Fostex TH900 Impressions & Discussion Thread
Jan 5, 2013 at 2:25 PM Post #2,882 of 18,759
Quote:
When you are really really drunk you think your Pro900's sound like a TH-900. :). It's not that hard a leap to make.

 
You should make a full review on what boose in what quantity gives what effect on which phones and try them all. 
Sorry for your wallet and brain cells.  
biggrin.gif

 
Jan 5, 2013 at 4:56 PM Post #2,883 of 18,759
Yesterday i went to test & buy an LCD-3 to use it With the new "Renaissance DAC/amp" from RedWine Audio that I also plan to purchase.

Tests were done with a Burson HA-160 but...  i was disapointed because (1) I did not get any WHAW effect !  (2) I found it VERY UN-confortable on my head.
--> Is this unusual &  Strange ?  I guess it is personal taste ! ?


On the other hand I tried and liked better a Fostex TH900.  Less dark, (much) more confortable, more lively...

Question is : what will be the very BEST amp for the Fostex ?

Will it pair well With the RWA or will for exemple a Eddie curent Balanced act be better ?

Has someone tried to rewire it With better câbles ? Does this improve it's sound ?
Has someone tried it Balanced with XLR câbles/amp ?

Tanks
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 5:57 PM Post #2,885 of 18,759
ECBA -> TH900 is probably my favorite rig right now.  I haven't heard the ZDSE, though. 
 
Sometimes I use the Burson Conductor for a livelier sound.
 
They're not terribly demanding cans, though.  I used to prefer mine with the less-than-stellar Lehmann BCL (veiled compared to ECBA) just because it was the less colored than other amps I had at the time.
Quote:
Tests were done with a Burson HA-160

 
:/
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 6:07 PM Post #2,886 of 18,759
Yesterday i went to test & buy an LCD-3 to use it With the new "Renaissance DAC/amp" from RedWine Audio that I also plan to purchase.

Tests were done with a Burson HA-160 but... i was disapointed because (1) I did not get any WHAW effect ! (2) I found it VERY UN-confortable on my head.
--> Is this unusual & Strange ? I guess it is personal taste ! ?


On the other hand I tried and liked better a Fostex TH900. Less dark, (much) more confortable, more lively...

Question is : what will be the very BEST amp for the Fostex ?

Will it pair well With the RWA or will for exemple a Eddie curent Balanced act be better ?

Has someone tried to rewire it With better câbles ? Does this improve it's sound ?
Has someone tried it Balanced with XLR câbles/amp ?

Tanks


That is funny.... mirrors my exact experience - LCD3 was uncomfortable and not as involving as the Fostex.

I'm contemplating the Burson Conductor, the April Music DP-1, Fostex amp for 3 in 1's or the EC Zana Deux + a DAC. Mind says the Fostex amp, heart says the Eddie Current.....need the headphones first, then try to audition.
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 8:36 PM Post #2,887 of 18,759
I find the LCD-3 more involving but you have to have an amp it likes. The imaging is way better on the Audeze's. Only your head will know what's comfy. Hard to fix that.

The Fostex should be great on any decent amp. Maybe even the Eximus, which is a great match with it's mids bias, though the amp sucks IMHO. I have my TH-900's wired balanced so I haven't tried the Eximus amp with it. Dac-wise it's great. The Eximus should be a great start you can add a ZD or ECBA later if you are moved.

From 5 posts back: A booze forum (DBT free) is something I could get behind!
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 8:44 PM Post #2,888 of 18,759
I really like the LCD3 with Ray's B52 amp. I don't recall anyone here having that combo. The bass is pretty awesome, 
extremely deep and transparent. The high impedance is also a good match for the B52 (and you can get a pretty precise volume level
with the Dact 23 stepper). Very substantive mids (vocals and instruments in that range).
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 10:26 PM Post #2,889 of 18,759
The LCD-3s are more refined and detailed, but the TH-900s are more entertaining. They are definitely more likely to be impressive at first listen than the Audeze headphones.
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 10:26 PM Post #2,890 of 18,759
Quote:
Yesterday i went to test & buy an LCD-3 to use it With the new "Renaissance DAC/amp" from RedWine Audio that I also plan to purchase.
Tests were done with a Burson HA-160 but...  i was disapointed because (1) I did not get any WHAW effect !  (2) I found it VERY UN-confortable on my head.
--> Is this unusual &  Strange ?  I guess it is personal taste ! ?
On the other hand I tried and liked better a Fostex TH900.  Less dark, (much) more confortable, more lively...
Question is : what will be the very BEST amp for the Fostex ?
Will it pair well With the RWA or will for exemple a Eddie curent Balanced act be better ?
Has someone tried to rewire it With better câbles ? Does this improve it's sound ?
Has someone tried it Balanced with XLR câbles/amp ?
Tanks

