I got the shp9500s after watching this channel. Very good great value. But they've since been eclipsed by my he400i only $190 new on Amazon. I love this channel.
came back to this video 5 years later to re-appreciate the review that got me into audio, and headphones, and MUSIC once more; great recommendation, I still love my pair (even though my dekoni pads are practically falling apart now). Thanks Zeos
After watching a crapload of reviews for these and many similarly priced headphones, I decided to pick up some stock T50RP MK3(Bought the Shure replacement pads as instructed). Honestly, you pretty much sold these to me with this review alone, and my wallets mad....but my ears thank you! The fact that you can make these your own sound-wise with mods was also a huge factor for me and I can see why they're so popular. I haven't been this excited about being an audiophile in years and your reviews just speak to me in a way that others do not. I know this is an older review and you may never read this but thank you for putting so much time, effort, and heart into these reviews.
I did the same back then and I was furious when I heard them. Imo, this combo (t50rp mk3 + 1540 pads) is shit. Too much bass and the treble hurts my ears. How could Zeos not just recommend and hype these, but even enjoy listening to them? For those who fell for this scam and are disappointed: put 0.5-0.5 g cotton wool behind the drivers, it makes these kinda okay. Use a precise scale when weighing the cotton.
@@emiki6 To each there own I personally love the combo and I frankly do not have any issue with them hurting my ears unless I'd be blasting them at an unreasonable level. But again these things are fairly subjective since we don't all have the same ears or preferences which means we don't all enjoy the same audio profile. I think you need to perhaps learn how to convey your opinion in a more constructive mannor vs being bashful. On top of your comment not really doing anything for anyone you took the time to respond to my comment which was positive. So essentially you took time out of your life to simply insult me and Zeos. Think about that before you post your next "opinion which you seem to take as facts". It's fine if you don't like them but that doesn't mean that a thing you don't like is automatically =shit. Hope you have a great day and get over whatever has you so angry in life.
@@mathieulepage4910 I didn't mean to insult you, but Zeos gave a really bad advice here. I just wrote a comment with similar passion to counter it and raise awareness not to blindly trust Zeos, like I did. Yes, there is subjectivity, but there are objectively good headphones that most people can enjoy and there are ones that can't be generally recommended, because of their issues. I heard many stuff and this combo isn't good, it's not something that is safe to buy blindly. Most headphones that are popular in the audiophile community are generally recommendable, because those are objectively good and people aren't that different. You may like them and there is nothing wrong with that, but many people can't even stand the beyer treble peak that is much more tolerable than what this combo has. Recommending this, especially with Zeos' enthusiasm and praise is irresponsible.
@@emiki6 I can concede to some of what you say since someone who isn't aware of Zeos's generally overenthusiastic style of reviewing could be misled in a way( I caught on to this fairly quickly after watching many of his videos and many other reviewers videos concerning these heads phones).I do recall him mentioning there was lots of bass and that the treble could be too much for some(It may have been another video I watched since this is a few years ago). I would also have to say that I appreciate the tone of your response this was the type of conversation I hoped to have. In the end I hope you found some headphones you truly liked and enjoyed. As a passionate audiophile I only wish for positive experiences to others who are just as crazy about audio or even to new comers. If you did end up finding something you liked I am curious as to what it was if that's ok for me to ask? If not that's also ok and would like to wish you a great holiday season!
@@mathieulepage4910 Thank you! And happy holidays for you too btw! I had srh840, dt880 600 ohm, dt770 pro 80 ohm, hyperx cloud, this combo, He400i, He400s, Denon d7200. My favorite sounds, that I would recommend to anyone: SRH840, HD58x, (HD650), Audeze Mobius. I'm a student, so I'm kinda broke, now I have the dt770s and the srh840s, but I mostly use earbuds, because those are more comfortable and practical. Yincrow X6 is my favorite thing ever, it's super cheap, sounds surprisingly good and doesn't care what's the source. I have a Fengru diy tingo tc200 too, I like it more. VE Monk is kinda bad tho. I bought my t50rp + 1540 pads 5 years ago, was disappointed, spent a lot of time modding it (guided by the creator of the talos mod, he is Mad_economist on the headphones discord server). I ended up with a unique, sound (best imaging ever), but I sold it in the end. I borrowed it back recently from the guy I sold it to. This is why I wrote. Cotton wool truly helps and balances stuff out. With 0.5 g, it's still bassy and the highs aren't piercing anymore. The bass is still a bit too much, so I will try 1 g too. The mod that makes the imaging godly for gaming, sadly makes the sound kinda meh for music (and takes away most of the bass). For me the HE400i will always be a good memory. Those huge drivers are insane and have so much energy, the only downside that they are headspeakers for the world around you. 400i has a special place in my heart. My best experience was hearing Quad Era-1. The wisdom I gained was that when you are chasing for the best sound, you will never be satisfied. And the less you listen to music, the more you will enjoy it when you do. Also it's good to have at least 2 pairs of headphones so you can change it up if you get bored.
So, I received a pair of these about a week ago, was listening with the stock pads. I didn't find them particularly uncomfortable actually, maybe because I don't have a very wide/thick head. But, I managed to get my hands on a pair of the Shure 1540 pads for $40, albeit with a one week delay for restocking, shipping, etc, so I went for it, because why not. In that first week, I used these cans a LOT. And as advertised, they sound phenomenal; excellent, tight bass response with a high level of detail and clarity in midrange and treble, which I personally place a high value on. Needless to say, I was very impressed and happy with my purchase. Thanks, Z! Now, fast forward to today: received the 1540 pads. These are clearly high quality and VERY comfortable. However, after putting them on, I noticed right away that something wasn't right. With the new pads, a portion of the detail and clarity is lost, and the bass becomes a bit more bloated. I would generally say the sound is more muffled. DISCLAIMER: I would not call myself an audiophile, an amateur one at best, but the difference is very noticeable. I would attribute it to the foam/felt on the stock pads vs the 1540's. It is about twice as thick, with the Shure pads having a thin layer of actual foam. The stock pads have a thin, herringbone-eque stitched material, no foam. Just thought I'd share. Now trying to decide if the Shure pads are worth the extra comfort for what I would perceive as a decrease in sound quality.
+neogemmen UPDATE: bought the HM5 hybrid pads, since they were discussed here and highly recommended elsewhere. I would say they retain the out-of-the-box sound much better than the 1540 pads (sans toilet paper, for the record). Only problem is they are BITCH to get on, need a good stretch session beforehand, whereas the Shure pads are a breeze.
+neogemmen UPDATE 2: WOW, just took out a sewing kit, a thread cutter, and cut the foam covered filter out of the Shure 1540 pads. They sound like they do out of the box with the comfort of the 1540's, nothing between your ear and the drivers though, but worth it. If you're willing to mod $40 earpads, I would highly recommend this. Here's a pic: imgur.com/AIH6HEz
Doc Brown invented the Fostex T50rp Mkiii. Quote: "This sucker's electrical. But I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 jigga-watts of electricity I need." Re plutonium required to run the Mkiii: "[Doc,] did you rip that off?" "Of course. From a group of Libyan nationalists. They wanted me to build them a bomb, so I took their plutonium and, in turn, gave them a shoddy bomb casing full of Audio-Technica M50 parts!"
I just got my Fostex T50rp today and I immediately put the Shure 1540 Pads on them. After plugging them into my schiit stack and giving them a listen, I was blown away by the sound! They are absolutely incredible and one of my new favorite headphones!!! Thank you Z for the awesome review and recommendation!
OK, I'm about to get hammered I'm certain, but the shure1540s (alcantara) feel amazing and get you a hair more soundstage, true. but the stock pads sound the best in terms of sound coherence. this is absolutely a driver distance issue. the 1540s don't sound bad, but they do two things that I can hear: attenuate the low mids and mids a noticeable amount emphasize around the 5 khz range and make cymbals somewhat harsh. but drum attack is overbearing too I must say given this spike. the smack of the tom and snare skins really stands out as will a papery kick drum or clicky kick drum with plastic or wooden beaters. together it disjoints the music somewhat. you lose mid bass warmth and take on more treble overall. and because the treble is only accentuated at certain frequencies it tends to bury the sweet air of the highest highs. it still sounds good, just not as good as stock to my ears. I am somewhat treble sensitive however. with the stock pads, my ears took over an hour without issue before they started to pitch a fit being cramped in the pancakes as z calls them. but the sound is just so immersive and pleasant on them compared to the 1540s! so try stock before you drop 40 bucks on the upgrades.. I didn't find it nearly as uncomfortable as others have described.
I would love to hear you impressions of the T20RP which is open instead of semi open. I compared them and liked the T20RP alot more than the T50RP. Why? Bigger soundstage, more transparency and more bass. They have about the same bass as the Fidelio X2's and match the harman target response better than the T50RP. You don't have to buy the T20RP you can just remove the filterpaper behind the vents. It's a task of 5 minutes.
For everyone wondering about this headphone, I just bought it, based on this review, and I'll give you my two cents. Yes the pads are as bad as Z says they are. I now have ass cancer, and will be buying replacements swiftly. The cables are alright, maybe get a different one if you want a different length. They require some kind of amping, but you can power them with pretty much any amp. Like a fiio e10k will do the job, but they do require the gain quite high, which is strange. Sound. Excellent. Clean, like, so, so clean. But also balanced and detailed. Not totally neutral, slightly warm but ever, ever so slightly, just enough to hug your ears and make them feel happy. The bass is super. Like, bam. Boom. Dada doom, in your room. Vocals, strings and acoustics really shine overall, but they can make anything sound wonderful. For the price, I dont know how these can sound like this. I highly recommend them. Please do buy replacement pads! Thanks for doing this review and putting these in my life Z.
רועי טובי the better the amp, the better the headphone will sound, but in terms of listening volume, the E 10k will power them fine and produce a great sound. Hope that helps! l
cool :D do you think the clamp force is too much? i noticed z said some people may not like it, and i found the 600s clamp to be too tight - id love to get these but dont want to end up with another clampy set of cans. though i guess if they dont press against your jaw joint i wont mind the clamp - do these sit a bit higher than the 600s (which clamp against jaw joint)
Yep unfortunately i cannot agree with Z at all with the 1540 pads on the T50rp MK3. Bass becomes alot more muddy/bloated and the treble is grainy. I thought it may have been something to do with the thick felt in the middle so i decided to take the leap and cut them out. Result was a bit better with the treble being alot more like stock however the bass was still unbearably overbearing. The comfort is definitely there and i really don't find the stock pads all that comfortable however in the end Sound wins over comfortability and the stock sound with stock pads is just that good that i don't feel any mods are necessary. But yeah IMO i really don't recommend the investment (because that's what they are at this price) on the Shure 1540 pads. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE THE STOCK SOUND
I thought Zeos was over hyping these when they came out but I auditioned them today and his checklist rant is pretty spot on, you don't get to start beating this sound till you're buying flagship headphones.
Z, I bought these, they arrived today and they are the real deal. The bass is the standout feature for sure. Love the openness of them, was not expecting that at all. The highs are crystal clear and not fatiguing at all. The clamp is a bit strong but that's likely by design as the drivers seem to need to be really close to your ear for the full enjoyment. Can't wait to hear them with the Shure 1540 pads. Also tried gaming, Rainbow Six Seige, I'm hearing things I didn't hear with my HD600's. Absoluetly incredible for gaming. How can these sell at the price they do?
I have the same question. The entire TR series are the same price as the 50RPMKIII. They appear to use Dynamic drivers, though. Maybe a Poor Man's TH series?
