Please post back when you get the 610, would like to hear your impressions compared to the TH-X00
Okey, so I finally got them and have had some time to listen. Excuse poor grammar and bad spelling, english is not my first language.
As for being refurbished I don’t know, they look brand new, had I not known that they been slightly used I’d been perfectly happy paying full price. At current rate I got them for around $460.
I had to return the TH-X00s but have been promised a re-loan once I’ve given these some time so my initial comparison will have to be from a fairly recent memory.
The TH-X00 and TH-610 do have a similar signature, the “family trait” is evident as so often stated regarding the entire line of Denon/Fostex’s that share design and driver.
They both have a firm, authoritative low-end that seems to give just about any kind of musical genre the solid foundation and body it deserves, something many other headphones either lack or doesn’t do as coherent as these.
In comparison the X00 has more perceived “slam” in the low end, the mid-bass (as discussed in other reviews/comparisons) are slightly elevated and will give you the impression that they have the most bass. In reality that might be true but the 610s extends better, deeper and as this is very noticeably it gives not only linearity but also a more effortless representation of bass-heavy music. I can’t say if this is the reason I find the 610s slightly more detailed in the low-end but fact is, the X00s have just a pinch of color while the 610s feels more accurate.
None of them will disappoint in this department unless you are after that extra heavy, encompassing thick or just flat-out overpowering bass.
The midrange might be slightly recessed but still has more than satisfying presence which perhaps could be attributed to the excellent level of detail they seem to deliver. At first I described the mid-range as lush but I realize this was something of an exaggeration, it is none the less very, very good. When I first spent some time with the X00s and had to go back to my Soundmagic HP150 I seriously thought they had broken; vocals sounded cold, dead and instruments lacked any kind of musicality. Of course, after a few hours my ears adjusted and I realized that even though the Fostex’s might not be the reigning kings of mid-range they certainly brings a delightful treat to the table.
Both phones fare very similar in this department, good clean detailed representation where the X00s seem to have more girth in the lower half and the 610s delivers more in the top end. Others have mentioned that the X00s bass bleeds in a bit and there are times I feel that male voices suffer from it. I wouldn’t call it an issue since most of the times this compliments baritone and tenor vocalists but be aware that bass vocals can fall behind in the mix.
The 610s on the other hand has none of those issues but does sound slightly thinner in comparison, their focus clearly lie in the opposite end and therefore brings out alto and soprano vocalist to a greater extent, with detail and elegance. If you could only listen to one of these it wouldn’t matter, both does mid-range se well that you won’t be disappointed.
Treble is where these siblings differ the most, to a polarizing point depending what you read into it.
Both has excellent detail and where the X00s trouble free and silky top-end defines its generally warmer theme, the 610s articulation and (dare I say) shimmer puts the final linear, studio nail in the proverbial coffin.
I was actually surprised to find them fairly different even though I knew that the 610s really are a tweaked 600 and not a retailed X00. Where some has described the X00s as sweet I tend to agree, the treble is smooth and very agreeable for most of the time but compared to the 610 they almost sound rolled off. This doesn’t mean that the 610s are sibilant or particularly strident, there is a sharpness that certain recordings can accentuate but it also lends a clarity that just isn’t there in the X00s.
For very treble-sensitive ears, the 610s will be a tougher pill to swallow. They extends really well in the this region but that also makes them go brighter with risk of fatigue for some.
I like this quality even though they are one the brighter side of my normal preference.
Side-note: Innerfidelity mentions treble-grain on the 610s, I can’t pick that up, most likely due to my chain (and ears) aren’t as refined as Tyll’s.
Both are extremely comfortable headphones, with my personal nod towards the 610s due to their ever so slightly better pads. It seems to me that the opening is just a tad larger and as a result I rarely have to adjust them when they’re on my head. The addition of an interchangeable cable is also a plus, I combined them with a shorter Sennheiser HD25-II cable and this works wonders when sitting with my portable gear.
Those are the major stand-outs, perhaps the “easiest” ones to go by memory. For soundstage, imaging and separation etc. I’ll need more time and a thorough A/B-test to make a proper comparison.
To conclude, the Fostex TH-610 is an exquisite pair of headphones. From top to bottom these deliver clarity, detail, heft and most of all pure musicality like few other “cans” I’ve had the pleasure to experience. Compared to the TH-X00 Mahogany they are different, but not by as much as I was afraid. These are still the same dish, just have slightly different seasoning.
Hope this comparison helps some in the same situation as mine since importing goods from Massdrop can be expensive and complicated for people living outside the U.S.
I'll happily try to answer any questions you have, time permitting.
