[Rackhour]

Question - how does the T50RP 50th anniversary mode compare to the HE400SE? I can sorta infer that the fit might be tighter, and the cups a little smaller...but no idea about the sound.

 

[Otis Robinson]

Hey guys.

#341 here (on a farm, out in Western Australia).

Just wanted to say thanks so much for all the info - there was almost nothing online when I noticed these while searching for some new headphones.

Got mine in the post yesterday, and they're brilliant - Punch Brothers, Asgeir, Duke Ellington all shine through them, and while things like Thrice and Underoath seem a little thin and lacking bass, I was very surprised to find that Animals as Leaders actually sounded great? Regardless, I went from Shure SRH-240As, to Yamaha HPH-200s, to these, and I'm pretty stoked and satisfied.

Anyway, I joined up with Head-Fi just so I could post my number, and thank you all for the help and info...

Cheers.

 

[MakeshiftApe]

Hey guys.

#341 here (on a farm, out in Western Australia).

Just wanted to say thanks so much for all the info - there was almost nothing online when I noticed these while searching for some new headphones.

Got mine in the post yesterday, and they're brilliant - Punch Brothers, Asgeir, Duke Ellington all shine through them, and while things like Thrice and Underoath seem a little thin and lacking bass, I was very surprised to find that Animals as Leaders actually sounded great? Regardless, I went from Shure SRH-240As, to Yamaha HPH-200s, to these, and I'm pretty stoked and satisfied.

Anyway, I joined up with Head-Fi just so I could post my number, and thank you all for the help and info...

Cheers.

^ Regarding the lacking bass part, make sure you experiment with seating if you haven't already, like having them fit more tightly vs sit more loosely by adjusting the sides. I noticed these are a fair bit more picky about seating than any of the other headphones in my collection. Soundstage width changes a bit depending on how I seat them, and bass response changes a fair bit too.

I will say that I wear glasses and since planars actually get a boost to their resonant frequency in the bass from a slightly broken seal, it's possible I'm experiencing more bass from them than someone who doesn't have glasses breaking the seal, but I get quite a decent (albeit maybe not bass-head level) bass response from these stock.

If experimenting with seating doesn't work, that's where mods can potentially be an option too, as almost all of the mods for the T50 are designed to tame the treble, amp up the bass, and increase the soundstage. I personally haven't modded mine yet because the stock sound is more or less just right for my ears out of the box and I'm hesitant to fiddle around until I've had it for a longer period of time - but I probably will down the line as that was one of my reasons for purchasing it over say something like the HE400SE - I wanted the wealth of T50RP modding knowledge at my fingertips for if I decided to give it a go myself.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Amazon Japan exclusive T60RP 50th Anni still unavailable This was supposed to be released Nov. 3 as per posted on Fostex website.

Anyway, T50RP 50th still getting the most head time for me. Both my pair have been modded, one with 6mm tubing insert and the other 7mm.

Suburban Folk Song - Espen Eriksen Trio with Andy Sheppard
Drum solo at 5:13

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills
Ekute and Man From Molise

 

[Alchemistt]

Have you tried installing this rubber ring in the T60RP, perhaps it will make the sound like the 5050.

Maybe the dip in front of the vocals in the T60 is due to the holes that lead out of the ear pads and are covered with such a foam rubber disk, but in the 60 it is much smaller.

I think because of this ring, the noise isolation in the 5050 is better, but perhaps less bass than in the 60.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

92 dB at 50 ohms, these need a lot of amp. If they're thin or shrill, lack of power is the first place to look.

Thanks to @ThEvil0nE for this thread!

Struggling to avoid buying a pair

 

[Alchemistt]

You are mistaken, they are just like that, this is their sound signature, an amplifier will not help them much. This opinion is based on personal experience with the T60RP; at first I also fell for the super-amplifier trick)))

 

[ThEvil0nE]

92 dB at 50 ohms, these need a lot of amp. If they're thin or shrill, lack of power is the first place to look.

Thanks to @ThEvil0nE for this thread!

Struggling to avoid buying a pair

I’ve heard stock t50 and every single mod iteration and never pulled the trigger on one. Heard the t50 50th (off a DAP even) and now I own two

Edit: Just to add, the 5050 is just a well tuned RP out of the box and that is why I was sold on the first listen even off a moderately powered DAP.

 

[bru87tr]

I was going to get my T50 wired balanced for $50. But I wonder if my money would be better spent on these ? Are these 2.5mm coming out ?

I think my T50 sound really good with mayflower baffles and accessory house perforated sheepskin ear pads. Reason I figured getting them wired for balanced. Not sure I’d like to go to 2.5mm on the anniversary.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

I was going to get my T50 wired balanced for $50. But I wonder if my money would be better spent on these ? Are these 2.5mm coming out ?