Here's one helpful tip for those who use stock pads on the MK3s: -If the slight "sizzle" in the treble annoys you, try using Equalizer APO and set some peak filters on it to reduce the sizzle and "S" emphasis. These are my Peak Filter settings: -Center Frequency: 6,000Hz, Gain: 2.50db, Q Factor: 12.0 -Center Frequency: 10,000Hz, Gain: -5.00db, Q Factor: 11.0 Technical Note: I tried as best I could to match the frequency response from the MK3s between the 6KHz and 10KHz range to match the frequency response of the HD600 by using the graphs from InnerFidelity. Also, if you want to increase comfort on stock pads without changing sound signature, then stick tissues inside the outer rims of the pads, but only stick the tissue on ONE side (this makes the pads slightly angled) and leave the rest of the pad empty. By doing this, you will minimize the change in distance between your ear and the driver and slightly increase comfort.
I actually bought a pair of these and turned them into Open Alphas. I'm glad I did. Not that they sounded bad to begin with, but they fit my sound preferences more with the conversion. Bass isn't as loud, but the highs aren't as in your face either so it is a nice balance
Why is everybody talking about replacing pads like its a solution without compomise... it is not! Ive had these since they were released and have bought the most comfortable pads from mayflower electronics, and also the Shure 1540.... and the sound gets completly changed! The mayflower ones create to much base and the shure pads "spike" in the highs and it almost gets uncomfortable from the sound. The original ones are by FAR the best ones for these headphones, you just need to bend out the headphones so they dont sit so tight on your head.
You are one of the few people who have realized that the MK3s are designed to *defeat* modding. No doubt Fostex got a bit tired of losing sales of their higher-end headphones due to the successes folks had of modding their MK1 and Mk2 headphones. So they ensured that the optimal driver-ear distance was realized with the thinnest-possible pads. You *might* be able to improve the Mk3 w/ mods - but you won't do it solely through pad-rolling.
I added a ZMF Lambskin Pilotpad, (headband) and a set of Shure pads to my T50RP M3's ... and they are a blessing now, super comfort, super sound (no issues with the sound, the pads do squeeze very good, they BREATHE, so no more plasticy PU leather earsweat issues going on, the leather feels soft and well made),, I did adjust the clamping force a bit,, super duper happy now :-)
Well... I bought the T40RP as an impulse buy (my local store didn't have the T50RP). Liking it so far for the music I listen to. Any thoughts, peeps of TH-cam? My Samsung Note 5 Sorta-kinda power those... at max volume, maybe in a quiet room.
Does that apply to buying them from anywhere? It doesn't say anything on the rebate form. I want to buy them from Amazon but I know that it's sold by a third party, I wonder if that still qualifies for the rebate.
FYI, I believe the 940, 1440, and 1840 pads are the same. I tried some quick searches to figure out if some were memory foam and some not...it's a little unclear. 840 is the pleather version with possible memory foam, 440 is pleather and thinner.
I waited 1 month for my Shure 1540s to show up. Today is the day. Most comfortable ear pads i've ever worn. Loving it so far. Oh and I'm also using the Schiit stack to power them. I don't see any huge issues, but then again my ear isn't trained as well as this guys'.
I just got my T50RP MK3's. These are my first planar headphones and the sound is so forward and immediate. I absolutely love the stock sound of the T50RP MK3's. That is where the problem begins. The stock pads on these are absolutely terrible and hurt my ears after about 30 minutes of use. I got the Shure 1540 pads and put them on. The sound is completely destroyed by the Shure 1540 pads. I power them at 50 volume on my Sound Blaster X7 with stock pads. Normal headphones are about 25-30 on the Sound Blaster X7 for me. When I put the Shure 1540 pads on they lowered the sound so much I had to put them on 80 just to get to normal listening levels. I think that is why Zeos says they are so hard to power because he is using the Shure 1540 pads. With the stock ear pads even my Astro MixAmp can power these fine. Also, the bass is completely ruined and everything sound so muffled with the Shure pads. I really wish there was a better solution. Does anyone know of a better solution to the pads? Maybe I could cut out the cloth on the 1540 pads. Would it still sound pretty close to stock? I noticed that the Shure 1540 cloth between the ear and the driver is about twice as thick than the stock pads. Damn!
I have the Shure 840 on them. No complaints on the bass... I have them plugged into a laptop and drive them fine at 50% output... Can't recall how they sound compared to the stock though. I actually bought these headphones and pads before Zeos review... Don't regret getting these pads, but I am curious how the 1540 sounds... however from your experience it doesn't seem like its worth the extra $40!
With the stock pads the T50RP sounded a bit bright to me, others would say clear. With the 1540 pads the highs where not as bright. If you acustomed to hearing bright headphones, tamed highs will sounds less clear to you veiled to you. I think the bass might be a bit less also. I noticed held my hands along the edges of the 1540 pads the bass seemed to increase. I prefer the tamed highs of the 1540 pads. Audio is very subjective. Just tried the pleather angled HM5 pads and it seems to increase the highs and bass a bit. It's too bright for me but you might like it. Back to the 1540 pads for me.
Ah OK! Thank you for the info and your experience. I will try those other pads. But yeah I really like the way they sound stock, but man are they uncomfortable!
Had similar situation when I put angled pads on my T50rp MK III - sound became less detailed & volume went down, because of greater distance between my ear & driver. I put regular HM5 pads on, but I'll have to give those Shure pads a try now... Thanks Z
This was interesting to watch, as I am impatiently waiting on a custom balanced cable I ordered so i can listen to my Paradox Slants (a T50RP Mk2 Mod) for the first time. Since I'm into the T50RP drivers, I just figured i'd post some additional pad options. Lawton audio sells some angled pads that were recommended on head-fi (a headphone forum): www.lawtonaudio.com/fostexanglepads.html They are angled, and not too thick- but I don't know how stiff they are. Mayflower electronics, who have been selling mods of the MK2s for years now, sell the 3 pads they use on their mods: www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/headphones/mayflower-electronics-t50rp-repleacement-pads/ All 3 of these will keep your ears pretty close to the drivers and the v3s have the "memory foam" thing going on. this video (about the modded headphones they sell) gives a bit of a close look: th-cam.com/video/xYCiqn2YraY/w-d-xo.html Oh- they also sell the V-moda cable if you like 1 stop shopping :) And finally, ZMF Headphones, alongside the only commercial T50RP MK3 mod that I have encountered thus far, sells 3 pads as well: www.zmfheadphones.com/order-the-zmf/zmf-pads-pre-order-discount All 3 of these pads have "memory foam," 2 are quite thick, but the last one not so much (and the foam is softer). I imagine the 3rd one is very likely worth a shot. It's hard to say though- these pads are originally intended for ZMF's modded MK3s. Speaking of which, I would love to see videos in the future covering ZMF's Mk3 mods (he makes 3 different wood cup designs and a mod in the standard cups). Also Z, if you get the chance, listen to some Paradox or Paradox slants (enigmaticaudio.com)- I'd love your opinion (can't wait to listen to my slants- the first person who was going to make me a cable actually passed away :( Man, what is it about the T50RP drivers? I have auditioned almost the entire Audeze line, and the HD 800 600 and 650 out of a Sennheiser hdvd800 (the LCD2 and 3 also out of a Mcintosh D1000), the Oppo pm3 and 2 out of the Oppo HA-1, and the Alpha Dogs, the Entire Ultimate Ears Ciem line (with a universal tip though), and even the Abyss... (this was at a head-fi meet- I didn't recognize the gear)... and nothing made me as happy as a pair of homebrew-modded T50RP MK2s that a coworker let me audition. I presume it's the regulated phase technology (Fostex have a patent out on it) giving the drivers awesome phase accuracy- but what do I know. Hopefully all this is at least vaguely helpful to someone. All in the spirit of sharing information! Cheers All :)
Yesterday I finally received the Shure 1540 pads. They are a lot firmer than I thought. It was very easy to swap the pads. Stores were I live don't sell the V-moda cable. I bought a Hoco cable. It's short but it is a very nice cable. The 3.5 mm jack plug is the same shape as the Fostex cable.
Any info on how you replace the stock pads with another pair? (I picked up the 1540 pads but cannot find any reference material on how to replace the pads in general)
This is sooo funny... bought these 2015-12, uncomfortable, bought the Mayflower companys most comfortable pads (was the worst experience Ive ever had dealing with that company!! DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!) and the sound was complete shit! So I really wonder if the sound would be as good with the pads you are recommending? What I did was to bend out the headphones and they are not as tight now and are much more comfortable! But I might buy the pads though!
We have probably the same taste for sound, I gave up on buying m6 i bought schitt stack 2 instead, then I gave up on t20rp and bought t50rp mk3 which I loooove now, and love my hd600 and hd650 aswell, also have x2 as a fun cans, and guess what, 1540 pads are coming tomorrow... so now is the question, should I keep following your channel and put myslef to risk of spending more money on stuff I love but I dont need, or simply spend few more bucks and buy few sheeps, move somewhere in mountains and try living only spiritual life.... thanks man, keep the good work!
Hey ! I just wanted to thank you for this video ! I just get a 2nd hand pair of T50RP, get hybrids brainwaivz with toilet paper... And it's amazing. Perfect to complete my setup with the AKG 712PRO and Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless for travelling. I recommand the brainwaivz if you want a flat signature and still have some basses. I love them for rock and metal ! Have fun all !
I just got my pair of Mk III's in yesterday and I have to say that my Sennheiser HD598's have officially been dethroned as my go to headphones for music, movies and gaming. The clarity is just on another level compared to my 598's and my M50x's have been relegate to smartphone cans. I will say these are the first pair of headphone that actually convinced me that someone was actually playing in the same some I was in....yes they're that good. PS: Zeos was not exaggerating about how much power these need, my Fiio K5 amp is set to high gain with the dial set between 1-3 o'clock depending on the source. Anything lower won't be loud enough!
I don't get why the innerfidelity guy is saying m50 is better sounding than these,I heard them and is one of the worst signature I have heard,even the 2050 has much better sound.I know open vs closed is stupid but you know what I mean
same, the bass and treble were just way to forward and kinda dirty. I've never been a fan of AT phones, but the guy might been paid by them to say good things. Zeos on the other hand doesnt care cause he's the man
I know in one video he said he had the HD280 Pros when he was going out of highschool, and had them for 9 years so 30??? You would have to ask him, but either way his hearing is probably better than InnerFidelity
+Nik Hulstein I bet it was what Tyll was driving them with or something. He is a legend and his recent reviews show he still has an amazing ear. I love Zeos too of course but can't sit around while people talk smack about Tyll. He's probably the most respected reviewer in the hobby. ;)
Thank you very much for your reviews ! I didn't have the opportunity to hear the Shure 840 and Fostex T50RP headphones , I didn't know what to choose, so I decided on Fostex with Your help and thank you very much! Peace and good to You!
Have since reverted back to stock pads and simply inserted *rolled kitchen tissue paper to thicken pads without losing headphones' sublime musical characteristics and only use ultra thick ZMF lamb skin ear pads when watching films, gaming for that really low down punch with gunfire, explosions and other effects. Very much true there Z about T50RP Mk3 being sensitive to distance. V-Moda orange cables I bought are perfectly matched. On E09K, "ok" listenable volume is about 10-11 o'clock.
You can use this adapter and ANY cable with it: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016P36I5G Just tried it on my MK3s and hooked up a V-Moda Boom Pro. Worked great.
