[Audiolic]

Stupid not to make a better driver since everybody knows they are still not up to the high end in terms of details retrieval and resolution..  

 

[nick n]

Disagree, depends how they are implemented.

 

[mrscotchguy]

Funny...I see a difference.

I'm sure :tongue_smile:

 

[Claritas]

  Funny...I see a difference.

 
That's enigmatic of you. What is it?

 

[Audiolic]

  TH500RP interview
 
The driver is shown at 3:33. Looks similar to the one used for T50RP.
 
http://youtu.be/uW1Rj-F3A1Y

 
is it just me or it looks bigger..

 

[Sopp]

Release date: August 2014
 
Price: 74000 (Japanese Yen) + Tax
 
http://www.fostex.jp/news/444

 

[Currawong]

I have a pre-production sample with me now. I'll post impressions once I get back home. They are still doing a bit finalisation with the cosmetics of the grills and logo.
 
In the time at the show I did have to audition them I felt they had something of a family resemblance to the TP50 with a light and airy presentation that was rather different to, say, the Oppo PM-1.  Rather like the HD-800s, they have the right presentation to make binaural recordings really stunning -- I had quite a bit of fun surprising the Fostex guys with the C.C. Colleti binaural tracks using my AK240.
 
At 89dB they are insensitive, so I was at maximum volume in the AK240, so they will require good amping to drive, ideally (and especially much above moderate volume, which I don't listen at).

 

[Currawong]

  TH500RP interview
 
The driver is shown at 3:33. Looks similar to the one used for T50RP.
 
http://youtu.be/uW1Rj-F3A1Y

 
Just FYI: The drivers are NOT the same, even if the basic shape and structure is similar across models. Last year we got to see the drivers up close and they were working on different trace patterns to see what sounded best. I remember the zigzag pattern they showed during the presentation.
 
I'll get some more details, pictures and whatnot soon and see if I can't give this pair a good amount of use. I also need to ask Fostex a few questions about the design.

 

[arnaud]

  I'll get some more details, pictures and whatnot soon and see if I can't give this pair a good amount of use. I also need to ask Fostex a few questions about the design.

 
Or you could not trust the following translation I made of the Fostex press event during last Fujiya-Avic festival . I am afraid I missed 80% of what was said but still fwiw: http://www.head-fi.org/t/718268/tokyo-2014-spring-fujiya-avic-headphone-festival-impressions/30#post_10543185

 

[sandalaudio]

   
Just FYI: The drivers are NOT the same, even if the basic shape and structure is similar across models. Last year we got to see the drivers up close and they were working on different trace patterns to see what sounded best. I remember the zigzag pattern they showed during the presentation.
 
I'll get some more details, pictures and whatnot soon and see if I can't give this pair a good amount of use. I also need to ask Fostex a few questions about the design.

 
I listened to the latest prototype at the Tokyo headphone festival, and it sounded a bit different to the previous prototype from last year. More spacious and better imaging.
 
Compared to the TH600 sitting beside it, the TH500RP was really airy and soft sounding. It didn't have any punchy edge to the bass and treble, so some people might be put off by that. (Then they should by the TH600 which is in the same price range). To me the TH500RP sounded similar to the AKG open headphones, especially K340 electrostatic hybrid.
 
One problem I noticed is that Fostex originally said the driver is not a new design but an "improvement" over the previous planar driver, and they will eventually make a totally new design at a higher price point (in the TH900 price range?). A lot of people mistakenly thought that the drivers are identical to the old models and Fostex simply made a fancy metal body for it, which is not true.

 

[Claritas]

There's very good ground to surmise that it's a re-tuned version of the same driver (which explains whatever slight visual differences there are).

I certainly hope it sounds like K340 as I own one and love it.

 

[vid]

  Compared to the TH600 sitting beside it, the TH500RP was really airy and soft sounding. It didn't have any punchy edge to the bass and treble, so some people might be put off by that. (Then they should by the TH600 which is in the same price range). To me the TH500RP sounded similar to the AKG open headphones, especially K340 electrostatic hybrid.

 
I remember the K 340 sounding kinda soft like you say; I'm under the impression that this was due to issues with the hybrid design. A measurement, http://cdn.head-fi.org/4/46/900x900px-LL-4658dd8b_K340L.txt.jpeg, shows what's going on - the electrostatic driver produces sound above ~4 kHz, the dynamic driver produces sound below that, and how the plot looks above 4 kHz is how it 'ought to' look below 4 kHz as well - certainly that's the case with other AKG headphones from the time.
 
Since the TH500RP have a sound reminiscent of the K 340, would be nice to see a CSD.

 

[takato14]

... really? still a square transducer fostex? what the ****.
 
I really expected this to be a modern T50v1 with neo magnets and a hyper-tense diaphragm (which would fix all of the T50's problems and bring it to world-class level) but it seems that era has passed
 
that's crushingly disappointing

 

[Currawong]

At the moment, if the TH500s have any issues, it is that I'm finding that the chassis/damping isn't ideal and the mid-bass can end up a bit thick and overwhelming. If I remove any damping, the mids sound right, but then you lose all the bass. They also have quite a deep-bass drop-off. 

 

[Claritas]

Interesting. Is it the finished product?