Fostex X Massdrop TH-X00

I wouldn't use this with any amp with a high impedance to begin with. I do agree there is some peakage / unrefinement in the 8khz region. For me most sibilance problems arise with hard 't' and sometimes the 's' sound. Probably a lesser peak around 10khz as well.

 

Build a usb charging port into the base. Use a bulky cheap non-potted transformer and some regulators (or heck, a resistor divider) running at max. This will provide weight for the stand, plus vibrations and heat.

I suppose one could use a tube which would provide a nice glow in addition to the heat, but for safety reasons we should probably keep glass out of the equation.

 

You're turning me on, stop that.

 

Stock tubes on the Val2. Definitely lean compared to Val1, or Crack+Speedball.

Yeah, I'm aware of the output impedance issues, though I figured the 3.5 ohm output would be fine considering others are having good luck with OTL amps (though I'm not sure what output impedance those amps have, hopefully not 120?).

Unfortunately, I do not have an amp that will pair well with these, unless I swap tubes on the Valhalla and find a totally different result. I'm not surprised by Ember's noise floor (happened with my D2000 as well). I seriously enjoyed the hell out of these on my iPad. Maybe my buddy's Vali would be a good fit, or maybe they'll ring for eternity.

 

As Marv said in the initial thread, these seem to sound best with uncolored gear. I wasn't too happy with how the X00's paired with my Little Dot 1+ myself. The NFB28 makes them sound great, however (as long as your recordings aren't too bright).

 

Only main complaint so far is that I get some hotspots on the top of my head from the lack of padding there. Pads are surprisingly alright.

I did a bit of back and forth between it and my Alpha Dog, and the lack of the cavernous characteristic I find in T50RP mods is pretty pleasant. Bass definitely took up more attention, but I could see why people find the treble to be pretty hot. Vocals were a bit recessed, but didn't have the nasal quality that the AD has. For live music especially, the X00 gives a nice satisfying impact with it's forward bass response. Really makes acoustic guitar and drums pop. AD beats it on soundstage by a bit, but it's not a night and day difference.

Going to experiment with my Alpha Pads, but I'm not sure how the increased distance from ear to driver will workout.

 

Well, I saw the Vali 2 and figured why not. I'll have a different amp to try after all.

 

And instead of a regular IEC power cord, use a Neutrik Powercon connector for some good twist lock action...

 

Just got them in.

First impressions: They are not as good as my HD 800. So incredibly disappointed. This just doesn't make any sense ;-)

 

I'm willing to take them off your hands for you. I'd hate for you to be disappointed

 

HD800 and THX00 are closer in sound quality to me than they are in ear comfort. HD800's cavernous cavities have me quite spoiled. After using the X00 for an hour or two then going back to the HD800, the amount of ear room leaves me thinking 'why would I own anything else besides the HD800.'

I'm still waiting for some feedback and measurements of different pads for the X00.

 

Super happy with these. They sound great and the pads are good for me; both in fit and feel. The protein leather stays cool- I can get warm pretty fast. Also be sure to check the outer box before throwing it out. There should be a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter in there:


I prefer the Grado's mini adaptor myself. But it's still a nice bonus.

 

Mine didn't fit into any 3.5mm jacks...

 

Yay!

 

In defiance of the system, I went straight from HD-650 to the TH-X00. Plucked guitars jumped out at me like they weren't even there in the 650. Probably the treble forwardness. Bass is boomy, not as open as the 650. Actually, I'll do a big comparison of my four cans tomorrow so people don't get annoyed with my crap.

 

I just got my pair in yesterday. I managed to make it in the first 300 orders so I am rocking #105. A big thanks to SBAF as I would have completely missed this sale had it not been for this site.

Pretty much my entire early head-fi career was dedicated to finding a competent closed headphone. Back in the old days, nearly all closed headphones came with MAJOR flaws in the sound signature. Until the release of the Denon DX000 series, your only chance at a decent closed headphone was to shell out cash for a leather wrapped w2002 or trade in your honda civic for a bass heavy Sony R10. I bought the Denon 5k when it came out and was immediately sold on them. Through all my gear cycling of the last 8 or so years, the Denon's were the sole survivor. Unfortunately, their run came to an end about 3 months ago when we fired our UI/UX guy in a rather spectacular manner while he was borrowing my Denon's. I haven't heard from either of them since...

Now I have been eyeing Fostex ever since they went solo. However, being of the old school, when headphones were the cheaper(re. saner) route to high fidelity audio, the thought of dropping $2k on more or less a re-voiced Denon with a really extravagant wood finish was out of the question.

As you can expect, the TH-X00 is balls deep in my wheelhouse. Massdrop's origin story on these headphones is so inline with my own criteria for a closed headphone that it almost feels like pandering. Now that the product has arrived, I can say that for me personally, the execution was on point. The headphones look great, sound great and are comfortable to boot.

I have always been a bit of a basshead at heart. I have purchased, repurchased(and purchased yet again) both the Senn Hd800s and 650s but ultimately the low-bass-rolloff-plus-treble-emphasis sound signature robs me of enjoyment of the music and they inevitably find themselves on the chopping block. The Fostex TH-X00's sound signature, while arguably not as refined, brings me much closer to the music than the variations of the Senn house sound ever has.

I won't go into too many details about the sound of the Fostex TH-X00 as my opinions more or less mirror a lot of what has already been written. I do want to give a shoutout though to Massdrop for continuing to look out for a segment of the community that has been a bit marginalized in recent years with the rise of the $2-3k flagships.

I am already in line for the Senn HD6X0 with a smidge less bass rolloff. Git r dun!!

 

Got the Vali 2 last night. Listening time was cutoff due to a Star Wars marathon, but here's a quick rundown of my TH-X00 experience.

Valhalla 2 w/ stock tubes: Treble is insane. Sibilance City. Not fun at all. I want to kick them across the room and regret my purchase.
iPad: Whoa, now that's some bass. Treble can be hot, but not too bothersome or sibilant.
Vali 2: Great balance overall. Treble is very clear and detailed (more than iPad) but also managing to not be too bothersome or sibilant. Great bass.

Final note - The only other headphones I remember listening to that change this drastically between setups are the HD6X0 and HD800. I have either limited experience with "scalable" headphones or the TH-X00 is fairly nit picky. Look forward to more Vali 2 listening this weekend.