+Andy Pastuszak not needed cus it has a 3.5mm female jack and those adapters are 3.5mm female too, so you can only use 3.5mm cables with that adapter, and you can plug in any 3.5mm cable into the mk3s, they just wont lock unless it fits the proprietary lock
Thanks for the tip! I have to vooda boom pro mic as well and plugged it in my friends say I sound far away because of the awkward position it is stock but with this adapter everything is good now. Mic is right by my mouth now =]
I finally picked these up & Im kicking myself for not getting a pair sooner.....went with the same earpads and using my little dot hybrid amp, going to try with my Bottlehead Crack tube amp. These handle every genre you can throw at them. I think its a little hot on the treble at times and souds harsh, Find myself turning the volume down other then that pretty good. The video and comments here pretty much cover everything you need to know. I think this is probably the best bang for your buck headphone if it suits your needs. Obviously not the most ideal portable headphone requiring an amp and semi-open. For home use I find these perfect.
Just received my T50RP MkIII's yesterday, took the plunge on them due to the current $50 rebate :) I immediately fell in love with these budget Planars, and if anything I'm even more excited now to receive my Purplehearts!! If the rebate on the MkIII's is an enticement by Fostex to give a taste of the brand and drive sales of the higher models (TH-X00 included), then well played, Fostex! Well played. I took the advice of a Massdrop user and stuffed 1/2 cotton balls behind the stock pads. IMMEDIATE comfort improvement, with perhaps the slightest loss of the stock sizzle. I can live with this. I would have immediately put the 1540 pads on them, if they weren't sold out. I have the HM5 hybrids, but my fingers aren't dexterous enough to install them on the MkIII's :/ My particular pair also isn't too hard to drive, unlike what Zeos experienced. My pair starts giving satisfying sound at around 40-50% volume on Low gain on my Schiit stack, the same approximate volume twist as my K7XX or HD600's.
Auray sheep skins ( a couple of dollars more than HM5 ) are mid way between those OEM Fostex and HM5's and yes V-Moda do have an orange matching cable replacement.
How are Massdrops Fostex T-X0 compared to this? I dropped my T50RP MKIII from my table and they just splintered into thousand pieces, poor plastic... So I need a new pair, but stock or any modded version to recommend?
One guy reviewed them on head-fi (Yes, he says the T-X0 is better)The direct link to his comment is here: www.head-fi.org/f/threads/fostex-t-x0-massdrop-edition.852237/page-5#post-13547834 His full review is on page 4 of that same thread/forum. I must admit I also bought the T-X0 and can't wait for them this October :D
So I just picked these up and have spent about 15 minutes listening with the stock pads. My god, they hurt like hell! I cannot wait for the replacements to get in. Please tell me again how new pads makes this comfortable.
Just got mine. My pair are pretty comfy as is and aren't clampy at all. Funnily, they let sound in but not too much out. Sound is something like a closed back HD600. Can drive them just fine with an E12. Still awaiting 1840 pads.
I recently purchased the t50rd mk3 and 1540 pads, powered by the the schiit stack Uber. In my opinion, the 1540 pads are the more comfortable, but change the sound in a way that I don't like. I think since it doesn't clamp down on me a lot and the 1540 pads are thicker, they don't flatten much and keeps the driver a bit further than the stock pads. this makes the lows sound lower and the highs sound sibilant. Again, that's my opinion on a brand new t50rp and brand new 1540 pads.
I'm so glad I watched this in time! I know you lent your pair to Josh for a bit and bought these based on his reveiw alone. But I had the thick angled pads ordered on amazon and just barely canceled them in time to swap for the shure mem foam pads. Thanks!!!!!!!! In your honest opinion, is the fiio amp good enough for these or would you suggest more? sorry, new to audio.
86400 seconds is a more precise measurement... but we would all rather use 1 day instead. There is a time and place for precision and it often makes things annoying. This is why scientific notation is so popular. Also, 3000mW is exactly the same as 3W. No precision compromise. just more neat. 2750mW = 2.750W e.c.t.
Received these earlier from Amazon. To anybody who's worried they won't be able to drive these, don't be. They're acceptably loud and well powered at around 60-70% on my fiio x1 player which I was relieved about. Obviously they'll perform better with amplification but they are definitely adequate with mp3 players that have a bit of power in them. smartphones may struggle slightly as I find their output to be a bit on the low side. I think these sound fantastic, everything just sounds....right!
Z Reviews it's strange, I'm sure I've read other people mentioning how inefficient they are, as well as in your vid. Could there be that much of a sensitivity difference from one pair to another? They definitely need cranking up a bit compared to all my other headphones but I can still get them loud and full-sounding. Oh and excellent reviews btw 😁
+Russell Thomas One of the first comments in this vid went over how the sensitivity of these small planars is variable and different by nature. So maybe.
Saying goodbye to my 7 year old pair of Sony MDR-V6 and getting a pair of the Fostex. May my blind faith in a channel I only recently discovered, featuring a real as fuck audiophile man doing reviews, not fail me.
+Jamaica SunTzu Why not both? $60-$80 for the SHP's on top of the Mk. III's isn't bad at all. You'd probably use the Mk. III's 90% of the time but the more the merrier.
The way I modded the Fostex T50rp Mk2... I found that the Shure 1540 Pads were the best for them, and if you used the thicker Alpha Dog pads it was to harsh... so I completely understand why the Shure 1540 pads are best for the Mk3 ones.
Grabbed the mk3 and decided to swap the pads for the Mr speaker lambskin alpha pads and omg they are now perfect. I was worried the spacing would be an issue but the pads make these phones perfect now. Was waiting on the shure pads but decided to take a chance on the alpha pads and glad I did.
I'm a happy owner of the slightly moded T50RP mk.1 and I won't switch, at least not when it comes to "closed" headphones. its good to know that fostex isn't just sitting there doing nothing and are blowing everyone away with their price/performance ratio, and I payed 200€ for my original unmodified ones. that's pretty good.
In Calgary, Alberta, the Alcantara pads are $109.98 plus $19.80 for shipping!!! The headphones themselves are $229.74 + $14.09 (shipping) + $23.87 (import fees). This works out to just under $400. Even without the $130 pads, $270 CDN feels like a lot. "Do I need headphones? I've got so many headphones... shit!"
I looked at these/mayflowers because I loved the MSR7s which are bright and precise, they were however painful for me on my ears. I love a replacable wire & boom pro is a great bonus. I'm using Sennheiser 380pros right now - comfy but the only other good thing about them is the isolation. Are there any alternatives that offer more isolation than these but maintain the sound signature where vocals sound great?
was expecting these to arrive tomorrow Monday, but somehow my go to computer and audio store delivered it on Sunday free of charge. I definitely need to check some new amps.
Listening to this review on a pair MkIII's. My pair is not hard to drive, but... they need ample power to get the full sound out of them. All devices (phone, iPod, computer) need to be at 100% to get them sounding full. I plan on getting a Schiit stack to run these properly and get the most from them. The wire input on the headphone can be a bit finicky and if you play with it a bit, the right headphone will drop out or cut to half volume. I think this may be the problem if people are having problems driving them. I tested these against a set of M50 MkI's and Brainwavz HM5's. These are much more fun than HM5's with a better balance of low/mid/high (HM5's cram everything in to the middle). The HM5's win for treble control and soundstage (MkIII is right on the verge of sibilant at high volumes), the M50's win for sub-bass (but lack control). The MkIII's are a much more controlled M50 without the murderous lack of soundstage and huge V shape. They love more and more power. The more you give, the more you get. They get more and more full with absolute control over the bass. All these headphones need is a bit more soundstage, a bit more extension in the sub-bass region and better pads. Then just turn up the volume!
I got the 1540 pads for the Mk3's, and they do a bit too much on the treble side for me, and lack a bit in the mids section. I was wondering why you called the T50RP Mk3's treble cans and didn't recommend them for treble-sensitive people, but now I do. The 1540 pads give a significant boost in treble, in my opinion. Not significant enough to make your ears bleed, but let's say that the stock pads sound a bit dull, and these sound a bit too shrill. Something in between would be perfect. They're ok if you crush them against your head, but they seem to retract from that position on their own in the end. Also, they don't make the headphones sibilant, which is important. Just thought I'd give my input if anyone is interested.
Thanks for the review Z. You basically confirmed what I wanted to do. Get the T50RP Mk 3s because they're cheap, and stick with a new cable and earpads. I know these respond amazingly to modding, but I'd rather enjoy them as they are and get better headphones later. I don't have the skills or patience to mod, and as many say these are already improved over the Mk 2s. By the time I get one of the custom models, I could be looking at HiFiMans or Audezes for only a little more.
So I bought a pair of T20RP MkIIIs, the "fully open" variant. Same driver, same enclosure, same headband, basically the same headphone except for some felt on the cup vents that's been replaced with mesh, and a missing headband hanger cover inside the cup. Got HM5 velour pads on it right now, gonna do some modding still to tune the sound to my liking, but I was surprised with how easy they were to drive. Hell, my phone can run them at a decent listening volume if I max it out, and it's not some ultra high-end flagship model either. I barely had to turn my amp up compared to my Hi2050s, too. I don't know, maybe I'm alright with lower listening levels. But still, they aren't nearly as hard to drive as I expected.
+sp33d4l0l Wow. I have the Takstar 2050s with hm5 pads. Though I am LOVING them, are the Fostex better? Do tell me please. You're the one guy that can. Please elaborate. Please Please Please. Pretty Please!
AT Khan Well the Fostex are way more expensive, so they'd damn well be better. And yes, they definitely are better, especially after modding them. I feel like the biggest difference is the amount of detail. There's just more of everything in the Fostex. The bass is more defined, mids feel less grainy and the highs are way less artificial than on the Takstar. Still, the Fostex plus modding cost like 4 times the price of the Takstar when I bought them, and it did take some time to get them tuned just right. Whether all that is worth it, is up to you to decide.
OK do you have any idea of the Panasonic RPHD10s? I'm leaning on these or those. Someone just said the bass, more so the freq on the Fostex below a 100 are just rolled off. Hmmm... is that guy right? He's just saying it's shit bass, and even though I have the M50x as well, which I've modded a bit to tame the highs, the bass is still a bit lacking. The Sennheiser HD8DJs I have are a bit too uncomfy. So It's the T50RP, or the Panasonic RPHD10, or the JVC HASZ1000, unless these Fostex are to be grabbed over all these latter ones. More help buddy.
Haven't heard the others, sorry. Can't comment on them. In stock form, yes, the bass on the Fostex below 100Hz slopes down a fair bit. Modding can level it out pretty nicely though, reducing the bump at 100Hz and bringing the lower frequencies up.
Mint HE 400i Asking Price: CAD $430.00 or Fostex T50rp MkIII $179.99 CAD I've owned the Hi-Fi Man HE 500, Sound and bass was amazing, love Planara Magnetic sound! Being disabled they were too heavy and bulky for daily use! What do you recommend betwen the two? Bass being significant in my taste in sound which one should I purchase? I have the FiiO E09K + E17 to power my future cans!
I got the Sennheiser 660s in hopes it would be better than my t50rp's but it really wasn't. Compared to t50rp's, the 660s sounded like there was a brick wall in the mids but the highs on 660s were significantly more detailed. I just couldn't get past that veil in the sound and t50rp's are still my favorite. Thanks for the recommendation zeos
I've watched almost all of your videos the past week trying to find a pair of headphones that aren't open back and good for traveling, do you recommend these?? They seem the most promising...your channel is great dude :)
these arrived today, didn't even bother with the stock pads, and after wrestling the share 1540 pads onto it I'm not sure ill ever bother to take them off. Rival the comfort of my most comfortable headphone the dt880pro.
