N0sferatu
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2008
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Just got my Fostex TH900 (zolkis modded) today off a member on this site. Figured it'd be a good time to try and compare them to my other headphones and my theater room. Before I continue I'll just say this, all of these are awesome at their price range at the end of the day you can't go wrong with any of these.
The players:
Headphones:
Fostex TH-900 - partial Lawton tune up with new Dekoni pads and some other minor tweaks
From what I've been told the modded TH900 has a tighter bass (can be perceived as less than stock) but really pulls the recessed V out of them and makes a pronounced mid frequency headphone with a less harsh treble.
Denon AH-D7000 - stock
Sennheiser HD600 - HD650 cable otherwise untouched
Speakers: Monitor Audio Platinum PL200 with a Seaton Submersive HP+ subwoofer. For music it plays 2.1 the center is not utilized.
The Amps/DAC
Audio-GD FUN for all the critical listening
Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A1060 w/ Emotiva XPA-3 for the speakers
I listened to all the headphones with the Audio-GD FUN hooked up to a PC playing FLAC files. I list them in the review in the order I listened to them. I linked YouTube tracks to the actual songs (obviously of lower quality) if someone wants an idea of the songs I threw at these. I tried to mix up which I listened to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to balance out the results. I also mixed the genres up a bit. After wrapping up all the tracks back to back to back with the headphones I went into my theater and listened to each song. I then went back to a particular headphone on certain tracks to compare as documented below.
Comfort wise, all 3 headphones are comfortable for extended listening sessions. The HD600 grips the hardest but the cushion is like a pillow on your head. The Denon's dont' grip as much as the Sennheiser and in my years of usage I find them more comfortable. Lastly, the TH900 have Dekoni pads on them so they are thick and soft but offer the least grip to your head. This is great for comfort but don't lean too far forward or they may fall off. With that said, here's the songs and their individual reviews:
The Songs:
Frank Sinatra - New York, New York
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_srVEAP-WM
HD600 - Presentation give it a lush sound. Sinatra's voice comes through very articulate. The instruments have a layer to them and it gives depth. Sinatra sounds like he's in front of them with the band out back.
D7000 - Hello bass! The instruments command them right from the get go. Sinatra has more of a deeper sound to his voice in the lower spectrum thanks to the harder bass response of these headphones. It gives a more enveloping experirence. This is both a pro and a con. Whereas the HD600 you had layers this is just a mix of everything together. It comes down to preference. It mixes well but and is very enjoyable. The closed headphone vs open headphone at the end of the day is what it boils down to.
TH900 - The third headphone to the mix and another different sound. The treble...simply whoa! There's an air to the cymbals. Sinatra's voice has the pros of both headphones without the cons. He has a vocal texture like the D7000 but maintains the layers of separation. For a closed headphone it's very open sounding. In closing, the YouTube video linked above sounds awful on these. All three of these headphones expose poor quality sources.
Monitor Audio Platinums - This is one of my "go to" tracks when I want to demo out the Monitors. Other than me saying no contest I'll try and elaborate. The instrument separation, his voice, just close your eyes and it's like he's alive right in front of you. This is where you close your eyes, pop open a drink, and sit back and just enjoy a live performance right in front of you. Everything is right, his vocals, the separation, etc. There's just certain things everyone in life needs to experience once, and that's a good set of headphones & a good set of speakers.
Gareth Emery - Hands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITCUOQbZlDY
TH900 - This track really shines on the TH900. It has the Denon thump with the open sound of the HD600. Her voice has an air to it. There's a front vocal mid range, expressive treble, and a good bass line. These headphones just ask to be played loud on this track. At the 1:15 as it builds there's a good amount going on at once and these take it like a champ.
D7000 - Lacks the air of the TH900. It sounds good but it's a closed in sound going back-to-back from the TH900. Her voice sounds like you're in a chamber. She sounds distant. The higher frequency sounds have no air to them. Sounds bass heavy. If I didn't listen to the TH900 first i may not have had such criticism on this headphone with this track. The bass roll off at the 1 minute mark has more "punch" on these headphones but for where it lacks everywhere else I had to take these off. This is the recessed "V-sound" signature that everyone is talking about.
