[Music Alchemist]

  Actually I have experienced resonance issues with speakers and certain rooms and/or speaker placement etc. and it does throw me off, just not sure about experiencing that in HP's and if it would throw me of if I heard it in a set. If I get a chance to hear the FSP I guess I'll know then.
 
As far as importing it doesn't make sense because of the weaker dollar where I live. With exchange rates and shipping it works out about the same for most products in general. I usually only import if it's a product that I just can't get here at all.
 
As far as the 7506 is concerned, it's priced $20 more than the ATH-M40X. In the states for example, I believe the 40X is around $10-20 more than the 7506. I'd prefer the 40X over the 7506 just for the more natural tonality alone, then you add in the fact it's cheaper here, so it's a no brainer. So yeah the 7506 has more comp here. That's just one example. Also here if you want to purchase the 7506 you are only going to find it at a dedicated Sony store or a store that specializes in music gear. ATHM series is more available.

 
Have you heard the M40x? I hated it when I owned it. The tonality was not natural at all. I love the 7506. Aside from the peaks, its tonality is spot-on.
 
In the US, the retail price for both is $100, but on Amazon, the M40x is as low as $93 and the 7506 as low as $85 or so.
 
When you import from another country, the currency conversion holds the US dollar at the same global value. Maybe you meant your currency itself is weaker. What country are you in?

 

[LNuneek]

   
Have you heard the M40x? I hated it when I owned it. The tonality was not natural at all. I love the 7506. Aside from the peaks, its tonality is spot-on.
 
In the US, the retail price for both is $100, but on Amazon, the M40x is as low as $93 and the 7506 as low as $85 or so.
 
When you import from another country, the currency conversion holds the US dollar at the same global value. Maybe you meant your currency itself is weaker. What country are you in?

 
I heard the 40X and I think it has good tonality. I think the 7506 is just too bright and doesn't project what music actually sounds like. The highs give you the impression of clarity, but in fact do the opposite. They mask problematic frequencies because everything in the high range is on blast. Lastly, I just don't think music should hurt. lol Those piercing highs get too much sometimes, but overall it is still a kind of fun sound with Hip Hop and such.
 
I live in Canada. Our currency is consistently weaker. Lets say I purchase something from the US, it's almost like an average of paying around 15% more, plus shipping, and sometimes duty costs as well. It really does make shopping locally or within our borders more appealing. You also have to consider warranties being more problematic, and lastly, shipping takes a bit longer.
 
The only time it really makes sense for us to shop in the States is if we live close to the boarder and basically raid the US for Black Friday sales or shop at the US outlet malls, or to shop there if we are vacationing there anyways.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I heard the 40X and I think it has good tonality. I think the 7506 is just too bright and doesn't project what music actually sounds like. The highs give you the impression of clarity, but in fact do the opposite. They mask problematic frequencies because everything in the high range is on blast. Lastly, I just don't think music should hurt. lol Those piercing highs get too much sometimes, but overall it is still a kind of fun sound with Hip Hop and such.

 
I agree that the 7506 is too bright, but I meant that beneath that, and with most of the frequencies anyway, it sounds much more like I'm listening to the real thing. The only problems for me are the peaks, which can be removed with EQ. To me, the M40x sounded like I was listening to music through a tunnel much of the time. I even sent it in to be examined, but nothing was wrong with it. Anyway, all that matters when it comes to headphones is personal preference, so if you like the M40x more, you should either get it or try comparing to higher-end headphones like the FSP. (Which is far superior in every way to the M40x, IMO.)

 

[LNuneek]

   
I agree that the 7506 is too bright, but I meant that beneath that, and with most of the frequencies anyway, it sounds much more like I'm listening to the real thing. The only problems for me are the peaks, which can be removed with EQ. To me, the M40x sounded like I was listening to music through a tunnel much of the time. I even sent it in to be examined, but nothing was wrong with it. Anyway, all that matters when it comes to headphones is personal preference, so if you like the M40x more, you should either get it or try comparing to higher-end headphones like the FSP. (Which is far superior in every way to the M40x, IMO.)