Dear Sir Zeos. Ive owned these for almost a year now. Fostex is king indeed. Is there anything I can do to step up my game? Anything to actually upgrade to? I was looking at TH610s but this is europe so we get donkeyshit in this zoo. I almost bought the Audeze EL-8C but i wasnt entirely convinced. I want that Fostex but just amped. Am I alreasy forsaken, lost in planars?
This is my favorite video review. After 4 months I am still impressed by the Mark 3. And so is my uncle. I pair the Mark 3 with the Rupert Neve RNHP for homelistening.
+Z Reviews the 1540 pads will cost me an additional $22 to have them shipped to me. And the HM5 hybrids all seem to be sold out everywhere..... Any other ideas? EDIT: I think I have found a reasonable interim solution - I have rolled up some kleenex and placed it behind the stock pads to raise them a little and keep the drivers from touching my ears, essentially just making the stock pads a reasonable thickness. when I push them in closer to check the effect compared with the standard thickness I hear no real difference.
+Z Reviews I just got HM5 Hybrids - what is the toilet paper you speak of in the review? Is that to dampen the highs? Where do you put it and how many sheets/squares?
So these are your Favorite? Looking for the best overall. Best lows, mids, highs, and clarity all in one and I gotta a portable Dac for 1200 and a and portable amp for 500. So I should be able to drive, hopefully lol.
Great review!!! I just ordered a pair of the t20rp Mk3's. Also, i saw on reddit that you have a smsl m3 unit "for testing." Will there be a review soon? In the meantime, could you maybe say if it will power the t50rp mk3's?
Hey Z, I've recently been in the market for a headphone upgrade and I was just curious to see what your opinions are on this subject. I intend on getting a Schiit Asgard 2 paired with the current DAC I have in my audio interface for now, but between headphones I am caught on getting the HD 600's or the T50RP's... On your headphone list I am aware you placed the T50RP's in higher regard I just can't bring myself to believe that they are comparable if not better than the 600's. Money doesn't matter to me, whats your pick?
Zeos, I currently have Fostex TH-610. You always show off your Mad Dogs and you praise this T50RP. Which is better? 610s are fucking expensive and it is hard to belive that a pair of 150 dollars headphones would be so much better? But if you say so, I will sell my 610s and buy these, seriously. BTW, thank you so much for your reviews, you are amazing.
I bet my fully rebuilt NAD 7020 will power those puppies just fine. You should get a classic mid to late 70s receiver and test it out as a headphone amp. Gobs of power straight from the speaker taps for any high impedance can.
+michael carrigan I have to agree I have a 1978 Sansui G-8000 and a Sansui TA-300 and either of them have more than enough power for the Fostex, Ive had mine for a couple of weeks and i love them. Im currently running them on a bravo audio S1 amp.
Hey Z - Did you notice any improvements with burn-in for the MK3's? I have them and put the 1840 pads on them last night and.....the highs kinda hurt. I have the 1540's ordered on back order and am questioning if they will fix the problem in sound change from the originals. I have about 10 hours of burn in from music and a frequency sweep. But wonder if that is not enough for them...or burn in doesn't matter with this type of driver. ?? Also, what music/songs would you recommend for these to shine...I am still preferring my X2's from what I have been listening to.
Burn in shouldn't affect it much. You can try a small piece of foam or some toilet paper under the pad if it continues to bother you. X2's are a hard pair to beat.
Zeos, i went and buy these headphones, and love them, also bought the SHURE 1540 pads, and got a FiiO Q1 since I'm in a budget, and have no other amp/DAC. i love the sound of these headphones, but i don't know if im making a mistake, since i can't afford a better amp/dac, i was thinking, because for the price of these i can get the ATH-M40x and the Philips 9500s or just keep these? please let me know what you think, i obviously will buy these when i get more money though. i love them. thanks.
Heya Z, you might reconsider trying the (black) stock cable after all. It does have a slight plasticky feel........but it straightened its' own jankiness (from being folded) in about 2 days, mine is now straight as an arrow with zero effort from me. I actually like it, not having to mess with 1/4" adapters.
I've modded my T50RP mk2 extensively. The mk3 has the exact same driver with thicker dampening on the back of it, the measurements are not extremely different: www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011A.pdf www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RPMk3.pdf The only other main differences besides the headband is the dampening around the earside of the driver (which makes no audible difference in my measurements), and the different venting system - which imo is harder to control now with the mk3. You have to deal with the entire area around the headphone as opposed to one small hole that the mk2 has. Also, the way the new driver is set up (one square being open, cdn.innerfidelity.com/images/Fostex_T50RPMk3_photo_CompareDriveronBafflePlateRear.jpg) imo makes it harder to do the necessary mods evenly that make all the difference. You now have to compensate and address the hole being there, and because you don't have the material they used to dampen the driver with, you'll never be able to cover it evenly. With the mk2, the whole driver is dampened evenly from the get-go. It's slightly better than the mk2 stock, and imo is harder to mod - don't understand the sudden hype, but whatever floats your boat. I would rather mod an mk2 over it any day. Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. Speakers has just moved onto greener pastures, he has fricken electrostats he's working on, he doesn't have time for this low-level modding crap anymore. Has absolutely nothing to do with the mk3 "being sooooo good" stock. Anyway, I'm done -
+maulCS I have the mk2's as well, and I have the mk3's, and for whatever reason, it may defy science and analysis, but these mk3's sound a LOT better than even modded mk2's
I appreciate your reviews Z, they are very informative and fun to watch. I ordered MkIII with recommended ear pads, got FiiO K5 amp, listened, listened more, tried to like it but didn't happen. I returned MkIII, tried few other headphones at "Headphone bar" in Vancouver (great people by the way), tried Sennheiser HD 380 pro at Long and Mcquade and loved what I hear, also it was very comfortable to wear. I am new to listening Hi-fi audio, so I am no expert by any means but I highly recommend Sennheiser HD 380 pro if you are looking for a budget closed headphone.
Hey Z, I picked these up over my Astro A50's (yeah I know...). Swapped the pads with Brainwavz HM5 Hybrids and am happy with the result over my A50s. I'm currently running them at 3 o'clock on the SMSL 793ii and they don't go any louder beyond that which is surprising. At the max they do not hurt my ears and my settings on the computer are all at 100%. Is the amp not powerful enough for these headphones? I have the Micca Origen+ coming in next week to compare against the SMSL 793ii.
So I think your review and how you position these on your list have won me over. Do you think they are different enough from the HD 650's that it will give me something to switch between and enjoy? Love your reviews Z!
I am using these with the hybrid pads and the schiit vali 2 and yeah man, these are sweet. I like them a bit more, than the sennheiser hd600. Thank you for the great recommendation! Oh and I am using a Sylvania tube I got at the tube store. I also have a JJ gold pin and the stock tube from schiit too. I like the Sylvania one a bit more, but eh... details.. The JJ gold pin still sounds great too.
Zeos, Congratulations for your channel. I enjoy your style of reviewing. My comment comes late because I just bought the MK3. I followed your advise on the Shure pads, and although they rise comfort to the roof, I did´t like the sound. I also have a collection of pads and found that with the original Hifiman velour that came with the He500, comfort is just adequate, but sound is better than with the Shures. You should give them a try. By the way, I also found that the Hifiman He500 sound amazing with the Shure 1540 pads.
Hi Zeos. Loved that review!. PLS a question: I already have HD598, Fidelio X2 and Nad Viso HP50. Do you think its worth to have this MKIII as well? i mean. Will i experience a different thing on sound experience? . Thanks
Hi, I'm the hifiman guy aka z's secret agent! i have contacted shure and they said that the pads sold like hot cakes and they are manufacturing more and most stores should get more in stock by mid may :D
![Z Review - Fostex TH909 [Schizophrenia Embodied]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gs_FfMdhT8Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![Z Review - Fostex TH909 [Schizophrenia Embodied]](/img/tr.png)
"Efficiency, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NONE!" I just started watching this chanel but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it.
Having fun yet?
So much haha. I got MSR7's off of his recommendation and I really like them. Funny dude and good headphones. I can't complain.
Alex Iofe
2 years later and you are now $5000 in debt to audio equipment on Z's recommendations alone
I got the shp9500s after watching this channel. Very good great value. But they've since been eclipsed by my he400i only $190 new on Amazon. I love this channel.
@@rfan6382 me too
came back to this video 5 years later to re-appreciate the review that got me into audio, and headphones, and MUSIC once more; great recommendation, I still love my pair (even though my dekoni pads are practically falling apart now). Thanks Zeos
After watching a crapload of reviews for these and many similarly priced headphones, I decided to pick up some stock T50RP MK3(Bought the Shure replacement pads as instructed). Honestly, you pretty much sold these to me with this review alone, and my wallets mad....but my ears thank you! The fact that you can make these your own sound-wise with mods was also a huge factor for me and I can see why they're so popular. I haven't been this excited about being an audiophile in years and your reviews just speak to me in a way that others do not. I know this is an older review and you may never read this but thank you for putting so much time, effort, and heart into these reviews.
I did the same back then and I was furious when I heard them. Imo, this combo (t50rp mk3 + 1540 pads) is shit. Too much bass and the treble hurts my ears. How could Zeos not just recommend and hype these, but even enjoy listening to them?
For those who fell for this scam and are disappointed: put 0.5-0.5 g cotton wool behind the drivers, it makes these kinda okay. Use a precise scale when weighing the cotton.
@@emiki6 To each there own I personally love the combo and I frankly do not have any issue with them hurting my ears unless I'd be blasting them at an unreasonable level. But again these things are fairly subjective since we don't all have the same ears or preferences which means we don't all enjoy the same audio profile. I think you need to perhaps learn how to convey your opinion in a more constructive mannor vs being bashful. On top of your comment not really doing anything for anyone you took the time to respond to my comment which was positive. So essentially you took time out of your life to simply insult me and Zeos. Think about that before you post your next "opinion which you seem to take as facts". It's fine if you don't like them but that doesn't mean that a thing you don't like is automatically =shit. Hope you have a great day and get over whatever has you so angry in life.
@@mathieulepage4910 I didn't mean to insult you, but Zeos gave a really bad advice here. I just wrote a comment with similar passion to counter it and raise awareness not to blindly trust Zeos, like I did.
Yes, there is subjectivity, but there are objectively good headphones that most people can enjoy and there are ones that can't be generally recommended, because of their issues.
I heard many stuff and this combo isn't good, it's not something that is safe to buy blindly. Most headphones that are popular in the audiophile community are generally recommendable, because those are objectively good and people aren't that different.
You may like them and there is nothing wrong with that, but many people can't even stand the beyer treble peak that is much more tolerable than what this combo has. Recommending this, especially with Zeos' enthusiasm and praise is irresponsible.
@@emiki6 I can concede to some of what you say since someone who isn't aware of Zeos's generally overenthusiastic style of reviewing could be misled in a way( I caught on to this fairly quickly after watching many of his videos and many other reviewers videos concerning these heads phones).I do recall him mentioning there was lots of bass and that the treble could be too much for some(It may have been another video I watched since this is a few years ago). I would also have to say that I appreciate the tone of your response this was the type of conversation I hoped to have.
In the end I hope you found some headphones you truly liked and enjoyed. As a passionate audiophile I only wish for positive experiences to others who are just as crazy about audio or even to new comers. If you did end up finding something you liked I am curious as to what it was if that's ok for me to ask?
If not that's also ok and would like to wish you a great holiday season!
@@mathieulepage4910 Thank you! And happy holidays for you too btw!
I had srh840, dt880 600 ohm, dt770 pro 80 ohm, hyperx cloud, this combo, He400i, He400s, Denon d7200.
My favorite sounds, that I would recommend to anyone: SRH840, HD58x, (HD650), Audeze Mobius.
