Just listened to some Fostex T50RPs today... WOW! - Page 5

I don't get it, but I guess that proves everyone hears different things. I've had the smooth-pad T50RP's since they came out with the different pads. Yes, there's some potential there, but the resonances in the can housings are simply awful. The highs are rolled off and the bass impact is ruined by those plastic cans. I tried several mods, but just couldn't get over the coloration ... and yes - I've heard some Orthos that were glorious. Beyond that, they're one of the most clunky headphones you can buy.

I can see what you talk about after 3h with them. Even though I don´t expect I will hate them like that. low end or high end extension isn´t the most important criteria in making headphones sound good. The colouration is really nice for some tunes. It´s a bit like the DX 1000. It makes some and breaks some . Hopefully I won´t get as tired of this heapdhones soundstaging as I got of the DX 1000. I remember finding the resonances on the DX 1000 cool at first. Then it got more and more wooden tin can soundstaging the more I used it. But those aren´t like that they still sound a bit more real once you tuned in. I am running it on my Goldpoint headphone Pro and it seem to put some straighting jacket on most my headphones so I suspect it´s a good match then perhaps. Dead sure I will get the fun I could require based on what they costed me anyway.

Speaking of 3h I got some strange comfort issue... My left ear is perfectly fine but my right ear was totally killed after 2 and a half hour. I endured 30 minutes more since you can somehow postpone the pain by focusing on the music but I screamed when putting them off. They are symmetrical and I had the headband evenly adjusted so what gives. Any special tricks on how to wear them. I tried widening the headband but no difference.

Otherwise they where very comfortable until they started to hurt some hours in

I just ordered up a pair! I think some of the difficulty in achieving appropriate fidelity in your case might be lack of power. It is an inexpensive phone (relative term) and it probably suffers from housing resonance problems like you described but what amp are you using to make your observations?

I heard these cans recently (believe it is the new pad design) and was also very pleasantly surprised. I'm not in the market to buy any cans right now, but this is very tempting.

Well, at least you guys have many more interesting new cars to choose from than we do here in the U.S.! None of the nice small BMWs, Fords, Audis, or MBs that you guys can get in hatchback and wagon configurations with small turbo diesel engines are marketed here (we have to settle for boring and ugly cars like the Prius hybrid if we want to go "green"). Don't get me started on VW; they are great cars in Europe, but are among the most unreliable, expensive to repair, and frustrating to buy (terrible, terrible dealer network) here in the U.S. Even your used cars are better: I saw an ad for a Saab 99 modded with a 700BHP engine and Audi 100 AWD system for sale in Sweden not too long ago-that's nothing short of wonderfully insane and makes me proud that I can claim a little Viking ancestry of my own!

I'm going to blow all of my head-fi credibility, but I'd much rather have my choice of cool cars than cool headphones !

Did not mean to derail the thread, but I've been stuck at home for the past six days with H1N1 and am still a little loopy. In case you are wondering, yes H1N1 really SUCKS! I'm 35 years old and in excellent overall health, but this has been the sickest I can remember ever being in my life (and I've had the "regular" flu plenty of times). Don't get YOUR immunity the hard way like I've done, make it easy on yourself and get vaccinated ASAP!

oqvist, how is the mids, I thing it's the most important part on this hps...

Same amps that I listened to the other orthos on - including a very old, highly inefficient Fostex. They all sounded great, but were very high up on the volume pot travel. The T50RP, on the other hand, is middle of the road efficient compared to dynamic cans, but it paled in comparison to the other orthos, IMHO. Tonal faults and coloration are not something addressed by an amp, anyway. Flabby bass or lack of bass may be addressed with plenty of power, but those aren't the symptoms - it has plenty of that out of the box. However, as I said earlier - the highs are rolled off and the bass is highly colored. I agree that there's potential, but all one has to do is look at the Wikiphonia article to see the amount of blue-tak and hard felt required to dampen those resonances:

Fostex T50RP - Wikiphonia

I'm just saying - don't expect it to sound great out of the box.

[QUOTE=tomb;6129621]Same amps that I listened to the other orthos on - including a very old, highly inefficient Fostex. They all sounded great, but were very high up on the volume pot travel. The T50RP, on the other hand, is middle of the road efficient compared to dynamic cans, but it paled in comparison to the other orthos, IMHO. Tonal faults and coloration are not something addressed by an amp, anyway. Flabby bass or lack of bass may be addressed with plenty of power, but those aren't the symptoms - it has plenty of that out of the box. However, as I said earlier - the highs are rolled off and the bass is highly colored. I agree that there's potential, but all one has to do is look at the Wikiphonia article to see the amount of blue-tak and hard felt required to dampen those resonances:

Fostex T50RP - Wikiphonia


Gotcha! I'm enjoying the HE-5 (or will be again when they return from Apuresound). Blu-Tack (or poster putty) would be short term, anyone try silicon or "hot-glue" from say a glue-gun?

And when the Audeze firm cranks back up...I'm adding one of those also.

The Fostex T-10/20/40/50 are studio hps, with a BALANCED sound, and this what studio monitor hps should be. If there is something that I want to see improved in them, it's the open air feel...they are a little dark for my taste. More air will separate the sound better and will bring better resolution and the bass out.

The complaint in the ortho thread hasn't been about balanced sound but resonances in the cheap plastic cup. The blue tack is to kill the resonances. I've never heard them. I'm just paraphrasing what's been stated in the ortho thread.

Here are some other damping schemes. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the first post to see what dBel84 called smeggy's simple mod.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/5464735-post8814.html

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/5470467-post8890.html

Great!! Thanks Man! Mass loading (that's what the Blu-Tack does) is one fashion of course. Plastic, thin walled and unsupported ain't good. But some reinforcing of the problem areas with a glue bead string (ex.) changes the "Q". I don't like Wilson's (loudspeaker) approach..I would rather listen to my lively Harbeth's!

They are some great phones which I have had for a long time editing music. Enjoy!

Happy listening!

Yup they are certainly on the dark side of things. Cellar club or something. some may say cave sound I suppose. going to the 435S or Pro 900 is like coming up in daylight in open air and sober again after a really nice night at the pub with just the right amount of alcohol.

I'm glad we have similar hearing, and agree with you on all fronts. Don't agree on them being clunky, but that's just aesthetic stuff.

Well, the UPS Man stopped by and delivered the T50RP's today and their was no WOW, more like a hmmmm (buzz).

The are resonance cavities..big-time! I had them on my head, and not even plugged into any amp, and was speaking to a visiting neighbor. The resonance of my speaking went through the cans and WOW (there's one). I must have excited some under-damped cavity and set them all-a-buzz!
JUST MY SPEAKING!

Not a good start. I am letting them stretch their little legs but these need work. I "Can" see that!....hmmm!