[nff]

do they still make them? and if they do do i need an amp to drive them? i hear they are realy neutral in response.

 

[Drag0n]

Yes, Fostex still makes them, but theyre not the same as my vintage one. I have the Fostex T20RP
I love it. Sounds good, but i dont know how good the new ones sound. I get different opinions from people,so until i hear them myself, i dont know.
They used to be really good though and Pro's used them, especially drummers and sound guys.
You dont have to use an amp, but they do improve with an amp, and you probably should use a good home amp with them, but they do work straight out of my portable players too if need be.
Theyre detailed and smooth and have some dynamics with the right amp. Can sound a bit thin on some sources, but great on others. Not for bassheads. Fast bass, not fat.

 

[nff]

thanks but im most curious with amping. cuz yea im hopeing to stay away from amps for a while. my wallets scared enough with just buying a700s

 

[ericj]

The current generation of Fostex headphones aren't as good as previous generations, but yeah they still make isodynamics.

As for amping, the T20 and T40 can be driven reasonably well by a good DAP (iRiver H120 for example) so you don't need a jack that is especially loud, and isodynamic drivers are a largely nonreactive load so they are very "easy to drive" if the source goes loud enough for them.

Look for a T20 or T40 that does not have any red or orange printing on the back of the earcup.

 

[nff]

whats the usual going price for vintage isos?

 

[ericj]

For fostexen? $35-$70.

Most of the people buyign them on ebay are not head-fi folk, they're recording studio folk. The T20 is a recognized and popular studio can that retails in the $60-$80 range, and they all know that, so the bidding never gets crazy.

 

[wualta]

You'd probably be most interested in the previous generation of T20 and T40 Fostex. Avoid the T50RP and, as ericj said, any that have red graphics on the cups.

Are they all that neutral in stock form? Not particularly, but you can tell they lean in that direction. They're pleasant and will take considerable power, and they were of course never designed for the current crop of DAPs, but many people find them useful when hooked up to the more capable players.

With something approaching ease they can be modified to sound like electrostatic wannabes. Stock, they're good but not great when transplanted out of their world, the studio, into ours, the obsessive/ audiophile/ portable world.

I'm curious-- what made you think of Fostex?

.

 

[nff]

reading the ortho thread. they say that they still make them. and that iso's are some of the most neutral cans around and i took a look around the fostex site and seen that their fairly inexpensive.

 

[wualta]

Ah. Well, follow the advice of the ortho people and avoid the current line. Go for the older ones and you can have a bit of fun.

 

[nff]

yea even before i was going to try and find an old t20/40.. now just to try and find some old ones... i doubt theirs any in the FS section.

 

[mypasswordis]

I thought the T20v2 and T40v1 were only fairly recently discontinued. Where did they all go? Or am I just not looking in the right places?

 

[ericj]

A couple years ago.

Look for mom & pop music stores in the fostex dealer list. that's my guess, anyway. I bought my NOS T40 on ebay from a pawn broker. For about $40 shipped iirc.

I wouldn't say they turn up on ebay frequently, but they do turn up regularly.

 

[mypasswordis]

Is it just me, or are you ridiculously good at finding good deals?

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mypasswordis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it just me, or are you ridiculously good at finding good deals?

I'm not ridiculously good at it - I'm just fairly good at it.

My friend Dave puts me to shame on a daily basis. I'm not sure he's ever paid retail for anything.

Dave is currently holding onto a pair of Ohm Walsh 3 speakers for me - I'm picking them up in about 6 weeks. He paid $35 for the pair. Which is about 12% of what you'd usually pay for 'em.

 

[wualta]

Not to take anything away from Eric, who along with tyre is truly adept at burrowing into the eBay perplex and finding the things that nobody else finds, but $40 for a T40v1 in good condition isn't that unusual.

Or, at least, it wasn't.... Good gawd, are you guys telling me the Fostex are going extinct now too?