[VRacer-111]

I got the Ebony cups and treble isn't bright for me, it seems more or less at a good level that vocals sounds tonally good. There doesn't seem to be mids recession either, male vocals have good presence.

Even the Ebony version, the bass is no slouch and wouldn't want more. Bass is clean, doesn't get bloomy. Dynamic driver semi-closed bass definately has a characteristic of it's own to be worth hearing. Sounds different from planar bass.

Just out of curiosity, are the difference in FR of different colores ones, only attributed to the wood, and they all utilize the same bio-cellulose drivers? No additional tuning other than that to differentiate?

Correct, the only difference is the wood cups for any TH-X00, no other tuning differences. I bought the E-MU Palo Santo wood cups and put them on one of my TH-X00 Purplehearts... really made it more neutral in presentation (still V shaped, but bass reduced and mids brought more forward) compared to the other Purpleheart (both on stock pads for the comparison).

 

[VRacer-111]

I got these and I have some questions, comments?

Straight off they are a lot heavier than I am used to wearing and the clamp is not particularly tight. That combination makes it feel like these are always one head motion away from falling off of my head, it also makes it so I feel like I have to constantly check and adjust them. I don't know that I love the pads, they don't seem to provide a great seal, Im not sure if this is the intent or not.

You want a mini review, background first, this is from my computer using mostly crap sources like soundcloud, youtube and amazon music. I'm running a Magni 3 and a Mimby on USB, as I do not currently have an Eitr.
Other headphone I have an have listened too extensively are mostly AKG K7xx, about 2 years, and DT770 Pro 80s forever. I decided a few months ago that I didn't really like the K7xxs and decided to go looking for something with more bass, which led me to these. I game a lot and the 7xxs are good for that so thats why I've kept them around as long as I have even if I didn't totally love the sound, but recently Ive gone back to the DT770s for gaming even, at least for now.

They didn't sound great when I first tried them, but that was an issue with my system, I've resolved that issue and they sound a ton better now.

I haven't had a ton of listening time on them yet but quick impressions

So I love my DT770s and their bass but whoa, these make the bass on the 770s sound terrible in comparison. There is so much and the level of quality is nearly orders of magnitude better. they hit hard, go deep and there is just a ton of bass.

I have to listen more to get a better idea of the mids, Im still trying to figure them out. The mids are recessed, not as bad as the dt770s but still back a little from everything else, I don't know that I like it.

The treble is good but these definitely get fatiguing for me after a little bit, I find myself turning them down to a lower level than I generally listen at after a little bit to give myself breaks from the treble, Ive never had to do that before with my other headphones. This could be the results of the music I've been using to test these with though.

Swapping the DT770s back, I would have to do it and write down what I hear right away because I can't remember specifics right now but it was significant. Everything is better, by a fair margin, on the X00s. I suppose this should come as no surprise to most people considering the price differential of these headphones, but I feel that the exercise is worthwhile because this could be a real candidate of someone was looking for a clear upgrade from the DT770s.

The pads though, I dont think I like the pads so the ZMFs are what people like on these? Will they give me a better seal than what I am getting with the stock pads of just a different feel and sound?

Which TH-X00 version do you have again? Version does make a difference on matching pads... what is ideal for a PH is not necessarily ideal for a Mahogany version. The ZMF Ori sheepskin is a nice pad for the PH or Ebony, needs attenuators though - otherwise loose a little too much bass. The ZMF Ori suede works well to balance the sound more, and is best on Mahogany or Palo Santo. You will have better fit/seal to the head with them

Of course Lawton dampening is highly recommended for all, even with stock pads.

 

[loki993]

Which TH-X00 version do you have again? Version does make a difference on matching pads... what is ideal for a PH is not necessarily ideal for a Mahogany version. The ZMF Ori sheepskin is a nice pad for the PH or Ebony, needs attenuators though - otherwise loose a little too much bass. The ZMF Ori suede works well to balance the sound more, and is best on Mahogany or Palo Santo. You will have better fit/seal to the head with them

Of course Lawton dampening is highly recommended for all, even with stock pads.

PHs and they already have the Lawton driver damping.

