grado sr225 (doing so right now) to do a swift "comparison" between both in some of my tracks.

Lets see if this is really worth it.

No the midrange wasnt recessed, in comparison to the Denon D2000 the mids were much more present. If anything I felt the trebles a little too much at times.(EP)

The MP I had (and yes I dont have it anymore, sold it as I preffered the EP which had more bass and treble), was much more mid centric.

They will need dampening, or you might feel quite a let down if your SR225s are Joe Grado 225s... I don't think the T50s will ever be able to match the bass of a 225 in their stock cups.

Well i just received them. I bought them from this guy from ebay. The shipping was very defficient. It came in a big box (ok for now), with the headphone in the middle, WITHOUT any protection in the sides and a thin piece of paper on the top. The box came with a hit in one corner, and the headphone's box was also hit (less than the box). The phones came what appears in good condition, even if they have two scratches on the housing, due to the rods hitting the plastic.

In construction they look really well built. They are built in plastic, good plastic I believe. More comfortable than I expected. They are my first full sized closed HPs, the sensation is a bit like wearing IEMs for first time.

I listened to some songs, very little time, and due to low SPL and higher impedance than grado I had to crank the volume up (more than with the sr225, which are lower impedance but same SPL). The cable is quite nice, more flexible and longer than I expected it to be. Due to the hits the box received I will check if it works well. So far the first impression upon putting this on was muffled sound? Then i realized the volume was lower than what I am used to listen with my grados, and the fact they are closed.

I still have to listen a lot more to make up my mind. AT least they are very comfortable. The pads I have are flat (no rugged, really seem to be the newest RP version), and the headband is quite good too.

I will keep this updated with my impressions.

EDIT: Well, after around 2 hours of continued playback (a bit more) I can say I am starting to like this headphones more than I thought at first listening. My ears are getting used to the sound and the fact they are closed cans. About comfort they keep being very comfortable. The only annoyance is feeling as if I were under water. The headphones are very relaxed. Have good quantity of bass. Quality I'd say I prefer bass from the sr225, and maybe a bit of damping might help. Apart from the scratches I think they are in good condition. I am not a basshead, and prefer to hear bass when it is supposed to be there.

I still have to find out how to remove the cable. I also have to examine the headphones to see how to open them without braking them, and most important of all, seeing how they can be rebuilt again

More impressions to come.

EDIT2: After almost 3 hours listening to the T50RP I decided to change to the SR225. I could hear the "brightness" people speak of when they refer to grado sound, but I am used to it and it is not annoying. In fact it is fun to listen to. I put one song that sound amazing with the sr225, and that I know a lot:

Hours Passed In Exile - Dark Tranquility - Damage Done

After listening to it 2 or 3 consecutive times with the grados, I change to the fostex, tried to match output levels with my ears (so my impressions are totally biased, and it is not a comparison), played the same song and it still sounds "quiet", mainly distant. I believe being semi-closed is what makes a lot of difference.

A positive thing about this fostex is that I don't get tired of the music, whereas some recordings with the sr225 are tiring. The bass in the fostex is not as "forward" as the grados, but I'd say it sounds quite good.

SIDE NOTE: what I have written here is not a comparison, just some thoughts about this two headphones. I actually might change opinion during the following days of listening this two headphones.

here's the picture of mt Sansui SS-L55









It's Ortho?

Yes. Looks like SFI type driver. There drivers are in SFI headphones, ATH-1,2, Realistic Pro 30 and some other models.

This headphone looks similar to ATH-2 in cup and baffle construction.

I am v.suprised! I thought theyd be dynamic. Well done for taking the risk. Are you able to measure the impedance?
Another ortho to add to the Wiki

Mine also basically just came in a big box, but somehow the headphone box and headphone ended up at my house in mint condition. For some reason, the T50RP's jack locking mechanism is very tight when new and needs a lot of wiggling for the cable to come off.

Muffled, dark, under water, etc is pretty much what I felt about it stock. After some basic mods (weatherstrip and felt on the backs of the cups, removal of white stock damping, felt damping, reflex dot) it became much better, but still not where I wanted it.

Well, I have learned it actually happens when doint a quick change between grado and T50rp. I have come back after 4 hours of doing sports and such, came back to try them again, put some JS Bach Brandemburg concert and it actually sounded pretty good.

I also have to get used to the sound. I remember a similar feeling with the sr225 and now I enjoy them a lot

Ouch, a YP-3 for around 100 bucks... Still hasn't changed that much I see....

Woohoo! Time to sell my YH-3s! As I have their original box too!

Cool! It's got damping as well it seems. How does it sound? Low bass? Mids? Airy highs? Headstage?

Can you get a photo that shows the voice coil through the fabric covering the driver? (it should shine through if you place it in front of a light source)

What's the size of the driver?

Update with Fostex T50RP.

After 8 hours listening to the Fostex I have got used to the sound. I think they sound pretty nice. I have also noticed they are very dependent on the recording. But on good recordings the bass is quite nice -to my tastes- I am willing to listen more to the HPs in order to decide what to change with different damping and will try to get the most out of it.

They are a very relaxed pair of HPs, and for the price I think they are great if someone wants to get a pair of cheap headphones, or orthodynamic headphones, or even if they are looking for a "flat response".

I will bet you money that the driver and sound are very similar to ATH-2.

They are OK stock, but you can get them to sound much better (snappy bass, very detailed, much faster with even better transient response) with some simple mods that involve putting cotton and felt inside the cup. I would not remove the stock damper (white paper like material on the back of the driver) as once you do you can't put it back.