[sahmen]

I thought I should start a full owners' impressions page for these cans, simply because the review thread is clogged with postings related to shipping and tracking info that say nothing about how great these babies are...
 
 
So what do I think about them?  I think they're da bomb!
 
I've already posted the following on the main review thread: 
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sahmen View Post
Short and sweet : Unboxed them, and plugged them right into Geekout 1000>Macbook pro w/Amarra in order to listen to some ripped ALAC files, and some Tidal tunes on Amarra for Tidal, and boy do these babies rock, and reach deep on the bass?  They're easily the most "basshead" set of phones in my stable, even though I have other cans that do great bass without being "basshead."  Be that as it may, these also do great in the mids and highs. and it really scares me to think how even nicer they might sound after 150 hours or more of burn-in...  At any rate, these are just quick first impressions, after less than 30 minutes of listening.   Talking about 150 hours of burn-in, I'm really in no hurry to cross that bridge yet since they seem to sound  great already as they are;  I'm just going to chill with these cans, and just enjoy the journey...  and did I mention how great they look, with the mahogany on them and all?
 
This sounds to me like one hell of a "home run" for MD/Fostex, and I would like to present them with this special badge of honor:
 

 
 
PS... Oh, I have to say I have had no issues at all with the earpads, although I know it would be different for others.  For me, it has been "wear 'em and forget 'em" all the way...  the pads fit me fine, and I do not feel my ears getting "hot" or sweaty or whatever...  they just work.  And oh, I forgot to add :  as far as price/performance considerations go, this is out of the ballpark:
 

 

Here's another impression of mine: Quote:
 
 I've been listening to some Erykah Badu tunes this morning, these are tunes that I have not heard for more than 12 years now, but the X00 has given them so much new energy and life (particularly in the lower frequencies), that I am simply having a hard time tearing myself away from my rig to go to the office, even though I do have to go to the office today...
 
Funny thing is, I am already familiar with these bass riffs and grooves, and yet today these same riffs and grooves seem to be possessed by some new "voodoo," which I have never heard in them before - they're rocking with this euphoric but clean, deep, and tactile slam which is all kinds of crazy!!! This is simply serious trouble (good trouble, anyway), because I need to put the damn cans away and go to the office...! Dammit!
 
Before the Badu tunes, I tried some others from Patricia Barber's "Modern Cool," and Keith Jarrett's "At the Blue Note" live series, and this bad boy passed all tests with flying colors...
This is really serious trouble....
 
By the way, did I mention that these cans are "da bomb"?

Here's  another one: Quote:
 
I would call the handling of the bass on "Constantinople" extremely articulate, clean,  deep, not to mention forcefully tactile, and impactful on this rig - somehow, this baby seems to reach deeper than my He-6, He-500, Beyerdymic T1, even though these all have quite excellent bass... It handles all the nimble and subtle riffs of "Constantinople," with a lot of dexterity, not missing a beat. The best part about the X00 is that it can reach that low, and be articulate, without in anyway overwhelming the mids and highs, or even "contaminating" them, if you know what I mean.
 
In other words, the force is strong with this one:
 

 
Oh well, these are, of course, my own completely non-expert first impressions, gathered after only 8-15 hours of brief intermittent listening sessions on a rather modest GO-1000 + MBP/Amarra rig, playing ALAC files and Tidal files on Amarra...
 
Here's a last personal impression that agrees with another positive impression:
 
Quote:
 
Originally Posted by sheldaze (http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review/2805#post_12164110)
 
When people post muddy bass, please also post your AMP/DAC setup and if you've just plugged in your TH-X00 for the first time (or they've been playing for a day or more). From what I've read, the bass characteristics are very dependent on both playing for at least a day and using an AMP/DAC that is both low impedance and not bloated sounding.
Bloated bass actually makes me nauseous. This headphone is instead letting me hear the bass-lines with high precision, not with bloat. I found the bass player on Dave Matthews Band highly engaging. I'm using the m9XX and have been playing my headphones about a day, letting them play overnight from Sunday to Monday, and basically listening all day Monday - I could not tear myself away.
Enjoying these immensely  
 
*********
+1 This has been my experience too, although I am not using the m9XX.  When I read about "bass bloat," "muddy bass," "recessed mids," etc. etc. those reviews do not match my experience at all....  They might as well be describing an entirely different pair of cans...
 
