Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 Review
May 11, 2017 at 12:51 PM Post #10,246 of 12,070
P1070360.jpg

Well, at first I didn't even think that I'll write differential review about TH-x00. However, specific circumstances made otherwise true.
I have one great collegau Peter (greetings to you Peter :) ) at work who is a HiFi enthusiast and usually carries expensive pieces of audio equipment in his pocket, most notably ibasso DX100 or new Audioquest DragonFly with some Heir Audio custom fit IEMs for around 600$.
Few years ago we agreed with some other colleagues that we will bring our audio equipment to work and test it.
We were testing AKG 701 (or 702 cant remember now) Beyer DT 770, Sennheiser HD650 and my Denon AH-D 5000 that I bought back in 2012 and used exclusively them ever since. I must say that only Senn HD650(one of the Peter's headphones) were close to AH-D 5000 but at best they sounded like downgraded AH-D 5000 with having less of everything in every sound component. I felt that signature and tonality was absolutely same though.
Peter was really excited about Denon AH-D 5000 and was considering buying something similiar as Denons were out of production at that time. He was always been tempted by Fostex TH-900 but he didn't want to spend so much money what is pretty understandable.
When Massdrop started with their Fostex th-x00 drops, claiming that this is a revival of D5000, Peter immediatelly took interest and it wasn't been long until he joined the drop.
Peter wanted opinion on this headphones so we agreed that he will sometimes bring them to my office when I'm there (I often work from home office :) ). I wasn't very impatient as I didn't really want to hear them because I though they are very close to my D5000 and that is very known sound for me and it's not so interesting. I would rather hear open headphones like Audeze LCD, Hifiman or Senn HD800. Peter insisted, one day he left headphones in my office and I was forced to go there for them as I don't like idea of laying hundred bucks headphones in public accessed office.

Ok so enough fairytail and story talking for now. I must tell something about myself:
I'm fairly genre constrained listener who listens mainly metal(power, symphonic, heavy, folk) and rock music, in overall I like guitar music a lot. I'm listening or listened in past to bands like Running Wild, Avantasia - the metal opera, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Judas Priest, Metallica (don't be scared, no their recent junk, only first albums from pre 90s era) Nightwish, Saxon, Black Sabbath (instrumental version) and finnish folk metal like Korpiklaani and Finntroll. Some local Slovakian bands also but you will not know it if you are not Slovak.
Besides metal music I also listen Joe Satriani first two albums and some rock music like first albums of Van Halen band.
Also sometimes I listen just some DJ/vocal trance music like Armin Van Buren or maybe some songs from Prodigy and this kind of mainstream music.
I think I listen fairly loud around 90dbA but I can guess this only from past when I was listening music from Magnat shelf speakers in accoustic treated room and measured with 50$ sound pressure meter. I was always getting around 90 - 94 dbA average. Advantage of both D5000 and TH-x00 for testing is that both sounds equally loud from same output level set by my DAC, so I didn't have to fiddle with volume when switching them. I would guess there are same coils driving these headphones.
I rarely listen more than 90 minutes (usually one album) and I don't do anything else when I'm listening I focus solely on listening.

I own USB asynchronous HRT Headstreamer Headphone DAC which I bought for D5000 and is superior to whatever else I heard (Denon DCD700 CD player, laptops, smartphones...).
I also must note for objectivity that I have a slight rare cookie-bite hearing loss starting at 1200hz where my hearing treshold is at 25dB instead of 20dB, peaking at 32dB around 2khz. I have this on audiogram from doctor after classic hearing examination in isolated room. It could be said that I have slight V shape hearing. I sometimes equalize this on my D5000 by adding +1 and +2 dB on these bands sometimes it feels right that way sometimes not, depends on music and studio mix.
My range of hearing is up to 16khz if it says something. Tested on speakers, while my wife was screaming to shut that damned noise off. I'm sometimes envy about hearing range of females, shame that there are not many audiophile ladies around posting audio reviews.
I have never read any review about TH-x00.