I'm a student, so I'm kinda broke, now I have the dt770s and the srh840s, but I mostly use earbuds, because those are more comfortable and practical. Yincrow X6 is my favorite thing ever, it's super cheap, sounds surprisingly good and doesn't care what's the source. I have a Fengru diy tingo tc200 too, I like it more. VE Monk is kinda bad tho.
I bought my t50rp + 1540 pads 5 years ago, was disappointed, spent a lot of time modding it (guided by the creator of the talos mod, he is Mad_economist on the headphones discord server). I ended up with a unique, sound (best imaging ever), but I sold it in the end. I borrowed it back recently from the guy I sold it to. This is why I wrote. Cotton wool truly helps and balances stuff out. With 0.5 g, it's still bassy and the highs aren't piercing anymore. The bass is still a bit too much, so I will try 1 g too.
The mod that makes the imaging godly for gaming, sadly makes the sound kinda meh for music (and takes away most of the bass).
For me the HE400i will always be a good memory. Those huge drivers are insane and have so much energy, the only downside that they are headspeakers for the world around you. 400i has a special place in my heart.
My best experience was hearing Quad Era-1.
The wisdom I gained was that when you are chasing for the best sound, you will never be satisfied. And the less you listen to music, the more you will enjoy it when you do. Also it's good to have at least 2 pairs of headphones so you can change it up if you get bored.
So, I received a pair of these about a week ago, was listening with the stock pads. I didn't find them particularly uncomfortable actually, maybe because I don't have a very wide/thick head. But, I managed to get my hands on a pair of the Shure 1540 pads for $40, albeit with a one week delay for restocking, shipping, etc, so I went for it, because why not.
In that first week, I used these cans a LOT. And as advertised, they sound phenomenal; excellent, tight bass response with a high level of detail and clarity in midrange and treble, which I personally place a high value on. Needless to say, I was very impressed and happy with my purchase. Thanks, Z!
Now, fast forward to today: received the 1540 pads. These are clearly high quality and VERY comfortable. However, after putting them on, I noticed right away that something wasn't right. With the new pads, a portion of the detail and clarity is lost, and the bass becomes a bit more bloated. I would generally say the sound is more muffled. DISCLAIMER: I would not call myself an audiophile, an amateur one at best, but the difference is very noticeable. I would attribute it to the foam/felt on the stock pads vs the 1540's. It is about twice as thick, with the Shure pads having a thin layer of actual foam. The stock pads have a thin, herringbone-eque stitched material, no foam.
Just thought I'd share. Now trying to decide if the Shure pads are worth the extra comfort for what I would perceive as a decrease in sound quality.
+neogemmen UPDATE: bought the HM5 hybrid pads, since they were discussed here and highly recommended elsewhere. I would say they retain the out-of-the-box sound much better than the 1540 pads (sans toilet paper, for the record). Only problem is they are BITCH to get on, need a good stretch session beforehand, whereas the Shure pads are a breeze.
+neogemmen UPDATE 2: WOW, just took out a sewing kit, a thread cutter, and cut the foam covered filter out of the Shure 1540 pads. They sound like they do out of the box with the comfort of the 1540's, nothing between your ear and the drivers though, but worth it. If you're willing to mod $40 earpads, I would highly recommend this. Here's a pic: imgur.com/AIH6HEz
How did you take off the stock pads?
neogemmen thanks for the shure-pad info
Hey man, You know about Bluedio Victory and UFO Plus and Audio-technica ATH_m50x? which is better on sound quality compared to Fostex t50rp mk3???
Doc Brown invented the Fostex T50rp Mkiii. Quote: "This sucker's electrical. But I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 jigga-watts of electricity I need." Re plutonium required to run the Mkiii: "[Doc,] did you rip that off?" "Of course. From a group of Libyan nationalists. They wanted me to build them a bomb, so I took their plutonium and, in turn, gave them a shoddy bomb casing full of Audio-Technica M50 parts!"
I just got my Fostex T50rp today and I immediately put the Shure 1540 Pads on them. After plugging them into my schiit stack and giving them a listen, I was blown away by the sound! They are absolutely incredible and one of my new favorite headphones!!! Thank you Z for the awesome review and recommendation!
OK, I'm about to get hammered I'm certain, but the shure1540s (alcantara) feel amazing and get you a hair more soundstage, true. but the stock pads sound the best in terms of sound coherence. this is absolutely a driver distance issue. the 1540s don't sound bad, but they do two things that I can hear:
attenuate the low mids and mids a noticeable amount
emphasize around the 5 khz range and make cymbals somewhat harsh. but drum attack is overbearing too I must say given this spike. the smack of the tom and snare skins really stands out as will a papery kick drum or clicky kick drum with plastic or wooden beaters.
together it disjoints the music somewhat. you lose mid bass warmth and take on more treble overall. and because the treble is only accentuated at certain frequencies it tends to bury the sweet air of the highest highs. it still sounds good, just not as good as stock to my ears. I am somewhat treble sensitive however.
with the stock pads, my ears took over an hour without issue before they started to pitch a fit being cramped in the pancakes as z calls them. but the sound is just so immersive and pleasant on them compared to the 1540s!
so try stock before you drop 40 bucks on the upgrades.. I didn't find it nearly as uncomfortable as others have described.
Ok, you just made me $131.26 poorer and I'm not even pissed. These are the best sounding headphones I own.
+Andy Pastuszak Sounds like you need pads and a wire still. SPEND ALL OF IT.
+Z Reviews working on it. The cable can wait a bit. The pads I will probably order today.
+Z Reviews Pads are out of stock on Amazon. 2-4 week wait. :-(
+Z Reviews 1-4 MONTH wait on the pads now.
@@AndyP126 if you are still alive and haven’t died in 4 years, may you answer?:
have you found anything better than this headphones?
I would love to hear you impressions of the T20RP which is open instead of semi open. I compared them and liked the T20RP alot more than the T50RP. Why? Bigger soundstage, more transparency and more bass. They have about the same bass as the Fidelio X2's and match the harman target response better than the T50RP. You don't have to buy the T20RP you can just remove the filterpaper behind the vents. It's a task of 5 minutes.
Damn Z, you're costing me money again.
+CapnTates Unsubscribe.. Think of the children!
Z Reviews I am! I need headphones so I can't hear them scream.
+CapnTates ....lol
***** I can't, not big enough.
And the instructions say not to put small animals in it because some idiot beat me to it.
For everyone wondering about this headphone, I just bought it, based on this review, and I'll give you my two cents.
Yes the pads are as bad as Z says they are. I now have ass cancer, and will be buying replacements swiftly.
The cables are alright, maybe get a different one if you want a different length.
They require some kind of amping, but you can power them with pretty much any amp. Like a fiio e10k will do the job, but they do require the gain quite high, which is strange.
Sound.
Excellent. Clean, like, so, so clean. But also balanced and detailed. Not totally neutral, slightly warm but ever, ever so slightly, just enough to hug your ears and make them feel happy.
The bass is super. Like, bam. Boom. Dada doom, in your room.
Vocals, strings and acoustics really shine overall, but they can make anything sound wonderful.
For the price, I dont know how these can sound like this. I highly recommend them. Please do buy replacement pads!
Thanks for doing this review and putting these in my life Z.
רועי טובי the better the amp, the better the headphone will sound, but in terms of listening volume, the E 10k will power them fine and produce a great sound. Hope that helps! l
+Adam Hughes so would you say these are V shaped like the x2 or neutral + warm like the 650hd?
+TheRoshan89 neatural, not warm, so clean, planar clean, nice
cool :D do you think the clamp force is too much? i noticed z said some people may not like it, and i found the 600s clamp to be too tight - id love to get these but dont want to end up with another clampy set of cans. though i guess if they dont press against your jaw joint i wont mind the clamp - do these sit a bit higher than the 600s (which clamp against jaw joint)
+Roy T yes it will power them
Yep unfortunately i cannot agree with Z at all with the 1540 pads on the T50rp MK3. Bass becomes alot more muddy/bloated and the treble is grainy.
I thought it may have been something to do with the thick felt in the middle so i decided to take the leap and cut them out. Result was a bit better with the treble being alot more like stock however the bass was still unbearably overbearing.
The comfort is definitely there and i really don't find the stock pads all that comfortable however in the end Sound wins over comfortability and the stock sound with stock pads is just that good that i don't feel any mods are necessary.
But yeah IMO i really don't recommend the investment (because that's what they are at this price) on the Shure 1540 pads. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE THE STOCK SOUND
I thought Zeos was over hyping these when they came out but I auditioned them today and his checklist rant is pretty spot on, you don't get to start beating this sound till you're buying flagship headphones.
Z, I bought these, they arrived today and they are the real deal. The bass is the standout feature for sure. Love the openness of them, was not expecting that at all. The highs are crystal clear and not fatiguing at all. The clamp is a bit strong but that's likely by design as the drivers seem to need to be really close to your ear for the full enjoyment. Can't wait to hear them with the Shure 1540 pads. Also tried gaming, Rainbow Six Seige, I'm hearing things I didn't hear with my HD600's. Absoluetly incredible for gaming. How can these sell at the price they do?
Are you gonna make a review for any of the brand new Fostex TR series cans ?
Awesome reviews btw, keep up the good job!
+TheDeeperdreamer He said hes going to make T20RP and T40RP reviews
+Natisk Not the RP series. I mean the TR70, TR80 & TR90 cans.
+TheDeeperdreamer there are tr90s?..
www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/New_TR-Series.shtml
I have the same question. The entire TR series are the same price as the 50RPMKIII. They appear to use Dynamic drivers, though. Maybe a Poor Man's TH series?
Here's one helpful tip for those who use stock pads on the MK3s:
-If the slight "sizzle" in the treble annoys you, try using Equalizer APO and set some peak filters on it to reduce the sizzle and "S" emphasis.
These are my Peak Filter settings:
-Center Frequency: 6,000Hz, Gain: 2.50db, Q Factor: 12.0
-Center Frequency: 10,000Hz, Gain: -5.00db, Q Factor: 11.0
Technical Note: I tried as best I could to match the frequency response from the MK3s between the 6KHz and 10KHz range to match the frequency response of the HD600 by using the graphs from InnerFidelity.
Also, if you want to increase comfort on stock pads without changing sound signature, then stick tissues inside the outer rims of the pads, but only stick the tissue on ONE side (this makes the pads slightly angled) and leave the rest of the pad empty. By doing this, you will minimize the change in distance between your ear and the driver and slightly increase comfort.
You haven't heard inefficient headphone till you've had the old 80's AKG K240m 600ohm. Good god they can't be driven by anything.
I actually bought a pair of these and turned them into Open Alphas. I'm glad I did. Not that they sounded bad to begin with, but they fit my sound preferences more with the conversion. Bass isn't as loud, but the highs aren't as in your face either so it is a nice balance
Why is everybody talking about replacing pads like its a solution without compomise... it is not! Ive had these since they were released and have bought the most comfortable pads from mayflower electronics, and also the Shure 1540.... and the sound gets completly changed! The mayflower ones create to much base and the shure pads "spike" in the highs and it almost gets uncomfortable from the sound. The original ones are by FAR the best ones for these headphones, you just need to bend out the headphones so they dont sit so tight on your head.
You are one of the few people who have realized that the MK3s are designed to *defeat* modding. No doubt Fostex got a bit tired of losing sales of their higher-end headphones due to the successes folks had of modding their MK1 and Mk2 headphones. So they ensured that the optimal driver-ear distance was realized with the thinnest-possible pads.