HD600 - There's no closed environment here. It lacks the sparkle of the TH900. Her voice sounds "safe" in that it just lacks the texture. It's better than the Denon on the sound stage but it can't match the TH900 on this track when it comes to the overall experience. Impressive bass for the HD600 on this track. It doesn't match either of the other two but was pleasantly surprised.
Monitor Audio Platinum - Her voice just has a sound like she's right in front of you. These headphones (or any I think) is not going to match physical speakers in separation. It doesn't have the "air" of the TH900 but it's hard to fault this system. The TH900 has them beat in that department but that's about it. That bass hit at the 1 minute mark you can feel in your chest. There's plenty of separation to the instruments. This is the only song I stepped to the back of the room and plugged the TH900 into my Yamaha to do a direct A/B as I couldn't believe the TH900 could pull this off. The headphones just sound more "alive". Her voice is just other worldly and I prefer over the Monitors. The bass is obviously lacking but that's about it
Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwYU8jq6Qw0
D7000 - Guitar has a textured riff. Overall sounds good but no instrument separation. When his voice comes in there's that recessed feeling. It's not bad just not great. Not the headphone of choice for this application.
HD600 - More separation into layers. Open design is a plus for this track. Much more enjoyable listening experience. On the flip side, the guitar solo later on has more textured detail than the Denon's. Odd given that it counters what I said about D7000 in the review above. Overall these headphones beat Denon/Fostex on this track by a hefty margin.
TH900 - Guitars don't sound as natural but has the open sound of the HD600. His voice just doesn't have that groove to it like the HD600. Guitar solo has an "air" to it. Disappointed in the headphones on this track. To redeem them, I did EQ the headphones a little. It's against the review as I had no EQ for these on all the other tracks but I had to get them sounding better. Once I tweaked some of the frequencies it's night and day. It needs a little bit of loving on the treble and bringing it under control with more of a bass kick and it's a great experience. To be fair, as I said earlier if there's no EQ this track is a disappointment
Monitor Audio Platinum - Thunderous bass line feels and sounds like a real drum line. There's a level of separation on these that is just surreal. The instruments have their place in the sound stage but the speakers just effortlessly lift his voice over everything else and puts him life-life and front & center. The solo has so much texture in the riffs of the guitar.
Lindsey Stirling - Take Flight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAD0BtEv6-Q
HD600 - Very textured headphone on this track. All the elements are easily isolated. As it ramps up though I just don't feel the "build-up". It's good, not great on this type of track. The HD600 like to play things safe. It's part of that neutral sound they're known for. It's accurate, not "wow." Once the bass heavy parts hit it's more or less the same. It's tonally accurate and good in that department just not great in the enjoyment rock it out factor.
TH900 - Sounds like a veil was removed. That Sennheiser veil is obvious once these get thrown on and you hit play. Her vocals have more detail and the instruments become alive. Treble can be a little too harsh but as things build up it behaves. Coming from the HD600 I thought these were going to win...not so much. Onto the D7000
D7000 - The intro is the best on these. Sounds the most balanced. There's a good amount of detail to her voice but it is less than the other two. There's more bass in the intro of this track. As it builds you do the head bounce to this song. It's alive. The counterpoint though, it's the first time in a while I'm noticing the recessed mids on this track with these headphones as I'm pretty familiar with this song. The treble sparkles, the bass hits, but where's my mid range? It sounds good but it's down a few dB from the rest of the soundtrack.
End of the day, this song it's touch to call. All three sound great in certain areas but then lack in others. With that said, onto the speakers:
Monitor Audio Platinum - The open air and texture of the vocals and instruments is top notch. I won't comment much about the bass because physically no headphone can match a dual 15" woofer. The guitars have a riff to them. There may be a sligth lack of separation in the instruments compared to the headphones in critical istening. If you're just sitting down and casually listening this isn't as obvious.
Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-4u9W-bns
D7000 - Bass heavy on these headphones on the start. Enjoyable if you like bass (me) but it's not natural. There's detail in the guitar but as much as I love bass I feel it takes away from the rest of the experience. Once his vocals come in and more instruments start joining the song things blend much better. There's really not much of a "V-sound" on this track. The Denon AH-D7000 plays this track great from 30 seconds onward. It's a very enjoyable listen as the song progresses. At 2:07 when he starts belting and the other instruments all kick in this headphone really makes it a gem. The Denon AH-D7000 is at home when there's plenty of things going on at once. 2:35 the vocal with the percussion sounds great.
TH900 - Without touching the volume knob I hit play it's much softer in it's presentation. It has a very different sound presentation. While it's tonally more accurate it's not as fun as the D7000. I think it comes down to do you want it to sound more accurate (this and the HD600) or do you want it fun sounding (D7000)? Even as it builds it's just not as commanding as the Denon. 2:07 at that kick oh these come alive finally. I was getting worried welcome back Fostex. Bass isn't as commanding on this track compared to the Denon but the mid range and upper frequencies these smoke the D7000.
HD600 - The start of this track has the presence the D7000 had that the TH900 lacked. Guitar has plenty of detail in it. This is the headphone for this type of music. All three headphones do a great job at portraying this song. They all present them in a different way. 2:07 this song just belts on the HD600. His voice is just so commanding. The "thump" of the instruments is there, just not like the other two headphones. Overall it sounds alive but doesn't have the bass extension of the other two.
Monitor Audio Platinum - His voice has such range. There's something to be said about having a ribbon tweeter. As the song builds so does the entire presentation. It's an enjoyable listen. This is a different experience between all four options. Has a great air and separation. Once the song kicks into gear though the bass hit you can feel in your chest and that's just something I can't put into words. Drum kicks hitting your chest into your back as if someone's playing the actual percussions with in front of you. He has a commanding vocal line that just sounds so effortless. This is about as close to sitting in the recording studio you're going to get.
This track I plugged all three headphones into the Yamaha because I couldn't believe how great this track sounds on the Monitors. To summarize with a direct A/B/C/D:
D7000 - went in and without having the others in my memory a fun kick but recessed mids the voice isn't as life-like
HD600 - has more vocal presence but still doesn't have the life-like sound. I know earlier I said his voice belts but in comparison to the Monitors it's like a mouse vs a lion. This is not the fault of the Yamaha (it has a good amp built into itself) it has volume just not the presence.
TH900 has the voice to almost come close to matching the monitors but not in the instruments or in the rest of it's presentation
Deadmau5 - Superliminal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdjneytbxeQ
TH900 - There's extra details in this track that neither headphone picks up right from the start. Bass very snappy as is the rest of the details very on/off (no hang over). Track is redundant so not much to say beyond this.
D7000 - The extra details are a bit more muddy. I do see what people are talking about with this "V-sound" signature in these headphones. Bass rolls off more (lingers) versus snap on/off on the TH900. Gives the appearance of more bass compared to the TH900. Overall mixes everything together well but in doing so the details vanish. Enjoyable at the end of the day.
HD600 - Shocking for me to say but loses detail. It doesn't have a "punch" this type of song commands. These are not your choice of headphones for EDM-type music. 2:04 of the YouTube clip sounds nice on these (lacking the bass of the others but good otherwise)
Monitor Audio Platinum - I was curious to go back to these since there was extra detail I never noticed before in this song. As soon as I hit play, I now notice it's there but boy is it subtle. Just casual listening that echo of the track is just not there on the Monitor Audio speakers. Victory to the headphones in that area; all of them. On the flip side though, once the bass line starts ramping up the victory goes to the subwoofer. Hail the Seaton!
At the end of the day, they're all great in their own right. They excel in one area and lack in another. The Denon has bass extension but lacks fine details once songs become complex. The TH900 is a matured Denon. It provides separation and an articular mid and upper band. Certain songs if you A/B you may find faults in them but as I put this post together I've been jamming them out without a worry. The Sennheiser is a champ given it's the cheapest of the bunch. It's the most tonally accurate of them all. I tend to give the HD600 a good 10dB or so of gain on the low end and it makes them "alive." You have the tonally accurate mids and highs with a rather strong low end. For open it can really thump when EQ is added. Here's all three together. The Denon is for sale as of the typing of this post since they're a similar type of headphone to the TH900 it makes no sense to keep both. Happy reading!