That the sound sig might be a cumulative product of the particular chain of components (Music + source>dacs>amps>X00>ears) in which the X00 is deployed : this should be an obvious no-brainer to anyone who has any history using headphones, so why are people slamming or praising the sound of the X00 alone, without any reference to the surrounding chain, as if the X00 was performing alone....?
 
It gets even more bewildering and confusing when some folks attempt to rationalize price/performance by comparing this so-called "sound" of the X00, assessed under such ill-defined conditions, with that of another can, or other cans, e.g. an Ether, an Audeze, an Alpha Prime, a TH900, and even worse, an Ether, Audeze, Alpha Prime or TH900 which they heard at a meet or at a friend's house, deployed in a chain of components they cannot even remember...
 
What chance do such folks have of making a "correct" assessment, whether they're trying to judge the X00 on its own terms or attempting to determine what a "good" (or "bad") deal it is by comparing it to the price/performance of other cans?  Beats me...
 
Personally, I realized within the first few minutes of use, on my GO1000/MBP/Amarra rig, that these cans have a very unique signature, esp. with the way it handles bass, that none of my other cans can satisfactorily emulate, and that is what has made it an instant keeper in my stable...  I have been satisfied with that classification , and do not feel any urge to obsess over how it compares with my T1, my He-6, or He-500, hd 600/700, or with cans I do not even have, such as audezes and ethers...
 
It is possible that one day, I would find myself making such comparisons (with this hobby, you never know), but so far, I feel no urge to do that... I m just happy enjoying the X00s whenever I get the opportunity, and each time I put them on, I am very reluctant to take them off...
 
For more expert impressions, Let me refer you to the following:
 
@jude's review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review#post_12102833
 
@project86's
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review#post_12102871
 
@moedawg140's 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review#post_12102875
 
@deafanddumb's
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review/2865#post_12165758
 
 
@fjrabon's
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fostex-th-x00-massdrop-exclusive/reviews/14803
 
@Soundsgoodtome's
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fostex-th-x00-massdrop-exclusive/reviews/14816
 
@Jazic's
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/788776/fostex-x-massdrop-th-x00-review/3195#post_12180818
 
The Verge:
 
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/21/10632812/fostex-massdrop-th-x00-headphones-review

 

[Chu]

I have not put nearly enough hours on these to post a review, but I feel like these will be the first headphone in a long time that will stay in my collection.  I was absolutely not a fan of the Mahogany earcups in the press pictures, but they look stunning in person.
 
Unfortunely, I bought these specifically because I was looking for a new closed can for the office.  These leak an incredible amount of sound for being a closed design.  I thought that I would be ok despite the warnings from other Fostex owners because I tend to have a very low listening volume -- but they really do leak just as bad as open cans.

 

[Change is Good]

I got my popcorn ready

 

[bavinck]

I got my ears ready

 

[Chu]

Again, not enough hours for an in-depth review, but for some initial impressions . . .
 
I have demoed a lot of headphones over the years, but for me I have five distinct categories of use.  A headphone only sticks around if it can replace its predecessor.  Those categories are:
 
Long Listening General Use -- I spend many hours of a day at the computer, and need a comfortable headphone that's willing to blend into the background when I need it to, but has a high level of performance for when I want it.  The HD-800s will be taking this spot as soon as it's available.
 
Tube-head -- Sometimes I just want that tube sound, and need a good OTL-compatible headphone for it.  HD-600.
 
3-D positional audio for gaming -- Sound quality is not as important here as letting my brain accurately read positional audio cues.  I still use the MDR-V6 here after many years of trying to find a better can.  One of the big drawbacks of this can for audio (in-the-head soundstage) is actually a huge asset here.
 
Office -- I work in an open office and need a good closed can that will not disturb my neighbors.  Currently use an ATH-M50 for this, which after 5 years is basically shredded.
 