You *might* be able to improve the Mk3 w/ mods - but you won't do it solely through pad-rolling.
I added a ZMF Lambskin Pilotpad, (headband) and a set of Shure pads to my T50RP M3's ... and they are a blessing now, super comfort, super sound (no issues with the sound, the pads do squeeze very good, they BREATHE, so no more plasticy PU leather earsweat issues going on, the leather feels soft and well made),, I did adjust the clamping force a bit,, super duper happy now :-)
Dammn. Now I know what to get when next time I'm in the market to buy new headphones. Great and awesome review Z .
Well... I bought the T40RP as an impulse buy (my local store didn't have the T50RP). Liking it so far for the music I listen to. Any thoughts, peeps of TH-cam?
My Samsung Note 5 Sorta-kinda power those... at max volume, maybe in a quiet room.
Fostex is currently having a $50 rebate on all mk3s, expiring July 31st. Go get them NOW!
Does that apply to buying them from anywhere? It doesn't say anything on the rebate form. I want to buy them from Amazon but I know that it's sold by a third party, I wonder if that still qualifies for the rebate.
"participating retailers" I got mine at guitar center as they are a participating retailer :)
Oops. Forgot I left this dumb comment. I read the details already. Thanks man. I got mine too, from Amazon's authorized dealer. Can't wait!
FYI, I believe the 940, 1440, and 1840 pads are the same. I tried some quick searches to figure out if some were memory foam and some not...it's a little unclear. 840 is the pleather version with possible memory foam, 440 is pleather and thinner.
I'm sold. Been looking for my first good quality headphones. Now need to get a Dac to run it. Just subbed too.
gentlegiant6585 aune X1s
I waited 1 month for my Shure 1540s to show up. Today is the day. Most comfortable ear pads i've ever worn. Loving it so far.
Oh and I'm also using the Schiit stack to power them. I don't see any huge issues, but then again my ear isn't trained as well as this guys'.
I just got my T50RP MK3's. These are my first planar headphones and the sound is so forward and immediate. I absolutely love the stock sound of the T50RP MK3's. That is where the problem begins. The stock pads on these are absolutely terrible and hurt my ears after about 30 minutes of use. I got the Shure 1540 pads and put them on. The sound is completely destroyed by the Shure 1540 pads. I power them at 50 volume on my Sound Blaster X7 with stock pads. Normal headphones are about 25-30 on the Sound Blaster X7 for me. When I put the Shure 1540 pads on they lowered the sound so much I had to put them on 80 just to get to normal listening levels. I think that is why Zeos says they are so hard to power because he is using the Shure 1540 pads. With the stock ear pads even my Astro MixAmp can power these fine. Also, the bass is completely ruined and everything sound so muffled with the Shure pads. I really wish there was a better solution. Does anyone know of a better solution to the pads? Maybe I could cut out the cloth on the 1540 pads. Would it still sound pretty close to stock? I noticed that the Shure 1540 cloth between the ear and the driver is about twice as thick than the stock pads. Damn!
I have the Shure 840 on them. No complaints on the bass... I have them plugged into a laptop and drive them fine at 50% output... Can't recall how they sound compared to the stock though. I actually bought these headphones and pads before Zeos review... Don't regret getting these pads, but I am curious how the 1540 sounds... however from your experience it doesn't seem like its worth the extra $40!
OK thank you. I may try the Shur 840 pads to see how they work. Thanks.
With the stock pads the T50RP sounded a bit bright to me, others would say clear. With the 1540 pads the highs where not as bright. If you acustomed to hearing bright headphones, tamed highs will sounds less clear to you veiled to you. I think the bass might be a bit less also. I noticed held my hands along the edges of the 1540 pads the bass seemed to increase.
I prefer the tamed highs of the 1540 pads. Audio is very subjective.
Just tried the pleather angled HM5 pads and it seems to increase the highs and bass a bit. It's too bright for me but you might like it. Back to the 1540 pads for me.
Ah OK! Thank you for the info and your experience. I will try those other pads. But yeah I really like the way they sound stock, but man are they uncomfortable!
I recommend pads from t60rp, they give almost the same sound as stock pads.
Had similar situation when I put angled pads on my T50rp MK III - sound became less detailed & volume went down, because of greater distance between my ear & driver. I put regular HM5 pads on, but I'll have to give those Shure pads a try now... Thanks Z
This was interesting to watch, as I am impatiently waiting on a custom balanced cable I ordered so i can listen to my Paradox Slants (a T50RP Mk2 Mod) for the first time. Since I'm into the T50RP drivers, I just figured i'd post some additional pad options.
Lawton audio sells some angled pads that were recommended on head-fi (a headphone forum): www.lawtonaudio.com/fostexanglepads.html
They are angled, and not too thick- but I don't know how stiff they are.
Mayflower electronics, who have been selling mods of the MK2s for years now, sell the 3 pads they use on their mods:
www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/headphones/mayflower-electronics-t50rp-repleacement-pads/
All 3 of these will keep your ears pretty close to the drivers and the v3s have the "memory foam" thing going on.
this video (about the modded headphones they sell) gives a bit of a close look:
th-cam.com/video/xYCiqn2YraY/w-d-xo.html
Oh- they also sell the V-moda cable if you like 1 stop shopping :)
And finally, ZMF Headphones, alongside the only commercial T50RP MK3 mod that I have encountered thus far, sells 3 pads as well:
www.zmfheadphones.com/order-the-zmf/zmf-pads-pre-order-discount
All 3 of these pads have "memory foam," 2 are quite thick, but the last one not so much (and the foam is softer). I imagine the 3rd one is very likely worth a shot. It's hard to say though- these pads are originally intended for ZMF's modded MK3s.
Speaking of which, I would love to see videos in the future covering ZMF's Mk3 mods (he makes 3 different wood cup designs and a mod in the standard cups). Also Z, if you get the chance, listen to some Paradox or Paradox slants (enigmaticaudio.com)- I'd love your opinion (can't wait to listen to my slants- the first person who was going to make me a cable actually passed away :(
Man, what is it about the T50RP drivers? I have auditioned almost the entire Audeze line, and the HD 800 600 and 650 out of a Sennheiser hdvd800 (the LCD2 and 3 also out of a Mcintosh D1000), the Oppo pm3 and 2 out of the Oppo HA-1, and the Alpha Dogs, the Entire Ultimate Ears Ciem line (with a universal tip though), and even the Abyss... (this was at a head-fi meet- I didn't recognize the gear)... and nothing made me as happy as a pair of homebrew-modded T50RP MK2s that a coworker let me audition. I presume it's the regulated phase technology (Fostex have a patent out on it) giving the drivers awesome phase accuracy- but what do I know.
Hopefully all this is at least vaguely helpful to someone. All in the spirit of sharing information!
Cheers All :)
Yesterday I finally received the Shure 1540 pads. They are a lot firmer than I thought. It was very easy to swap the pads.
Stores were I live don't sell the V-moda cable. I bought a Hoco cable. It's short but it is a very nice cable. The 3.5 mm jack plug is the same shape as the Fostex cable.
Any info on how you replace the stock pads with another pair? (I picked up the 1540 pads but cannot find any reference material on how to replace the pads in general)
Give us some input bro. Because it seems the 1540, apart from costing a third of the headphones themselves, alter the sound quite a bit.
This is sooo funny... bought these 2015-12, uncomfortable, bought the Mayflower companys most comfortable pads (was the worst experience Ive ever had dealing with that company!! DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!) and the sound was complete shit! So I really wonder if the sound would be as good with the pads you are recommending? What I did was to bend out the headphones and they are not as tight now and are much more comfortable! But I might buy the pads though!
We have probably the same taste for sound, I gave up on buying m6 i bought schitt stack 2 instead, then I gave up on t20rp and bought t50rp mk3 which I loooove now, and love my hd600 and hd650 aswell, also have x2 as a fun cans, and guess what, 1540 pads are coming tomorrow... so now is the question, should I keep following your channel and put myslef to risk of spending more money on stuff I love but I dont need, or simply spend few more bucks and buy few sheeps, move somewhere in mountains and try living only spiritual life.... thanks man, keep the good work!
the Massdrop x Fostex T-X0?
Hey ! I just wanted to thank you for this video !
I just get a 2nd hand pair of T50RP, get hybrids brainwaivz with toilet paper... And it's amazing.
Perfect to complete my setup with the AKG 712PRO and Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless for travelling.
I recommand the brainwaivz if you want a flat signature and still have some basses. I love them for rock and metal !
Have fun all !
WITH TOILET PAPER ????
What is the cheapest *good* DAC/amp that can power these efficiently?
maybe the schiit Fulla 2 or FX-AUDIO DAC-X6
I just got my pair of Mk III's in yesterday and I have to say that my Sennheiser HD598's have officially been dethroned as my go to headphones for music, movies and gaming. The clarity is just on another level compared to my 598's and my M50x's have been relegate to smartphone cans. I will say these are the first pair of headphone that actually convinced me that someone was actually playing in the same some I was in....yes they're that good.
PS: Zeos was not exaggerating about how much power these need, my Fiio K5 amp is set to high gain with the dial set between 1-3 o'clock depending on the source. Anything lower won't be loud enough!
hows the soundstage? i have the hd 558 and an amp that can power them, now all i need is the money and a recommendation :P
I don't get why the innerfidelity guy is saying m50 is better sounding than these,I heard them and is one of the worst signature I have heard,even the 2050 has much better sound.I know open vs closed is stupid but you know what I mean
same, the bass and treble were just way to forward and kinda dirty. I've never been a fan of AT phones, but the guy might been paid by them to say good things. Zeos on the other hand doesnt care cause he's the man
Nik Hulstein i think the old dude is going deaf,innerfidelity guy obviously..how old is zeos btw,does he age?
I know in one video he said he had the HD280 Pros when he was going out of highschool, and had them for 9 years so 30??? You would have to ask him, but either way his hearing is probably better than InnerFidelity
Idiot.
+Nik Hulstein I bet it was what Tyll was driving them with or something. He is a legend and his recent reviews show he still has an amazing ear. I love Zeos too of course but can't sit around while people talk smack about Tyll. He's probably the most respected reviewer in the hobby. ;)
It's Christmas. Santa just brought me a pair. Using with an iphone XR with dragonfly red. Need more power. Sounds like a THX 888 is in my future.
If you don't buy them you get ass cancer you say, well now we now how total biscuit got ass cancer in the first place.
Thank you very much for your reviews ! I didn't have the opportunity to hear the Shure 840 and Fostex T50RP headphones , I didn't know what to choose, so I decided on Fostex with Your help and thank you very much! Peace and good to You!
so I remember you saying yours are harder to drive than others. Could a mica origen push this if it is a normal pair?
yesir
+Z Reviews I've been meaning to get a pair but I was worried about
+Z Reviews should I get the mark 3 or mark 2 or mark 1? Or t40rp mk2 or mk3?
+AppleClassicGamer from what I understand the mk3 is the best, and moded mk2's (mad dogs, argons, talos)
+thomas blair t40 or t50
Have since reverted back to stock pads and simply inserted *rolled kitchen tissue paper to thicken pads without losing headphones' sublime musical characteristics and only use ultra thick ZMF lamb skin ear pads when watching films, gaming for that really low down punch with gunfire, explosions and other effects. Very much true there Z about T50RP Mk3 being sensitive to distance. V-Moda orange cables I bought are perfectly matched. On E09K, "ok" listenable volume is about 10-11 o'clock.
You can use this adapter and ANY cable with it:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016P36I5G
Just tried it on my MK3s and hooked up a V-Moda Boom Pro. Worked great.
