Just listened to some Fostex T50RPs today... WOW! - Page 131

Quote:

Originally Posted by KneelJung 

Perhaps harmonic resonance would have been more correct, I dont know. My understanding of this stuff is very rudimentary.  Anyway I want to maintain the volume of the cup and believe a very thin layer of cork rather than felt may take up less volume than the felt. I also plan on using some duct tape in there to help dampen things a bit. I'll know after I try it, how it works. I'm replacing the blue tak with plasticine to improve the baffle damping. Right now I'm actually  pretty happy with it the way it is. Which is just blue tack in the baffles and felt in those pockets in the cup. It has this sort of caverny, echoey, platicky inorganic sound that's not quite right but my understanding is that can be tuned out via damping.

that is exactly what the acoustic foam will get rid of. Wait for me to send you some. 

I have another question for you T50RP owners, how do these sound without an amp/dac (laptop/mp3 player source)?

I understand they're quite power hungry, but what characteristic of sound do they give unamped, and does distortion occur?

thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by staxxx 

I have another question for you T50RP owners, how do these sound without an amp/dac (laptop/mp3 player source)?

I understand they're quite power hungry, but what characteristic of sound do they give unamped, and does distortion occur?

thanks

I just tried that not too long ago. They make noise, and it gets loud enough.. but, a lot of detail is left behind and the headphone jack kind of struggles to power them. When I add in my pa2v2 I have more room to turn them up and they sound better. Basically, I'd recommend at least some kind of amp of some sort at all times. the pa2v2 really does a decent job at powering them. Without an amp they sound pretty lifeless major lack of detail in both ends of the spectrum .

I just got my Fostex T50RP's and I'm quite satisfied with them unmodded however I'm going to mod them later on to release that hidden potential that I know these guys have. I'm also looking for a full-size amp for these. Would the Schiit Asgard do these justice?  

Rip off the cloth for starters!

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrislangley4253 

that is exactly what the acoustic foam will get rid of. Wait for me to send you some. 

Outstanding!

If these things keep getting better I'm going to be real happy camper

Quote:

Originally Posted by staxxx 

I have another question for you T50RP owners, how do these sound without an amp/dac (laptop/mp3 player source)?

I understand they're quite power hungry, but what characteristic of sound do they give unamped, and does distortion occur?

thanks

sounds fine i usually have it at about 1/2 in foobar with windows @ 100%

So I just got my SA-5K pads, put them on, and there is quite a bit of difference.  I think I am happy with the quantity of bass for now (I also opened up one of the vents at the back while covering the other three with dynamat/nashua tape.

My next step is to put more dynamat, replace the acoustic foam with paxmate, and would call it a day ... I think....

I am still undecided on the replacing the white stock felt with normal wool felt idea, too scared to try that out.

BTW, went downtown to check out some headphones this weekend with my own setup (iPod 4G to ALO Rx MKII to headphones).  Tried Grado RS-2i, GS-1000i, Denon AH-D7000 and AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD800, HD25-1, Monster Studio (there are two, one more expensive than the other, I can't tell which one is what, one was around $300, the other $450).  And I got to say, seriously, the only cans that I like more than the Fostex is the Denon AH-D7K (price is taken into consideration).  I am probably deaf, or too ingrained with the Fostex sound, but the Grados were too bright for me, the Sennheiser HD800 was too warm and relaxed, while the HD25-1 was too closed in, the cheaper Monsters were bad, the more expensive Monsters were pretty good, but not $450 good.

I am very tempted by the AH-D7000 now, but for $900 ..... probably not going to happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambchang 

So I just got my SA-5K pads, put them on, and there is quite a bit of difference.  I think I am happy with the quantity of bass for now (I also opened up one of the vents at the back while covering the other three with dynamat/nashua tape.

 

My next step is to put more dynamat, replace the acoustic foam with paxmate, and would call it a day ... I think....

 

I am still undecided on the replacing the white stock felt with normal wool felt idea, too scared to try that out.

 

BTW, went downtown to check out some headphones this weekend with my own setup (iPod 4G to ALO Rx MKII to headphones).  Tried Grado RS-2i, GS-1000i, Denon AH-D7000 and AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD800, HD25-1, Monster Studio (there are two, one more expensive than the other, I can't tell which one is what, one was around $300, the other $450).  And I got to say, seriously, the only cans that I like more than the Fostex is the Denon AH-D7K (price is taken into consideration).  I am probably deaf, or too ingrained with the Fostex sound, but the Grados were too bright for me, the Sennheiser HD800 was too warm and relaxed, while the HD25-1 was too closed in, the cheaper Monsters were bad, the more expensive Monsters were pretty good, but not $450 good.

 

I am very tempted by the AH-D7000 now, but for $900 ..... probably not going to happen.

Compare the 7000 to LCD-2s first.  Since you're already on "team ortho" you may find the LCD-2 to be a more satisfying solution...

Well its time to share my mods that I have arrived at after at least 6 variations. I am really enjoying these phones as they have great frequency extension, dynamics, fantastic bass and quite good headstage.