Fun -- Sometimes you just want to crank the volume and listen to some fun cans.  I keep around a set of Grado's for this use.
 
Note that I am not willing to pay for a killo-buck headphone for any category except #1.  I just don't put on the necessary hours to justify the cost.
 
I bought this headphone to replace my decaying ATH-M50's for the office.  Unfortunately, these leak significantly more than I expected and are not going to be suitable for that. 
 
The reason I might keep them is that they're excellent at another category on the list -- "Fun".  In the other thread, there has been quite a bit of discussion of V-shaped headphones.  These generally get a bad rap because they're associated with cheap consumer headphones -- but my current listening impressions tend to agree with the crowd that are calling these the V-curve done right.

 

[Happytalk]

I agree. The v shape is not your average muddy, harsh mess. It's a hi quality signature with plenty of fatigue-less clarity and detail. Also, for the record, the pads are fine with me, but I'm curious to see what the pad rollers come up with. I know there will be some solid opinions pretty soon about which one tightens (my interest) the bass and which one boosts it, etc

 

[Kozic]

I would not call the THX00 V shaped not even U shaped the mids and treble are close to neutral with a nice bass and sub bass bump and once they are burned in they have a great warm,fun sound signature.

 

[TMRaven]

It's a downward sloping w shape.  Emphasis on sub-bass, hump in the middle-mids around 1khz, and slight brad emphasis of treble from 6-10khz.

 

[Makiah S]

I agree, I will say though that after spending like 5 hours with my modded W1000X I had some trouble going back to the TH X00 for Metal q.q, it sounded slow 
 
so to those who asked how the W1000X an the TH X00 differ... well my W1000X is modded an the differance I notice is SPEEEEEEEEED, the TH X00 sounds sluggish compared to the W1000X, though mines got a touch of dynamat in the back of the cups, which pretty much eats up decay, making my w1000x REALLY REALLY Dry an fast! Combine that with some really gorgeous mids an a smooth top end <.< an well the TH X00 is quickly out paced
 
Though the other thing here is Cable an Termination, my W1000X is recabled an runs balanced out of my NFB10ES2
 
though, still the two headphones do imo compliment each other, the W1000X is terrible for Dub Step or any EDM [MASSIVE sub bass roll off sadly] 

 

[Kozic]

  For the last hour + I have been going back and forth between the stock pads and the http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-angled-memory-foam-earpad-black-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones. Now I can say with some confidence that the stock pads have slightly better bass in pack the depth and accuracy are the same as far as I can tell,but the Brainwavz have a slightly better soundstage and transparency though the mids (male and female vocals) and the comfort is much improved for me (with my lager ears).
 Just to be clear the difference in sound is small at best Its a comfort issue if the stock pads fit my ear with out pain I would still be using them. So if you have the same problem with the stock pads here is a cheep option to try.     

 

[sahmen]

    For the last hour + I have been going back and forth between the stock pads and the http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-angled-memory-foam-earpad-black-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones. Now I can say with some confidence that the stock pads have slightly better bass in pack the depth and accuracy are the same as far as I can tell,but the Brainwavz have a slightly better soundstage and transparency though the mids (male and female vocals) and the comfort is much improved for me (with my lager ears).
 Just to be clear the difference in sound is small at best Its a comfort issue if the stock pads fit my ear with out pain I would still be using them. So if you have the same problem with the stock pads here is a cheep option to try.     

I wonder how they''ll fare with the non-angled Brainwavz HM5 pleather pads:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-spare-earpad-1-pair
 
Those are the ones I bought.  I wonder whether they'll do any better than the TH-X00 stock pads.  I also wonder how the angled pads are different from these...

 

[Kozic]

  I wonder how they''ll fare with the non-angled Brainwavz HM5 pleather pads:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-spare-earpad-1-pair
 
Those are the ones I bought.  I wonder whether they'll do any better than the TH-X00 stock pads.  I also wonder how the angled pads are different from these...

I would bet they are going to be about the same as the angled. I was just trying to stay as close to the stock pads as I could but the HM5 angled pads are still much taller than the stock ones.

 

[Mfalcon]

I've been listening for a week now.  I love these things, they are a home run for me.
 
