Fostex T50RP MK3 Professional Studio Headphones, Semi-Open,Black

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!

If you take the time to read this wall of text, you will find it very informative, especially normal users like me. I am just a normal user too trying to help others who were stuck like me in deciding for a long time in which headphones to get. And I mean a very long time I love gaming first, but wanted a headphones that could play music beautifully as well. After literally years of research, I found in order to achieve that I had to go with the separate headphones and mic route. But what headphones? There were so many choices to sift through and so many positive/negative reviews to read, from experts to users, from forums to YouTube. I finally decided to pull the trigger on the T50RP MK3's based on two factors: Z Reviews (YouTube and Reddit) and price. I got mines on Amazon for about $160. Z man says these are hard to drive in his YouTube review. He is not kidding. Plug these in to your computer or phone and on full blast sound is pathetically weak. I was sad panda and didn't even bother using them until my amps arrived. My current setup at home is a Blue Yeti mic, JDS Labs Element Amp/DAC running on a home built Windows 7 PC. On the go I use a FiiO E12 Mont Blanc and an iPhone 6. I also did the mods recommended by the Z Reviews, Z-MODA extended cable (dark red) and Shure 1840 velour replacement ear pads, all of which I bought off Amazon. Unfortunately as of late there is no case that I could find that can hold both the phone and the amp. Sucks. On my head the phones don't look great to me, but the kids say it's a swagging set of headphones, whatever that means. They are very well built, light weight, and so far I have no problem wearing them for long periods of time. I can game, surf the web, listen to music for 8+ hours with no issues. I don't know what you would consider the size of ears (from the top tip of my ear to the bottom it is 2 and 1/2 inches) and it can cover my ears without either the top or bottom touching. You can take that for what it's worth. I'll start with music, the sweet, sweet music. There are two major factors in which govern how these headphones replicate sound: A) what power source you are using to power them B) source and type of the music you are listening to. You definitely hear the difference between plugging it in straight into your computer/phone (weak but clear) vs plugging it into and Amp/DAC or portable amp (powerful and defined). As far as the source of music, you can tell the difference between Pandora, YouTube, and digital audio file types, which I never did really appreciate until now. I owned all the Logitech and Astro headsets as well as a few surround type. Audio quality didn't matter so much because the computer volume coupled with the headphone/headset volume controller was enough to hear, what I thought, the quality of music, and the difference wasn't as noticeable. Now I find myself ripping my CD's and dumping my lesser quality digital files in favor of the higher quality types. Actually reading into HQ music and streaming. Why? Because these set of headphones will do that for you in spades, and that to me is the only downside. You get out what was put in. If the recording is blah that is what you'll hear. If recording is harsh, that is what you will hear. If the source of the power you're using is like they say: neutral, warm, high, low, syllabic, etc., THAT is what you'll hear. I can hear the difference between what I use at home and what I use on the go. And I have definitely become spoiled. For those that appreciate bass like me because I like bass in my music and gaming, explosions have bass, and so does music, I don't care what the audiophiles say, these phones can do bass too. But, bass also depends on the power and quality of the source. So if the file/stream and AMP can't provide that to you, then you won't get that. Want to tell the difference? Listen to a music video on YouTube. Now listen to that same music video in HQ. Now listen to in HQ bass boosted. You can tell the difference of bbbbbbbbass provided. And you will become spoiled even more. Goes from bloom-bloom, boom-boom, to BOOM-BOOM! You can tell if it's a bass drum, bass guitar, or synthesizer as well as the tone (frequency?) of that bass. I guess you can say that for every entire range, from highs to mids to lows. I owned a pair of Beats Studio wireless and it was great because it was wireless, had bass and music was decent at best. No joke, that is how I felt about them Then I got these and now sounds are much clearer, highs are noticeable, and bass has power, but doesn't overwhelm. The Cranberries get's me inspired, Taylor swift makes me sing along, 60's tracks are amazingly well preserved, Yellow Claw makes me want to go clubbing with the kids half my age (I won't), while Pachelbel Canon will make me day dream and feel cultured (Se7en library scene reference). By the way, Kanye can spit rhymes in one take, you can hear him take a breath between line, while Jay-Z cuts it after ever line. Now about that burn in period. I listened to them when I first got them and then after I had them playing 40+ hours of that burn in sounds, but I couldn't tell a difference. My theory on what happens is after a while of listening to headphones (or any type of sound providing equipment) is that your ears get used to it and it starts to sound pleasant to to you, like naturally with everything. The only way to know for sure which headphones, or sound equipment is better, is to have them all side by side, playing from the same power source, listening to the track. And most music shops don't have that, most normal users can't afford that, and most high end reviews can do that without bias and personal preference involved. So take that for what it's worth. Now to gaming. YEAH BUDDY! Gaming