Fostex T50Rp Mk3 Professional Studio Headphones, Semi-Open

Great value for the money - once you replace the ear pads! **Update: I've since obtained a set of Dekoni Blues (modded T50RPs), and between them I prefer the stock T50RP. The Dekonis do have more sub-bass, but the bass is boosted everywhere and seems a bit loose in comparison to the stock/un-modded T50RP. That said, I have used the Dekonis for a few hours straight where, possibly by virtue of psychoacoustic adjustment (read: it's all in your head), they work well and the bass doesn't seem particularly bloated. But I did not experience the same instant feeling of "I love these!" when I tried the Dekonis that I did with the stock T50RP. For reference, I had not been listening to the stock T50RP that day prior to unboxing and listening to the Dekoni, so my reaction wasn't based on a direct comparison. The Dekonis sound a lot more like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X - I did a very brief comparison and they're not the same, but they have some similarities. Again, my point is to say that the stock T50RP sounds pretty good out of the box, at least as far as it suits my listening preferences. Got these on a lark after reading & watching numerous write-ups/posts and videos about these and their modded progeny. As others have noted, the stock pads are not so great. Besides not providing a seal for your ear, they also allow your ear to touch the inner ear cup, something that leads to physical fatigue after a while in my experience. However, the $35 ear pads I got here on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X1L287G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) resolved those two problems, and I find myself really enjoying these cans. FWIW, I think these earpads are as comfortable as the Dekoni hybrid pads that came on the Dekoni Blues. Doing a direct comparison of the Fostex T50RP, Sony MDR-Z7M2, and Sennheiser HD 560S using Wye Oak's "Sick Talk" from the Shriek album and no EQ: the Sony has the best sub-bass extension and bass slam - but it can get a bit muddy too; the Fostex has slightly brighter treble than the Sony, and solid bass with good impact, though it doesn't extend as far as the Z7; and the Sennheiser sounds like the most neutral (flat) with somewhat airier soundstage, the brightest treble, and the least boosted bass - the treble is not overwhelming, nor is the bass lacking. Overall, I think the Fostex strikes the best balance on this track, based on my listening preferences, which probably explains why I have been having so much fun listening to these cans since I got them almost 2 weeks ago. One caveat: As others have noted, you will need a decent amp to drive these as they're not terribly sensitive. I've mostly been using a Topping A50S, with the volume around 1 o'clock in low gain mode. For the 3 headphone comparison today, I used a Monoprice Monolith 887. For the Fostex, I set it to medium gain as the volume knob was almost maxed out in the low gain setting, whereas the Sony & Sennheiser were fine on low-gain. In conclusion, I really like these headphones, and more than I thought I would. In fact, I don't even remember what I was expecting when I ordered them other than that I'd probably have to mod them a lot to make them sound good and I was willing to tinker. And I did tinker a bit: but with just a pad swap they are greatly improved over stock, and so much so that I don't want to take them apart. Now I really want to hear the Dekoni Blue & Modhouse Argon!