The players:
Headphones:
Fostex TH-900 - partial Lawton tune up with new Dekoni pads and some other minor tweaks
From what I've been told the modded TH900 has a tighter bass (can be perceived as less than stock) but really pulls the recessed V out of them and makes a pronounced mid frequency headphone with a less harsh treble.
Denon AH-D7000 - stock
Sennheiser HD600 - HD650 cable otherwise untouched
Speakers: Monitor Audio Platinum PL200 with a Seaton Submersive HP+ subwoofer. For music it plays 2.1 the center is not utilized.
The Amps/DAC
Audio-GD FUN for all the critical listening
Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A1060 w/ Emotiva XPA-3 for the speakers
I listened to all the headphones with the Audio-GD FUN hooked up to a PC playing FLAC files. I list them in the review in the order I listened to them. I linked YouTube tracks to the actual songs (obviously of lower quality) if someone wants an idea of the songs I threw at these. I tried to mix up which I listened to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to balance out the results. I also mixed the genres up a bit. After wrapping up all the tracks back to back to back with the headphones I went into my theater and listened to each song. I then went back to a particular headphone on certain tracks to compare as documented below.
Comfort wise, all 3 headphones are comfortable for extended listening sessions. The HD600 grips the hardest but the cushion is like a pillow on your head. The Denon's dont' grip as much as the Sennheiser and in my years of usage I find them more comfortable. Lastly, the TH900 have Dekoni pads on them so they are thick and soft but offer the least grip to your head. This is great for comfort but don't lean too far forward or they may fall off. With that said, here's the songs and their individual reviews:
The Songs:
Frank Sinatra - New York, New York
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_srVEAP-WM
HD600 - Presentation give it a lush sound. Sinatra's voice comes through very articulate. The instruments have a layer to them and it gives depth. Sinatra sounds like he's in front of them with the band out back.
D7000 - Hello bass! The instruments command them right from the get go. Sinatra has more of a deeper sound to his voice in the lower spectrum thanks to the harder bass response of these headphones. It gives a more enveloping experirence. This is both a pro and a con. Whereas the HD600 you had layers this is just a mix of everything together. It comes down to preference. It mixes well but and is very enjoyable. The closed headphone vs open headphone at the end of the day is what it boils down to.
TH900 - The third headphone to the mix and another different sound. The treble...simply whoa! There's an air to the cymbals. Sinatra's voice has the pros of both headphones without the cons. He has a vocal texture like the D7000 but maintains the layers of separation. For a closed headphone it's very open sounding. In closing, the YouTube video linked above sounds awful on these. All three of these headphones expose poor quality sources.
Monitor Audio Platinums - This is one of my "go to" tracks when I want to demo out the Monitors. Other than me saying no contest I'll try and elaborate. The instrument separation, his voice, just close your eyes and it's like he's alive right in front of you. This is where you close your eyes, pop open a drink, and sit back and just enjoy a live performance right in front of you. Everything is right, his vocals, the separation, etc. There's just certain things everyone in life needs to experience once, and that's a good set of headphones & a good set of speakers.
Gareth Emery - Hands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITCUOQbZlDY
TH900 - This track really shines on the TH900. It has the Denon thump with the open sound of the HD600. Her voice has an air to it. There's a front vocal mid range, expressive treble, and a good bass line. These headphones just ask to be played loud on this track. At the 1:15 as it builds there's a good amount going on at once and these take it like a champ.
D7000 - Lacks the air of the TH900. It sounds good but it's a closed in sound going back-to-back from the TH900. Her voice sounds like you're in a chamber. She sounds distant. The higher frequency sounds have no air to them. Sounds bass heavy. If I didn't listen to the TH900 first i may not have had such criticism on this headphone with this track. The bass roll off at the 1 minute mark has more "punch" on these headphones but for where it lacks everywhere else I had to take these off. This is the recessed "V-sound" signature that everyone is talking about.