 

[SilverEars]

What does Lawton do? Any measurements out there for the results?

 

[VRacer-111]

What does Lawton do? Any measurements out there for the results?

Turns it into a higher fidelity can - improved detail, clarity, and instrument separation. Lyrics that were hard to understand are much more intelligible, and bass has slightly better finesse and extension. The stock TH-X00 is muffled and conjested sounding in comparison.

 

[SilverEars]

Turns it into a higher fidelity can - improved detail, clarity, and instrument separation. Lyrics that were hard to understand are much more intelligible, and bass has slightly better finesse and extension. The stock TH-X00 is muffled and conjested sounding in comparison.

That's interesting. Only way you can compare for any noticible differences would be to AB two pairs side by side, with and without mod.

I thought it's the quality of drivers matter most when it comes to transient response and detail retrieval. What is involved in this mod for such a change?

 

[VRacer-111]

That's interesting. Only way you can compare for any noticible differences would be to AB two pairs side by side, with and without mod.

I thought it's the quality of drivers matter most when it comes to transient response and detail retrieval. What is involved in this mod for such a change?

Which is what I did, 2 pairs of TH-X00PH, one completely stock the other with just Lawton driver dampening applied, but otherwise stock. Semi-closed can and reflections from cups.... acoustic/vibrational dampening helps clear up the sound. Think of it as removing external noise so you can hear more of the actual source - instant boost in clarity, detail, and instrument separation.

http://www.lawtonaudio.com/fostextune-up.html

 

[koover]

I didn’t find it difficult when adding the dampening mod and pads that the bass tightened up and wasn’t as bloated. I could
Easily discern the differences without A/B testing instantly. In turn, the mids opened up as they weren’t as drowned out from the bass bleeding into the mids and treble.
Also changing out pads adds a lot to the sound of any headphone. Size of opening, shape of opening, how close your ears sit next to, away or on top of the drivers,etc.

 

[SilverEars]

Which is what I did, 2 pairs of TH-X00PH, one completely stock the other with just Lawton driver dampening applied, but otherwise stock. Semi-closed can and reflections from cups.... acoustic/vibrational dampening helps clear up the sound. Think of it as removing external noise so you can hear more of the actual source - instant boost in clarity, detail, and instrument separation.

http://www.lawtonaudio.com/fostextune-up.html

Ebony sounds pretty clear. I have heard bass overwhelming the mids or a bit of warmth over-taking the mids clarity with other headphones(particularly closed-backs), but it's not the case with the Ebony(which is the most balanced of the X00). Mids are pretty forward with it(vocals are actually forward). Believe me, I've heard upper mids dipping(Audeze. cough cough..). Bass is well separated as well. I think the Massdrop did a terrific job(consulting Fostex) with the Ebony in what they could get out of these Fostex headphones. I'm starting to appreciate particularities of how Massdrop gets the headphones tuned with the companies.

Good job with the Ebony Massdrop!

 

[VRacer-111]

If you really want to hear cleaner, more detailed sound with nicer instrument separation from your EB, install the Lawton driver housing dampening - noticeably upgrades the fidelity of ANY TH-X00. Or you can just leave it stock and still enjoy it with the more muddled, less detailed, and more conjested sound it originally comes with... it's not like it's bad stock, just not as good as it could be. The choice is yours.

 

[reeltime]

I bought the mahogany and the purpleheart. I sold off the mahogany because the purpleheart was more fun and musical to my ears. I bought the ZMF ear pads because they allow me to wear the Fostex for hours without any pain. The stock earpad would bother me after an hour. I didn't notice much of a change in sonics, it was a straight comfort purchase, and I'm glad I purchased them.

 

[jmills8]

I got these and I have some questions, comments?

Straight off they are a lot heavier than I am used to wearing and the clamp is not particularly tight. That combination makes it feel like these are always one head motion away from falling off of my head, it also makes it so I feel like I have to constantly check and adjust them. I don't know that I love the pads, they don't seem to provide a great seal, Im not sure if this is the intent or not.

