[wahsmoh]

   
Right? Swapping pads on these is mandatory for me because I really dislike the way the bass / mids sound using the original pads. Bass is one-noted and way too much of it making vocals sound muddy. 
 
1. Not true that bass on these are tuned lower than TH600/TH900 as suggested, it is way too much more in quantity in stock form.
2. Swapping pads to anything else (HM5, Lawton, TH600/900, etc etc) that put your ears farther away from the drivers will make these sound GREAT. It's like they had too many TH500RP pads leftover in the warehouse and decided to throw them on here just because.. 
 
But if you like the way the original pads sound then don't mind me 

 

I have to agree with you on the stock sound. I swapped in Alpha pads and I can't stop listening to these. Before I had more fatigue with the stock pads and I felt the bass was too bloated with slow decay. Now the bass is incredibly tight, and soundstage depth is there when before my ears were closer to the driver.

 

[mysticstryk]

Do the alpha pads provide better isolation, making these more of a closed phone instead of semi-open?  Pretty handy if so, to be able to flip flop between the two depending on the situation.

 

[bavinck]

  Do the alpha pads provide better isolation, making these more of a closed phone instead of semi-open?  Pretty handy if so, to be able to flip flop between the two depending on the situation.

They won't because the pads aren't the problem, there is a vent around the cups

 

[CFGamescape]

Been using the TH-X00 for gaming through:

1) Asus Xonar U7
2) U7 > Schiit Lyr 2
3) Razer Surround software > Schiit Lyr 2 (via Schiit Bifrost Multibit)
4) Bifrost MB > Lyr 2

The TH-X00, in comparison to my AKG K702-65 and Audio-Technica MSR7, is terrible. Out of the list above, #1 sounded best. Second best was #4; surprisingly, it produced pretty good spatial audio. Pretty sure #3 is not supposed to work; the audio was very weak.

But, across the board, the TH-X00 sounded way too artificial and tinny. I played The Long Dark (fantastic game, btw), which has incredible audio work that I'm quite fond of. Walking through wide open, snowy areas, it sounds like you're walking through an alleyway in an urban city. Holding an active flare sounds muffled and distant. Normally, holding the flare is both visually and audibly jarring (as it should be).

I can't recommend these for gaming, but obviously YMMV, depending on preference and hardware used.

EDIT: I kinda have to retract my statement here, guys. I'm sorry. It appears my "reference" game (The Long Dark) went through an update and the audio may have been tweaked...or, I just didn't play it for a long time and my ears were rusty, but the weird tinny sound I was experiencing is actually present in my other headphones, too. After trying a bunch of different games today, including Star Wars Battlefront using strictly my Xonar U7, I can safely say the TH-X00 is okay for gaming. Not great (compared to my others), but good. Sorry for any misinformation.

 

[Asr]

^ On a related note, I tried mine for gaming yesterday, on Half-Life 2 and Far Cry 1 (ok so I haven't gotten any new games in a while, but I really like to re-play both of them sometimes). My setup is a Bifrost 4490 to a HeadAmp Gilmore Lite.
 
Compared to the Yamaha MT220 which I usually use for gaming (mostly due to its bass response, but also because it makes gunfire sound nice & visceral), I found the TH-X00 to be pretty dang good. Apart from losing the visceral kickback on gunfire, it was very nice in all other aspects—beefy-sounding explosions, articulate enough to portray machine-gun reports very well (particularly HL2's MP7 SMG), and great localization. Great at ambient spatialization too, for those moments in Far Cry in the jungle with animal effects like birds chirping and insects flying around, etc.

 

[Magick Man]

The Lyr (or Lyr 2) might possibly be the worst choice of amp for the TH-X00, apart from an OTL. I'm not surprised even the U7 (despite its poor current availability) is a better match. Something like the Magni 2 would be much, much better than either.

 

[mysticstryk]

The Lyr (or Lyr 2) might possibly be the worst choice of amp for the TH-X00, apart from an OTL. I'm not surprised even the U7 (despite its poor current availability) is a better match. Something like the Magni 2 would be much, much better than either.

 
That's good news for me!

 

[Asr]

The Lyr (or Lyr 2) might possibly be the worst choice of amp for the TH-X00, apart from an OTL. I'm not surprised even the U7 (despite its poor current availability) is a better match. Something like the Magni 2 would be much, much better than either.

