Fostex TH600 Dynamic Headphones - Page 33

I just got a V200 for my TH900's, both are brand new still trying to break them in. I'm using the Gungnir Balanced with my Norse Balanced Reign cables. I really like what I'm hearing so far. Before  I go to sleep I use the TH900's with the Yulong D100. I still can't believe how well the D100 sounds with the denon/fostex phones. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jronan2 

I just got a V200 for my TH900's, both are brand new still trying to break them in. I'm using the Gungnir Balanced with my Norse Balanced Reign cables. I really like what I'm hearing so far. Before  I go to sleep I use the TH900's with the Yulong D100. I still can't believe how well the D100 sounds with the denon/fostex phones. 

I have pretty much this exact same setup.  The Gungnir -> V200 -> TH-900.  It's a fantastic sounding combo.  I am looking forward to trying the V200 with some other amps though.

Yea I'm looking forward to your thoughts when you get the WA6-SE. I just think I'm done with tubes, I think I want to stick with solid state from now on. What made you pick the Woo, positiv feedback with the TH900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jronan2 

Yea I'm looking forward to your thoughts when you get the WA6-SE. I just think I'm done with tubes, I think I want to stick with solid state from now on. What made you pick the Woo, positiv feedback with the TH900?

 From every thing I've read or heard it's not an amp that will disappoint as is the case with all of the products that Woo Audio makes.  It's designed to work well with both low and high impedance headphones and has a higher sound quality than the WA7 (I had originally ordered that but changed my mind after getting some more feedback).

I have a bad habit of buying things without testing them but fortunately I tend to research and ask enough questions before purchasing that I'm rarely disappointed. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jronan2 

I just got a V200 for my TH900's, both are brand new still trying to break them in. I'm using the Gungnir Balanced with my Norse Balanced Reign cables. I really like what I'm hearing so far. Before  I go to sleep I use the TH900's with the Yulong D100. I still can't believe how well the D100 sounds with the denon/fostex phones. 

Are these interconnects or headphone cables?  The reason I ask.  If these are headphone cables then the TH-900 would have to be hardwired.  

This is the exact same thing I'm thinking about doing.  Getting them hardwired..

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokendog 

 

The V200 is amazing with the TH-900s.  I have a WA6-SE on order that I'll be comparing in the future. 

 

If you are looking to spend more $$$ then the Zana amp is supposed to be sublime.

so what made you go with the WA6-SE over the Zana? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by preproman 

 

Are these interconnects or headphone cables?  The reason I ask.  If these are headphone cables then the TH-900 would have to be hardwired.  

 

This is the exact same thing I'm thinking about doing.  Getting them hardwired..

Just reign balanced interconnects. Unfortunately I don't have the testicular fortitude to recable the TH900, nor do I have a matching balanced amp for them either. 

I'm following Sean evaluating the WA7 and TH600. Both very impressive devices for now. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgman1 

Got me interested into looking into the TH600 and TH900. Now I need to look into a headphone amp and a DAC for those. Any good recommendations for these 2 Fostex headphones?

That entirely depends on your budget. The TH600 and TH900 don't need a super fancy setup, and they sound pretty darn good even out of a DAP unamped, but they will definitely scale up if you put a nice chain behind them.

On the high end of things, I wholeheartedly second the recommendation for the Eddie Current Zana Deux SE. Match made in heaven. Also the DNA Stratus 2A3 is supposed to sound excellent with these, though I haven't had a chance to listen myself yet (will hopefully be auditioning it soon). For the TH900 I would personally stay away from amps that exaggerate the lower FR region, as it's already plenty bassy and doesn't need any heft added to it. Ideally I'd go for an amp that had really good transducer control and just a very faint touch of sweetness while still remaining transparent (like the ZDSE).

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

 

That entirely depends on your budget. The TH600 and TH900 don't need a super fancy setup, and they sound pretty darn good even out of a DAP unamped, but they will definitely scale up if you put a nice chain behind them.

 

On the high end of things, I wholeheartedly second the recommendation for the Eddie Current Zana Deux SE. Match made in heaven. Also the DNA Stratus 2A3 is supposed to sound excellent with these, though I haven't had a chance to listen myself yet (will hopefully be auditioning it soon). For the TH900 I would personally stay away from amps that exaggerate the lower FR region, as it's already plenty bassy and doesn't need any heft added to it. Ideally I'd go for an amp that had really good transducer control and just a very faint touch of sweetness while still remaining transparent (like the ZDSE).

Those are premium headphone amps, but I'll look into them. Seems Eddie Current has released 2 new amps: Electra and Super 7. Can't go into those since there aren't many people who tried and review them on these Fostex headphones yet. DNA Stratus 2A3 is interesting as well. Still need to look into DACs for the TH600/TH900.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgman1 

Those are premium headphone amps, but I'll look into them. Seems Eddie Current has released 2 new amps: Electra and Super 7. Can't go into those since there aren't many people who tried and review them on these Fostex headphones yet. DNA Stratus 2A3 is interesting as well. Still need to look into DACs for the TH600/TH900.

The Super 7 is designed to be extremely customizable: you can basically tailor the sound to match the headphones, but you need experiment with tube rolling to get there. Personally I'd recommend the ZDSE over the S7 for the TH900.

The Electra is an electrostatic headphone amp, so it wont be for the Fostex which are dynamic headphones. The Electra is only for stuff like Stax that require really high voltage swing.