I actually have a few cans ATM. Don't own the the 40X. I own the M50S. I was just using the 40X as a more direct comparison to the 7506 since they are pretty much in the same ball park price wise. I'm mainly looking at the FSP as a future upgrade from the M50 as a home studio can. I have speaker monitors and all that jazz, but I prefer to start my work on headphones, so having a really good studio can is pretty important to me.
 
I've had the M50S for 4 or 5 years and really just wanting something new and hopefully better. They are in perfect working order so it's really no rush for me. Just checking out as much HP's until I decide to pull the trigger and get a pair I'm going to be happy with hopefully for the next 4 or 5 years as well.

 

[chailee80]

 
I would be interested in a detailed comparison between the FSP, the DT 880, and the 7506. I owned the 7506 for a few years in the past, so it would be a good comparison for me to gain some insight into the FSP.
 
Also, and this is a question for anyone who owns or heard the FSP. I read a few reviews that remarked that the highs have a "weird" quality to them that is unique and throws some listeners off, or something to that extent. Could someone elaborate on that in more detail? 
 
Has anyone here used these for professional mixing? How did you find them for that purpose?
 
Lastly, I have read reviews that said the FSP sound almost identical to Focal's studio monitor speakers, can someone here provide more insight into that please?

I never thought that the fsp sounded weird, i think they actually sound quite good, very punchy and balanced sounding to my ears with the treble being just south of neutral. Most people who i've shown them to say they sound a bit boring but i think they sound excellent for their intended purpose, its just a shame that the comfort and build wasn't too good.  The dt880 kills the fsp for comfort and build quality, overall its not as neutral but being open back its more natural sounding with a bigger soundstage and a bit more exciting to listen to imo. The 7506 is a bargain for the price but i find the earcups hot and uncomfortable and the sound was too peaky and rough for my tastes,

 

[LNuneek]

 
I never thought that the fsp sounded weird, i think they actually sound quite good, very punchy and balanced sounding to my ears with the treble being just south of neutral. Most people who i've shown them to say they sound a bit boring but i think they sound excellent for their intended purpose, its just a shame that the comfort and build wasn't too good.  The dt880 kills the fsp for comfort and build quality, overall its not as neutral but being open back its more natural sounding with a bigger soundstage and a bit more exciting to listen to imo. The 7506 is a bargain for the price but i find the earcups hot and uncomfortable and the sound was too peaky and rough for my tastes,

Hmm you say the FSP sounds boring. That might be a deal breaker for me. I have a set of MDR-CD900ST as another studio reference and they fit the bill for a boring analytical studio can. I want something with life to it more along the lines of the M50 but more refined if possible. If I can't find something like that I may just wait till my M50S die and get a pair of M50X, at least I know these cans well and enjoy them.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I never thought that the fsp sounded weird, i think they actually sound quite good, very punchy and balanced sounding to my ears with the treble being just south of neutral. Most people who i've shown them to say they sound a bit boring but i think they sound excellent for their intended purpose, its just a shame that the comfort and build wasn't too good.  The dt880 kills the fsp for comfort and build quality, overall its not as neutral but being open back its more natural sounding with a bigger soundstage and a bit more exciting to listen to imo. The 7506 is a bargain for the price but i find the earcups hot and uncomfortable and the sound was too peaky and rough for my tastes,

 
The FSP is only boring if you compare it to something like the QC15. Otherwise, it fits your description very well. For me, they were perfectly comfortable, though not as comfortable as many others. The DT 880 falls off my head too easily and the giant ear cups cover the entire side of my face. For me, the FSP was a bit more comfortable; just in a different way, like in the sense that it's easier for me to use. I am very surprised that the DT 880 is more exciting for you. For me, the FSP was pretty darn exciting, while with the DT 880, I am bored out of my mind when listening to it, mainly because it's so smooth and gentle-sounding.
 

  Hmm you say the FSP sounds boring. That might be a deal breaker for me. I have a set of MDR-CD900ST as another studio reference and they fit the bill for a boring analytical studio can. I want something with life to it more along the lines of the M50 but more refined if possible. If I can't find something like that I may just wait till my M50S die and get a pair of M50X, at least I know these cans well and enjoy them.

 
The FSP is one of the most exciting-sounding cans I've heard. It's just not overly exciting like the QC15. Also, if you read his post again, you can see that he meant they don't sound boring to him; just to a few others. For all we know, the reason it sounded boring to those other people is because it didn't have ridiculously boosted bass.

 

[LNuneek]

   
 
The FSP is one of the most exciting-sounding cans I've heard. It's just not overly exciting like the QC15. Also, if you read his post again, you can see that he meant they don't sound boring to him; just to a few others. For all we know, the reason it sounded boring to those other people is because it didn't have ridiculously boosted bass.

Fair enough, thanks for clarifying! I won't take them off my list right away. I'd still like to hear them. I've been intrigued with Focal as a company for a few years, but have yet to hear or see any of their products in person. To be frank, and I mentioned this a good while ago in this thread, I think, that since this is really just their 1st gen HP's I may wait it out and see what refinements they make with their next gen HP's whenever those see the light of day. 

 

[chailee80]

 
Hmm you say the FSP sounds boring. That might be a deal breaker for me. I have a set of MDR-CD900ST as another studio reference and they fit the bill for a boring analytical studio can. I want something with life to it more along the lines of the M50 but more refined if possible. If I can't find something like that I may just wait till my M50S die and get a pair of M50X, at least I know these cans well and enjoy them.

For pure music listening yes i found it can be a little boring at times due to how neutral it is, i found the spirit classic is a bit more suitable for musical enjoyment. The ath-m70x could be a possible option, i demoed it the other week and it sounded like a more refined version of the m50x. The yamaha mt220 is another great sounding, neutral headphone and is a bargain for its current price.
One headphone that really impressed me recently is the akg k267, it is quite pricey but its ability to go from neutral to fun sounding at the flick of a switch was quite awesome. The nad hp50 and shure srh1540 are also a couple of great sounding cans that i often recommend.

 

[LNuneek]

 
For pure music listening yes i found it can be a little boring at times due to how neutral it is, i found the spirit classic is a bit more suitable for musical enjoyment. The ath-m70x could be a possible option, i demoed it the other week and it sounded like a more refined version of the m50x. The yamaha mt220 is another great sounding, neutral headphone and is a bargain for its current price.
One headphone that really impressed me recently is the akg k267, it is quite pricey but its ability to go from neutral to fun sounding at the flick of a switch was quite awesome. The nad hp50 and shure srh1540 are also a couple of great sounding cans that i often recommend.

Thanks for the recommends. I've been looking at all those too, except for the AKG. I generally stay away from AKG because I'm generally confused about their line up and don't know what to look at. Especially since I tend to like a more warm sound sig with great bass response and as far as I can gather the AKG brand as a whole seems to be focused on mids and highs and tend to be a little bass shy. Are these AKG's different and more up my alley possibly?
 
I'd just like to add that I'm not a complete bass head, I like all frequencies represented well, I just prefer my sound leaning towards warmth.
 
Edit: Ok the k267 have been on my radar. I'm not all that in tune with AKG's model numbers so I just know these as the Tiestos. Those are close to $600 in my region and quite a bit above my price range. For my next set of studio cans I will pay up to double the worth of the ATHM-50 and that is my top limit. Basically the FSP represent my top limit. I'm a firm believer in diminishing returns after that price point and don't wish to exceed it.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Fair enough, thanks for clarifying! I won't take them off my list right away. I'd still like to hear them. I've been intrigued with Focal as a company for a few years, but have yet to hear or see any of their products in person. To be frank, and I mentioned this a good while ago in this thread, I think, that since this is really just their 1st gen HP's I may wait it out and see what refinements they make with their next gen HP's whenever those see the light of day. 