I think my T50 sound really good with mayflower baffles and accessory house perforated sheepskin ear pads. Reason I figured getting them wired for balanced. Not sure I’d like to go to 2.5mm on the anniversary.

Tho the T5050 still have the trademark RP sibilance, Fostex did a really good job on how they’re tuned out of the box. You can literally pluck specific sounds across and around it’s soundfield. It even has a good sense of verticality.

I’m running one pair in SE and the other pair BAL using 2.5-4.4 adapter.

My mods are pretty light as I want to keep its sound characteristics close to its stock tuning/voicing. Trick keeping its sound signature/characteristics is to keep your ear to remain closer to the driver while be able to increase volume of air. I achieved this by using rubber ring inserts under the stock pads. Solid rubber tubing acts as a dampener too. Stock pads volume increased across the plane. Chunky pads increase volume vertically and with you ear farther from the driver, stock tonality is severely affected.

I have two pairs. First pair uses a 6mm dia. solid rubber tubing (smaller ring dia) insert between the pad and the pad’s mesh cloth and organic cotton pad covering the driver. Overall sound signature remain true to stock tuning but added a more noticeable amount of bass that can sneak up on you that’ll put a smile on your face. Top end that can get hot is tamed down a bit, still sparkly but doesn’t go beyond being sibilant. Lastly, verticality and height is even more pronounced and distinct.

My second pair is using a 7mm dia solid rubber tubing and a much larger ring dia overall to increase volume of air. I also used the same cotton and topped with a 3/16 open cell filter (more rigid and not soft foam). Added more body to bass, tactile. Mids across the spectrum has snap. Very good treble extension but gone are the sibilant traits. Overall sound is just dynamic.

 

[Alchemistt]

Once upon a time I asked support about the amplifier.
It says here that normal power is enough, but different amplifiers can change the frequency response, that is, it’s just different, not better/not worse, but just different.


<== Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.
According to our engineer, the answer is following.

1. 100mW+100mW, 32ohm is necessary and sufficient,
which is the spec of Fostex HP-A3.

2. (Motu M2/4)We do not exactly know its power in details.
But, according to web review, it seems it has enough power.

3. The output curve will differ depending on the circuit configuration of amplifier.
As a guide line, it is enough to drive ordinary headphones by having the power rate
equivalent to HP-A3.

Best regards
Fostex Company==>

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Once upon a time I asked support about the amplifier.
It says here that normal power is enough, but different amplifiers can change the frequency response, that is, it’s just different, not better/not worse, but just different.


<== Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.
According to our engineer, the answer is following.

1. 100mW+100mW, 32ohm is necessary and sufficient,
which is the spec of Fostex HP-A3.

2. (Motu M2/4)We do not exactly know its power in details.
But, according to web review, it seems it has enough power.

3. The output curve will differ depending on the circuit configuration of amplifier.
As a guide line, it is enough to drive ordinary headphones by having the power rate
equivalent to HP-A3.

Best regards
Fostex Company==>

Motu M2 = 21mW @ 32 ohm load
T50RP is 92dB @ 50 ohm
You can draw your conclusion from those numbers

 

[Alchemistt]

Where do the numbers come from? According to the passport, this is 50 mW at 32 ohms. I tested with different amplifiers and audio interfaces. The amplifier did not give me any advantages in sound.
When using different amplifiers, the frequency response may not change significantly, but the headphones still need to be adjusted with an equalizer. And the volume, even from such a motu, the volume can be made so loud that you can’t wear it on your ears.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Where do the numbers come from? According to the passport, this is 50 mW at 32 ohms. I tested with different amplifiers and audio interfaces. The amplifier did not give me any advantages in sound.
When using different amplifiers, the frequency response may not change significantly, but the headphones still need to be adjusted with an equalizer. And the volume, even from such a motu, the volume can be made so loud that you can’t wear it on your ears.

Which amplifiers and audio interface? About every pro audio interface will sound neutral as they should. How efficiently it can drive a phone is another story.
I have an old Roland M10DX mixer which I still use, a Roland VR1HD streaming AV mixer and an Audient ID22 which is 70mW@16 112mW@32 130mW@150 95mW@300 55mW@600. I can listen to them equally good but in different volume levels.
If you have issues on how RP's sound signature then the RP is not for you, that's the bottom line and we already know that from you. By now you should should have realized that don't you think? Move on.

 

[arbiter76]

has anybody tested these gaming yet? I want to pull the trigger but few shops shipping to mexico. I just cancelled an order with pifferia trying to see if they ship to mexico. they are $230 there and I will have to pay import fees which would probably make these $270-$300 headphones for me.