Fostex TE-02n "Final+1": Mod yourself a pair of killer IEMs!

Preamble: Read here and here for the back story. In short, the Fostex TE-02n are amazing budget IEMs with highly capable dynamic drivers. However, their stock sound signature is a little uneven in treble and overall a tad thin. This mod addresses both issues, fills in the low range, smoothes out the highs and turns them into some of the best DD IEMs I know at any price point.

Why "Final+1"? Well, I already had a "final" mod version at some point. Then found out a slight improvement, so yeah...

Thanks: To @shotgunshane, @CEE TEE and several other friends (you know who you are) for serving as guinea pigs and providing critical feedback. To @Untilted for introducing me to 3M micropore tape. And to Fostex, for making this gem of a budget IEM in the first place. Speaking of which, looks like the 02n are sadly being discontinued... so grab a pair while they last!





Disclaimer: This mod is NOT reversible and will void your warranty, so check your IEMs for any defects before you start modding. Also, this mod requires steady hands and good eyesight. I strongly recommend using a magnifier lamp.


Prerequisites (stuff you need to perform the mod):

• 1mm Phillips and flathead mini screwdrivers (or something else to drill a 1mm wide hole in plastic)
• 3M micropore tape (widely available, e.g. from ebay or Amazon)
• A medium sized needle
• A 40 gauge felting needle (get it from here, or from your local art supply store)
  
• The twist tie that comes with the Fostex 02n (don't throw it away!)
  
• A razor knife

Step-by-step Instruction:

1. Remove the metal front filter. Just stick the needle through one of the holes and lift the plate off:



2. Underneath you'll see a plastic cross-bar:



3. Use the flathead screwdriver to lever it out:



4. A few millimeters down inside the nozzle, you'll see the diffuser membrane that sits in front of the driver. The next step is quite tricky, since you need to pierce a tiny hole through this delicate membrane:



5. Use the razor knife to cut a small piece of insulation off the twist tie. Trim its edges and slide it 0.5mm onto the felting needle. This distance is crucial, since it determines the modded IEM's bass quality! You can check the distance against the diameter of the twist tie wire, which is also about 0.5mm:



6. This is the most delicate and important part of the mod. You need to puncture the diffuser membrane only once and close to the edge. Direct the felting needle slowly along the inside of the nozzle. Don't use force, because the membrane is very thin. Retract the needle as soon as you feel a slight resistance. A perfect puncture should look like this:



7. The rest of the mod is pretty much a breeze. Cut a small piece of micropore tape and place it over the nozzle:



8. Wrap it around the nozzle. The tape is sticky and can be easily fixed in place.



9. Put the tip on and use the needle to puncture the tape four times near the edge. Work only shallowly to prevent damage of the diffuser membrane inside!



10. As a final step, you need to enlarge the tiny rear vent:



11. Use the Phillips screwdriver to enlarge the opening:



12. Finally use the flathead screwdriver to drill about 5mm down:



Congrats! If you've successfully made it this far, then you've modded yourself a pair of killer IEMs!

 

Anyone wanting to buy a Fostex TE-02n might want to start searching now. I looked around for quite a while today. Most places were out of them. I saw a few around $50. I saw a pair on amazon.co.uk for $35 shipped to USA and quit searching. (That was their last one.)

 

i have them light modded and with eq they punch way behind their price point

 

I just bought the "last" one from Amazon UK and the remaining stock figure jumped up to 5 after the purchase was complete.
Amazon appear to be playing tricks on us to prompt some FOMO sales.

There are also several sellers on Amazon Japan who have more. They do not appear to be the same sellers that are on Amazon UK.

 

Yup, I ordered 4 units from Amazon Germany only last week. It took them some time to get them, but apparently they still have stock.

My other source from which I got them cheaper in the past has dried up though, as well as most other European suppliers.

 

Is modded TE-02n comparable to the EX1000?

 

Let me put it this way, I actually chose the EX1000 and MDR7550 as tuning targets. As a result, bass is very much comparable to the Sonys, pretty linear and as close to planar headphone bass as it gets with dynamic IEMs. However, the Fostex drivers are 9mm, so they don't quite have the effortlessness of Sony's 16mm drivers... but overall bass quality is really close.

The mids are comparable too, and for the highs I aimed for the happy medium between both Sonys. I find the EX1000 just a smidgen too treble forward, particularly when played loud - and the 7550 a tad too laid-back. So what you get with the modded 02n is nicely smooth treble with slightly more presence than the 7550, but easier on the ears than the EX1000.

The most significant difference is probably in soundstaging, where the Sonys sound wider, due to the distance between drivers and ears. But the 02n are by no means small sounding and on the other hand offer better isolation and outdoor suitability than the Sonys.

 

I used the previous mods (hfm filter+blutac) and quite enjoy it, gonna try this once i gather materials required!

 

I was thinking that I would like one more if I could get it for $35 shipped to USA. I was also curious about Amazon tricks with these. So I ordered the "last one" from Amazon Germany. Then I immediately checked the product page and Amazon Germany had "only 2 left". I canceled my order for 1 and ordered 2 since 15 Euros shipping was the same for 1 or 2.

Then I checked Amazon UK. I bought the "last one" yesterday. They have another "last one" today. Very tricky.

 

come down big boy this is not a contest who have more units

 

Yes it is. The winner gets another pair of TE-02n.

 

LOL, stop it guys... you wouldn't stand a cat's chance in hell!

 

@KILLthemALL - I think we have a winner!

 

you got that right, that's a lot of penguins

 

Thanks heaps for the great guide. Micropore tape is great - I've used it on T50RPs to tame treble with some success. Just wanted to check though, are images not showing for anyone else from point 2 onwards?

 

They are all showing up for me. Here are the links for the 1st image and the last image. They are hosted from the same site, FWIW.

http://cdn.head-fi.org/6/6a/6af79a28_TE-02n-800.jpeg

http://cdn.head-fi.org/c/ce/ce8a74fb_P2260560_m.jpeg

 

$38.97 including slow shipping from Japan: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fostex-TE-0...726196?hash=item25cff4f134:g:BV8AAOSwuTxV~TgJ

 

Wooot!, that's why there's no stock!