You want a mini review, background first, this is from my computer using mostly crap sources like soundcloud, youtube and amazon music. I'm running a Magni 3 and a Mimby on USB, as I do not currently have an Eitr.
Other headphone I have an have listened too extensively are mostly AKG K7xx, about 2 years, and DT770 Pro 80s forever. I decided a few months ago that I didn't really like the K7xxs and decided to go looking for something with more bass, which led me to these. I game a lot and the 7xxs are good for that so thats why I've kept them around as long as I have even if I didn't totally love the sound, but recently Ive gone back to the DT770s for gaming even, at least for now.

They didn't sound great when I first tried them, but that was an issue with my system, I've resolved that issue and they sound a ton better now.

I haven't had a ton of listening time on them yet but quick impressions

So I love my DT770s and their bass but whoa, these make the bass on the 770s sound terrible in comparison. There is so much and the level of quality is nearly orders of magnitude better. they hit hard, go deep and there is just a ton of bass.

I have to listen more to get a better idea of the mids, Im still trying to figure them out. The mids are recessed, not as bad as the dt770s but still back a little from everything else, I don't know that I like it.

The treble is good but these definitely get fatiguing for me after a little bit, I find myself turning them down to a lower level than I generally listen at after a little bit to give myself breaks from the treble, Ive never had to do that before with my other headphones. This could be the results of the music I've been using to test these with though.

Swapping the DT770s back, I would have to do it and write down what I hear right away because I can't remember specifics right now but it was significant. Everything is better, by a fair margin, on the X00s. I suppose this should come as no surprise to most people considering the price differential of these headphones, but I feel that the exercise is worthwhile because this could be a real candidate of someone was looking for a clear upgrade from the DT770s.

The pads though, I dont think I like the pads so the ZMFs are what people like on these? Will they give me a better seal than what I am getting with the stock pads of just a different feel and sound?

Give it time and just absorb the music without making it a job.

 

[DavidA]

I got these and I have some questions, comments?

Straight off they are a lot heavier than I am used to wearing and the clamp is not particularly tight. That combination makes it feel like these are always one head motion away from falling off of my head, it also makes it so I feel like I have to constantly check and adjust them. I don't know that I love the pads, they don't seem to provide a great seal, Im not sure if this is the intent or not.

You want a mini review, background first, this is from my computer using mostly crap sources like soundcloud, youtube and amazon music. I'm running a Magni 3 and a Mimby on USB, as I do not currently have an Eitr.
Other headphone I have an have listened too extensively are mostly AKG K7xx, about 2 years, and DT770 Pro 80s forever. I decided a few months ago that I didn't really like the K7xxs and decided to go looking for something with more bass, which led me to these. I game a lot and the 7xxs are good for that so thats why I've kept them around as long as I have even if I didn't totally love the sound, but recently Ive gone back to the DT770s for gaming even, at least for now.

They didn't sound great when I first tried them, but that was an issue with my system, I've resolved that issue and they sound a ton better now.

I haven't had a ton of listening time on them yet but quick impressions

So I love my DT770s and their bass but whoa, these make the bass on the 770s sound terrible in comparison. There is so much and the level of quality is nearly orders of magnitude better. they hit hard, go deep and there is just a ton of bass.

I have to listen more to get a better idea of the mids, Im still trying to figure them out. The mids are recessed, not as bad as the dt770s but still back a little from everything else, I don't know that I like it.

The treble is good but these definitely get fatiguing for me after a little bit, I find myself turning them down to a lower level than I generally listen at after a little bit to give myself breaks from the treble, Ive never had to do that before with my other headphones. This could be the results of the music I've been using to test these with though.

Swapping the DT770s back, I would have to do it and write down what I hear right away because I can't remember specifics right now but it was significant. Everything is better, by a fair margin, on the X00s. I suppose this should come as no surprise to most people considering the price differential of these headphones, but I feel that the exercise is worthwhile because this could be a real candidate of someone was looking for a clear upgrade from the DT770s.

The pads though, I dont think I like the pads so the ZMFs are what people like on these? Will they give me a better seal than what I am getting with the stock pads of just a different feel and sound?

