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88% would recommend to a friend 
Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Purpleheart Headphones
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Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Purpleheart Headphones
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Product Description
When the Massdrop community asked for a closed-back headphone that redefined price-to-performance expectations, the TH-X00 was our answer. Made in collaboration with Fostex, a brand that’s produced innovative audio gear since 1949, these headphones feature purpleheart ear cups, a magnesium alloy frame, and Fostex’s signature biodynamic drivers Read More
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Customer Reviews
4.5
(87 reviews)
5star(62)
4star(19)
3star(1)
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keyboard_arrow_downAjs308
59
Dec 19, 2018
I also have the Fidelio X2's which are 50mm drivers - their bass is OK, but I think most of it is because of the open back structure (even though it isn't truely open back).
Vonx1
12
Nov 12, 2019
Ajs308I purchased these second hand this can't directly review them here, but I just wanted to share my owner opinions and say that they a) are excellent for all the reasons people have explained and b) there are a lot of things worth knowing that may have not been shared, I'll list them:
- sibilance decreases over time, and I don't think it's just brain-in. They are noticibly less treble heavy than when I received them after 200ish listening hours
-you can very easily adjust the sound without extra money by adjusting the hole positioning of the dampening rings (foam rings under the pads). See whitigars th900 ez mod thread on headfi, they apply to all fostex models.
-want more soundstage width? Pads with larger openings can achieve that, and custom attenuators (that mimic the internal attenuators stiched into the stock pads) can easily be inserted into any pad, and adjust the sound further.
-cups with larger chamber depth (like lohb's wood cups, or emu teak cups) provide a cleaner and more open sound at the expense of a little midbass impact, and provide a nice tuning alternative that you can easily switch between.
-partial Lawton mod (just the material attached to the driver and not the cup foam) cleans up and increases the quality of treble while taking the edge off, and also tightens up the bass without removing much bass quantity that makes them great. Easy to remove or partially remove if you find them overdampened
audioinmyears
22
Dec 12, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
As an owner of several high end headphones (Mr. Speakers Aeon, Mitchel & Johnson, K7XX, etc) I was looking for a headphone with solid deep and mid-bas. Although my Aeon's sound great, they're a bit too bright for things like movies and Netflix.
So I bought the Purpleheart after the review from Z-review. The ones he reviewed didn't have removable cables from the headphone cup. This latest drop from Massdrop does, however. The cable is 8' long (I think) and has a heavy steel base to the 3.5mm headphone connection. Now I would have preferred balanced XLR but 3.5mm works fine.
I am listening to them using my Schiit Jotunheim headphone am/dac with the Schiit Wyrd USB converter (which makes a huge difference).
Now to upgrade the headphones to the very best experience, I replaced the earcups with the Brainwavz sheepskin angled earcups which makes a huge difference to comfort and sound.
Now, to the sound. I was INCREDIBLY stunned at the quality of the mid and low bass. I mean STUNNED. I was also STUNNED at the quality of the midrange sound. They are not warm, not dark, not bright just incredible. I can safely say they outperform my more expensive Aeon Flow Open headphones. Amazing. Amazing.
Vipu
7
May 21, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Im not audiophile so there is better reviews for sound, but in short its really good, lots of nice bass (after EQ).
The isolation is just perfect, it isolates most sounds but you can still hear what is happening around you.
The cable is what it is, a bit thick and rough. Being detachable its nice to have option to buy 3rd party cable tho.
Be prepared to put some extra money in because the ear pads are pretty small, I have avg sized ears but they still touch the inner part of the ear pads so after 30min of use ears started to hurt.
Also the headband is the most basic u can imagine, no padding what so ever, it might hurt after long use too.
In short, very good headphones but you might need to spend a bit more for 3rd party ear pads and maybe headband.
A_COC0NUT
40
Jul 4, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Great bass and exceptionally beautiful
TLDR these are great just like all the positive reviews say. Get some Ori pads and attenuation rings and enjoy your new 11ft vacuum cord.
I wish I could give 4 and a half stars because the stock pads are rather uncomfortable for me. They made my left ear sore after about 30 min but strangely not my right ear. But since I loved the sound I decided to do some research into pad swapping.
