Fostex T50RP Headphone

Lifted from another thread, wanted to give it its own in case other listeners might be interested.

First impressions. I listened to these for about four hours yesterday out of the box. I found them very non-fatiguing re: their sound and comfort. I am very pleased with them.

I found the sound of bass guitars perfect for me and toms very good. I can hear the bass about just the way I want to, and for the most part, not 'feel' it, which works for me.

Shrill harmonica sounds, blaring brassy trumpets, and honking and squeaking saxes, wer getting me down. Through my speakers, on my headphones, in my earbuds, on my boombox, through any number of cd players or online streams. These headphones have helped remedy that.

Caddy For Daddy (McMaster), Blonde on Blonde SACD, Elvis (From Memphis), A.T.'s Delight (RVG), Interplay (XRCD, Yoshida), Burrell 5 Spot (Hoffman), a few more RVG Blue Notes, and some I may be forgetting, were what I listened to.

Will add more later, if anyone is interested. Would pay two times more, if not more, than what I paid for these, despite these headphones not being for eveyone. Would describe them as 'dry' and not particularly 'forward' or 'tall' in the 'center' but balanced, and left and right channels sounded full and very staisfying.

Below is some more info courtesy of Ham Sandwich.

 

I've got two of them. I like them, but admit I have not spent a lot of time with them. I found they are rugged, but require more power than we with in the field. The folks at Head-Fi recommend them as they are (I think) true ortho-dynamic designs, but there are lots of hacks about modifying them to make them sound best, ones I never seem to get around to. At least this will bump your thread.

 

I'd love to find a place where I could demo some...

 

It's a great headphones for the money. Mine is stock.

 

Had another enjoyable listening session of a couple hours - mostly jazz, with some Dylan too. I find the 'fit' has some give to it, which is good. Ears have gotten little warm a times but actually feels good, - not sweating (perhaps some things better left unsaid, . They feel a little heavier than I first noticed but not much. Just some further general impressions are that I would describe the sound of them as more 'modest' (in a good way, to my ears) as opposed to 'grandiose' - in other words nothing really sounds to me 'exaggerated' with them. I think maybe there is something of a 'less is more' kind of approach or function? that is part of their appeal - just a thought. But they do sound detailed to me, still. Wish I had more time to post more, but have no designs on returning these, I'll be keeping them.

 

A few more initial impressions so far for anyone else who might be interested (Blues Moods -XRCD, Yoshida- was a really sweet listen, Blue Mitchell's trumpet sounded bold and sweet). Anyway, much of the jazz piano I've heard through these headphones so far has a really strong presence to it. Though I mentioned hearing blaring trumpets, shrill harmonicas, and honking saxophones, as a problem in my listening recently, and that these headphones seemed more forgiving, than much or all of my previous listening speakers, still there have been a few cd's I had to put down emphatically because of that kind of sound.

 

Some local pro-audio music stores may have them, maybe even out for demo. The problem though is that they'll likely want near the MSRP of $199 while it can be found online for $75-$99. I consider it bad karma to audition at a local store when you intend to buy online if you like it.

I've been able to hear it by attending headphone meets. But even with its popularity in headphone circles it doesn't show up at many meets. And when it does show up it is usually modded.

All this love for the T50RP reminded me that I don't have one yet. So I just ordered one along with some of the materials for modding. The T50RP is one that I need to have in the collection.

 

Awesome that you found the T50RP to be so perfect for you. It's a difficult headphone to recommend blind because much of what it does well is so restrained. It's awesome because it doesn't offend rather than being impressive. And that makes it a harder sell to most people.

Orthodynamic headphones have some amazing sound characteristics. Typically have amazing midrange with midrange love. A very smooth transition all the way through the midrange from low midrange to upper midrange. No holes or spikes. Fast transients. Detail resolution. No ringing or ugly artifacts. Just excellent midrange. A good philosophy for headphone design is to get the midrange right then build the rest of the sound around that. Very few headphones manage to achieve that. Orthos tend to do get that part of headphone design right.