Micropore on the corners to improve high frquency and 1 layer of wool felt with cutout and 1 layer of craft felt. The felt allows greater movement of diaphragm to unleash the bass.

The felt is held down by micropore around the edges. Plasticine used for baffle damping

Cup is lined with layer of plasticine for damping and accoustic foam used to kill reverb and resonance.

Forgot to photograph the the outside of the vent. This is covered with micropore leaving 1 slot open to tune the bass.

Felt removed from driver to reveal more detail and better HF. Wedge of close cell foam under the pad to improve headstage.

Combined with this

the legendary lenco GL75 in heavy plinth  and a rotel ra840bx2 amp headphone out gives me an awsome budget audio system that sounds fantastic. I also use the phones direct from an iphone (sounds very good) and my bog standard hp laptop (sounds even better than iphone). It is an incredible headphone when modded for the price and modding is a breeze.

I opened up the T50 again tonight and took the remaining felt I had in the the cups out. Lined the buckets in the cup with some duck tape. Probably a big waste of time but oh well. I covered the vent back up with some muslin rather than the felt that was on it stock. I picked this foam (see pics) off a couple of tomatoes at work today.

Anyway this headphone constantly amazes me. It's like a drug that slowly works it way into your brain and all of a sudden your taking this magical musical journey. I was listenig to some Clapton last night, the 24 Nights CD, and the tone of Claptons guitar was awesome, and I got the sense that it sounded like I was there. It took a couple of minutes for my brain to wrap itself around  the new signature tonight after modifying the damping with the foam and whoosh. I was listening to Gregg Allman, Searching for Simplicity which rolled into some Guns and Roses, Chinese Democracy. I dont remember the last time I listened to this CD but the T50's are rockin it. I'm getting a lot of the things I was liking last night with less resonance. I'm going to go inject a little Sloe Gin into my veins and see what these can do with Bonamassa's guitar

Edit: I'm listening to some Ronnie Earl this morning, Hope Radio...and all I can say is the tone of Ronnie's guitar coming through these things is incredible.

Thanks to bluemonkeyflyer, I now I have some Paxmate.  Last night, I dug back in and made my absolutely final, never again going to mod these further mod*.

I replaced the suede on the front of the baffle with Paxmate.  There is now dynamat filling the baffle holes in the cup, a thin layer of dynamat on the back of the cup, with a layer of Paxmate over it.  The drivers have a reflex dot of Micropore over the middle hole, and a single sheet of boring old craft felt overtop.  I covered three of the vent holes with Paxmate on the inside, and electrical tape on the outside.  The baffle hole is sealed for with the Sa5K pads.

To make explanations short, you Paxmate guys were right.  The dense foam really kills resonance, allows for tremendous bass response while remaining crisp throughout the rest of the spectrum. 

*probably

Happy to help, Joel.  I'm glad to hear the Paxmate arrived and was beneficial.  Now, about that "absolutely, final, never again going to mod these further" equivocal statement...LOL

BMF

Quote:

Originally Posted by joelpearce 

Thanks to bluemonkeyflyer, I now I have some Paxmate.  Last night, I dug back in and made my absolutely final, never again going to mod these further mod*.

 

I replaced the suede on the front of the baffle with Paxmate.  There is now dynamat filling the baffle holes in the cup, a thin layer of dynamat on the back of the cup, with a layer of Paxmate over it.  The drivers have a reflex dot of Micropore over the middle hole, and a single sheet of boring old craft felt overtop.  I covered three of the vent holes with Paxmate on the inside, and electrical tape on the outside.  The baffle hole is sealed for with the Sa5K pads.

 

To make explanations short, you Paxmate guys were right.  The dense foam really kills resonance, allows for tremendous bass response while remaining crisp throughout the rest of the spectrum. 

 

 

 

*probably

Quote:

Originally Posted by joelpearce 

Thanks to bluemonkeyflyer, I now I have some Paxmate.  Last night, I dug back in and made my absolutely final, never again going to mod these further mod*.

 

I replaced the suede on the front of the baffle with Paxmate.  There is now dynamat filling the baffle holes in the cup, a thin layer of dynamat on the back of the cup, with a layer of Paxmate over it.  The drivers have a reflex dot of Micropore over the middle hole, and a single sheet of boring old craft felt overtop.  I covered three of the vent holes with Paxmate on the inside, and electrical tape on the outside.  The baffle hole is sealed for with the Sa5K pads.

 

To make explanations short, you Paxmate guys were right.  The dense foam really kills resonance, allows for tremendous bass response while remaining crisp throughout the rest of the spectrum. 

 

 

 

*probably

A couple of questions for anyone really,,,what does the felt over the driver do?

And does anyone know where I can source some o2 pads?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KneelJung 

A couple of questions for anyone really,,,what does the felt over the driver do?

 

And does anyone know where I can source some o2 pads?

 

I'm not sure I can answer your question scientifically, but if you leave the driver completely bare, nothing impedes the driver's movement, and it sounds really raw and unpleasant and boomy.  Some sort of material or felt does the dual job of reining in the driver movement and basically filtering which frequencies are reflected back at the driver and which ones escape into the cup.

The O2 pads can be found on Ebay, but they aren't cheap.