[fjrabon]

  And with that, I regret nothing. Getting mine Tuesday, so pumped! Now to secure a nice ODAC and Vali combo. HM5 pads seem very attractive too, but the question is angled or flat.

I wouldn't get the Vali with these
 
1) the Vali's 6.5 Ohm output impedance with the THX00's 25 Ohm impedance likely won't play together particularly well.  That's only a 3.5ish dampening factor.  You want at least 8, if not 10+.
2) These, if they're anything like their TH600, TH900 and DX000 brethren, need a lot of current thrown at them.  The Vali has decent raw power, but doesn't push a whole lot of current
3) The one complaint about the THX00 has been that the bass can lack control at times, the Vali will exacerbate this.  

 

[moedawg140]

would you be able to recable these with 2.5mm removable connections at the cups without messing with the cups?  My ideal is to have essentially the same cable setup as the new HE400i cable (5 feet with plug in 2.5mm cup ends and a 3.5mm source end termination).  Where would I go to get the 2.5mm ends?  I'd probably just order one of the HiFiMan cables.

I'm with you - I wanted 2.5mm connectors as well (same as my HE1000), but I know the cable connects by friction, so it may not be the best in the long run with regards to connecting longevity like a locking connector would. Also, I was recommended from multiple cable companies to use HIFIMAN SMC connectors with the TH-X00 so there will be no epoxy or modification needed to the TH-X00's earphone housing/hole inserts - as a result, that's what I'm going to be using as one part of my few modifications.

 

[kali77]

Initial impressions.... These are a "fun" set of cans. Great purchase for the cost imo, and they are keepers for non critical listening. To me though the negatives are they are lacking detail, small soundstage, and to be brutally honest the bottom end/bass is a muddy mess (the wood bothers "paradise" album with stand up bass shows this as does Kendrick Lamar "To pimp a butterfly). Yes they have punch but it's a messy punch and not accurate at all imo. Please note I've only listened for 2-3hrs on multiple albums and am mainly comparing them to my lcd-xc (not a fair comparison). Ymmv, blah blah.

Edit: also wanted to add the cups are beautiful, but the pads are awful, and the small size very uncomfortable, and I have average not large ears.

 

[fjrabon]

I'm with you - I wanted 2.5mm connectors as well (same as my HE1000), but I know the cable connects by friction, so it may not be the best in the long run with regards to connecting longevity like a locking connector would. Also, I was recommended from multiple cable companies to use HIFIMAN SMC connectors with the TH-X00 so there will be no epoxy or modification needed to the TH-X00's earphone housing/hole inserts - as a result, that's what I'm going to be using as one part of my few modifications.

The 2.5mm connectors on the HE400i feel really solid to me, a very solid click in that I don't think would wear out unless you took them in and out on a daily basis.  I wouldn't take them in and out all that often.  I'm also not opposed to the old HFM style either.  
 
edit: also, HFM told me that the 2.5mm connection modification on the HE400i doesn't require any altering or epoxy from the cups that were originally designed for SMC, so if we can just find the same connectors HFM uses, we should be set as far as not needing any modification or epoxy on the cups.

 

[thekorsen]

 
I wouldn't get the Vali with these
 
1) the Vali's 6.5 Ohm output impedance with the THX00's 25 Ohm impedance likely won't play together particularly well.  That's only a 3.5ish dampening factor.  You want at least 8, if not 10+.
2) These, if they're anything like their TH600, TH900 and DX000 brethren, need a lot of current thrown at them.  The Vali has decent raw power, but doesn't push a whole lot of current
3) The one complaint about the THX00 has been that the bass can lack control at times, the Vali will exacerbate this.  

Oh, good to know! Kinda a bummer though, because someone offered me $140 for ODAC/Vali combo. I mean at that price I could sell the vali and grab a more current focused amp...but the hassle and shipping fees might make it not worth it.

 

[james6333]

The thxx seems to lack a little sub bass impact compared to the th900. Hard to say as I don't have the th900 anymore

 

[vwinter]

They are cloth and highly absorbent or are they not ? I think anything that is not pleather or leather will kill the bass on any headphones

Old wives tale.

