[Roger Gu]

Has anyone compared this with TH-X00 EB? Trying to decide which one to go today, as TH-X00 EB drop will be closed.

 

[George Taylor]

I'm curious about the 610's (which I do own) in comparison to both the 900's, and anything from the ZMF line. I love the sound of the 610's as much as any other cans I own, and more than some. I find the amount of bass is perfect to my taste, and the mids/highs don't suffer for it's power. But like most of us in this hobby, I wonder what else is out there that I'm missing. And there are no stores anywhere near me that I could try any of these others out at.

 

[Roger Gu]

Is the matte finish sort of fragile? When checking out online review and ebay listing, I noticed many of them had chips on cups, so I am wondering. 

 

[Taylor Smith]

  Is the matte finish sort of fragile? When checking out online review and ebay listing, I noticed many of them had chips on cups, so I am wondering. 

If you take good care of them, it is not going to be problem. I keep mine stored in a pelican case at all times when not in use, and I never take them out of my listening area. If someone is prone to throwing headphones around on a desk or being less careful with their storage, then yes you could suffer from small imperfections over their life span. Even if they do take a beating, I believe they are still quite durable cups. These aren't meant for portable use.
 
The only listing I see on ebay right now ( that is of used ) does show three small dings in the wood. It looks as if they were small manufacturer defects or the buyer dropped them and returned them. 
 
The matte finish will not be as protective as the lacquer finish on other Fostex cups. But it is a minimal concern in my opinion. Having these for over a month, I have never felt they were specifically fragile. I'd be more worried about the TH-900's or TH-X00's lacquer scuffing over these.   

 

[criticalJenn]

  Is the matte finish sort of fragile? When checking out online review and ebay listing, I noticed many of them had chips on cups, so I am wondering. 

 
 
I haven't had any issues with mine, and I was a very early adopter.
Unless you actively bonk them into the edge of your desk with some noticeable force or similar, it'll be fine - you'd have a hard time to get anything done with your nails, for example.
 
These aren't designed for portable or other abuse-likely scenarios, though, since you will also very likely wear out the hinge that holds the cups in the first place (as was a weakness in the old Denon AH-D2000/5000/7000 lineup, although reinforced here), and much more quickly so than you will noticeably damage the cups.
 
So yeah, no scuffs, dents, scratches or similar on mine so far, through daily use and somewhat frequent modding from September to March.

 

[Roger Gu]

Thanks for both of your replies.
 
Anyone happened to compare it with TH900? Some reviews said it was close to TH900, but less v shaped, less high and more neutral, which may be a safer choice. TH900 is twice as expensive as TH610, but not sure if the sound is that much of difference, or I just pay for the fancy paint. 
 
I only have m9xx to pair with.

 

[George Taylor]

I do not have the 900's. That said, going simply from what I've read, the 900's must be quite a bit stronger in their highs. I say that because it's the one constant complaint I've seen anyone have with them. The 610's have quite a rich tone, but I'd say they emphasize the lows if anything. Now, this isn't to say the lows are overwhelming everything else, just that they are pretty strong. I love the way they sound, more than just about any of my other cans. Also I've had mine for a few months now and while I am fairly careful with all my equipment, I haven't scratched or dented the cups on the 610's.

 

[Roger Gu]

Thanks. I passed th-x00 because the bass seems too emphasized and it seems th610 is slightly less.

 

[bluex]

How would you compare TH610 with OPPO PM 3 ?
What about the soundstage / isolation ?
Thank you

 

[Taylor Smith]

  How would you compare TH610 with OPPO PM 3 ?
What about the soundstage / isolation ?
Thank you

The 610's are wider in soundstage than the PM-3's. To my ears, the PM-3's were very narrow focus with the treble reaching wider. The 610's also feel more balanced from left to right. Isolation is not as strong on the 610's compared to the PM-3's. One major plus to the Pm-3's is the fact they were built for portability, thus isolating very well. The 610's, like others in the TH series, are not fully closed. They do not leak a "huge amount" at moderate volumes, but not good for outside the house. 
 
Sound wise, the 610's are a more fun sound compared the PM-3's, with slight emphasis to the bass and treble frequencies. Mids are ever so slightly recessed. The Pm-3's are mid forward in my limited usage with excellent clarity and detail retrieval in this type of headphone. However, the PM-3's are very flat sound to me, like cardboard. They are not preferable to my taste which needs a little excitement and dynamics. The 610's fixed this for me being a lot more fun sounding, but not as over-exaggerated as TH-X00's of the TH-600's. 

 

[bluex]

I will use them at home, 100 % 
For music i have ASUS STX ll and for gaming, Creative Zx
Are those soundcards enough ( power ) for TH610 ?
I replaced the Sennheiser HD600 with OPPO PM 3, because of the leaked sound, my wife told me they are loud
But the OPPO PM 3 are too tight for me, i can't fix this issue.
I'd give a try with TH610, i have read good reviews about some other headphones, like  MrSpeakers AEON, Beyerdynamic t5p, Audeze EL 8, 

Denon AH-D7200
It's pretty hard to make a decision.
Thanks, Taylor
 
LE : i know, it's a stupid comparison, because they are different headphones types, but how would you compare Fidue Sirius A91 ( IEM ) with some other good closed back headphones ?

 

[brintamatic]

Amazon is running these at $499 right now...

 

[Roger Gu]

razordogaudio is also selling it at this price(msrp $599 - their site wide $100 off for everything beyond $399). The funny thing is they do NOT provide the $100 promotion for B stock and B stock is listed more than $500, so you will pay more to buy B stock than a brand new and B stock one is actually sold...
 
Back to the main topic - THANKS FOR EVERYONE'S HELP HERE!!! I just got mine yesterday from Amazon(1 day shipping). The out of box first impression was amazing!!! Beautiful wooden cup(I was choosing btw TH610 and TH900 as right now the TH900 is only $450 more at Adorama, but I am really not fun of the red color, although it is the selling point of TH900). The details(something that I never noticed by using my ATH E70 IEM can be heard now) and openness of the sound are also impressive. I do NOT feel the bass is boomy and V shape is not prominent as I thought. It sounds really neutral for me and that is what I like.
 
 
One question I have for folks here. There is one unboxing video for TH600 at youtube and the reviewed said the cable was attached to the phone, but mine has the cable detached, in a separate taped plastic bag. How are yours?
 
 
BTW, the SN is really low 700-ish, so it seems Fostex has not been able to sell them many, probably due to THX00. Many reviewers recommended THX00 over TH610 due to the price difference, but now it is only $100 difference and less actually(you do not need to pay shipping from both Amazon and razordogaudio, but from Massdrop).

 

[brintamatic]

I've read that the TH-610s may not have a flat sound signature. Is this true?

 

[Roger Gu]

  I've read that the TH-610s may not have a flat sound signature. Is this true?

The "objective" way to figure it out is to look at the frequency response chart - http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexTH610.pdf