Finally my imppressions after listening for few hours:

Mids:
So I put x00 on my head and second thing that I immediately noticed (after the first thing that they sounded different from D5000) is that equalization of mid bands is useless for me. These Fostex have much more powerful mids, upper mids than D5000. Mids from x00 are very, very energic and impactful. It results in perceiving a clearer sound and most people coming from cheap headphones will hear this as "highly detailed" expansive sound. Mids are fast paced, very dynamic with fast decay so clarity of sound is very high with x00. This however comes at price:
The higly energetic sound covers/hides already slightly weaker bass extension/depth that x00 has compared to D5000. I don't speak about bass impact, which I found again more impactful and stronger than D5000. High energy mids also wipes out subtlety and intimacy of sound, vocals are not so pronounced and colourful as with D5000. I can sometimes get goosebumps on D5000 from Rob Halford insane voice/vocals screams during some of their songs or from quiet parts in their first albums (e.g Sad Wings of Destiny, Rock n Rolla..) or from epic songs and epic metal singer like Kiske in Avantasia or Helloween. x00 mids really bites into your ears and blow you, someone can like it and someone don't. I found myself almost uncomfortable while listening epic guitar solo of Eddie Van Halen in song Eruption. Mids seems to be a bit too sharp for remastered Van Halen albums. x00 is also a bit more prone to hissing. Also sound has lost some of it's depth and air compared to D5000. Instrument sound has more "enclosure" around in D5000 and reveals more detail. I can hear a bit more instruments reverb most notably on pipe instruments including troll horn in Finntroll songs. Mids on D5000 are smoother more relaxed and natural, recessed and more detailed especially in terms of ambient sound and overall sound delicacy and subtlety.

Treble:
Treble goes hand in hand with mids. It is strong, energetic and pronounced. Drum attacks are really attacking your eardrums. In some songs I found it acceptable, in some songs they sounded like high pitched noise to me. Depends on studio mix. However this kind of treble fits sparkling and clear sound character of x00.

Bass:
I would still consider x00 as perfect bass headphones if there was more of that quality bass which is impacting your eardrums at first. Sadly after the impact, bass unrolls very fast and leaves void. This void is nailing slightly unbalanced music feel of x00. x00 deserved more quantity and depth of bass to partner with their mids&treble. It results in brighter character of music and lacks organic feel and volume compared to D5000. IMHO every high end headphones should have perfect bass component. I consider bass to be very fundamendal part of music. Without bass present both in quality and quantity the music feels dead and void.
x00 bass sometimes sounds too tight/tiny and overcontrolled/damped. On the other hand, this can be both good and bad based on your sound preference.
Bass impact is great and again more pronounced than D5000. Quality wise I have no complains. Quality of that constantly slaming/thumping bass is great. More bass extension and authority is missing especially in songs like Enya - Orinoco flow. There is a section from 1:48 to 2:15 with deep long bass which is obviously heard (except the ending deepest bass, there I must focus little bit) but lacks heftiness and deepness of D5000. Also play song Korpiklaani - With Trees, weaker bass compared to D5000 is revealed here in full nudity in first quiet song part.

Sound details:
It is sometimes hard to judge sole detail level - to put this sentence in understandable form: x00 has some details more highlighted through agressive "sparkling and crisp" brighter tonality which kills other details in lower mids and bass spectrum whereas D5000 provides less highlighted specific details with more details across all bands/freq range. x00 spits some of the details right into your face while hiding many insighful details away. In this regard, x00 falls short of D5000. Not to mention "details" in bass range, D5000 depth and extension outclass THx00. In overall, D5000 is giving you more music content across all bands and more immersion.
Tonality:
Tonality wise x00 are on brighter side of spectrum while D5000 sits on darker side. I think x00 is closer to something that is considered as neutrality grail.

Transparency:
I shouldn't rate transparency as I usually listen to old metal remastered recordings and they are naturally non transparent. However while longer evening listening of Finntroll on a bed with closed eyes, sometimes I must check around if that troll growl really does not come from behind of my shoulder. Now seriously if I play some jazz songs like AMC Trio or In vivo (local band), both headphones doesn't seems transparent to me, you still hear it is just headphones playing. D5000 with its warmer signature and x00 with its brighter&sparkling signature.