is awesome, hands down. You won't find it an issue running any genre of game you play. FPS games, where footsteps and positioning matter, sound come out precise, front to back, and left to right. But it still doesn't sacrifice positioning for sound effects, ambiance, or the boom boom. Water laps upon the shore, the dirt sifts under your feet as you walk or run, gear shifts as you move, shells clank off the floor as you empty your clip, and explosions are loud and boom boom. Of course games have to be coded that way for you to appreciate these sounds, but for those who know, we know. You can estimate the distance and direction the enemy tank is coming, and still can hear the sound and direction enemy players that are flanking your position, all the while artillery is being dropped nearby. Fantasy games where music and ambiance matter, these phones really help set the mood and for you. Shoot, even League of Legends sound amazing, you can hear an enemy teleport incoming and from what bush. No joke. It still depends on the power that drives it (see the first paragraph so see my setup), so take the time and do your research on picking your Amp/DAC or even portable amp. So the final part of this review, comparisons. Compared with all the other headphones and headsets I used for gaming and music, this is, by far the best yet. Not only because of the sound it will give you, but the price you pay. It performs way better than what you pay for. You may ask why charge so little when you get so much? I think it's because they feel they will sell them and make a profit and because they want to help you out because you will spend way on a good Amp/DAC. Thanks Fostex, good looking out! How do they compare to similar offerings or even to higher end gear? I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that I chose this because most phones I researched could offer you either good music or good gaming, not both. And these do both very, very, well. Amazingly well. Would I recommend these to gamers? Hell yes! Would I recommend these music lovers? Again, hell yes! Would I recommend these to movie lovers? Hell ye, wait I didn't even cover movies... I feel that movies is like music like gaming. You get out what you put in. You will, and can, tell the difference in recordings and between Blu-ray and DVD, from MKV to .mp4. That's how good these phones are. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a step from their current headphones. A taste of the high end audio life without the high end price. But you will pay the price for the power source. Oh yes, you will pay. But these are wurf. GG no RE.

Firstly, I have to say that these are, on their own, amazing headphones, but just like all other headphones, they have their shortcomings (which are luckily small). The Build: These cans are built pretty well built. The aluminum adjusters (and the copper wires) are the only metals on the headphones while everything else is built out of some sort of hard plastic. The headphone cups themselves can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally about the ears through the use of a ball joint, but I warn you all, don't push on the joint too hard or else you'll break something. Comfort: Comfort on these headphones is a mixed bag for me that gets a little bit better over time. The headband is padded well enough for me to feel comfortable wearing the headphones for a long period of time. However, this story changes when you mention the ear pads. While these certainly are "Over-Ear" headphones, my large ears (which from comparison to all my friends is the largest among them) don't entirely fit into the pads. I always have to have my ear lobes touching the bottom of the pads, but that isn't a big issue since ear lobes have a dull sense of touch. The worst problem for the ear pads is that they are quite thin. They're plenty soft, but I wished they could've been thicker. You'll get used to them as you wear them more and more though, and DON'T replace those pads unless you know what effect they'll have because these headphones are unforgiving to different pads(more on this in pad changing section). Sound: Oh sound, the most important part of these headphones. Are they as silky smooth and transparent as I hoped? Did they make me fall in love with my music all over again? Well, the answer is yes and no. Let's go over why. Also for the readers knowledge, I used the Monoprice Desktop Headphone DAC/AMP for all my listening and used both MP3 and FLAC files. For even more objective listening, I used a sine wave generator (SineGen: it's a free software that you can use too) to determine the peaks and dips in the headphones. Some of you readers might have already looked up frequency responses for these headphones and while you can rely on them to tell you how the headphones sound, your ears (and mine) will remain the true judge and so, as a note, my perception of peaks and dips in these headphones slightly differs from that of the graphs at innerfidelity. The listening was done with the stock pads, of course. (I just want to be extremely clear about all the details. Sorry if you think this is too much) Bass: The bass on these headphones, in one word, is "fun" and the reason for this is that they have a peak at 100Hz. This peak gives the heaphones that bass "punch" that we all hear of in reviews, but everything below that frequency starts to fall. Well, 50Hz is also pretty loud, but I can certainly say that everything below 50Hz loses impact. These headphones simply lack in sub-bass and not even equalizing can save them because (after trying myself) amplifying frequencies at 20-30Hz makes the headphones crackle in an annoying way. Because of this lack of sub-bass, I can't say these headphones are entirely accurate in bass reproduction, but I have to say that listening to drum solos on these things is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had. So