[Theogenes]

Quote:

You are correct

 
Some of my all-time favorite words there... 

 

[FlySweep]

Theogenes is correct.. all the Paradoxes Luis has released "into the wild" are tuned to the same 'neutral' standards.  He's mentioned there might be some extremely slight variances.. but those differences are unintended & occur 'naturally.'

 

[doublea71]

I've been admonished by some members (Lap Dogs?) for voicing my displeasure, but I don't think it's worth debating people who clearly feel it's okay so I've kept my responses to a minimum. I can't understand why people are so happy to pony up more money even though the website says thousands of tests and tweaks were already spent modding the T50RPs to become the Mad Dogs. Just about every company does this to some degree to generate more sales, but 3 different versions being available in about a 2 month window is ridiculous. Kudos to LFF for getting it right the first time.

 

[zowki]

Has anyone compared the Paradox to the Sennheiser HD800? I'm wondering if the HD800s would be a good upgrade for me since I love neutral headphones.

 

[remilio]

My second pair arrived ) Vader color scheme looks absolutely stunning! Reminds me of Fostex's own TH600, but I suppose Paradox is much better sonically 

 

 

[Theogenes]

Those look sharp, Remilio!! If you decided to post more pictures of 'em, I wouldn't hold it against you.  

 

[M-13]

This is probably the right thread to ask this.
 
I'm thinking about ordering a basic Paradox. No paint job, no cable job, just plain jane basic Paradox.
 
Had a few questions.
 
What exactly comes with the basic Paradox? Does it come with the comfort strap/mesh? Does it have the mesh covering for the headband? V-moda cable? Anything else? What earpads are being used now? Are the earpads the same as a Vadar/Fancier paradox?
 
And lastly. Is this the right site to order them?
 
http://referencesounds.com/paradox.html

 

[HideousPride]

Quote:

This is probably the right thread to ask this.
 
I'm thinking about ordering a basic Paradox. No paint job, no cable job, just plain jane basic Paradox.
 
Had a few questions.
 
What exactly comes with the basic Paradox? Does it come with the comfort strap/mesh? Yes. Does it have the mesh covering for the headband? No. V-moda cable? Yes. Anything else? What earpads are being used now? HM5. Are the earpads the same as a Vadar/Fancier paradox? Yes.
 
And lastly. Is this the right site to order them?
 
http://referencesounds.com/paradox.html
 
Yes.

 

[M-13]

Quote:

 

Thanks

 

[zowki]

When I ordered a basic Paradox it didn't come with the V-Moda cable. I had to buy it separately.

 

[M-13]

Quote:

When I ordered a basic Paradox it didn't come with the V-Moda cable. I had to buy it separately.

I C
 
What did it come with exactly? How was your experience with the whole process?

 

[zowki]

Quote:

I C
 
What did it come with exactly? How was your experience with the whole process?

I sent my own pair of stock T50RPs for modding. It took about one month to come back to me. I had to buy v-moda cable and brainwavz HM5 pads separately (I sent it to LFF's address).
 
It comes with the suspension headband.

 

[M-13]

Quote:

I sent my own pair of stock T50RPs for modding. It took about one month to come back to me. I had to buy v-moda cable and brainwavz HM5 pads separately (I sent it to LFF's address).
 
It comes with the suspension headband.

Thanks for the response. I'll be buying directly from LFF's website since I don't have a Fostex to send in, so not sure if it'll be the same experience for me. I do already have a v-moda cable so I got that covered. I returned the Mad Dogs because they sounded congested, and the recessed upper-mids bothered me. I also noticed a bit of harsh treble that comes and goes. It was hard ot put my finger on it but it sounded overdampened (if that makes any sense).
 
How do you like your paradox? A huge change from stock I imagine?

 

[zowki]

Quote:

How do you like your paradox? A huge change from stock I imagine?

My memory of the stock sound is very vague. I didn't listen to it for very long since the sole purpose of buying stock T50RPs is to get them modded into a Paradox. What I did remember is that it had a mid-centric sound with no peaks. However it lacked extension in the treble and bass.
 
I love my Paradox. I've owned them for 5 months so far (received them on December 2012). They are my favorite headphones of all time. LFF, if you're reading this I want to thank you for delivering me audiophile nirvana!
 
When I received the Paradox I initially thought they had too little bass and the mids sounded dry. However after about 2 weeks I stopped going back to my Fostex TH900s and listened to the Paradox exclusively. I just needed to get used to the neutral sound after only owning colored headphones in the past. 5 months later and the Paradox never fails to satisfy.
 
The sound is neutral from top to bottom with only a slight increase in the lower midrange which isn't unpleasant (makes vocals feel a bit closer). The midrange sounds incredibly detailed and realistic, very similar to the LCD2's mids. The bass extension is fantastic, it only starts to roll off after 30hz. Bass impact is good, the drivers can push air and deliver rumbling sub-bass when the recording calls for it. The treble is perfect. It extends effortlessly and has the perfect level of emphasis, very smooth with no peaks. The soundstage is the best I've heard out of any closed headphone. Not quite as good has most open headphones but still VERY good. There were many times where I had to check if the sound was coming out of my speakers, no joke. The Paradox sounds amazing with any kind of music I throw at it. It presents music the way it was meant to be heard without introducing any coloration or distortions (given that you use a transparent amp, I recommend the O2/ODAC). The Paradox is good for evaluating source equipment as they are transparent.
 
I've owned a few other TOTL headphones in the past (Fostex TH900 and LCD2) and the Paradox beats them both. TH900 had too much treble and the bass was bloated. LCD2 had far too little treble but was otherwise pretty good. The Paradox is also more durable and portable. I don't mind occasionally packing my Paradox headphones in my backpack and use them on the go. Same can't be said for the TH900 and LCD2. The sound isolation is ok. Not enough for trains and buses but ok for places with small amounts of background noise like a restaurant and park. Sound leakage is similar to something like the Audio-Technica M50s. It does leak a bit. If you're in a quiet room and listening at moderate volume levels, a person sitting next to you can hear what you're listening to fairly well.
 
I purchased a third party headband pad to improve comfort. It is a good alternative to the suspension headband if you don't want the headband shaking around when you are walking. You will need to stretch the headband pad significantly to fit it on the Paradox/T50RP. Don't worry about breaking the headband pad from stretching, it won't break.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00862522A
eBay link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Headband-Cushion-Comfort-pad-fit-GRADO-SR60-i-SR80-i-SR125-i-SR225-i-Headphones-/190702643884
 
Comfort is very good with the headband pad above or the suspension headband. Comfort is not as good as the Fostex TH900s and Denon D5000s but good enough for me to wear all day without complaints. Using the stock headband without padding or suspension headband causes discomfort after about an hour, too much pressure on the top of my head.
 
Feel free to criticize my review, I'm open to any feedback.
 
My Paradox portable rig (photo taken before I started using the headband pad):

 

[FlySweep]

Thanks for the impressions, zowki.. I've added it to the index.