Piloto le mie Fostex T50RP con uno stack Focusrite solo con amplificatore Topping L50 senza alcun problema. Le Fostex T50RP sono cuffie ad alte prestazioni che offrono un'esperienza audio eccezionale, rendendole un'ottima scelta per gli amanti dell'hi-fi e gli audiofili. Le cuffie eccellono in diverse aree: Qualità del suono: Risposta in frequenza ampia e dettagliata: Le T50RP coprono un'ampia gamma di frequenze, dai bassi profondi agli alti cristallini, con un'eccellente riproduzione dei dettagli. Suono neutro e bilanciato: Le cuffie offrono una presentazione sonora neutra e bilanciata, senza enfatizzare eccessivamente alcuna frequenza. Imaging stereo eccellente: La scena sonora è ampia e spaziosa, con una precisa collocazione degli strumenti e delle voci. Comfort e vestibilità: Design leggero e confortevole: Le cuffie sono leggere e comode da indossare anche per lunghi periodi di ascolto. Design aperto: Il design aperto permette una buona circolazione dell'aria, evitando il surriscaldamento delle orecchie. Costruzione e qualità: Materiali resistenti e di alta qualità: Le cuffie sono costruite con materiali resistenti e di alta qualità, garantendo una lunga durata. Design modulare: I componenti delle cuffie sono modulari e possono essere facilmente sostituiti in caso di necessità. Cavo staccabile: Il cavo è staccabile, il che aumenta la versatilità e la durata delle cuffie. Punti di forza: Qualità del suono eccezionale Design open: sentirete il corriere suonare anche con le cuffie indosso! Comfort e vestibilità da buoni ad eccellenti, dipende se lasciate il pad di seri Costruzione e qualità elevate Cavo staccabile Punti deboli: Mancanza di isolamento acustico a causa del design open Design non adatto a tutti i gusti, i dettagli in metallo e il colore arancione sono un po' polarizzanti. Cuscinetti auricolari: I cuscinetti auricolari inclusi non sono eccezionali, io li ho sostituiti immediatamente con dei pad in memory foam in pelle, che potenziano ulteriormente i bassi grazie ad una sigillatura del padiglione superiore. Prezzo a volte elevato, dai 140 ai 180 COMPRATELE! Spesso vanno su, ora sono a 250 euro. In definitiva, le Fostex T50RP sono cuffie ad alte prestazioni che offrono un'esperienza audio eccezionale. Sono un'ottima scelta per gli amanti dell'hi-fi e gli audiofili che cercano cuffie comode, resistenti e con un suono eccellente. Tuttavia, è importante tenere conto del prezzo elevato e del design aperto, che non offre alcun isolamento dal rumore.

Imaging is very very good. Very accurate sound at high volumes. Punchy. Nothing is out of place just nicely balanced clean dynamic sound. Ear pads are silly thin and will get you by for a while but they will want swapping by most people to get a better, deeper fit and a slightly richer sound profile. They are 50 ohms but need alot of power to reach their potential. 1w at 50ohms is enough to get a great sound out of them but 1.5w at 50ohms would be perfect. I run them on a fiio k5 pro at about 3 'o' clock on the dial, so not much left to go at all and it's not silly loud but it's enough to damage your hearing long term so it's perfectly acceptable running on a k5 pro. Honestly, if you have a good amp already, these are well worth the money.

I remember the older T50RP MkII as not having enough bass, but having amazing mids - especially for vocals. I then remember spending hours modding them. This new MkIII version, to my ears anyway, is a very different headphone. Lots of luscious, tight bass, maybe rolled off, but sub bass bothers me (Denon HD600 comes to mind). Good highs, not too much at all for me, but slightly veiled mids. They really remind me (in terms of sound signature) of my ATH-M50x. I EQed the mids some with Foobar2000 to push them forward and bang, there are those mids I was missing. I remember someone on youtube saying the same thing, that the Mayflower mod basically removes the veil over the mids and leaves everything else alone. I simply EQ mine. I use these with the stock pads as I find them comfortable (if I take my glasses off). I also did not find them hard to drive at all 6/10 volume on an old iPod touch. Better with an amp, but not twice as good, maybe 10% better, not a world of difference, but better none the less. The orange cable still has kinks from being folded in the box but it works fine. I would not just say these are good for the price, they are just good headphones regardless (unless you are spending thousands - that's another story). If you are having trouble with the cable where it enters the headphone, put some deoxit on the jack and that should take care of it.

On the left side - music sounds scratchy = drum strikes "click" like a fingernail tapping a piece of hard plastic. Does not matter if it is driven off a phone or DAC/Amp (SMSL 200) Changed cables, sources, crossed left and right inputs - still has the scratchy clicking sound out of the left (Input) side. Prior to purchase I was well aware the Fostex cans are uncomfortable and their quality is beyond poor but I am still disappointed. If you must purchase this product chose a physical store nearby so it can be returned if not in a merchantable condition.