I'd agree with you that the stock pads are hard and uncomfortable, tried some TH-900 and TH-600 pads but they alter the sound in a way that I didn't care for and to me my TH-600 is cleaner sounding and much more comfortable. I also have K7XX (doesn't get used much these days), DT990 premium (when I want a really fun sound) and my current 2 favorites Stax SRD-34 (modded from on-ear to over ear) and custom built Ypsilon R1.

For gaming I used to use a HD700, great positional audio, very comfortable and can be had for great prices these days but for some the 6khz peak can be an issue. Choice of amp seems to make a difference to those that like it and those that don't. FWIW I used to use a Xonar STX sound card to drive the HD700 when gaming and they sound great out of headphone jack of old Sony HT receiver.

 

[Leopanda]

I got these and I have some questions, comments?

Straight off they are a lot heavier than I am used to wearing and the clamp is not particularly tight. That combination makes it feel like these are always one head motion away from falling off of my head, it also makes it so I feel like I have to constantly check and adjust them. I don't know that I love the pads, they don't seem to provide a great seal, Im not sure if this is the intent or not.

You want a mini review, background first, this is from my computer using mostly crap sources like soundcloud, youtube and amazon music. I'm running a Magni 3 and a Mimby on USB, as I do not currently have an Eitr.
Other headphone I have an have listened too extensively are mostly AKG K7xx, about 2 years, and DT770 Pro 80s forever. I decided a few months ago that I didn't really like the K7xxs and decided to go looking for something with more bass, which led me to these. I game a lot and the 7xxs are good for that so thats why I've kept them around as long as I have even if I didn't totally love the sound, but recently Ive gone back to the DT770s for gaming even, at least for now.

They didn't sound great when I first tried them, but that was an issue with my system, I've resolved that issue and they sound a ton better now.

I haven't had a ton of listening time on them yet but quick impressions

So I love my DT770s and their bass but whoa, these make the bass on the 770s sound terrible in comparison. There is so much and the level of quality is nearly orders of magnitude better. they hit hard, go deep and there is just a ton of bass.

I have to listen more to get a better idea of the mids, Im still trying to figure them out. The mids are recessed, not as bad as the dt770s but still back a little from everything else, I don't know that I like it.

The treble is good but these definitely get fatiguing for me after a little bit, I find myself turning them down to a lower level than I generally listen at after a little bit to give myself breaks from the treble, Ive never had to do that before with my other headphones. This could be the results of the music I've been using to test these with though.

Swapping the DT770s back, I would have to do it and write down what I hear right away because I can't remember specifics right now but it was significant. Everything is better, by a fair margin, on the X00s. I suppose this should come as no surprise to most people considering the price differential of these headphones, but I feel that the exercise is worthwhile because this could be a real candidate of someone was looking for a clear upgrade from the DT770s.

The pads though, I dont think I like the pads so the ZMFs are what people like on these? Will they give me a better seal than what I am getting with the stock pads of just a different feel and sound?

Nice review.

The seal of these is increased with headband adjustment. They have low clamping force with no adjustment, but you may stick a pad from sennheiser headphones to the headband, so they will stop falling from your head and get better clamping force. It would look like that:

You may get a headband pad of sennheiser HD600 or HD650 on amazon or ali, they don't cost much.
It can be attached with a two-side sticky strip.

That's interesting. Only way you can compare for any noticible differences would be to AB two pairs side by side, with and without mod.

I thought it's the quality of drivers matter most when it comes to transient response and detail retrieval. What is involved in this mod for such a change?

Lawton dampening applied on the driver housing "take away the oddest and most off time reflections that have hit the metal portions of the driver which will increase phase coherence and thus soundstage", as was said by headphone guru fjrabon about 2 years ago. He has written a lot of great posts in this thread describing the mods and their impacts.

If you want to get deeper into that you may start reading with a post there.

 

[SilverEars]

If you really want to hear cleaner, more detailed sound with nicer instrument separation from your EB, install the Lawton driver housing dampening - noticeably upgrades the fidelity of ANY TH-X00. Or you can just leave it stock and still enjoy it with the more muddled, less detailed, and more conjested sound it originally comes with... it's not like it's bad stock, just not as good as it could be. The choice is yours.

I'm very happy with stock EB. Don't need the weird mod, no thanks. It doesn't sound muddled or congested.