Imaging:
Imaging is often very vague with D5000, not knowing where the actual sounds come from or not centered properly on your head. x00 is better in this case.

Soundstage:
I don't want to judge as soundstage of headphones feels almost same to me. When I see word "soundstage", it still reminds me my room with speakers and that was what I could call THE soundstage. Headphones will never be close to accoustic treated room with speakers. It is shame that my neighbours never gave it a credit.
One thing I noticed about x00 is that sound is more narrow and tight compared to D5000. With D5000 you have sometimes that feel of sound coming from hall while x00 sound coming just from a room. x00 sounds compressed sometimes while D5000 sound is stretched more around your head and ears.

Summary:
Energy of sound presentation from x00 is unheard for me until now. I never though that I will say it sometimes but D5000 sounds calm compared to x00. You probably know, that D5000 are known for entertaining and exagerrated sound. x00 really smashes your eardrums with punch and energy while D5000 plays more mellow with softer more complex and more insightful sound and reverb which I guess would be more appreciated by pampered HiFi guys with expensive pieces of audio. x00 will be appreciated by people coming from lower class audio discovering the clarity, detail and very lively sound. Overall sound on D5000 have more depth, bass and air while x00 has more punch, energy, control and clarity. Both headphones doesn't have any grain or edges in reproduction but that should be obvious in this price range. Perhaps someone think that I underrated x00 wrongly focusing on details like subtleties, unbalanced sound and missing bass extension but that are precisely the things that separates real HiFi high end from the rest. x00 are good headphones probably revealing yet uknown level of music pleasury for someone and I enjoyed listening them but in my opinion they should not be marketed as D5000 or D7000 evolution. These are better sounding headphones with more polish and different sound signature.


Discovery after writing this review.
I was still scratching my head how is possible that headphones with same construction and probably same internals sounds so different. I already noticed that volume level is indistinguishable (or almost) so I guessed Fostex used same drivers as in former AH-D. I immediately took off the earpads from both headphones, investigated diagraphm through grill, looked on the grill itself and it really does seems to be without the slightest difference. From the start I knew that earpads are different and also the wooden cups but these can't have such big impact on overall sound as I believe they are used for sound absorption and as some kind of a resonator for diagraphm, giving headphones its tune. The earpads on D5000 are more thin and softer allowing your ears to be much closer to the diagraphm. They also seems to be much more airy as I tried blowing through them. x00 pads are also harder on touch on every part including mesh that is next to ear.

Pics of headphones with earpads off and switched between
http://imageshack.cz/image/18P
http://imageshack.cz/image/18x
http://imageshack.cz/image/18N

Pics of old and new earpads

P1070365.jpg


P1070362.jpg



I put old weared earpads on x00 and I couldn't believe it! It sounds exactly same to D5000 now! I was really shocked. Hardness and inbalance vanished from sound while bass stretched to it's deepest corners. I'm not sure if x00 are not a tad better now because of the more controlled bass over D5000 (probably due to the different cups, but who knows) resulting in less coloured sound than D5000 and seems to be closer to neutral tonality. However it's difficult to be certain as switching earpads now is much harder and I don't want to break that tiny plastic earpads hooks. Indeed it's now that lovely D5000 sound that I knew for years! Ambient bass is back in Finntroll - Gryning and later kicks on with authority and heftiness that I'm used to. I played entire Korpiklaani album afterwards and really it is the D5000 sound.

I tried D5000 now and they sound same like sounded x00 before. Mids&treble pronounced, bright and lacks bass background although I can probably still hear more bass than from x00. Again I think this is due to different cups, their different proximity do driver and different volume. However the difference is negligible, they are really same sounding.
Clearly the distance of diagraphm (and distance of everything else) from ear has big impact how these headphones sounds. Bass is hard to travel at long distance so you get it less, revealing mids and treble which don't fade as fast with distance. You probably also loose little volume sounds forming subtleties and ambient details.
With this post I'm obliged to negate previous review as x00 is really same to D5000, just x00 comes with not optimal earpads. Get yourself smaller and softer earpads and you will be absolutely stoked!
However it remains mystery to me why Fostex is shipping x00 with these earpads. It is really a pity because these headphones could sound half class better right out of the box.
 
