I couldn't find a place to write dedicated reviews anymore on the new site, so I guess I'll post this here for those of you who are considering this headphone:
Hi, everyone. It’s Bill-P here. I frequent the community very often to share some of the headphone tuning techniques I have learned over the years, and also to learn from others. Those who know me well typically know one constant thing about me: almost all of my headphones are modified/tuned in one way or another. I admittedly try to tune any and every headphone I own so that they would sound the way I want. However, on rare occasions, there are headphones that I would just take as is, with very little to no modification at all.
First, let’s talk about the original Fostex T50RP. While many others started out modifying and tuning headphones with the Fostex T50RP as the base, I started with another headphone. Part of the reason for this was because there was already an abundance of information on the T50RP. On these forums (assuming it's not taken along with the redesign), there is a thread dedicated entirely to the effect of different materials placed at different locations in the T50RP, and all of those modifications come with quantifiable measurements to show the differences as well. There really is no topping that. I do not think I could have come up with any new information on the T50RP that had not been found already by the community. I took to dissect other headphones instead, to learn more about their constructions, about the use of different materials in them, and about how they were tuned to sound the way they did. In hindsight, perhaps because I started in a different direction that I now have some ideas that I would like to try in a T50RP.
A friend of mine once asked me “what would you do to tune a Fostex T50RP?”, and my response was “many things.” For one, the stock headphone seems completely devoid of any damping, either in the front or in the rear, and it was also devoid of any acoustic tuning. The ear pads that came with it was the very definition of a “generic” pair of ear pads. For all intents and purposes, I think the stock headphone is aptly described as a blank piece of paper. Some may say it’s bland, tasteless, and just too, well, blank! Some others would look at it and start to imagine the possibilities they could unleash with it. With what I know now, I think I would personally try to first tackle the ear pads by replacing them with the other alternatives and seeing which ones would ultimately sound the best. The stock ear pads are too shallow, too close to your ears, and too stiff. They do not allow for distance, which helps with soundstage, or thickness, which helps with bass, or even softness, which helps with comfort. I think the ideal ear pads should be thick, soft, and comfortable. As for materials, something like the Focus Pads from HiFiMAN is extremely comfortable, and is the next best thing after velour, or so I think.
Then one day, my good friends at Massdrop called me over to the Headquarters for a sneak peek at the T-X0. I could not help but be cautiously skeptical, as I have heard quite a number of T50RP headphones over the years, modified or otherwise. My favorite up to this day are the Paradox and Paradox Slants created by my good friend Luis, who goes by LFF in the communities. Luis is a genius, and his work on the T50RP is something to be reckoned with. His Paradox headphones to this day have continued to be my staple reference for what a closed-back headphone should sound like, and many headphones afterward may best them in one aspect or another, but none has quite sounded so “correct.” Until the T-X0, that is. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised and impressed by the T-X0. One quick glance at the headphone in person and I could tell immediately that the ear pads were the right fit for them. I got a quick demo of the sound, and then the very generous Christian told me I could take them home for a bit longer. I couldn’t resist, as what I heard back then showed quite a bit of promise. Massdrop and Fostex together have created quite something. After some critical listening, it’s clear the T-X0 is not as neutral as my Sennheiser HD580, as impactful as my HiFiMAN HE-5, as technically adept as my Campfire Audio Andromeda, or as comfortable as my Denon D5000. But it is just as fun to listen to as those other more expensive headphones. It presents midrange just the way that I like: thick, meaty, with just enough presence so as to not sound boring or distant, but also with just enough accentuation such that I do not feel fatigue. This voicing reminds me a lot of the way Audio Technica tunes their headphones, and I don’t mean the studio reference line like the ATH-M50X, but the wooden ones. I have personally owned quite a few Audio Technica headphones, and the TH-X0 does remind me very strongly of the Audio Technica ATH-W10VTG. On top of that midrange, the bass is very well-controlled, tight and with good thump, unlike the slightly loose sound of the ATH-M50X. Treble as presented by the T-X0 is honestly just about up to par, but I think it does better than the other alternatives in the same price bracket in terms of fatigue. The T-X0 controls its treble just right, such that there is satisfying zing and sparkle but equally smooth and perhaps even a bit withdrawn in order to combat the more modern digital recordings that boost treble to give a sense of clarity. Overall, the T-X0 reminds me a lot of the Paradox Slants that Luis created. It is not as technically efficient as Luis’ work, but its price point is very reasonable for what it offers in both sound and comfort. Not to mention I really like the black subdued look with brown headband that gives just the right amount of accent and contrast without giving away too much.
There is still more to be had with the T-X0 for sure. I have tried some other simple tweaks with it, and it responds quite well to them. This does not come as a surprise to me because at the heart of the headphone is still a T50RP with all of the potential proven to the community time and time again. However, I also understand that by tuning it further, the T-X0 would obviously have to cost more to produce, and may not be able to hit this sweet price point. I think Massdrop has produced the right balance here: a good baseline to start with that more critical modders can go from, and a good compromise between price, performance, and many other factors involved. I think the bar has been raised here. Considering that you can get the T-X0 for the same price as an original T50RP, I honestly would just grab the T-X0 over the original. Whether I modify or tune it further, or just leave it as is, I know I’ll be satisfied. Well played, Massdrop and Fostex!
TL;DR: this sounds like a Paradox Slants lite to me. Not that close, but close to Paradox than to most other T50RP mods. And to my ears, it sounds better than most mods around its price point. More performance can be unlocked with simpler mods than having to go from base T50RP because about 80% of the work has already been done.
And it looks classy as hell in person. Just the pads alone are worth $50 or more, and trust me, I know this very well because I have almost every pair of ear pads in existence with me, including the Sennheiser Orpheus HE60 and HE90 ear pads.
Photo for dramatic effect:
