[leeperry]

The bass in the T50RP...a turnoff????????? it's the thickest, tightest and deepest I've ever heard. Of course it took me the sa5k earpads and some drastic damping to make it what it is, but I've read someone calling the LCD-2 unlistenable when he was actually using a poor sounding AD797 based amp. This chip is a big meh on headphones.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

i really would like to see what type of damping you have leeperry.  I've been struggling to bring the bass up on mine.  I'm not a basshead, and I have a pretty good balance for my tastes, but I'm mainly just curious how to up the bass for a more fun sound.  

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Quote:

That's not what I meant...many ppl keep saying that there are some vintage orthos that sound better than the T50RP drivers. I don't see how that's possible, this one seems to be as state-of-the-art as can get. They basically appear to be Fostex's best shot.

Ah. Now I understand. Remember the First Rule of the Interaction of People and Audio Gear: Just because it's perfect (on paper, on the test bench, whatever) doesn't mean everyone will like it. For many people, the T50RP's weakness in the bass (even in the Thunderpants example I heard) is a complete turnoff. 

I agree..the TP that you received during the loaner program suffered from some serious bass issues. YOu really ought to try the latest iteration from SMeggy. I will ship mine to you once again after i am settles at my new place and get around to finishing the new set of TPs (the one you heard is right now touring India on a loaner )

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

 
Wualta going to take a pair of LCD-2s over with me for  err reference when i listen to the 1.7s.
 
Moving  to my new place on the 26th..going to take some measurements tomorrow when i go to finalize the lease.

 
I like how you're buying speakers before you even sign the lease, and before you buy anything else for the apartment.  Glad to see your priorities in the right place! 

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

i really would like to see what type of damping you have leeperry.  I've been struggling to bring the bass up on mine.  I'm not a basshead, and I have a pretty good balance for my tastes, but I'm mainly just curious how to up the bass for a more fun sound.  

Yeah I'd like to see that as well. 

 

[AnotherN00b]

Sorry for cross-posting on this (I started my own thread but only got one reply -- thanks RD). I'm looking for the "best" budget closed can I can get: I've got $100 for a set of phones and $100 for a dac/amp for listening to music all day at work (a variety of rock, jazz, soul, funk, folk, etc.; not much electronic, hip-hop, etc). After a lot of reading on head-fi and testing of various budget phones I finally decided on a set of Shure SRH440s that I am reasonably happy with. I am planning on getting a FiiO e7 or other budget dac/amp for xmas (suggestions?). 
 
BUT, the reason I'm posting here is that I keep seeing the Fostex T5RP pop up and I am absolutely intrigued by the idea that with a moderate amount of effort I can make this $75 set of headphones sound vastly superior to the 440s. Should I believe the hype? Would a set of T5RPs sound better (accurate, detailed, smooth, engaging) than the 440s with a measly e7?   
 
Sound quality is my primary concern but comfort and leakage are also considerations since I will be using these all day every day at work. I can probably add an e9 in a year but until then I am stuck with an e7 (or uDac-2, etc).
 
Please, head-fi, tell me to stick with the Shures for now or go for the T5RPs! I will be happy either way as long as I feel I have made the right decision. Thank you for indulging another noob!

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Quote:

 
Wualta going to take a pair of LCD-2s over with me for  err reference when i listen to the 1.7s.
 
Moving  to my new place on the 26th..going to take some measurements tomorrow when i go to finalize the lease.

 
I like how you're buying speakers before you even sign the lease, and before you buy anything else for the apartment.  Glad to see your priorities in the right place! 

For a single guy , audio, large screen TV, gaming console,. PC, motorcycles oh and girls..what else is there
Fairly uncomplicated the priorities  .Signed the lease an hour back btw   
 
WUalta..lol no way would i have caught that reference especially not this week...been stressed as hell
 

 

[NapalmK]

Quote:

For a single guy , audio, large screen TV, gaming console,. PC, motorcycles oh and girls..what else is there
Fairly uncomplicated the priorities

Yeah I know exactly where you're coming from. Those are my exact plans well when I get a place of my own and steady job in a couple of years. I'm going to celebrate by buying a $3000 or so speaker setup, a nice big screen, and a upgrade for my PC.
 
Oh and rhythmdevils, would you happen to have an extra pair of T20 pads I could buy off you? The ones that came with my T20 are pretty beat up.

 

[Rick]

Quote:

 

 
Ah-- because the driver in the T50RP isn't vintage. It arrived early in 2002. Which is long enough ago in Computer Years that they should be able to do it even better now.

That's not what I meant...many ppl keep saying that there are some vintage orthos that sound better than the T50RP drivers. I don't see how that's possible, this one seems to be as state-of-the-art as can get. They basically appear to be Fostex's best shot.

 
 
Back in the 80's, speaker (and headphone) manufacturers realized that they would get to a point where they would be unable to top their own products. This would evidently eventually lead them to bankruptcy. Fostex would never make something that is their "best shot" if they wanted to be able to sell more (newer model) speakers/headphones to consumers which already own their products. You sell the best of the best of the best to everyone in the world, and you're left with nobody in your market anymore that you can sell anything to. Plain and simple.
 

 

[Rick]

Quote:

Sorry for cross-posting on this (I started my own thread but only got one reply -- thanks RD). I'm looking for the "best" budget closed can I can get: I've got $100 for a set of phones and $100 for a dac/amp for listening to music all day at work (a variety of rock, jazz, soul, funk, folk, etc.; not much electronic, hip-hop, etc). After a lot of reading on head-fi and testing of various budget phones I finally decided on a set of Shure SRH440s that I am reasonably happy with. I am planning on getting a FiiO e7 or other budget dac/amp for xmas (suggestions?). 
 
BUT, the reason I'm posting here is that I keep seeing the Fostex T5RP pop up and I am absolutely intrigued by the idea that with a moderate amount of effort I can make this $75 set of headphones sound vastly superior to the 440s. Should I believe the hype? Would a set of T5RPs sound better (accurate, detailed, smooth, engaging) than the 440s with a measly e7?   
 
Sound quality is my primary concern but comfort and leakage are also considerations since I will be using these all day every day at work. I can probably add an e9 in a year but until then I am stuck with an e7 (or uDac-2, etc).
 
Please, head-fi, tell me to stick with the Shures for now or go for the T5RPs! I will be happy either way as long as I feel I have made the right decision. Thank you for indulging another noob!

Why not get a Zero DAC with that $100, get free samples of LT1364's to put in the pre-amp section, an audio-gd moon or earth discrete opamp for the DAC section, swap out major caps for Nichicon's or Blackgates, and then bypass all the major capacitors with Russian NOS PIO (paper in oil) caps, I've got like 100 of the "hard to find" PIO caps, could supply you with them for cost of shipping. Best quality sound bang for your buck you'll get out of $100 for a DAC/Preamp no doubt.
 
As far as headphones go, you say T5RP, I hope you mean T50RP, the T5's and T7's are budget cans that definitely don't hold up to the T50RP's by any means. And yes, believe the hype. Aside from T50RP, can also usually find Yamaha YH-100's, YH-1's, or YH-3's that I can personally vouch hold up to their same hype when dampened properly, and can be found for well under $100.
 
 
my two cents.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

 
Oh and rhythmdevils, would you happen to have an extra pair of T20 pads I could buy off you? The ones that came with my T20 are pretty beat up.

Sorry chap I wish I did.  They all seem to be working fine today (??) so I shipped them out to a couple people and it doesn't look like they'll be parted out.  But I also needed an extra set of T20 pads myself because I think they may sound better on the v1 than the stock v1 pads, which are thinner and in my initial testing may be what causes the upper midrange peak Wualta mentions in his ortho ratings.  I haven't messed with damping much yet on the v1 w/ v2 pads though. 

 

[NapalmK]

I'm glad they're all in working order now. I guess it's just the finicky phono jack they use? I had a connection problem with the T50s which caused all sorts of problems (noise and channel imbalance mainly). If you do happen across an extra set please keep me in mind.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Quote:

I'm glad they're all in working order now. I guess it's just the finicky phono jack they use? I had a connection problem with the T50s which caused all sorts of problems (noise and channel imbalance mainly). If you do happen across an extra set please keep me in mind.

 
Usually just blowing out and cleaning the jacks solves the connection issues with t50rp cable.
 

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I agree..the TP that you received during the loaner program suffered from some serious bass issues. You really ought to try the latest iteration from Smeggy. I will ship mine to you once again after i am settles at my new place...

I should rush to point out that they weren't horrible in the bass, nor did I expect the Smegmeister to work miracles from a small driver with a big (Stax O2) earpad volume. But they were missing the bottom end that a basic-modded YH-100 would happily supply.  If that problem is solved, the major obstacle to the T50RPs elevation to sainthood is out of the way, because you could tell The Smeggah was on the right track wrt the rest of the response curve. So I'd be honored to hear a latest-tech TP whenever it's convenient.
 
 

 
Quote:

BUT, the reason I'm posting here is that I keep seeing the Fostex T50RP pop up and I am absolutely intrigued by the idea that with a moderate amount of effort I can make this $75 set of headphones sound vastly superior to the 440s. Should I believe the hype? Would a set of T50RPs sound better (accurate, detailed, smooth, engaging) than the 440s with a measly e7?   Sound quality is my primary concern...

You guys know this e7 amp/DAC better than I. Is he asking too much of this thing? The review on anythingbutipod.com was pretty laudatory, but...
 
AN00b: Does being "engaged" require high sound pressure levels (SPL)? I can't help but think you should also audition the good-cheaps,  the ATH-FC700A being the one I'm most familiar with. I'd love to have you join the Ortho Fellowship, but the T50RP wouldn't be my first choice for footloose use.
 


Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
They all seem to be working fine today (??) 

Eh? The balky box of T20v2s? they're all working?

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
They all seem to be working fine today (??) 

Eh? The balky box of T20v2s? they're all working?

Yeah strange.  I probably just didn't test them thoroughly enough, though I did try swapping cables and jiggling, and I even did a Fostex dance.  One of them stopped working completely in one channel after my first round of damping.  When I tried that pair today after they were put back together stock and left alone, both channels worked.  So I guess at least that one is probably a simple connection issue.  Perhaps it takes the Fostex Lords a day or two to respond to the dance...