May 11, 2017 at 1:18 PM Post #10,247 of 12,070
Discovery after writing this review.
I was still scratching my head how is possible that headphones with same construction and probably same internals sounds so different. I already noticed that volume level is indistinguishable (or almost) so I guessed Fostex used same drivers as in former AH-D. I immediately took off the earpads from both headphones, investigated diagraphm through grill, looked on the grill itself and it really does seems to be without the slightest difference. From the start I knew that earpads are different and also the wooden cups but these can't have such big impact on overall sound as I believe they are used for sound absorption and as some kind of a resonator for diagraphm, giving headphones its tune. The earpads on D5000 are more thin and softer allowing your ears to be much closer to the diagraphm. They also seems to be much more airy as I tried blowing through them. x00 pads are also harder on touch on every part including mesh that is next to ear.

Pics of headphones with earpads off and switched between
http://imageshack.cz/image/18P
http://imageshack.cz/image/18x
http://imageshack.cz/image/18N

Pics of old and new earpads

P1070365.jpg


P1070362.jpg



I put old weared earpads on x00 and I couldn't believe it! It sounds exactly same to D5000 now! I was really shocked. Hardness and inbalance vanished from sound while bass stretched to it's deepest corners. I'm not sure if x00 are not a tad better now because of the more controlled bass over D5000 (probably due to the different cups, but who knows) resulting in less coloured sound than D5000 and seems to be closer to neutral tonality. However it's difficult to be certain as switching earpads now is much harder and I don't want to break that tiny plastic earpads hooks. Indeed it's now that lovely D5000 sound that I knew for years! Ambient bass is back in Finntroll - Gryning and later kicks on with authority and heftiness that I'm used to. I played entire Korpiklaani album afterwards and really it is the D5000 sound.

I tried D5000 now and they sound same like sounded x00 before. Mids&treble pronounced, bright and lacks bass background although I can probably still hear more bass than from x00. Again I think this is due to different cups, their different proximity do driver and different volume. However the difference is negligible, they are really same sounding.
Clearly the distance of diagraphm (and distance of everything else) from ear has big impact how these headphones sounds. Bass is hard to travel at long distance so you get it less, revealing mids and treble which don't fade as fast with distance. You probably also loose little volume sounds forming subtleties and ambient details.
With this post I'm obliged to negate previous review as x00 is really same to D5000, just x00 comes with not optimal earpads. Get yourself smaller and softer earpads and you will be absolutely stoked!
However it remains mystery to me why Fostex is shipping x00 with these earpads. It is really a pity because these headphones could sound half class better right out of the box.

Do the D5000's have the waveguide rings in the earpads? (I'm not referring to the mounting rings)
 
May 11, 2017 at 2:35 PM Post #10,248 of 12,070
I'm not sure what do you mean exactly but except mounting ring there is also a plastic base inside of the D5000 original earpad. It is not present on x00 earpad.
That plastic base is circular all around inside earcup and is cut/aligned to hole edges for ear. I don't think this could serve as a waveguide.

EDIT: I also noticed that D5000 earpads got bigger ear opening. It is visible on photo in previous post also
 
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May 11, 2017 at 3:09 PM Post #10,249 of 12,070
I'm not sure what do you mean exactly but except mounting ring there is also a plastic base inside of the D5000 original earpad. It is not present on x00 earpad.
That plastic base is circular all around inside earcup and is cut/aligned to hole edges for ear. I don't think this could serve as a waveguide.

EDIT: I also noticed that D5000 earpads got bigger ear opening. It is visible on photo in previous post also
The X00 should have them, are you sure you have the stock pads? Here is a picture I found on Google image search of the X00 earpad where you can clearly see the white ring sewn into the pad.
IMG_9917.jpg
 
May 11, 2017 at 3:40 PM Post #10,250 of 12,070
May 11, 2017 at 4:42 PM Post #10,251 of 12,070
What is your opinion on each variant? I own the Purple-heart and love them but I am thinking of either buying the ebony's or the EMU-Teak version later for a bit of a smoother sound and detailed midrange. Worth it?