HD600 - There's no closed environment here. It lacks the sparkle of the TH900. Her voice sounds "safe" in that it just lacks the texture. It's better than the Denon on the sound stage but it can't match the TH900 on this track when it comes to the overall experience. Impressive bass for the HD600 on this track. It doesn't match either of the other two but was pleasantly surprised.
Monitor Audio Platinum - Her voice just has a sound like she's right in front of you. These headphones (or any I think) is not going to match physical speakers in separation. It doesn't have the "air" of the TH900 but it's hard to fault this system. The TH900 has them beat in that department but that's about it. That bass hit at the 1 minute mark you can feel in your chest. There's plenty of separation to the instruments. This is the only song I stepped to the back of the room and plugged the TH900 into my Yamaha to do a direct A/B as I couldn't believe the TH900 could pull this off. The headphones just sound more "alive". Her voice is just other worldly and I prefer over the Monitors. The bass is obviously lacking but that's about it
Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwYU8jq6Qw0
D7000 - Guitar has a textured riff. Overall sounds good but no instrument separation. When his voice comes in there's that recessed feeling. It's not bad just not great. Not the headphone of choice for this application.
HD600 - More separation into layers. Open design is a plus for this track. Much more enjoyable listening experience. On the flip side, the guitar solo later on has more textured detail than the Denon's. Odd given that it counters what I said about D7000 in the review above. Overall these headphones beat Denon/Fostex on this track by a hefty margin.
TH900 - Guitars don't sound as natural but has the open sound of the HD600. His voice just doesn't have that groove to it like the HD600. Guitar solo has an "air" to it. Disappointed in the headphones on this track. To redeem them, I did EQ the headphones a little. It's against the review as I had no EQ for these on all the other tracks but I had to get them sounding better. Once I tweaked some of the frequencies it's night and day. It needs a little bit of loving on the treble and bringing it under control with more of a bass kick and it's a great experience. To be fair, as I said earlier if there's no EQ this track is a disappointment
Monitor Audio Platinum - Thunderous bass line feels and sounds like a real drum line. There's a level of separation on these that is just surreal. The instruments have their place in the sound stage but the speakers just effortlessly lift his voice over everything else and puts him life-life and front & center. The solo has so much texture in the riffs of the guitar.
Lindsey Stirling - Take Flight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAD0BtEv6-Q
HD600 - Very textured headphone on this track. All the elements are easily isolated. As it ramps up though I just don't feel the "build-up". It's good, not great on this type of track. The HD600 like to play things safe. It's part of that neutral sound they're known for. It's accurate, not "wow." Once the bass heavy parts hit it's more or less the same. It's tonally accurate and good in that department just not great in the enjoyment rock it out factor.
TH900 - Sounds like a veil was removed. That Sennheiser veil is obvious once these get thrown on and you hit play. Her vocals have more detail and the instruments become alive. Treble can be a little too harsh but as things build up it behaves. Coming from the HD600 I thought these were going to win...not so much. Onto the D7000
D7000 - The intro is the best on these. Sounds the most balanced. There's a good amount of detail to her voice but it is less than the other two. There's more bass in the intro of this track. As it builds you do the head bounce to this song. It's alive. The counterpoint though, it's the first time in a while I'm noticing the recessed mids on this track with these headphones as I'm pretty familiar with this song. The treble sparkles, the bass hits, but where's my mid range? It sounds good but it's down a few dB from the rest of the soundtrack.
End of the day, this song it's touch to call. All three sound great in certain areas but then lack in others. With that said, onto the speakers:
Monitor Audio Platinum - The open air and texture of the vocals and instruments is top notch. I won't comment much about the bass because physically no headphone can match a dual 15" woofer. The guitars have a riff to them. There may be a sligth lack of separation in the instruments compared to the headphones in critical istening. If you're just sitting down and casually listening this isn't as obvious.
Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-4u9W-bns
D7000 - Bass heavy on these headphones on the start. Enjoyable if you like bass (me) but it's not natural. There's detail in the guitar but as much as I love bass I feel it takes away from the rest of the experience. Once his vocals come in and more instruments start joining the song things blend much better. There's really not much of a "V-sound" on this track. The Denon AH-D7000 plays this track great from 30 seconds onward. It's a very enjoyable listen as the song progresses. At 2:07 when he starts belting and the other instruments all kick in this headphone really makes it a gem. The Denon AH-D7000 is at home when there's plenty of things going on at once. 2:35 the vocal with the percussion sounds great.