Again, the TH900 don't need a super fancy setup. I've even used it without an amp and it sounds good. However if you're going to invest $2k in them, it may definitely be something to consider as they scale up well.

Edit: AnakChan really liked the Woo WA7 with the TH600. I think they look great together with their matching black finish, but haven't heard it yet myself. Still it's worth a consideration because you get both an amp and a DAC in one nice little package. Plus is seems very quiet, which is good since the Fostex are sensitive, low impedance. I might be a little worried about it being a bit too warm, especially w/ the TH900, but the TH600 is more restrained so it's probably a better match I'm guessing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

The Super 7 is designed to be extremely customizable: you can basically tailor the sound to match the headphones, but you need experiment with tube rolling to get there. Personally I'd recommend the ZDSE over the S7 for the TH900.

 

The Electra is an electrostatic headphone amp, so it wont be for the Fostex which are dynamic headphones. The Electra is only for stuff like Stax that require really high voltage swing.

 

Again, the TH900 don't need a super fancy setup. I've even used it without an amp and it sounds good. However if you're going to invest $2k in them, it may definitely be something to consider as they scale up well.

 

Edit: AnakChan really liked the Woo WA7 with the TH600. I think they look great together with their matching black finish, but haven't heard it yet myself. Still it's worth a consideration because you get both an amp and a DAC in one nice little package. Plus is seems very quiet, which is good since the Fostex are sensitive, low impedance. I might be a little worried about it being a bit too warm, especially w/ the TH900, but the TH600 is more restrained so it's probably a better match I'm guessing.

Where do people buy the TH600? I've seen the TH900 for sale at more places online. You do have a point about the amp not being necessary, but as a nice touch. Then what DACs do people recommend for the TH600 or TH900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgman1 

Where do people buy the TH600? I've seen the TH900 for sale at more places online. You do have a point about the amp not being necessary, but as a nice touch. Then what DACs do people recommend for the TH600 or TH900?

I'd suggest not basing your DAC selection so much on what headphone you want to use; that's more of an amp thing in my experience. I personally go for a DAC that is more transparent and revealing rather than warm and euphonic, just because it gives you a cleaner canvas to build your sonic pallet on top of. Again: your budget will make a difference. In the $700-1000 range I'd go for the Schiit Gungnir, Matrix X-Sabre, or Resonessence Concero personally. In the $1500-2000 range I'd go for the NAD M51. But that's just based on my preferences.

The TH600 is currently a Japan-only product. You'll need to get it from an importer like PriceJapan.com or buy it from Amazon.co.jp and forward it using a deputy service like Tenso. I got mine from PriceJapan. Very reliable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

I'd suggest not basing your DAC selection so much on what headphone you want to use; that's more of an amp thing in my experience. I personally go for a DAC that is more transparent and revealing rather than warm and euphonic, just because it gives you a cleaner canvas to build your sonic pallet on top of. Again: your budget will make a difference. In the $700-1000 range I'd go for the Schiit Gungnir, Matrix X-Sabre, or Resonessence Concero personally. In the $1500-2000 range I'd go for the NAD M51. But that's just based on my preferences.

 

The TH600 is currently a Japan-only product. You'll need to get it from an importer like PriceJapan.com or buy it from Amazon.co.jp and forward it using a deputy service like Tenso. I got mine from PriceJapan. Very reliable.

I'll look into those DAC recommendations since I'm still doing research on headphone amps and DACs. Someone did recommend the Resonessence Concero for me. Are 2-in-1 (amp + DAC) really bad as people say? I know many people still prefer standalone amps and DACs due to the # of options and combinations to use and test out on various headphones. Also, would a solid state amp be more suitable for these headphones since tube amps seem more suited to high impedance headphones.

PriceJapan seems to have good prices on the TH600 and TH900. I'll look into the site and see what else they have for headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgman1 

I'll look into those DAC recommendations since I'm still doing research on headphone amps and DACs. Someone did recommend the Resonessence Concero for me. Are 2-in-1 (amp + DAC) really bad as people say? I know many people still prefer standalone amps and DACs due to the # of options and combinations to use and test out on various headphones. Also, would a solid state amp be more suitable for these headphones since tube amps seem more suited to high impedance headphones.

 

PriceJapan seems to have good prices on the TH600 and TH900. I'll look into the site and see what else they have for headphones.

I wouldn't call 2-in-1 combos inherently bad. Most times when you have a device that has to do more than one dedicated thing, you'll have compromises. Basically combo units are DAC and amp sections that are put in the same box together, which solves issues of space and convenience, but creates new ones like potential digital noise issues. Also DACs tend to be upgraded and improved constantly, so with an all-in-one unit a perfectly good amp section could end up "obsolete" in a year because of the aging DAC attached to it.

I'd personally stay away from Fostex's A8 combo that was marketed alongside the TH900. If I were doing a combo unit I'd probably look at the Woo first or maybe the Burson Conductor (which costs more, however).

As for solid state being more suitable for low impedance headphones, this is not necessarily true. Again it really depends on the specific design of the amp. The all tube Zana Deux SE is actually one of the quietest amps I've ever used. Ever. Absolutely black background. The solid state SPL Phonitor however hums rather noticeably with sensitive headphones. Same goes for their sound signatures: people tend to associate tubes with being inherently warm and bloomy, but this isn't true.