 

If you really want to hear the magic of these headphones you guys need to get in touch with LFF at head-fi or changstar.

I had a chance to listen to his mods and few others at a local head-fi meet.

The popular mod at head-fi is the Mad Dogs and I was excited to try these out. I came away impressed until I compared them to the Paradox by LFF.

The Mad Dogs were a major disappointment after comparing them to the Paradox. The Mad Dogs while good, are not as refined as the Paradox and upon further listening, I found them to have flabby bass and shouty mids.

The Paradox by contrast sounded closer to Stax SR-009's! Suchu, an experienced member there was seriously impressed with the Paradox as well. I was seriously impressed by them and wish I could have spent more time listening to them. Will definitely be getting a Paradox soon.

 

Will be interested in your thoughts about them. And also about modding them.

Yes, I think you specifically addressed it in your descriptions, in better sonic words - one quality I think I hear that it has to its benefit is a lack of extended decay or 'built-in' reverb or 'boom' which I like that it doesn't seem to have much of. As you said earlier too, there is no real 'headstage' to speak of (though extending directly out left and right there does seem to be 'some' that I've felt/heard, though more often than not overall it seems to me more self-contained.

Again, re: the bass (guitar) sound specifically, it is just right for me, and in fact, depending on the mastering, the recording, what's played and if it's 'deep bass' as well as the space or place in the mix it inhabits (let's say dead center) it is even more bass than for me that is ideal, but I am a little 'bass-sensitive' . I can understand why these would be modded for emphasis though too.

I see that HiFiGuy528 has many online headphone reviews, one of them being the Fostex too.

 

Nope. I've called around, searched, even contacted Fostex. Full Compass (which is local) sells them, but they don't have models for demo. Fostex had a list of dealers on their site, and last I checked all in MN-WI-IL either were no longer open or sold other Fostex products but not headphones.

 

Unfortunately the Mad Dog and Paradox mods aren't DIY. Those mods are secret and will cost several hundreds to have them done for you. That takes some of the fun away. And it would be very difficult to decide between either the Mad Dog or Paradox without being able to personally hear each and make my own decision about which better suits my preferences.

There's also the Thunderpants, which I have heard in several variations. They're on my wish list. I like the sound. Great sound from the bass through upper midrange. But the treble doesn't have the same smoothness and lushness as the midrange. So the treble sounds out of place and sort of staticy compared to the midrange. The treble doesn't integrate well with the mids. A minor quibble. And with most any other headphone the treble would be fine. But this isn't any other headphone. The quality of the midrange makes me expect more of the treble. I don't know if the Mad Dog or Paradox have similar challenges with the treble.

I'm not sure what I'm going to end up doing with my T50RP. I'll likely play with some mods. I also want to get familiar with its stock sound.

I already have a LCD-2 rev2 that already tickles my fancies and gives me magic sound. The T50RP isn't going to best the LCD-2. But the T50RP is closed and will be useful in situations where the LCD-2 isn't.

 

Right but the level of quality all three mods have is way above average. I used to own some Thunderpants but the bass just never seemed right to me. They were also a bit dark sounding. The wood cups were beautiful though.

The Mad Dogs sound like cheap LCD-2 knock off to me. The bass is off, the mids are shouty and the highs are a bit off as well. It's like a handicapped LCD-2 that's more uncomfortable to wear.

The Paradox are on another level. They are closed but sound completely open and provide a great seal. Even with meet noise, I could hear the music loud and clear. There was an SR-009 hooked up to a pricey system...probably close to $8,000 worth of gear and the Paradox sounded just as good. I definitely preferred it over the HE-6 and LCD-2/3. It's true quality is found in it's refinement and neutrality.

