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Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Mahogany Headphones
amoeba1126
460
May 5, 2017
Here are some tips and tricks for potential buyers who are buying headphones or have already purchased and received the headphones:
Q: Do I need an amp?
A: The TH-X00 are very efficient and work very well with portable devices. This means you do not need an amp. Now, will they benefit from an amp? The short answer is that like any other good headphones, yes they do. That said, the improvement provided by an amp would be a lot less than say the HD650 or DT770 Pro 80 ohm.
Q: Why is there a gap between the wooden cups and the headphones?
A: This is by design and has been since the this model of headphones was first introduced in the Denon Dx000 series. Simply Google any one of the following headphones and you will see that each one has the same gap: Denon D2000/5000/7000, Fostex TH-600/610/900/X00, and E-MU Teak.
Q: Why does one cup look different than the other?
A: Like people, each tree is unique. This also means that each piece of wood from even the same tree will have different grains. Depending on how it is cut and which part of the tree it is from, the differences for wood from the same tree (let alone different trees) can range anywhere from slight to drastic. What this means for us is that each wooden cup will look different as a result. Some of them will be almost speckled, some will have bands, and others may have stripes. For more expensive headphones, companies will usually go out of their way to match wooden cups to give you as close a "pair" as possible. In speaking with Chan from E-MU, whenever you purchase a pair of cups from him, E-MU does the same as well.
Q: Why is the cable so long?
A: You can make a long cable shorter, but you can't make a short cable longer. 10 ft is more than enough length to fulfill the needs of the widest range of users. If it is too long for you, you can braid it until it is the proper length or use a velcro strap to tie the excess one. If you really want a custom length cable, there are a lot of services out there for detachable cable mods, such as BTG-Audio and PETEREK on Etsy.
Q: I have channel imbalance when using the adapter or it keeps popping out?
A: Simply put, the adapter that comes with the TH-X00 is not very good at all. Not only does the stress from excess weight pose as a potential risk to the connector port if hit, it can have a tendency to slide out a bit when used with portable devices that have cases on. Hosa, Sennheiser, and a few other companies make a cabled adapter that will take the stress out of the adapter by removing the weight factor.
Q: How do these headphones sound compared to X headphone?
A: In a vacuum, the TH-X00 have a W-shaped sound signature, meaning emphasis on on the low and high end with a bump in the midrange section. The perception of this sound signature changes depending on the headphone it is being compared to. For example, when compared to a V-shaped headphones such as the Beyerdynamic DT990 or Ultrasone Pro 900, the W-shape becomes much more pronounced. When compared to more laid back or darker headphones like the Sennheiser HD6xx or Audeze LCD-2, the TH-X00 sounds more V-shaped in comparison. A large part of which headphones you will ultimately prefer, will come down to what music you prefer and how sensitive your ears are towards the treble range.
Q: They are closed so why do they leak sound?
A: While they are closed back headphones, the design for these headphones are more accurately described as "semi-closed". In my experience, the leakage is more so noise going out than in. That said, at normal playing volumes, people will be very hard pressed to hear you more than 3ft away.
Q: How do I replace the cups?
A: Cups made for any variant of the TH-X00 will all be interchangeable. You can also buy high quality custom wood cups from places like E-MU and Lawton Audio. E-MU has a pretty great selection and Lawton has an amazing if not highly expensive (some of their more exotic woods will almost twice as much as the TH-X00) selection to choose from. The ebony cups that I personally have are around $125 shipped. Keep in mind that different wood cups will alter the sound slightly. In my case, the ebony cups increased the bass and smoothed out the treble.
Q: What if I don't like the pads?
A: There are a wide variety of aftermarket pads you can pick:
- Mr Speakers Alpha Pads
- Brainwaivz HM5
- Lawton Angled Pads
- Dekoni Sheepskin (attenuation ring recommended)
- ZMF Ori/Eikon
- Fostex TH-600/900 Stock Pads
Just remember that different pads do and will change the way your headphones sound. Some are subtle and others are fairly drastic. Read up on the opinions of others to figure out which ones may fit your needs best. If you love the way your headphones sound as is, it may not be in your best interest to change your pads.
Q: How do I change my pads?
A: http://www.lawtonaudio.com/anglepadinstructions.html
Q: How do I change my cups?
A: http://www.lawtonaudio.com/customwoodchambersinstructions.html
Q: What if I want some extra mounting rings for my extra pads?
A: http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/272657-Fostex-1412552460
(Edited)
Hyde
1119
May 5, 2017
amoeba1126Very organized and nicely written, bravo!!!
amoeba1126
460
May 5, 2017
HydeThank you for your kind words. Hopefully it will help people understand these headphones better and move on to enjoying them sooner rather than spending time worrying about non-audio related factors.
erickong
7412
Audiophile Moderator
May 6, 2017
amoeba1126The comment to end all comments. Very well written
bsastor
779
May 6, 2017
amoeba1126they should totally sticky this...thanks pal!
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