Don't let the contradictory reports scare you, other pads do sound great with an attenuation ring (look up dekoni's for a reference). I got a pair of lambskin Ori pads from ZMF and cut my own attenuation rings from a soft plastic folder (same shape as the stock pads like dekoni's) and they sound GREAT! Even better is the comfort. I've been able to wear these for 4-5 hours at a time now with no discomfort what so ever. The sound is pretty much what everyone else says. Great bass extension and impact. SLIGHTLY sharp treble. Overall fun sound well worth $540 (with Ori pads).
I'm not the best at describing sound so look to other reviews for that. I primarily want to get the point across that the stock pads are not the best (may be fine if you have smaller or flatter ears) and a pad swap is definitely an option.
The only other negative would be the cable. It is literally 11ft long and the Y-split has some mildly annoying microphonics. The connectors are not the same as Sennheiser. I mean thay technically are but they are wired different and don't work right. So the only option for a shorter cable would be to pay about $90 for a pariapt cable. This being said, unless you want a balanced XLR cable there really isn't a good reason to get a shorter one since these are not portable. Thay are not super closed (semi-open in fact), the build is good but not portable good, and to much sun light could cause the cups to turn brown. I believe they are treated with something to help prevent this discoloration but I still wouldn't take them for a long walk on a sunny day. Overall a great purchase that I would absolutely recommend.
Recommends this product? Yes
Meatisgood
16
Jan 3, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Really frustrated. Looks like these have wide spread problems with the bands breaking. 6 weeks out of warranty mine snapped putting them down on my desk. No parts available, no help from Mass drop. Not impressed. Google shows this not being uncommon.
(Edited)
ashlandleather
395
Ashland Leather
Mar 1, 2019
MeatisgoodI had the same issue and same results from Massdrop. It was pretty disappointing that nobody can support these after they break. I would love to pay them to fix it since I'm out of warranty as well.
JJDeviloper
191
Sep 13, 2020
MeatisgoodThis is a real problem with this model that I have mentioned along with many others. The Denons, in terms of build quality, are built much nicer. I caved and got the ebony's because the sound is so good. You can try some kind of Krazy Glue, that worked on some other headphones of mine, very strong glue, get the kind designed for plastic. Or if you feel like a DIY project, since these are two wire, you can get a headband off AliExpress and make a new one. Unfortunate problem and unfortunate they didn't change it, it's a sacrifice for amazing sound. I am very careful with mine and keep them in a Pelican style case. Sometimes I get the ones made by Monoprice bc they're much cheaper and do mostly the same job. Probably not the solution you want, but I hope this can help. #audiophilesacrifice
Btw, my daily planar is an Audeze. But that wood sound cannot be replaced.
(Edited)
Globiboulga
17
Dec 9, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
I have had these for a little more than two years and they broke. A screw holding the earcup to the headband snapped inside the metal piece holding those two part together. I bought these because I had the D5000 and I absolutely loved those. Fun fact: the D5000 gave way at the exact same spot!
The negative review is for both the headphones and Massdrop reply to me asking whether they could help secure some spare parts (it's an easy fix if you have those). Their answers were sub-par and limited to pointing me to the warranty policy. Just not good enough. Surely they can organise some parts being shipped (I'd pay for those) since they continue doing work with Fostex?
I've now returned to the D5000 - I have a very unprofessional fix on these! - and got to say they are leaps and bound above the Purpleheart.
d3ss0u
48
Sep 26, 2019
GlobiboulgaJust got the same problem and the same answer from Massdrop, I don't care my warranty is out, I just want spare parts.
rdemar
6
Oct 26, 2019
d3ss0ufullcompass caries the part google " Fostex 8510002000 Replacement Hanger for TH-600, TH-610, TH-900 MKII " https://www.fullcompass.com/prod/544725-fostex-8510002000-replacement-hanger-for-th-600-th-610-th-900-mkii
I paid 80 bucks approximately total shipped and completed the repair myself. Way overpriced but it works.