My inventory for headphones is LCD-3, HE-6, AT M50x, Noble Savant IEMs
So these are my frame of reference. 
I bought these for mostly Portable and Office use.  But I have listened the past week exclusively to get a feel for them. 
I have tried to use Savants for everything Portable and will mix it up in the future but I really find IEMs distracting physically.  The AT's are office use.  They leak less that anything else but to be honest I'm not a naturally courteous person and don't pay attention.  When I asked the lady who's cubicle is near mine about the leakage she was shocked I bothered to ask. 
 
I've listened out of my iPhone 6s, a Woo Audio WA-22 (the 1/4" plug, non balanced), and the Sim Audio 430 HAD. 
Of all my headphones these sound closest to the LCD-3 but really they aren't that alike.  They are a big win for me because they don't sound like anything I have already. 
The bass is awesome from the 430 HAD.  No as articulate as the LCD-3 or definately not the HE-6 but so much impact and pretty tight.  The Woo is currently connected to my turntable and I enjoyed it but the bass was flabby/looser that the HAD which is digital at the moment(I have my two amps in different rooms, so I do analog on the Woo and digital on the 430 HAD).  One thing I like about the TH-x00 is that it is more forgiving on pops/clicks for vinyl than the LCD-3 or HE-6.  Transient response is great until you listen to a record with pops on headphones!  I've never had a problem with light pops on speakers but TOTL heads have a sharp transient response that makes pops/clicks startling and really take me out of the music.  It's not a problem with these phones which I find refreshing even though the overall sound quality is not comparable to the TOTL.
But honestly these things sound great out of my iPhone.  I mean the diffence between the iPhone and the $4k Sim Audio is not huge and if I'm not being overly critical or deep in the zone it's perfectly fine out of the iPhone which is great.  This is, to me, an efficient HP that gives good sound, without requiring much power which is what I wanted. 
 
Going forward I mostly intend to use these with a portable DAC/Headamp.  Just haven't settled on one yet and have to let the Christmas dust settle before I spend more money.
But I am far happier with these than I anticipated, and the only thing that I dislike is the cable.  I wish it was either detachable or shorter with an 1/8" plug.  I understand why Massdrop did what they did with the  cable, just wish it was different.  When enough people mod their cable I will probably do the same, but no rush.  I don't hate the earpads like someone.  They aren't as comfy as the Audeze earpads but plenty good enough for my taste.
 
Very Happy owner here.


My serial number is 1313 which was cool. I honestly never paid much attention to things until I saw how much people obsessed. 1313 is cool, just hopefully isn't unlucky.

 

[Makiah S]

    For the last hour + I have been going back and forth between the stock pads and the http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-angled-memory-foam-earpad-black-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones. Now I can say with some confidence that the stock pads have slightly better bass in pack the depth and accuracy are the same as far as I can tell,but the Brainwavz have a slightly better soundstage and transparency though the mids (male and female vocals) and the comfort is much improved for me (with my lager ears).
 Just to be clear the difference in sound is small at best Its a comfort issue if the stock pads fit my ear with out pain I would still be using them. So if you have the same problem with the stock pads here is a cheep option to try.     

Nice to hear they improve on comfort, shame the bass response isn't any better though 
 

   One thing I like about the TH-x00 is that it is more forgiving on pops/clicks for vinyl than the LCD-3 or HE-6.  
 

I like that about them as well, my LA D5k is simmilar in that regard to, but both my HE 4 an W1000X have very good transient response, an ANYTHING poorly recorded or mastered is a little... hard to enjoy 

 

[Mfalcon]

I like that about them as well, my LA D5k is simmilar in that regard to, but both my HE 4 an W1000X have very good transient response, an ANYTHING poorly recorded or mastered is a little... hard to enjoy 

I find it actually pretty important because I buy a ton of used vinyl and even after a good clean some of it sounds a little rough. If it's terrible I don't keep listening but if it's just a little bad these phones male for a pleasant experience. I love head-fi, hi-fi, and audio gear in general but if I buy a 70s era Zoot Sims record for a buck and clean it up I want to listen to the music and don't want to jump after a few pops.