 
The original Lyr, maybe, but the Lyr 2? The low gain sets an output impedance of 0.3 Ohms, which is a good figure for low-impedance headphones. Plus Schiit has this blurb on the Dynamically Adaptive Output Stage in the FAQ:
 

It’s a current-sensing adaptive output topology which allows the amplifier to dynamically adjust to the headphone load. The primary benefits are essentially single-ended Class-A operation for high-impedance headphones, moving seamlessly to push-pull Class A and finally into Class AB as current needs increase. This provides much higher overall efficiency.

 
Plus the Lyr 2 outputs up to 6W @ 32 Ohms, while the Magni 2 Uber does 1.5W—i.e., so the Lyr 2 has way more current-output capability.
 
Speaking of the Lyr 2, I think anyone who intends on using that amp for gaming would probably want to get the LISSTs not only for longevity but also because they should theoretically sound cleaner than tubes.

 

[JungleApe]

Personally i wouldn't pair the TH-X00 with any Tube AMP since they tend to sound a little warmer than normal Amplifiers which might result in an overly-thick fundamental tone.
Stuff like the Objective O2 or the Magni/Modi Combo is a good choice IMHO

 

[lvince95]

Personally i wouldn't pair the TH-X00 with any Tube AMP since they tend to sound a little warmer than normal Amplifiers which might result in an overly-thick fundamental tone.
Stuff like the Objective O2 or the Magni/Modi Combo is a good choice IMHO

 
I have heard conflicting stuff about the Modi/Magni combo though. People are saying that the combo is on the bright side of neutral, which may make the Fostex sound dry or brighter.

 

[oqvist]

You don't mention what amp/DAC you are using. Perhaps it is not a good pairing?

That is just how it sounds. You need to match it with gear that removes The bass emphasis if you want something else. I am something of a basshead but it do get much sometimes. I also havent perceived any change with burnin yet. But really with a good equalizer it can be fixed its well behaved outside of the bass. Just need fine tuning to get better.

I have one big issue with these headphones though... I don´t understand why they went with this 3.55 mm adapter. Make it impossible to use with smartphones etc because you will brake it sooner or later why not have a screw on 6.55 mm adapter or one of those that come with a small cable in between. Not audiophile but it sits on a ****ty source so what does it matter. The source will not get better when it´s broken. I feel more comfortable not hitting door posts with these then the DX 1000

 

[tommo21]

   
I have heard conflicting stuff about the Modi/Magni combo though. People are saying that the combo is on the bright side of neutral, which may make the Fostex sound dry or brighter.

It sounds too "fat" and dark with tubes(and Modi 2). Dry and brighter is actually a good thing if you ask me. That's why I've ordered me a Gustard H10(With Burson V5 opamps) to try. Thought about a M9xx, but people seem to prefer the Gustard H10 amp slightly ahead of the M9xx amp part.

 

[fjrabon]

The Lyr (or Lyr 2) might possibly be the worst choice of amp for the TH-X00, apart from an OTL. I'm not surprised even the U7 (despite its poor current availability) is a better match. Something like the Magni 2 would be much, much better than either.

I liked the Lyr a lot with it, but only in low gain with LISST in. IMHO the Lyr is the Swiss Army knife of amps but you have to fiddle with it to get the right setup with different headphones. I got to the point where I didn't need the high gain mode with it any longer, so at that point you just more or less have a large, expensive Magni.

 

[piaudio]

   
I'm still waiting. Christmas Eve here and the day is nearly over. Won't get them till after the long weekend at the earliest

 
Yeah, even my Singpost sorting facility center is just a stone away from my home, waiting for them  to deliver to me.

 

[CFGamescape]

The Lyr (or Lyr 2) might possibly be the worst choice of amp for the TH-X00, apart from an OTL. I'm not surprised even the U7 (despite its poor current availability) is a better match. Something like the Magni 2 would be much, much better than either.

Actually, the Lyr 2 sounds just fine with the TH-X00 for music. The stock tubes are rather neutral. I use the low gain switch. I also use my FiiO setup with the TH-X00 and to my ears the sound signature is the same.

For gaming, compared to my other headphones, using a variety of devices I have, the TH-X00 didn't sound good. I will try the Razer Surround with my FiiO amp next week (it's at work).