+Andy Pastuszak not needed cus it has a 3.5mm female jack and those adapters are 3.5mm female too, so you can only use 3.5mm cables with that adapter, and you can plug in any 3.5mm cable into the mk3s, they just wont lock unless it fits the proprietary lock
+TheRoshan89 True. But the BoomPro sat at a very odd angle before I got this adapter.
ah right on
Thanks for the tip! I have to vooda boom pro mic as well and plugged it in my friends say I sound far away because of the awkward position it is stock but with this adapter everything is good now. Mic is right by my mouth now =]
I finally picked these up & Im kicking myself for not getting a pair sooner.....went with the same earpads and using my little dot hybrid amp, going to try with my Bottlehead Crack tube amp. These handle every genre you can throw at them. I think its a little hot on the treble at times and souds harsh, Find myself turning the volume down other then that pretty good. The video and comments here pretty much cover everything you need to know. I think this is probably the best bang for your buck headphone if it suits your needs. Obviously not the most ideal portable headphone requiring an amp and semi-open. For home use I find these perfect.
another awesom z review :D though thanks to this video title my youtube recommendations on the right are filled with toy baby doll videos :/
+TheRoshan89 gotta love the youtube recommendation system^^
Hey have you tried these? Are they fatiguing at all?
Just received my T50RP MkIII's yesterday, took the plunge on them due to the current $50 rebate :) I immediately fell in love with these budget Planars, and if anything I'm even more excited now to receive my Purplehearts!!
If the rebate on the MkIII's is an enticement by Fostex to give a taste of the brand and drive sales of the higher models (TH-X00 included), then well played, Fostex! Well played.
I took the advice of a Massdrop user and stuffed 1/2 cotton balls behind the stock pads. IMMEDIATE comfort improvement, with perhaps the slightest loss of the stock sizzle. I can live with this.
I would have immediately put the 1540 pads on them, if they weren't sold out. I have the HM5 hybrids, but my fingers aren't dexterous enough to install them on the MkIII's :/
My particular pair also isn't too hard to drive, unlike what Zeos experienced. My pair starts giving satisfying sound at around 40-50% volume on Low gain on my Schiit stack, the same approximate volume twist as my K7XX or HD600's.
WE GOTTA TAKE THE POWER BACK
Yes we finally got to WAKE UP.
I run the same setting and you are right higher volume and smaller distance to ears improves the sound a lot.
i bought the mad dogs bec of your review and i love them. now you show me this im going to have to find some money now lol
+Nathan Scott Sell mad dog's and try to find used paradox then :)
Auray sheep skins ( a couple of dollars more than HM5 ) are mid way between those OEM Fostex and HM5's and yes V-Moda do have an orange matching cable replacement.
How are Massdrops Fostex T-X0 compared to this? I dropped my T50RP MKIII from my table and they just splintered into thousand pieces, poor plastic... So I need a new pair, but stock or any modded version to recommend?
One guy reviewed them on head-fi (Yes, he says the T-X0 is better)The direct link to his comment is here: www.head-fi.org/f/threads/fostex-t-x0-massdrop-edition.852237/page-5#post-13547834 His full review is on page 4 of that same thread/forum. I must admit I also bought the T-X0 and can't wait for them this October :D
So I just picked these up and have spent about 15 minutes listening with the stock pads. My god, they hurt like hell! I cannot wait for the replacements to get in. Please tell me again how new pads makes this comfortable.
makes me consider to sell my beloved dt770s to get these.. but I cant power them.. the choices
I like the 770s more than these because these have too much bass for me
@@squidwardstesticles5914 yea i kept my dt770 damn 4 years ago already
WOE nice. I’ve had mine about 2 years and they’re still my favourite headphones
Just got mine. My pair are pretty comfy as is and aren't clampy at all. Funnily, they let sound in but not too much out. Sound is something like a closed back HD600. Can drive them just fine with an E12. Still awaiting 1840 pads.
LOL @ 3:50. So damn funny made me dribble my coffee ;)
I recently purchased the t50rd mk3 and 1540 pads, powered by the the schiit stack Uber. In my opinion, the 1540 pads are the more comfortable, but change the sound in a way that I don't like. I think since it doesn't clamp down on me a lot and the 1540 pads are thicker, they don't flatten much and keeps the driver a bit further than the stock pads. this makes the lows sound lower and the highs sound sibilant. Again, that's my opinion on a brand new t50rp and brand new 1540 pads.
by "lows sound lower", I mean in volume and less impact.
Am I the only one that watches for the cat? Lol
I'm so glad I watched this in time! I know you lent your pair to Josh for a bit and bought these based on his reveiw alone. But I had the thick angled pads ordered on amazon and just barely canceled them in time to swap for the shure mem foam pads. Thanks!!!!!!!! In your honest opinion, is the fiio amp good enough for these or would you suggest more? sorry, new to audio.
these have a power limit of 3000mw!!! most are only 500mw no wonder there so hard to drive!!!
I'm sure at this point we should just use... 3w...
Naw 3000mw is a more precise mesurement and id rather use that. Thanks anyways.
lol
86400 seconds is a more precise measurement... but we would all rather use 1 day instead. There is a time and place for precision and it often makes things annoying. This is why scientific notation is so popular.
Also, 3000mW is exactly the same as 3W. No precision compromise. just more neat. 2750mW = 2.750W e.c.t.
Received these earlier from Amazon. To anybody who's worried they won't be able to drive these, don't be. They're acceptably loud and well powered at around 60-70% on my fiio x1 player which I was relieved about. Obviously they'll perform better with amplification but they are definitely adequate with mp3 players that have a bit of power in them. smartphones may struggle slightly as I find their output to be a bit on the low side.
I think these sound fantastic, everything just sounds....right!
+Russell Thomas Seems to be just my set. Which is just great.
Z Reviews it's strange, I'm sure I've read other people mentioning how inefficient they are, as well as in your vid. Could there be that much of a sensitivity difference from one pair to another?
They definitely need cranking up a bit compared to all my other headphones but I can still get them loud and full-sounding.
Oh and excellent reviews btw 😁
+Russell Thomas One of the first comments in this vid went over how the sensitivity of these small planars is variable and different by nature. So maybe.
+Z Reviews Yeah I did watch the vid a few times trying to weigh up in my head whether I needed these headphones or not. turns out I did. so thanks 👍
15:15 dat laugh :D
+Constantine Ivanoff haha it's the Ace Ventura laugh!
Saying goodbye to my 7 year old pair of Sony MDR-V6 and getting a pair of the Fostex. May my blind faith in a channel I only recently discovered, featuring a real as fuck audiophile man doing reviews, not fail me.
How did it go? lol
It went handsomely, and I'm very glad I upgraded. Blind faith did not let me down. Zeos is the fucking truth
shp 9500 or those?
+Jamaica SunTzu Why not both? $60-$80 for the SHP's on top of the Mk. III's isn't bad at all. You'd probably use the Mk. III's 90% of the time but the more the merrier.
The way I modded the Fostex T50rp Mk2... I found that the Shure 1540 Pads were the best for them, and if you used the thicker Alpha Dog pads it was to harsh... so I completely understand why the Shure 1540 pads are best for the Mk3 ones.
Grabbed the mk3 and decided to swap the pads for the Mr speaker lambskin alpha pads and omg they are now perfect. I was worried the spacing would be an issue but the pads make these phones perfect now. Was waiting on the shure pads but decided to take a chance on the alpha pads and glad I did.
I'm a happy owner of the slightly moded T50RP mk.1 and I won't switch, at least not when it comes to "closed" headphones. its good to know that fostex isn't just sitting there doing nothing and are blowing everyone away with their price/performance ratio, and I payed 200€ for my original unmodified ones. that's pretty good.
In Calgary, Alberta, the Alcantara pads are $109.98 plus $19.80 for shipping!!! The headphones themselves are $229.74 + $14.09 (shipping) + $23.87 (import fees). This works out to just under $400. Even without the $130 pads, $270 CDN feels like a lot. "Do I need headphones? I've got so many headphones... shit!"
+AngryRantingNerd Daaaamn. Canada's plan to keep out immigrants.
+Z Reviews So, Zeos, should I just get the hybrid HM5 pads and put toilet paper behind them? Is it still worth it?
+AngryRantingNerd These headphones in general are just worth it. Mods can come after the fact.
Maaaan, your jizzing all over these headphones is not helping my wallet.
I looked at these/mayflowers because I loved the MSR7s which are bright and precise, they were however painful for me on my ears. I love a replacable wire & boom pro is a great bonus. I'm using Sennheiser 380pros right now - comfy but the only other good thing about them is the isolation.
Are there any alternatives that offer more isolation than these but maintain the sound signature where vocals sound great?
was expecting these to arrive tomorrow Monday, but somehow my go to computer and audio store delivered it on Sunday free of charge.
I definitely need to check some new amps.
Listening to this review on a pair MkIII's. My pair is not hard to drive, but... they need ample power to get the full sound out of them. All devices (phone, iPod, computer) need to be at 100% to get them sounding full. I plan on getting a Schiit stack to run these properly and get the most from them. The wire input on the headphone can be a bit finicky and if you play with it a bit, the right headphone will drop out or cut to half volume. I think this may be the problem if people are having problems driving them.
I tested these against a set of M50 MkI's and Brainwavz HM5's. These are much more fun than HM5's with a better balance of low/mid/high (HM5's cram everything in to the middle). The HM5's win for treble control and soundstage (MkIII is right on the verge of sibilant at high volumes), the M50's win for sub-bass (but lack control). The MkIII's are a much more controlled M50 without the murderous lack of soundstage and huge V shape. They love more and more power. The more you give, the more you get. They get more and more full with absolute control over the bass. All these headphones need is a bit more soundstage, a bit more extension in the sub-bass region and better pads. Then just turn up the volume!
I got the 1540 pads for the Mk3's, and they do a bit too much on the treble side for me, and lack a bit in the mids section. I was wondering why you called the T50RP Mk3's treble cans and didn't recommend them for treble-sensitive people, but now I do. The 1540 pads give a significant boost in treble, in my opinion. Not significant enough to make your ears bleed, but let's say that the stock pads sound a bit dull, and these sound a bit too shrill. Something in between would be perfect. They're ok if you crush them against your head, but they seem to retract from that position on their own in the end. Also, they don't make the headphones sibilant, which is important. Just thought I'd give my input if anyone is interested.
Thanks for the review Z. You basically confirmed what I wanted to do. Get the T50RP Mk 3s because they're cheap, and stick with a new cable and earpads. I know these respond amazingly to modding, but I'd rather enjoy them as they are and get better headphones later. I don't have the skills or patience to mod, and as many say these are already improved over the Mk 2s. By the time I get one of the custom models, I could be looking at HiFiMans or Audezes for only a little more.
So I bought a pair of T20RP MkIIIs, the "fully open" variant. Same driver, same enclosure, same headband, basically the same headphone except for some felt on the cup vents that's been replaced with mesh, and a missing headband hanger cover inside the cup. Got HM5 velour pads on it right now, gonna do some modding still to tune the sound to my liking, but I was surprised with how easy they were to drive.
Hell, my phone can run them at a decent listening volume if I max it out, and it's not some ultra high-end flagship model either. I barely had to turn my amp up compared to my Hi2050s, too.
I don't know, maybe I'm alright with lower listening levels. But still, they aren't nearly as hard to drive as I expected.
+sp33d4l0l Wow. I have the Takstar 2050s with hm5 pads. Though I am LOVING them, are the Fostex better? Do tell me please. You're the one guy that can. Please elaborate. Please Please Please. Pretty Please!