There's your issue! The HA-160 barely puts 200mW into the LCD-3s and is a rather poor match for any ortho (or the T1s, HD800s or any other top flight headphone that is even slightly difficult to drive). 
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 10:37 PM Post #2,891 of 18,759
Quote:
The LCD-3s are more refined and detailed, but the TH-900s are more entertaining. They are definitely more likely to be impressive at first listen than the Audeze headphones.

+1, good summary, in line with my own impressions anyway... Comfort-wise, I think the LCD3s are comfortable, but the TH900 are one of if not -the- most comfortable headphones I have (and I think neither the LCD3s, TH900 or most AT "wing" designs are particularly secure when leaning forward or moving around a lot...)
 
Jan 5, 2013 at 11:30 PM Post #2,892 of 18,759
Quote:
The LCD-3s are more refined and detailed, but the TH-900s are more entertaining. They are definitely more likely to be impressive at first listen than the Audeze headphones.

 
Strange, my opinion is actually the opposite. The LCD-3 was more impressive to me at first listen than the TH900. My first impression with the TH900 was that it was a brilliantly designed headphone with superb sound quality, but there wasn't a huge "WOW" factor. With its beautiful appearance it was love-at-first-sight, but not so with the sound.
 
However, as I listened over and over again, I started favoring the sound of TH900 more than the LCD-3. Although I admit the TH900 doesn't have a wide, spacious soundstage as that of the LCD-3 (or HD800, for that matter), being a closed headphone, it has much better imaging capabilities: the ability to create a central focus, distinguish the sound of each instrument, and pin-point the location of the source of sound, generating a crystal-clear (but not so wide) 3D soundstage. There was a post above that said HD800 had better imaging than the TH900, but I disagree. As wide as its soundstage may be, it doesn't have the pinpoint imaging accuracy of the TH900.
 
Also, I found the TH900 to be more refined and detailed than the LCD-3, contrary to what you said. This is purely my opinion and I respect yours too, so please don't take it the wrong way. Yes, the TH900 is definitely an entertaining headphone; I would describe it as fun-sounding, musical, or euphonic. But to me, I found the LCD-3 more fun-sounding. That's probably because I tend to listen to rock music a lot for fun sound, and nothing does rock better than the LCD-3, a.k.a. king of dark sound. But for a wide array of genres, from classic, jazz, new age, and so on, I found the TH900 to be a winner overall. The sound was more refined, with supreme detail, so I was kind of surprised to see that you would consider the LCD-3 more refined and detailed than the TH900. The LCD-3 sounded somewhat veiled compared to the TH900, and I'm talking about the "unveiled" version of the LCD-3.
 
I have to admit that the TH900 however, compared to the LCD-3, has a somewhat artificial sound. It's hard to describe with words, the sound of TH900, as refined as it may be, doesn't sound completely natural. On the other hand, the LCD-3 sounds more organic, closer to real sound. Purely in terms of natural-ness, it's LCD-3 > LCD-2 > TH900 > HD800.
 
Jan 6, 2013 at 3:03 AM Post #2,893 of 18,759
@bmichels
I absolutely can recommend
Sonos-mdac-BHA1-TH900

Setting audiolab mdac to -20dB (because gain low on the bryston bha-1 is not optimal for the 25 ohm fostex.)
Setting bha1 at 12 o'clock
Enjoy ... :)
 
Jan 7, 2013 at 5:14 AM Post #2,894 of 18,759
Right now All I have for an amp is a Schiit Asgard. Would you say stepping up my headphone collection to a TH900 is not worth it without a better amp? I really want these headphones. From the sound of them they may be a perfect addition to my collection of headphones. 
 
cheers 
 
Jan 7, 2013 at 5:46 AM Post #2,895 of 18,759
Quote:
Right now All I have for an amp is a Schiit Asgard. Would you say stepping up my headphone collection to a TH900 is not worth it without a better amp? I really want these headphones. From the sound of them they may be a perfect addition to my collection of headphones. 
 
cheers 

 
The Schiit Asgard can drive the TH900 just fine, expect 8-90% of its maximum performance. Of course, in the long run, you'll find yourself investing in better amps in the future...
 

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