What blows for me is THEY STILL CHARGE CA TAX when they are shipping from NJ. Weird process dude.... And yeah cali land is expensive, but all that farm land in the central valley tho..... :confused_face:

What usually determines whether a vendor collects is whether they have nexus (a connection) with the state. Massdrop would have nexus in CA as a company based there but could also have nexus in NJ depending on the warehousing arrangement.

Amazon opened a distrubution in IL this year and now they collect IL sales tax.

Dude. I literally cannot believe you rolled in here with nexus. Holy f* it's a Christmas miracle.

It's not as simple as just having a connection because the connection needed varies state to state on the laws, but a warehouse or offices is usually more than enough lol.

My niece's pair is up for grabs in the sale section here at head-fi ($350 + free UPS ground shipping). I am keeping my pair. She's bugging mann. 

LOL

 

[intlsubband]

It might be a long shot, but did anyone try to compare these to the JVC HA-SZ2000? They share some similarities - roughly similar price range, large over-ear closed back, renowned for their bass...

 

[thug behram]

Any head to head comparisons with the th600?

 

[bavinck]

I wouldn't get the Vali with these

1) the Vali's 6.5 Ohm output impedance with the THX00's 25 Ohm impedance likely won't play together particularly well.  That's only a 3.5ish dampening factor.  You want at least 8, if not 10+.

It's not that simple. Depends on the impedance curve of the headphones. My understanding is the fostex curves are pretty flat (like the AKGs for example) and so frequency response of them should not be very dependant on output impredence. In order words, what you are calling a dampening factor should not be a big concern.

 

[shuto77]

Can anyone compare these to other top-flight closed headphones, such as the Alpha Dogs, ZMF Blackwoods or the Beyerdynamic DT1770? Yes, I know these won't seal as well.

 

[Audio Addict]

..

 

[fjrabon]

It's not that simple. Depends on the impedance curve of the headphones. My understanding is the fostex curves are pretty flat (like the AKGs for example) and so frequency response of them should not be very dependant on output impredence. In order words, what you are calling a dampening factor should not be a big concern.

I don't think it's a known issue yet, but it is something to be cautious about. And since I think it's safe to say they'll be current hungry anyway, you probably want a low output impedance amp anyway. Plus the Vali won't remotely help a can that might be in danger of flabby bass already. You put the Vali in front of a can with overly strident bass if anything.

 

[bavinck]

I don't think it's a known issue yet, but it is something to be cautious about. And since I think it's safe to say they'll be current hungry anyway, you probably want a low output impedance amp anyway. Plus the Vali won't remotely help a can that might be in danger of flabby bass already. You put the Vali in front of a can with overly strident bass if anything.

Do you talk in real life as much as you type in virtual life?

Lol

 

[moedawg140]

The 2.5mm connectors on the HE400i feel really solid to me, a very solid click in that I don't think would wear out unless you took them in and out on a daily basis.  I wouldn't take them in and out all that often.  I'm also not opposed to the old HFM style either.  

edit: also, HFM told me that the 2.5mm connection modification on the HE400i doesn't require any altering or epoxy from the cups that were originally designed for SMC, so if we can just find the same connectors HFM uses, we should be set as far as not needing any modification or epoxy on the cups.

The HIFIMAN probably has room in the cups for the 2.5mm connectors. With the Fostex headphones there isn't much room for deep connectors to be installed without cutting into the cups from the inside. It can be done, but my advisor told me (who mods headphones all of the time) he would not only have to cut the cups from the inside but would have to possibly modify the baffles which takes hours of work to be completely accurate. This is why he advises with using the SMC connectors so there will be no modification necessary to the TH-X00. I saw not a whole lot of room at all when I took it apart myself without making any cuts to the housing, retainer, etcetera. I'll be happy with the SMC connectors since they are very small, won't require the TH-X00 to be modified, and the gold color of the connectors will be tastefully blingy accents to the headphone, in my opinion.