[Greed]

Quote:

Just checked PriceJapan and its $1,557 shipped to the US via EMS. Has the price of these phones been going down? It's still 1,999 on TTYJ. 
 
Also, some have mentioned that there is some sound leakage (i.e. it's not completely closed). Is this due to the pads not fitting properly for some? 

 
I feel like they do a better job of isolating than the Denon's but still not full isolation like that of other closed headphones.

 

[tokendog]

Quote:

 
I feel like they do a better job of isolating than the Denon's but still not full isolation like that of other closed headphones.

 
 
If you press the TH-900 cups against your ears to get a better seal, you will notice an improvement in sound, so obviously these would benefit from a better seal.  However, I have not found a closed headphone with a better seal that sounds as good as the TH-900s with a bad seal.
 
If such a headphone exist, I haven't found it yet.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
 
If you press the TH-900 cups against your ears to get a better seal, you will notice an improvement in sound, so obviously these would benefit from a better seal.  However, I have not found a closed headphone with a better seal that sounds as good as the TH-900s with a bad seal.
 
If such a headphone exist, I haven't found it yet.

 
Not even the W3000anv?

 

[tokendog]

Quote:

 
Not even the W3000anv?

 
You almost got me there.  The W3000ANV are wonderful but I do not find them to be as versatile as the TH-900s.

 

[daigo]

Quote:

Mine came in last week and I've tried my damndest to be a fan, but I think I'll be returning them.
 
I find myself reaching for the HD800s most of the time and the SR-002s when I don't want to disturb my cube mates over the TH900s 9/10 times.

 
Which site did you order from that allows for returns?  

 

[tokendog]

Quote:

 
Which site did you order from that allows for returns?  

 
TTVJ allows for returns and so does Headroom.

 

[twizzleraddict]

Quote:

Just checked PriceJapan and its $1,557 shipped to the US via EMS. Has the price of these phones been going down? It's still 1,999 on TTYJ. 
 
Also, some have mentioned that there is some sound leakage (i.e. it's not completely closed). Is this due to the pads not fitting properly for some? 

 
It's the Yen's drop in value to the US dollar, so currency conversions are fluctuating daily and plays in the pricing from PriceJapan.com. 
 
Just pulled the trigger on them at $1565 shipped to the US. I don't think the drop in Yen will be sustained for this long unless the Bank of Japan does nothing to ease deflation...
 
Time to pack up the rest of my dynamic headphones and put em on FS. I don't think I would touch any others after the TH900... even the short audition I had at Jaben makes me long for it. 

 

[Maxvla]

The Yen is not really doing all that bad. It's been much worse within the last 10 years.

In 2003 and 2007 it was as much as ~124 Yen per 1 USD, it is now 96 Yen per 1 USD.

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=JPY&view=10Y

 

[azureaura]

Oh don't please

starting to like the "relative" sound of these. I'm thinking ahead to this PPI payment on my credit cards, plus the wife will not favour an open backed set due to noise leakage.
 
 
From reports these could match well with SS amps like graham slee. A tube amp may make them sound too warm and fat.

 

[Greed]

Quote:

Oh don't please

starting to like the "relative" sound of these. I'm thinking ahead to this PPI payment on my credit cards, plus the wife will not favour an open backed set due to noise leakage.
 
 
From reports these could match well with SS amps like graham slee. A tube amp may make them sound too warm and fat.

Actually, there are plenty of happy owners with a tube+TH-900 combo. If tube is done right, it sounds better than SS, IMO.

 

[HideousPride]

 
The TH-900s came in. The bass kick on these is significantly heavier than what I am used to with some of my other headphones. Minus that, most comparable overall sound signature to the HD 598s out of the headphones I have. Fun and punchy sound, great comfort and the build quality is exquisite. First impression is that they're really good - 6-8x better than the 598s as the price point might suggest? Not even close, but they might be a keeper if they compare favorably to the HD 800s I'm still holding onto. 

 

[songmic]

Quote:

Actually, there are plenty of happy owners with a tube+TH-900 combo. If tube is done right, it sounds better than SS, IMO.

 
For a long time I was under the prejudice that only the best solid-state amps can make the TH900 truly sing, such as those from HeadAmp (GS-X), RudiStor, Luxman, and so on. Actually, it's true in most cases, because of the TH900's low-impedance and high-specificity specs... but one exception is the Zana Deux SE. There is something magical about this particular OTL tube amp. It doesn't sound tubey at all, has a fairly low output impedance to drive TH900 without much distortion albeit being OTL in design, has exceptional clarity, brings the mids forward (laid-back mids is one of TH900's weaknesses IMO), and throws a wide soundstage, in fact the largest soundstage I've heard from a TH900. Of course not as much as that of the HD800, but it makes you forget that you're listening to closed-back headphones. If people were to ask me for an amp to drive the TH900, I will recommend a solid-state amp with great value in most cases because the TH900 is not that picky. However, for the enthusiasts who are willing to spend over $2K for the best possible amp out there, I will recommend the ZDSE wholeheartedly.
 
One downside of the ZDSE is that while it is magical with high-impedance as well as low-impedance cans, it doesn't fare so well with orthos. If you're an owner of multiple flagship headphones (TH900, LCD-3, HD800, HE-6, PS1000, etc.) and looking for one versatile amp to rule them all, I suggest something like the HeadAmp GS-X or Balancing Act. But even some Balancing Act owners are considering the ZDSE specifically for the TH900, because this particular combination has heavenly sonic synergy.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Man you went balls deep in Fostex, huh?
 
Quote:

 
The TH-900s came in. The bass kick on these is significantly heavier than what I am used to with some of my other headphones. Minus that, most comparable overall sound signature to the HD 598s out of the headphones I have. Fun and punchy sound, great comfort and the build quality is exquisite. First impression is that they're really good - 6-8x better than the 598s as the price point might suggest? Not even close, but they might be a keeper if they compare favorably to the HD 800s I'm still holding onto. 

 

[Audiowood]

Zana duex is also good for iem. No hiss at all.

 

[Audiowood]

Quote:

Man you went balls deep in Fostex, huh?
 

Lol...