 
Depends what you mean by generations of headphones. The FSP came out after the Spirit One and so on.
 

  Thanks for the recommends. I've been looking at all those too, except for the AKG. I generally stay away from AKG because I'm generally confused about their line up and don't know what to look at. Especially since I tend to like a more warm sound sig with great bass response and as far as I can gather the AKG brand as a whole seems to be focused on mids and highs and tend to be a little bass shy. Are these AKG's different and more up my alley possibly?
 
I'd just like to add that I'm not a complete bass head, I like all frequencies represented well, I just prefer my sound leaning towards warmth.
 
Edit: Ok the k267 have been on my radar. I'm not all that in tune with AKG's model numbers so I just know these as the Tiestos. Those are close to $600 in my region and quite a bit above my price range. For my next set of studio cans I will pay up to double the worth of the ATHM-50 and that is my top limit. Basically the FSP represent my top limit. I'm a firm believer in diminishing returns after that price point and don't wish to exceed it.

 
The Focal Spirit Professional and Yamaha HPH-MT220 should be your best bet.

 

[LNuneek]

   
Depends what you mean by generations of headphones. The FSP came out after the Spirit One and so on.
 
 
The Focal Spirit Professional and Yamaha HPH-MT220 should be your best bet.

This is just their first studio HP. I'm sure there will be more. I noticed that they are now offering speakers that aim for entry level studio consumers. This is a first for them as well, and something I wasn't expecting. I thought they were a company that was sticking to mid and high end, so they interest me even a little bit more now cause it looks like they are starting to branch off in new directions. Also, with my Email communications with them they made it a point to say that they are continually working on new products, but that they are just not inclined to say what those are until the time is right. 

 

[LNuneek]

For pure music listening yes i found it can be a little boring at times due to how neutral it is, i found the spirit classic is a bit more suitable for musical enjoyment. The ath-m70x could be a possible option, i demoed it the other week and it sounded like a more refined version of the m50x. The yamaha mt220 is another great sounding, neutral headphone and is a bargain for its current price.
One headphone that really impressed me recently is the akg k267, it is quite pricey but its ability to go from neutral to fun sounding at the flick of a switch was quite awesome. The nad hp50 and shure srh1540 are also a couple of great sounding cans that i often recommend.

Been researching these today and yes they seem like solid suggestions for me. The srh1540 and mt220 are piquing my interest cause they haven't really been on my radar. The hp50 has been on my radar for a little while. I may have a chance to hear the shure and nad. I singled out an audiophile shop about an hour or so away which may have these. Going to have to hunt down the yamaha a little harder.

2 things I noticed is that Tyll replaced the fsp with the srh1540 on his wall of fame, the other is that the yamahas have something to do with beyerdynamic. Can anyone enlighten me on the relationship between the yamaha and beyerdynamic?

 

[Music Alchemist]

 

2 things I noticed is that Tyll replaced the fsp with the srh1540 on his wall of fame

 
No he didn't. The FSP is right there next to it.
 

the other is that the yamahas have something to do with beyerdynamic. Can anyone enlighten me on the relationship between the yamaha and beyerdynamic?

 
This is the first I've heard of it. Yamaha is in Japan. beyerdynamic is in Germany.

 

[LNuneek]

No he didn't. The FSP is right there next to it.


This is the first I've heard of it. Yamaha is in Japan. beyerdynamic is in Germany.

That's interesting. I was going by what Tyll explicitly said at the end of his youtube review of the srh1540. He said he decided to take down the fsp in favor of the srh1540 due to the lack of resolution in the highs and the ergonomics not cutting it in the fsp.

As far as beyer and yamaha a youtube reviewer said something about beyer having something to do with the yamaha and it was even printed on the box for the yamaha.