[Arcamera]

Hopefully someone can comment on this (sorry again if it's repetitive). I'm a fan of the Denon D7000, and actually prefer it over the Fostex TH900. The reasons being that I find the D7000 to be smoother on the top end, with a fuller mid/lower-midrange, making it overall more musical or listenable. Yes, I find the TH900 to have greater soundstaging and transparency. But those aren't my sonic priorities. They are a little too 'etched.' Whereas I find the D7000 always reminds me of a fine full-range speaker system-- from the 1970's. I mean that in a good way. Also I find the D7000 a little more comfortable and ergonomically better-- for instance in the rounded edges on the part between the headband and the cups-- note the difference between rounded/smooth to touch on the D7000 and square-cut spikey on the TH900.
 
But that's a minor complaint. Sonically overall I find the D7000 to be better-judged. Yes, the TH900 has more immediate sonic fireworks, but the balance is a little awry to my ears (love the aesthetic of the cups though). However, I think both excel in texture/tone--I love how they render drum kits especially--which makes it all worth it. Perhaps it has something to do with their organic drivers. They do shine with a certain euphony. How did Jude describe them?-- "velvety and organic" if I recall.
 
Anyway, what was the goal of Massdrop in tweaking this headphone? And can anyone comment if this new line (the ebony in particular) harkens back to the virtues of the Denon D7000? Or is it more TH900 in sound? Thanks.

 

[ZGojira]

I have a pair of D7000 as well as a pair of TH-X00 with E-MU ebony cups. I also compared them to TH-900 in a quiet environment a number of times, most testing was done on my Grace Design m920. I got a pair of TH-X00 hoping for a similar sound signature to the D7000. However if you are like me, prefer the D7000 over the TH-900, you will be disappointed with the TH-X00. It is not as refined or detailed as the D7000 or TH-900, and the signature is much closer to the TH-900 than D7000.
 
To me, the D7000 sounds almost magical. The detail, sound stage along with the treble sparkle and mid-lower bass impact is very unique and addictive. The TH-X00 on the other hand has a much smaller sound stage and is very mid-focused with a good quantity of bass.
 
As for the difference between stock and ebony cups, it it not a night and day difference. The most significant difference is the amount and sound of the reverb (echo?). The best example is when tap on different pieces of wood at the hardware store. It's sounds more solid on the ebony cups. On initial listen, the amount of echo/reverb can give it a bit of "bathroom effect" which can be annoying to some. This effect seems to have been greatly reduced after around 10 hours only leaving a stronger bass impact.
 
For bass lovers, putting HM5 angled pads on TH-X00 + ebony cups will give a lethal amount of bass on bassy tracks.

 

[LajostheHun]

Measurements do not tell us much about what really happens at the eardrum for each buyer, talk less of how sonic impressions at the ear drum are emotionally interpreted by the buyer or hearer...

ERGO : Do not expect what appears on paper in these comparisons and graphs, to always match the expectations you have formed about each iteration.  Some expectations may be met, or even favorably exceeded, but others shall surely be underwhelmed or disappointed.


I will not consider selling my mahogany version, or joining another X00 drop, until I have read real life reviews, impressions, and comparative evaluations of all three iterations. 

Hate tell you this , but what happens in someone else's eardrum is even less meaningful to potential buyers or at least it should. Expectation bias is real I agree and one of the chief reason that this hobby [audio] remains active.

 

[sabloke]

Got the Mahogany in the first drop. Let me know when the Titanium cups are coming up. Wood though, nah.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

What's the Ebony like? Can anyone tell? I like the Purpleheart but can do with a little less bass and lusher mids, more sparkling trebles. Which one should I go for?

 

[eobet]

With the Ebony version limited to 2000 units, I'm trusting the second hand market value of them will be good? Will I be able to sell them at no loss?
 
I'm asking, because my life goal is to own a pair of TH-900 (especially after recently having listened to them), but I can't justify the price right now.
 
(Also, I still haven't seen a Ultrasone Pro 900 vs. TH-X00 comparison... the reason I want the TH-900 is because it equals the Pro 900 in bass, while having an overall cleaner and more detailed sound, imo.)

 

[noobnorwegian]

Anyone know if the Purple is more similar to TH-900 or the D5000/D7000?
I love the U-shaped sound of my D5000. It seems (from reviews) like the original Massdrop SQ is too flat for my taste.
 
I like when the vocals are in the back (but not dark). As my ears/brain listens to vocals, a V/U-shape tend to bring the instruments forward and helps to listen to everything in the music I listen to (Power Metal & melodic Death Metal).    

 

[jeffri]

I'm sooo conflicted, get this Ebony or not. :/

Have original Mahogany, waiting for Purpleheart and now this Ebony. Damn... what have you done Fostex x Massdrop? Not to mention there is TH610 too.

I absolutely loved this TH-series from Fostex, but this is going too much.

 

[inertianinja]

  With the Ebony version limited to 2000 units, I'm trusting the second hand market value of them will be good? Will I be able to sell them at no loss?
 
I'm asking, because my life goal is to own a pair of TH-900 (especially after recently having listened to them), but I can't justify the price right now.
 
(Also, I still haven't seen a Ultrasone Pro 900 vs. TH-X00 comparison... the reason I want the TH-900 is because it equals the Pro 900 in bass, while having an overall cleaner and more detailed sound, imo.)

 
This again.  Dude, my advice to you is not to buy these based on your expectations of resale. You have nothing to "trust" that the resale market will be good, or that you can sell them at no loss.
 
Massdrop is not saying that it's limited to 2000 units, they're not saying there won't be future drops, and they're not guaranteeing or even implying that these will have a certain resale value. We don't need another round of complaints on this.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I'm sooo conflicted, get this Ebony or not. :/

Have original Mahogany, waiting for Purpleheart and now this Ebony. Damn... what have you done Fostex x Massdrop? Not to mention there is TH610 too.

I absolutely loved this TH-series from Fostex, but this is going too much.

From what I read on Massdrop, the Ebony is the more "refined" version of Mahogany.

 

[ZGojira]

If the e-mu ebony cups are anything to go by....
 
Quote:

  What's the Ebony like? Can anyone tell? I like the Purpleheart but can do with a little less bass and lusher mids, more sparkling trebles. Which one should I go for?

Bass is the strongest of the three. The actual quantity of bass increase might not measure to be significant, but the impact(slam/sound pressure?) is stronger. There's also more reverb(echo?), which might give the illusion of being more muddy and less clear
 
There is also slightly less treble...

 

[sahmen]

Hate tell you this , but what happens in someone else's eardrum is even less meaningful to potential buyers or at least it should. Expectation bias is real I agree and one of the chief reason that this hobby [audio] remains active.

Not to be disrespectful, but in exactly what way is this statement supposed to interest me, or address what I said before?

 

[marts30]

I have the Mahogony and the Purpleheart coming, I want to like the Purpleheart more - hopefully it's not too different.

 

[jeffri]

From what I read on Massdrop, the Ebony is the more "refined" version of Mahogany.

I guess the logical step for this poor soul is to get Ebony and sell Mahogany. The Purpleheart might worth keeping as it's more different. Or don't know, maybe I'll keep all 3? Poor, poor wallet.

 

[BB 808]

I guess the logical step for this poor soul is to get Ebony and sell Mahogany. The Purpleheart might worth keeping as it's more different. Or don't know, maybe I'll keep all 3? Poor, poor wallet.

Yes...keep all 3!!!