Can't really say which one is best. They are very similar but with noticable tonal differences when comparing them directly.

The purpleheart is clearly the "fun" one with bigger bodied bass, though I find it quickly fatiguing. Having your eardrums massaged in such a way is only ok for short listening sessions IMO.

Out of the three, the one I listen to the most is the Ebony. I find it has a slightly tighter sound which makes it more suitable for more music genres. It's not necessarily more detailed than the PH, but having less of that bass just makes you notice the other frequencies more.

If you already have the PH, I recommend you try out the EB if you seek a smoother sound signature.
I haven't heard the E-MUs though, and some people consider them even better than any of the TH-X00.

Tough choice! Is there any place where you could try them before buying?
 
May 12, 2017 at 5:24 AM Post #10,252 of 12,070
AviP: Well, Peter told me that he really changed the stock pads for sheepskin earpads, you were right. So aftermarket earpads are the culprit. I was wrongly testing these headphones with not optimal pads, that is the reason for their initial sound.
 
May 12, 2017 at 6:12 AM Post #10,253 of 12,070
AviP: Well, Peter told me that he really changed the stock pads for sheepskin earpads, you were right. So aftermarket earpads are the culprit. I was wrongly testing these headphones with not optimal pads, that is the reason for their initial sound.
I'd love to hear your opinion of the headphone with the original pads, if you'll have an opportunity to listen to them.
 
May 12, 2017 at 6:18 AM Post #10,254 of 12,070
Obviously I will get them from Peter and post impressions. So far it seems that my differential D5000 vs x00 review turned into blind test of Dekoni sheepskin earpads vs original pads test

EDIT: Found out they were Dekoni Sheepskin pads, added Dekoni to text
 
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May 14, 2017 at 7:06 AM Post #10,255 of 12,070
I pushed some long foam under the pads so the pads will press onto my head a bit more with the intention to get more isolation. It seems to help.

20170514_190011.jpg
 
May 14, 2017 at 7:06 AM Post #10,256 of 12,070
Just a thin slice all around under the pad.

20170514_190027.jpg
 
May 20, 2017 at 10:03 AM Post #10,257 of 12,070
update: I don't have the original x00 pads yet because Peter couldn't drop them in office. However I enjoy listening to x00 with D5000 pads every day and they sound lovely. I sometimes miss a bass slightly. Slightly somehow less powerful bass in x00 is probably the only difference but can't say it is worse it's probably matter of taste.
I also ordered new D5000 pads they should arrive in 2 weeks http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261841289...49&var=560693663964&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
May 20, 2017 at 2:32 PM Post #10,258 of 12,070
I finally got my TH-X00 Ebony removable cable mod complete! Switched to 2.5mm jacks, so I can use my Hifiman HE-X V2 cables. What a huge relief getting rid of the super huge stock cable. Now I can use these out and about. Also switched to the Dekoni Lambskin TH-900 pads. Hadn't listened to the TH-X00 Ebony for a while so switching to these pads is final. All memories of the stock pads are gone.

Not an easy mod to take on. Modifying the Ebony cup, driver's plastic frame, and slightly opening the wire hole in the frame can easily be screwed up if not careful. Having a Dremel, round metal file, soldering iron, and a way to cut the driver plastic frame (used a scroll saw), may not be for everyone. If you have some skills, you should be able to do the mod no problem. DEFINITELY worth it IMO. TH-X00 just became far more versatile for me.

There's decent threads with pictures on the internet. I didn't take pictures sadly during the construction.
 
May 20, 2017 at 3:50 PM Post #10,259 of 12,070
Owning right now the Denon D-7000 headphones which used to be based on Fostex design as well. Does someone have the idea if they are similar or if i will gain better experience moving to this TH-X00?

Stumbled on this old post while I was actually comparing the two myself. I was planning on selling one but I'm having a hard time picking one.

The THX00 is a really fun can. Very forgiving, slightly bassier, and a great tonal balance.

The D7000 has a better sound stage, better bass extension (not quantity), and definitely more resolving. However poor recordings can be very fatiguing with the treble.
 

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