peli_kan
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Posts
- 248
- Likes
- 15
I've gotten listen to and compare the Fostex T50RP, stock and modded, to a bunch of other headphones. Stock, the Fostex were terrible. I'm usually able to convince myself that a pair of headphones could lend itself to a unique set of user "preferences" but...no. The midrange was lumpy and distorted, highs were absent, and 100hz and below bass was present but just that. There was no electrostatic bite that I'd expected, and the sound as a whole wasn't worth listening to. On the plus side, build quality was superb, and comfort was what you'd expect from circumaural smooth vinyl pads. User replaceable EVERYTHING was a welcome change from the norm.
My mod consisted of 4oz. total of blu-tack against the back of the housing and inside the front plastic face, a 5.5 x 5.5 x 0.5cm piece of dense felt with notches cut out to fit the housing on top of the blue tack, and four total pieces of shredded jumbo cotton balls very tightly packed between the felt and driver.
First, these headphones are HEAVY now. Unless I turn to lead tape (of which I have heaps) I've maxed out these stock housings as far as mass goes. I had to tighten the headband lest the weight of the housings drag them off my head. Secondly, the sound is COHERENT. Where before nothing made sense, with voices twisting about while rattling and hissing, vocals now sounded real. Bass is dampened to around Ety levels, while the midrange is now realistic. There is no treble sparkle, something that I may or may not remedy with a reflex dot. I'll decide once I've enjoyed enough music with this particular frequency response. In truth, the treble seems totally in line with the proverbial Ety presentation, which I'd argue to be NOT peaky but instead seamlessly integrated with the rest of the spectrum. In fact, after A/B-ing with Etys, I'd go as far as to say that a pair of modded T50RP sound very similar when it comes to transparency, frequency response, and blackness of background.
I'm happy too hear none of the symptoms of backwave reflection, credit to either the modding or bad hearing skills and expectation fulfillment. Either way, the mod did its "trick" and I have a pair of clean, closed headphones that punches far above its weight.
I'd like to audition a pair of Thunderpants to see how they compare to my hack job, but even without that I'd be satisfied with what a few dollars in parts have done to these Fostex t50rp. I will be using PVC pipe ends, very heavy, dense, and rigid, to make my own housings. With some careful cutting, filing, and black matte spraypaint, I'll have myself a poor man's version of Smeggy's creation. All credit goes to him for demonstrating what creative craftmanship can do; I'd be merely following in his footsteps.
My mod consisted of 4oz. total of blu-tack against the back of the housing and inside the front plastic face, a 5.5 x 5.5 x 0.5cm piece of dense felt with notches cut out to fit the housing on top of the blue tack, and four total pieces of shredded jumbo cotton balls very tightly packed between the felt and driver.
First, these headphones are HEAVY now. Unless I turn to lead tape (of which I have heaps) I've maxed out these stock housings as far as mass goes. I had to tighten the headband lest the weight of the housings drag them off my head. Secondly, the sound is COHERENT. Where before nothing made sense, with voices twisting about while rattling and hissing, vocals now sounded real. Bass is dampened to around Ety levels, while the midrange is now realistic. There is no treble sparkle, something that I may or may not remedy with a reflex dot. I'll decide once I've enjoyed enough music with this particular frequency response. In truth, the treble seems totally in line with the proverbial Ety presentation, which I'd argue to be NOT peaky but instead seamlessly integrated with the rest of the spectrum. In fact, after A/B-ing with Etys, I'd go as far as to say that a pair of modded T50RP sound very similar when it comes to transparency, frequency response, and blackness of background.
I'm happy too hear none of the symptoms of backwave reflection, credit to either the modding or bad hearing skills and expectation fulfillment. Either way, the mod did its "trick" and I have a pair of clean, closed headphones that punches far above its weight.
I'd like to audition a pair of Thunderpants to see how they compare to my hack job, but even without that I'd be satisfied with what a few dollars in parts have done to these Fostex t50rp. I will be using PVC pipe ends, very heavy, dense, and rigid, to make my own housings. With some careful cutting, filing, and black matte spraypaint, I'll have myself a poor man's version of Smeggy's creation. All credit goes to him for demonstrating what creative craftmanship can do; I'd be merely following in his footsteps.
