I recently got this headset, and wow is it good. My only issue is when certain people talk on discord, I can hear a really high pitched ringing. I fiddled with a bunch of settings, computer audio and discord, and nothing seems to solve the issue. It is primarily if not all in my right ear only. Is there something wrong with my headset, or was that ringing always there I can just hear it cause the headset is THAT good? I haven't had any issues with any other application, though I have yet to test if I can hear the ringing on a different version of discord, say on my xbox instead of my pc. Only other issue I've had is occasional static, but I can't tell if it's from the headset or the show/game/etc.
Apr 24, 2024
Geeky answer: The TH-900 is finished in red urushi on top of a base of silver flakes, with the lettering being executed with more lacquer and platinum foil. Urushi is rather hard to come by, and is used for all sorts of fancy pieces (non-disposable utensils and bowls, decorative cases, and fountain pens, among many others). On top of being immensely beautiful (see http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XZNNPoPFCXs/U8OQwIeQnJI/AAAAAAAAGow/mZZuc9rMdog/s1600/IMG_9928.JPG and https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0215/7612/products/Pelikan-Fantasia-Maki-e-Fountain-Pen-Limited-Edition-930313-5.jpeg?v=1422157280), it has great mechanical and chemical resistance, making it a hardy finish that can stand up to a reasonable amount of wear. Its only real weakness is UV radiation, as evidenced by the discolouration and embrittlement found in items given prolonged exposure to direct sunlight; there are several other light sources that can weaken urushi besides the sun, mind, such as blacklights and incandescent lamps. For this reason, most precious urushi-ware is stored in dark places. I get the feeling that part of why the 900 is so expensive is the use of said lacquer, on top of the higher cost of skilled labor in Japan.
The X-00, being a less rarefied headphone, makes do with less. The gloss on these is pretty, but picks up scratches and chips like it's hoarding them. Mine already has a fair amount of wear, but I don't really let it bother me. It's easy enough to strip, though, and I'm tempted to bare the wood and just re-coat it with something nicer myself.
Hope that helps!
Doesn't seem like polyurethane, but I'm not speaking with any great amount of authority (used to DIY stuff, don't do it so often nowadays). All I can say with certainty is, as @Dreams-Visions below mentioned, they use a rather sparing amount. These are to be handled with kid gloves.
I don't play an instrument (unless singing counts), so I'm unfamiliar with the relative acoustic merits of various woods. As far as these go, anyway, the Ebony were found to be the most balanced-sounding of the TH-X00 variants, though still far from reference-level neutrality. Wondering what these would sound and measure like if the cups are taken off (eliminating whatever colouration the ebony cups may add to the drivers' own sound), but that's a project for another day.
These impressions are more eloquent than my own, and may be of use to you: superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/massdrop-fostex-th-x00-ebony-measurements.2434/
Cheers,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29iTkYSZ1qk