TH900 - Without touching the volume knob I hit play it's much softer in it's presentation. It has a very different sound presentation. While it's tonally more accurate it's not as fun as the D7000. I think it comes down to do you want it to sound more accurate (this and the HD600) or do you want it fun sounding (D7000)? Even as it builds it's just not as commanding as the Denon. 2:07 at that kick oh these come alive finally. I was getting worried welcome back Fostex. Bass isn't as commanding on this track compared to the Denon but the mid range and upper frequencies these smoke the D7000.
HD600 - The start of this track has the presence the D7000 had that the TH900 lacked. Guitar has plenty of detail in it. This is the headphone for this type of music. All three headphones do a great job at portraying this song. They all present them in a different way. 2:07 this song just belts on the HD600. His voice is just so commanding. The "thump" of the instruments is there, just not like the other two headphones. Overall it sounds alive but doesn't have the bass extension of the other two.
Monitor Audio Platinum - His voice has such range. There's something to be said about having a ribbon tweeter. As the song builds so does the entire presentation. It's an enjoyable listen. This is a different experience between all four options. Has a great air and separation. Once the song kicks into gear though the bass hit you can feel in your chest and that's just something I can't put into words. Drum kicks hitting your chest into your back as if someone's playing the actual percussions with in front of you. He has a commanding vocal line that just sounds so effortless. This is about as close to sitting in the recording studio you're going to get.
This track I plugged all three headphones into the Yamaha because I couldn't believe how great this track sounds on the Monitors. To summarize with a direct A/B/C/D:
D7000 - went in and without having the others in my memory a fun kick but recessed mids the voice isn't as life-like
HD600 - has more vocal presence but still doesn't have the life-like sound. I know earlier I said his voice belts but in comparison to the Monitors it's like a mouse vs a lion. This is not the fault of the Yamaha (it has a good amp built into itself) it has volume just not the presence.
TH900 has the voice to almost come close to matching the monitors but not in the instruments or in the rest of it's presentation
Deadmau5 - Superliminal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdjneytbxeQ
TH900 - There's extra details in this track that neither headphone picks up right from the start. Bass very snappy as is the rest of the details very on/off (no hang over). Track is redundant so not much to say beyond this.
D7000 - The extra details are a bit more muddy. I do see what people are talking about with this "V-sound" signature in these headphones. Bass rolls off more (lingers) versus snap on/off on the TH900. Gives the appearance of more bass compared to the TH900. Overall mixes everything together well but in doing so the details vanish. Enjoyable at the end of the day.
HD600 - Shocking for me to say but loses detail. It doesn't have a "punch" this type of song commands. These are not your choice of headphones for EDM-type music. 2:04 of the YouTube clip sounds nice on these (lacking the bass of the others but good otherwise)
Monitor Audio Platinum - I was curious to go back to these since there was extra detail I never noticed before in this song. As soon as I hit play, I now notice it's there but boy is it subtle. Just casual listening that echo of the track is just not there on the Monitor Audio speakers. Victory to the headphones in that area; all of them. On the flip side though, once the bass line starts ramping up the victory goes to the subwoofer. Hail the Seaton!
At the end of the day, they're all great in their own right. They excel in one area and lack in another. The Denon has bass extension but lacks fine details once songs become complex. The TH900 is a matured Denon. It provides separation and an articular mid and upper band. Certain songs if you A/B you may find faults in them but as I put this post together I've been jamming them out without a worry. The Sennheiser is a champ given it's the cheapest of the bunch. It's the most tonally accurate of them all. I tend to give the HD600 a good 10dB or so of gain on the low end and it makes them "alive." You have the tonally accurate mids and highs with a rather strong low end. For open it can really thump when EQ is added. Here's all three together. The Denon is for sale as of the typing of this post since they're a similar type of headphone to the TH900 it makes no sense to keep both. Happy reading!
