[deafdoorknob]

The TH900 pads fit. Just like Hifiman, you take the mounting rings out of TH500RP pads and slot them in the TH900 pads. Unless, like me, you take the TH900 pads off the TH900 and then they already have the mounting pads inside. I found the headphones to sound more open and I could hear the cymbal crashes and the crunchy guitars much better but some of the bass was sacrificed. I did not listen for too long because I wanted the pads back on my TH900's and I ultimately preferred the sound of other pads.

Cheers.

thanks for the insight! btw, have you attempted or tempted to swap the cups of the th500/900?

in essence, a ZMF - style closed fostex planar

... and a semi open dynamic driver fostex as well if the cups are swappable!

I am a little tempted to try that when I get my th600 back from my friend *evil mad scientist laugh*

 

[Robert777]

thanks for the insight! btw, have you attempted or tempted to swap the cups of the th500/900?

in essence, a ZMF - style closed fostex planar

... and a semi open dynamic driver fostex as well if the cups are swappable!

I am a little tempted to try that when I get my th600 back from my friend *evil mad scientist laugh*

I think that is a great idea but I am so bad at anything DIY or creative. Swapping pads is a struggle sometimes. I have a habit of snapping Hifiman mounting rings. If I damaged my TH900's in any way I would cry.
 
Cheers.

 

[Mr.Tom]

  The TH900 pads fit. Just like Hifiman, you take the mounting rings out of TH500RP pads and slot them in the TH900 pads. Unless, like me, you take the TH900 pads off the TH900 and then they already have the mounting pads inside. I found the headphones to sound more open and I could hear the cymbal crashes and the crunchy guitars much better but some of the bass was sacrificed. I did not listen for too long because I wanted the pads back on my TH900's and I ultimately preferred the sound of other pads.
 
Cheers.

Guess I'll stick with stock for now, as I like the sound, but could use a little more room for my ears.

 

[Robert777]

  Guess I'll stick with stock for now, as I like the sound, but could use a little more room for my ears.

I have not tried them myself, but from what I have read, the old Denon pads are a little more comfortable and do not alter the sound.
 
Cheers.

 

[muchtooloud]

Well, leave it to Major Tom, the one in this thread to pique my appetite to go and buy these Fostex TH500RP's. I mean I have the MrSpeaker's Fostex mod in the form of the Alpha Dogs and they are my favourite headphones equivalent to my LCD2's.
 
The price even in Canadian Pesos was worth the try and was I rewarded.
 
As Major Tom has indicated these DO sound like Senn HD650's but without the grain - I like my 650's the ones with the newer driver.
 
I did notice some kind of veil initially and lack of airiness and thought - how can this be. So I plugged them into all my headphone amps and ran them on hi gain for a day AFTER doing this very simple little adjustment that worked for MY ears.
 
I took the ear pads off and then unhooked the retaining ring - it turns and clicks off. I noticed the ring of foam padding inside so I took that out to see what would happen to the sound. Put the pads back on, and listened to the same song as before.
 
The veil was gone and there was lots of air but no bass.
 
So I took those foam rings and if you look at them they have little semi circles cut out of them on the outer part of the ring north/south, east/west. Thought about this for a off a minute took a leap of faith - and cut those little semi-circles about twice their original size in the form of a perfect V using an exacto knife.
 
Put it all back the way it was - took me perhaps 15 minutes because I was careful.
 
Plugged them back into the amp - in this case the fire breathing ALO Audio MK3 B+ and went back to the same song - BINGO - BIG BINGO - Air and lots of it and NO loss of bass.
 
That was it and these now will stay as member of my small but growing collection.
 
So would like to thank all you guys and Major Tom in particular.
 
These sound way better than the 650's now and the AIR is there all kinds of it. 
 
I also couldn't help but notice that on any amp - say my Burson Soloist SL on Hi Gain - I could turn the volume way up and it just made these things sing. I have to say this was the best $329 I have ever spent and on headphones for sure. These headphones respond to power lots of it!
 
I am going to write a little review soon when we have another crappy day but not right now.
 
 Suffice it to say I cannot think of another headphone in this price range (say the $400 area) that can come close to these things. They are now my second favourite headphone.
 
I mean if your credit card can handle it you would be nuts not to do if you know you like the HD650 sound - now this is AFTER doing my little adjustment on the foam ring around the planar driver - prior to that just OK for the money now Fantastic!
 
That's my 2 cents worth. Your mileage may vary but I base everything around a benchmark - that being the Sennheiser 650.

 

[muchtooloud]

I agree with 'Major" Tom. Me, well I am ground control.......... what else.
 
I took the opportunity to buy these blind - no listening - just a few small reviews. They do sound like grainless HD650's which I love.
 
My favourite headphone remains the MrSpeakers Alpha Fog but that's just the pair I got and my ears and the part of the brain that processes sound. I also have tinitus in one ear thanks to a hack doctor in the islands. That makes me ultra sensitive to high frequencies that are not smooth. Simply limits headphone time.
 
They are as good as the 650's, maybe not quite as good as the LCD 2'to my ears - but they are way too heavy - (better with the new headband), better than the Grado PS500's (the originals) which were my first stab into ear things, and at the special price they beat the pants off the lot.
 