Having the MD's, the Paradox, LCD-2, HE-6 and the SR-009 all nearby really helps you A/B sound. The Paradox might be DIY but it is the best sounding closed headphone I have ever heard and even better than most high end open headphones.

I ordered a T50RP from B&H Photo to get Paradoxed. I just hope my pair sounds like the one at the meet and that LFF doesn't decide to keep my headphones as this is the first time I ever go out on a limb like this.

 

Interesting impressions. The Mad Dogs seem to get a lot of love over at Head-Fi, but perhaps a lot of owners have not been able to compare to the Paradoxes.

As for your comment about it being a cheap LCD-2 knock off, perhaps at a price of around $250 it is not a bad buy if it can even approximate decently the LCD-2, which sells for $995 new.

I had been interested in the Mad Dogs but was reluctant to buy without being able to demo first and, moreover, was more in the market for an open reference headphone. (I ended up with the AKG Q 701, which I may or may not keep.)

 

Yeah. The Mad Dogs do get a lot of love and that's why I was so interested in them. They are cheap and get rave reviews. Talking with a member there, he pointed out that the rave reviews mainly come from "newbies" but I thought that was a condescending comment. What do I know.

To me, they are a cheap LCD knock off but the LCD-2 is clearly better in ever aspect. Even comfort.

I didn't understand why the Paradox wasn't getting as much love but it seems only certain members owned them before LFF officially started selling them. They really are comparable to the SR-009 and his comfort strap really works. They are very, very comfortable and the sound I heard really left an impression on me.

Before ordering I researched a bit and this post (#12) made me go out on limb, especially considering what this guy owns!:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/577060/irvine-orange-county-meet-impressions#post_7843631

LFF has quoted me a 2-3 week build time...so I just have to be patient.

 

Enjoy your Paradox. I am sure it will be awesome!

 

I'm intrigued by this Paradox mod. Can someone spill the cost, and does that include the cost of the T50RP's? I don't want to waste LFF's time until I can find out if they're within my range or not. PM me if you'd rather.

 

Contact LFF on head-fi or changstar.

He is a super nice guy and fast responder. I think I asked him at least 30 questions and he answered them all with patience and in detail. He's very knowledgeable too!

 

I don't want anything with even slightly shouty mids. I already own a Grado SR325, LOL . The MD is probably not the sound I'm looking for in future purchases. The Paradox may be. I'll have to contact LFF and find out more.

You do need to be careful with headphone reviews and opinions by newbies. Especially if they don't fill in an equipment profile and music preferences. Otherwise you could end up getting opinions from a gamer testing the headphones from his super duper sound card while listening to the soundtrack from his favorite video game. I did not realize you could get soundtracks from video games. But apparently you can. Even soundtracks from movies are a bad way to judge headphone audio. Real music works best for auditions and evaluations, and make sure there is some acoustic music in there as well.

The HiFiMan orthos are also neat. But I haven't yet heard one that sounds good enough for me to buy. The HE-6 has too much treble, way too much even for just listening to just classical music. The HE-500 has good resolution in the midrange, but still has just a little too much treble peak apparent in cymbal hits and also with acoustic. The HE-400 tames the treble but does so at the expense of washing away too much resolution in the midrange and treble. I'll wait for HiFiMan to release some future models and hope they do better. The engineer at HiFiMan must be a treble head. If I had to buy a HiFiMan now it would be the HE-500. But I'd rather pay the $300 more to have the LCD-2.

The LCD-2 is nice but has its faults as well. Treble is too soft or shelved down. Sounds nice and pleasant for rock. But play classical and you realize that things like the high harmonics from a violin aren't "there" enough. The harmonics aren't gone. There is just no "there" there. The LCD-2 are a headphone that prefer you to play rock or electronic rather than classical. They're somewhat frustrating in that regard. Still wonderful sounding, even with classical. Just slightly less awesome with classical and acoustic than I would prefer. A really really good amp will help the LCD-2 treble and sense of "there". But even a top level amp and source doesn't totally overcome it. Somewhat frustrating. I should sell it all and buy a Stax SR-009.