AT Khan Well the Fostex are way more expensive, so they'd damn well be better. And yes, they definitely are better, especially after modding them.
I feel like the biggest difference is the amount of detail. There's just more of everything in the Fostex. The bass is more defined, mids feel less grainy and the highs are way less artificial than on the Takstar.
Still, the Fostex plus modding cost like 4 times the price of the Takstar when I bought them, and it did take some time to get them tuned just right. Whether all that is worth it, is up to you to decide.
OK do you have any idea of the Panasonic RPHD10s? I'm leaning on these or those. Someone just said the bass, more so the freq on the Fostex below a 100 are just rolled off. Hmmm... is that guy right? He's just saying it's shit bass, and even though I have the M50x as well, which I've modded a bit to tame the highs, the bass is still a bit lacking. The Sennheiser HD8DJs I have are a bit too uncomfy. So It's the T50RP, or the Panasonic RPHD10, or the JVC HASZ1000, unless these Fostex are to be grabbed over all these latter ones. More help buddy.
Haven't heard the others, sorry. Can't comment on them.
In stock form, yes, the bass on the Fostex below 100Hz slopes down a fair bit. Modding can level it out pretty nicely though, reducing the bump at 100Hz and bringing the lower frequencies up.
Mint HE 400i Asking Price: CAD $430.00 or Fostex T50rp MkIII $179.99 CAD
I've owned the Hi-Fi Man HE 500, Sound and bass was amazing, love Planara Magnetic sound! Being disabled they were too heavy and bulky for daily use!
What do you recommend betwen the two? Bass being significant in my taste in sound which one should I purchase? I have the FiiO E09K + E17 to power my future cans!
I got the Sennheiser 660s in hopes it would be better than my t50rp's but it really wasn't. Compared to t50rp's, the 660s sounded like there was a brick wall in the mids but the highs on 660s were significantly more detailed. I just couldn't get past that veil in the sound and t50rp's are still my favorite. Thanks for the recommendation zeos
i don't know if you meant it like that, but alcantara is no leather and does not have anything to do with leather.
I've watched almost all of your videos the past week trying to find a pair of headphones that aren't open back and good for traveling, do you recommend these?? They seem the most promising...your channel is great dude :)
Bit hard to power. How about the MSR7 or the B&O H6, even the ATH-M40x with comfy pads would work.
Z Reviews OK, but if I was traveling with them, what would I need to power them with besides a phone??
Z Reviews ..what amplifiers do you recommend?? Im truly desperate lol
these arrived today, didn't even bother with the stock pads, and after wrestling the share 1540 pads onto it I'm not sure ill ever bother to take them off. Rival the comfort of my most comfortable headphone the dt880pro.
Raphael Leite i just wanna put 1540 on everything i own 😂
Dear Sir Zeos. Ive owned these for almost a year now. Fostex is king indeed. Is there anything I can do to step up my game? Anything to actually upgrade to? I was looking at TH610s but this is europe so we get donkeyshit in this zoo. I almost bought the Audeze EL-8C but i wasnt entirely convinced. I want that Fostex but just amped. Am I alreasy forsaken, lost in planars?
This is my favorite video review. After 4 months I am still impressed by the Mark 3. And so is my uncle. I pair the Mark 3 with the Rupert Neve RNHP for homelistening.
So I put HM5 angled pleather pads on these things and I think they sound fine. In fact they're still frikkin amazing
+Jono Rose NO I won't allow it. They have to sound only OK with those pads!
+Z Reviews the 1540 pads will cost me an additional $22 to have them shipped to me. And the HM5 hybrids all seem to be sold out everywhere..... Any other ideas?
EDIT: I think I have found a reasonable interim solution - I have rolled up some kleenex and placed it behind the stock pads to raise them a little and keep the drivers from touching my ears, essentially just making the stock pads a reasonable thickness. when I push them in closer to check the effect compared with the standard thickness I hear no real difference.
+Z Reviews I just got HM5 Hybrids - what is the toilet paper you speak of in the review? Is that to dampen the highs? Where do you put it and how many sheets/squares?
So these are your Favorite? Looking for the best overall. Best lows, mids, highs, and clarity all in one and I gotta a portable Dac for 1200 and a and portable amp for 500. So I should be able to drive, hopefully lol.
Great review!!! I just ordered a pair of the t20rp Mk3's. Also, i saw on reddit that you have a smsl m3 unit "for testing." Will there be a review soon? In the meantime, could you maybe say if it will power the t50rp mk3's?
+Jared Hill I do and it can. I even mention it in the review.
+Z Reviews Thanks! can't believe I didn't notice that was the m3 earlier!
I am running a SMSL sanskrit 6th gen with a Bravo Audio S1 amp and the combo works really nice. The amp has more than enough power.
Hey Z,
I've recently been in the market for a headphone upgrade and I was just curious to see what your opinions are on this subject. I intend on getting a Schiit Asgard 2 paired with the current DAC I have in my audio interface for now, but between headphones I am caught on getting the HD 600's or the T50RP's...
On your headphone list I am aware you placed the T50RP's in higher regard I just can't bring myself to believe that they are comparable if not better than the 600's. Money doesn't matter to me, whats your pick?
I still love my 600's more it is just a matter of sounding impressive the Mk3's prevail.
Zeos, I currently have Fostex TH-610. You always show off your Mad Dogs and you praise this T50RP. Which is better? 610s are fucking expensive and it is hard to belive that a pair of 150 dollars headphones would be so much better? But if you say so, I will sell my 610s and buy these, seriously. BTW, thank you so much for your reviews, you are amazing.
I bet my fully rebuilt NAD 7020 will power those puppies just fine. You should get a classic mid to late 70s receiver and test it out as a headphone amp. Gobs of power straight from the speaker taps for any high impedance can.
+michael carrigan I have to agree I have a 1978 Sansui G-8000 and a Sansui TA-300 and either of them have more than enough power for the Fostex, Ive had mine for a couple of weeks and i love them. Im currently running them on a bravo audio S1 amp.
Hey Z - Did you notice any improvements with burn-in for the MK3's? I have them and put the 1840 pads on them last night and.....the highs kinda hurt. I have the 1540's ordered on back order and am questioning if they will fix the problem in sound change from the originals.
I have about 10 hours of burn in from music and a frequency sweep. But wonder if that is not enough for them...or burn in doesn't matter with this type of driver. ??
Also, what music/songs would you recommend for these to shine...I am still preferring my X2's from what I have been listening to.
Burn in shouldn't affect it much. You can try a small piece of foam or some toilet paper under the pad if it continues to bother you.
X2's are a hard pair to beat.
T50 mod:
-Shure alcantara pads
-Bose QC 35 felts (come with Bose replacement ear pads)
What the difference between mk2 and mk3 in sound? design only? You dont recomend to buy mk2?
Zeos, i went and buy these headphones, and love them, also bought the SHURE 1540 pads, and got a FiiO Q1 since I'm in a budget, and have no other amp/DAC.
i love the sound of these headphones, but i don't know if im making a mistake, since i can't afford a better amp/dac, i was thinking, because for the price of these i can get the ATH-M40x and the Philips 9500s or just keep these? please let me know what you think, i obviously will buy these when i get more money though. i love them. thanks.
Heya Z, you might reconsider trying the (black) stock cable after all. It does have a slight plasticky feel........but it straightened its' own jankiness (from being folded) in about 2 days, mine is now straight as an arrow with zero effort from me. I actually like it, not having to mess with 1/4" adapters.
I've modded my T50RP mk2 extensively. The mk3 has the exact same driver with thicker dampening on the back of it, the measurements are not extremely different: www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011A.pdf www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RPMk3.pdf
The only other main differences besides the headband is the dampening around the earside of the driver (which makes no audible difference in my measurements), and the different venting system - which imo is harder to control now with the mk3. You have to deal with the entire area around the headphone as opposed to one small hole that the mk2 has.
Also, the way the new driver is set up (one square being open, cdn.innerfidelity.com/images/Fostex_T50RPMk3_photo_CompareDriveronBafflePlateRear.jpg) imo makes it harder to do the necessary mods evenly that make all the difference. You now have to compensate and address the hole being there, and because you don't have the material they used to dampen the driver with, you'll never be able to cover it evenly. With the mk2, the whole driver is dampened evenly from the get-go.
It's slightly better than the mk2 stock, and imo is harder to mod - don't understand the sudden hype, but whatever floats your boat. I would rather mod an mk2 over it any day. Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. Speakers has just moved onto greener pastures, he has fricken electrostats he's working on, he doesn't have time for this low-level modding crap anymore. Has absolutely nothing to do with the mk3 "being sooooo good" stock. Anyway, I'm done -
+maulCS I have the mk2's as well, and I have the mk3's, and for whatever reason, it may defy science and analysis, but these mk3's sound a LOT better than even modded mk2's
I appreciate your reviews Z, they are very informative and fun to watch. I ordered MkIII with recommended ear pads, got FiiO K5 amp, listened, listened more, tried to like it but didn't happen. I returned MkIII, tried few other headphones at "Headphone bar" in Vancouver (great people by the way), tried Sennheiser HD 380 pro at Long and Mcquade and loved what I hear, also it was very comfortable to wear. I am new to listening Hi-fi audio, so I am no expert by any means but I highly recommend Sennheiser HD 380 pro if you are looking for a budget closed headphone.
+aslantertip he by any chance if you own dt770 please tell me how you think of them because i am thinking of buying them myself
Sorry Tom, I don't own one and I haven't had a chance to try them.
Hey Z, I picked these up over my Astro A50's (yeah I know...). Swapped the pads with Brainwavz HM5 Hybrids and am happy with the result over my A50s. I'm currently running them at 3 o'clock on the SMSL 793ii and they don't go any louder beyond that which is surprising. At the max they do not hurt my ears and my settings on the computer are all at 100%. Is the amp not powerful enough for these headphones? I have the Micca Origen+ coming in next week to compare against the SMSL 793ii.
+David Johnson 793 should be enough. The origen might also sit at 3 o'clock with them.
So I think your review and how you position these on your list have won me over. Do you think they are different enough from the HD 650's that it will give me something to switch between and enjoy? Love your reviews Z!
Sure. They have a different enough sound due to the planar nature of them.
Cool, think I'll give them a try :) You seeing Kizumonogatari part II? Can't wait!!
I am using these with the hybrid pads and the schiit vali 2 and yeah man, these are sweet. I like them a bit more, than the sennheiser hd600. Thank you for the great recommendation! Oh and I am using a Sylvania tube I got at the tube store. I also have a JJ gold pin and the stock tube from schiit too. I like the Sylvania one a bit more, but eh... details.. The JJ gold pin still sounds great too.
Zeos, Congratulations for your channel. I enjoy your style of reviewing.
My comment comes late because I just bought the MK3. I followed your advise on the Shure pads, and although they rise comfort to the roof, I did´t like the sound. I also have a collection of pads and found that with the original Hifiman velour that came with the He500, comfort is just adequate, but sound is better than with the Shures. You should give them a try. By the way, I also found that the Hifiman He500 sound amazing with the Shure 1540 pads.
Hi Zeos. Loved that review!. PLS a question: I already have HD598, Fidelio X2 and Nad Viso HP50. Do you think its worth to have this MKIII as well? i mean. Will i experience a different thing on sound experience? . Thanks
Hi, I'm the hifiman guy aka z's secret agent! i have contacted shure and they said that the pads sold like hot cakes and they are manufacturing more and most stores should get more in stock by mid may :D
+TheRoshan89 Tell them I want to be compensated by having a bathtub and enough 1540 pads to fill it delivered to my address.
+TheRoshan89 /me camps out on Amazon