I was going to write a review but thought - well........ - first I did a little adjustment inside the headphones to the foam rings you see when take the pads off - I made them into a small V slightly bigger than they way they came - and BINGO - now I had ALL the air I was looking for and the treble that seemed a rad too subdued - again the set I got and my ears.
 
I then discovered that you can throw a massive amount of power at these things and they love it - the ALO Audio MK3 B+ is a beast, and so is the small Burson Soloist - but with the MK3 B well that changed the sound - but then it changes the sound for any headphone that can take the power - mid gain which drive more or less anything well and the bass 1/2 up.
 
Funny they don't get much louder with more power - they just sound even better.
 
For $329.00 it was a no-brainer and for $429 which I think they are now - still a steal - and they are light as a feather.
 
If anyone wants a review I can throw something up - but truth be told I was a math and physics major - an engineer by education, but not by trade - NOT English and I do not possess the vernacular to write a lovely review - I DO know what sounds great however and that's my stereo system - and it cost a bundle - so it ought to right? - well it happened in increments over some time - but I digress.
 
If you want a wonderfully light and lush sounding headphone that won't hurt you in the highest frequencies - treat yourself and buy these. It has a wonderful bottom end as well.
 
That's the BEST review I can possibly give these.
 
I also apologize for any typos but I am genetically programmed NOT to see my own typing errors - at least according to my lovely wife.

 

[shang222]

thanks for the tip and just a heads up...yes for $329 but then if you add the promo code of yellow15, they take another 15% off...thanks to another Head-fi member from one of the HIFIMAN threads that found the code...
 
and thanks to all on this thread for fleshing out all the aspects of this headphone... looking forward to them... but on a side note... any recommendations for both an affordable desk amp or portable amp/dac?
 
thanks

 

[muchtooloud]

Well I tried what I had on hand - the ALO Audio MK3+ made them sound stunning, but then so did the ALO National on High gain. They also sounded great with a Burson Soloist SL - who knew  and that is my favourite amp for the Sennheiser HD650's.
 
The JDS Labs C5 or the Cayin C5 with the Bass Boost ON and the gain in the higher position.
 
The higher the gain the better they sound.
 
All I got
 
Enjoy

 

[thefitz]

  thanks for the tip and just a heads up...yes for $329 but then if you add the promo code of yellow15, they take another 15% off...thanks to another Head-fi member from one of the HIFIMAN threads that found the code...
 
and thanks to all on this thread for fleshing out all the aspects of this headphone... looking forward to them... but on a side note... any recommendations for both an affordable desk amp or portable amp/dac?
 
thanks

My Schiit Asgard was a fantastic pairing for these cans, and they don't go for much used. I'm sure the Magni/Vali would also be good, but it was the Asgard that made me go from "I got ripped off" to "holy Schiit".

 

[zombywoof]

  thanks for the tip and just a heads up...yes for $329 but then if you add the promo code of yellow15, they take another 15% off...thanks to another Head-fi member from one of the HIFIMAN threads that found the code...
 
and thanks to all on this thread for fleshing out all the aspects of this headphone... looking forward to them... but on a side note... any recommendations for both an affordable desk amp or portable amp/dac?
 
thanks

I use the TH500RP with my JDS C5 occasionally with good results...bass boost switched on..not often as this amp is normally part of my portable rig and the TH500RP are not all that portable.  Normally, I use them straight out of my Onkyo CD player with good results.

 

[elecen010]

How would they sound compared to some Mad Dog Pros?

 

[thefitz]

These puppies need to be driven hard to get the best results. Sounded great through my old Asgard, and sound even better through my Lyr.

 

[Daze513]

I'm going to buy a pair today before the price goes up. It seems for some time these have slowly gone from "meh" to "nice" to "great", and I fear the prices will slowly go up in response. The will look good hanging next to my TH600. I think a nice pair.

 

[thefitz]

It's funny, when I first got them I was mortified. I thought I threw out my $329, and would have hung myself if I paid full pop! Then, I warmed up to them a bit and called them "nice", but I still wish I never made the purchase. Once I hit them with enough power, I got what it was all about. They're by no means the most technically accomplished set I own and I wouldn't dream of it being my only one, but they're very pleasant headphones. When you first put them on for a listening session they may be a little underwhelming, but after a few minutes you "get it".
 
I will say, however, these don't nail all genres. I was listening to some Mastodon and the sound flattered neither the headphones nor the band.

 

[Daze513]

It's funny, when I first got them I was mortified. I thought I threw out my $329, and would have hung myself if I paid full pop! Then, I warmed up to them a bit and called them "nice", but I still wish I never made the purchase. Once I hit them with enough power, I got what it was all about. They're by no means the most technically accomplished set I own and I wouldn't dream of it being my only one, but they're very pleasant headphones. When you first put them on for a listening session they may be a little underwhelming, but after a few minutes you "get it".

I will say, however, these don't nail all genres. I was listening to some Mastodon and the sound flattered neither the headphones nor the band.

My genres are mostly Non mainstream EDM (Eric Prydz & Friends), some hip hop, and alternative electronica. So my current TH600 are perfect for it. However I'd like a different take on these genres. So I think the TH500RP will do good for me. Also I have sporadic instrumental and acoustical tracks that may benefit from the open headphone sound.

I'd be powering from a Schiit Magni 2 Uber/ Modi 2 Uber. I think that will have plenty power on high gain.