I'm still eager to try the T50RP variations. I know it has lots of potential even though the ortho driver is small compared to the Audeze and HiFiMan offerings. And I could use a really good closed headphone.

I should have taken a flight to that LA meet. Would have answered all the questions that I'm wondering about now.

 

I may buy another pair and inquire about the mod Paradox, if it's that good, and that much of a value! Will do some more reading here and in the links provided. Curious to see where it goes for other listeners.

I have noticed that although the Fostex50's are able to be positioned about and can be fitted in more than just one strict location, and that their 'ears' seems pliable too, that the headphone itself seems so sturdy that there is not enough cushion underneath the band/head strap. It was starting to hurt the top of my head a little, but I couldn't take them off, because I was enjoying what I was hearing. I removed the separate head cushion from my Senn's and have now put that under the Fostex to reinforce and cushion the 'hardness' or weight or stiffness of the Fostex strap. This should help add more comfort. My ears just fit inside the stock pad cups and every once in awhile I adjust the fitting and sometimes take them off for a minute to let my ears breathe, . I'm happy with how they feel and fit, but the underside of the headstrap needs more cushion. I would add again that I can feel their weight, they seem well-made, they are not light, but their weight seems balanced, and when I do notice their weightiness, I mostly feel like it reminds me of how solid they seem.

Also, after three longer listening sessions, it seem the treble/highs are starting to reveal themselves more. I've listened to some of the same cd's in that process. Anyway, that's what ot sound like to me. Ham Sandwich, as you mention about the treble of your LCd-2's, not being 'there' for you, I had been having a bit of a qestion about that myself re: the 50RP's, but time will tell for me about that. Snce I've already put a few brighter discs away and after last night's listening, seems I'm hearing more out of the highs now.

 

I guess everything has its pros and cons. I know this is a little OT, but given what you say above and your can collection, what is your preferred all-rounder.

 

The LCD-2 is my preferred all-rounder by far. It has the style of sound I love. Full, lush and emotional and proper bass. The faults are minor. I've got audiophile disease so I have to notice the faults and have to want to improve them. The faults can be improved by using a better amp and better source. I'm keeping my ears open for a better amp. Just need to find one that doesn't shock the wallet.

 

Ham...LFF recommended an Objective 2 or CTH for a good headphone amp on a budget.

 

You're an ortho head now. Welcome to the club.
Once you get a taste of what planar drivers can do you'll not be able to go back to standard headphone drivers without hearing their faults.

Adding foam pads to the headband can help with the comfort. Another option popular with the DIY crowd is to add a leather or fabric strap under the headband. MrSpeakers (Mad Dog) sells one. Or you can DIY something.

There are also other more comfortable ear pads that will fit the T50RP.

Many options for tweaking it for comfort.

Headphone treble is tricky and full of trade-offs. In part due to the driver being so close to your ears. Too much treble and peaked treble will eventually tire the ears. Too little and the sound is too dark, and missing necessary high frequency info. More treble may sound good for short listening sessions, but will become annoying when you want to listen for long listening sessions. The balance is tricky and depends on more than just what shows up on a frequency graph. That last bit leads to a realization that you can't necessarily fix the treble with EQ. I've tried to EQ in more treble "there" in my LCD-2. It hasn't worked like I thought it might. I'll keep experimenting. I have't tried a linear phase EQ yet.

 

Those could work for the Fostex. Not so much for the LCD-2.

The Schiit Lyr is what I consider to be minimum acceptable amping for the LCD-2. If you get a LCD-2 and want to get by with less than the Lyr or equivalent you are going to be in for disappointment. And if you do have the Lyr you're going to realize that the LCD-2 will do better with better amping. And for the really good sound that the LCD-2 is capable of you will be looking at some expensive amps.