(Edited)
NathanielKiger
29
Apr 8, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Shrouded in misconceptions. These are not bass cannons. Absolutely magnificent for orchestra music. The mid range being heavily lowered in decibels leaves a lot of breathing room for music. The mahagony feel so congested in comparison. Cellos have incredible presence and there's no going back after hearing violin with that boosted treble. Oddly enough it's not harsh at all unlike the mahagony which sometimes made me feel the music was straight up trying to hurt my ears, even at lower volumes. The reason these can be fatiguing is due to how deep the listener can sink in. Went from Touch on Random Access Memories to Lose Yourself to Dance. The change was so dramatic I was kinda overwhelmed by the sub bass. Lindsey Stirling is the best I've ever heard on the Purple Hearts. It's not the BAM BAM you're used to on the mahagony, but it can really get to ya' when presence can be heard in every little piano note in a song. Then synth music comes and it's like, "woooaah, ease up." All around great for instrumentals. These feel more detailed than the mahagony. That may be a placebo. Absolutely mystical experience.
(Edited)
IGpro
9
May 10, 2018
The TH-X00 Purpleheart have a special quality to them, they are smooth yet also tight sounding at the same time. They have deep controlled bass, with good rumble and kicks without sounding too boomy. They have excellent high extension without sounding sibilant. The mids have a good body without sounding too harsh. Soundstage is intimate but happening outside your head yet quite wide and high for a semi open headphone, imaging is very good; sounds have body and character. Everything is here, from build to sound quality. It's hard not to recommend this headphone.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
shadowOak
6
Aug 14, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
Removable cable is great! Only gripe is that my cut of the wood is not as purple as my original TH-X00 PH.
Haruki
5
Oct 15, 2018
juicetoonSomething to remember is that open back headphones tend to have a wider soundstage than closed back headphones.
This is my personal favorite choice for gaming exclusively. The ATH-ADG1X headphones are really comfortable, good enough mic, and pretty good soundstage. A lot of people will complain about it being a "gaming" headset but it has served me well. There is a closed and open back version of this headset. ($300)
If you want it for mostly gaming and some music the k7xx is hard to beat for price and value. This is open back.($200)
If you want it for mostly music and some gaming the Sennheiser hd 6xx is hard to beat. This is also open back.($200)
If you can go to a Best buy or some store that has some headphones on display. Its important to remember that sound is subjective so it only matters what you think sounds good.
This is my personal favorite choice for gaming exclusively. The ATH-ADG1X headphones are really comfortable, good enough mic, and pretty good soundstage. A lot of people will complain about it being a "gaming" headset but it has served me well. There is a closed and open back version of this headset. ($300)
If you want it for mostly gaming and some music the k7xx is hard to beat for price and value. This is open back.($200)
If you want it for mostly music and some gaming the Sennheiser hd 6xx is hard to beat. This is also open back.($200)
If you can go to a Best buy or some store that has some headphones on display. Its important to remember that sound is subjective so it only matters what you think sounds good.
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- The Purple Hearts have a very RESPONSIVE bass. It doesn't slap it everywhere and on everything.
- This will make you want to turn t up past your normal listening volume because live music causes your bones to vibrate from loud bass - headphones will not cause the same sensation so be aware of the volume.
- Stock pads are good enough for me.
If you happen to have the IEMs RHA T10i's, the Fostex TR-X00 Mahogany has a similar bass response to them (depth, resolution, and impact), but with higher resolution on the treble (although more fatiguing). The RHA T10i's tend to add its bass onto everything (with some reservation), where the TR-X00's tend to be more track dependent. EDIT: ~6 months after my purhcase This pair of headphones is my favorite of my entire collection, by far. These sound great on every genre I listen to at this point. Initially, I was not used to the extension of bass on certain genres. Now that I've grown into these, these have demonstrated their excellence in every single song I listen to. The only downfall is that the depth of imaging is not as good as the HD650's (its not even that much worse). It just sounds like you're standing closer to the stage, front up and center. The HD650's sound like you're further back, with a beer or a glass of wine, a bit relaxed. The sibilance does make it hard to listen to for a long period of time, by long I mean multiple hours. You do grow into them, and when moving back to a lower treble pair of cans, you'll notice and really appreciate the warmth. Because of this adjustment to more bass, more treble, when going back to something like the HD650's, you realize you're THEN back to baseline. It's kind of like - the purple hearts is a photo with photoshop color enhancements, and the HD650's are a Nikon shot - slightly dulled but accurate, refined, and smooth.