bass gets a 7/10 for me. Mid Range: The mid range on these headphones is undoubtedly its best aspect. I have almost nothing negative to say about them (almost). Le'ts get specific. Using my sine wave generator, I determined that there was a slow rise in loudness from 200Hz and peaks at 1.1KHz(this is the loudest peak in the mid range) and rolls of all the way to 2Khz. After reaching 2Khz, the amplitude of the sound suddenly increases tremendously at 2.4Khz and begins a slight roll-off from there with a major dip at 5.4KHz (3Khz and 4Khz range is is just slightly less loud than the peak at 2.4Khz). So how does all this translate into actual music? Well, the mid range is, in one word, "full." It's got almost everything. Vocals have guts in them (this is that 200Hz rise kicking in) and at the same time still sound transparent (because of the peaks at 1.1 and 2.4KHz probably). So the mid range, to my ears, sounds full and transparent with the only complaint from me is that the 5.4KHz frequency is just not loud enough, making vocals the tiniest bit inaccurate from their true tone, but like I said, these headphones have some of the most pleasing vocals out there. Treble: This is the part of the phones that I seem to have a love-hate relationship with. I'll be straight. The treble has some "sizzle" to it which is mentioned in the innerfidelity review I read. This sizzle is attributed to the rise in amplitude from 6KHz to 10KHz with, based on my listening, 9.75KHz being the peak. In music, this accentuated treble produces a pleasant airy, whirring background sound that seems to make the music more spacious (illusion of added soundstage). Percussion instruments have added "ting" to them and things like cymbals and high-hats leave slightly longer hisses after each hit. Think what you will of that, but I kind of like it. The most pleasant thing about this excited treble though, is that it is just fantastic with pop and electronic music: it just makes everything 5 times more exciting to listen to. I guarantee (no refunds from me) electronic music listeners, you'll put a smile on your face. Now, here's the bad thing about the treble: it is the horrible letter "S." The volume tends to vary between tracks, but the "S" sound in vocals seem accentuated. This problem is most noticeable in rap music where the "S" sound just kills my ears. For the most part though, the "S" sound will remain comfortable on most tracks and if that isn't the case for you, I'd recommend using an equalizer to to tame the "S". Sound Summary: Fun Bass. Full Mid Range. And Sizzling Treble. What else can I say? These headphones just scream fun. I would definitely recommend them. Pad Changing: I recommend only changing the stock pads if you absolutely cannot bear them and I'll tell you why you shouldn't. Since I didn't like the stock pad initially I bought myself a pair of Shure HPAEC1840 Velour pads and Brainwavz Hybrid Memory Foam ear-pads. Both pads are much thicker than stock and they both seem to boost the treble to uncomfortable levels. Whenever I heard a hi-hat on the drums or a word using the letter "S" there always seemed to be too much emphasis on those sounds. On my jazz and classical tracks, the treble was able to stay on the edge of comfortable, but getting into the more treble heavy tracks like electronic, pop, and hip hop music, the treble became unbearable. Outside of treble, though, both earpads change the sound signature in varying ways. The Shure HPAEC1840 pads reduce the bass slightly, specifically stuff at or below 100Hz (tested through listening to a sine wave generator). The mid-range on the Shure pads is more accentuated (around 1000Hz to 2000Hz). The bass on the Brainwavz Hybrid pads is essentially the same as the stock, but the mid range is reduced, making for a slightly v- shaped sound signature.

Rarely will I write a review for a product on amazon, but these definitely deserve the praise. For some background, I have a decent collection of audio gear and have been a music lover for over 20 years (since age 10). It was'nt until about 5 years ago that my interest in audiophilia elevated to where spending more than the average dollar for better sounding music was no big deal for me. My real journey started with the Panasonic RP-HTX-7 back in 2012, even being cheap, were real eye openers when it comes to sound. Since then, other phones came and went: audio technica M50x, sony MDR-V6, sennheiser HD598. Every one of them did'nt quite gel one way or the other. The M50x was too unbalanced in the bass/midrange and only semi-comfy, V6 was too sharp in the treble for me and also has terrible pads. The 598 has a huge bass deficit, but otherwise beats the other 2. Being not quite satisfied with those phones, I branched out to upgrade to a DAC (Schiit Modi 2 uber) and amps (fiio E11K, Schiit Magni 2 uber, Schiit Lyr 2). Around that time, I purchased Sennheiser HD600's, Mrspeakers Alpha Dog, NAD Viso HP50, and recently, these Fostex MK3's. Which do I prefer? Well, each headphone does different things, and can serve different purposes and become preferable for certain music genres. The HD600 you can listen to for hours and have unbeatable comfort and midrange, but lack any real wow factor (remember they are non-fatiguing in any way). The Alpha Dog is super isolating and super detailed but lacks a bit of punch. The HP50 is great for mobile and has wonderful impact and bass/mid response, but has slight congestion not only in fit but also in sound. Now the Fostex is a very different animal, and the cheapest of the four (by far). Its not very pretty and it needs a lot of power to get the desired sound it can produce. All of my mentioned amps can power it just fine, however. The biggest issue of these fostex is the stock pads are terrible (not sound, just uncomfortable). I had to change them to Shure 1540 alcantara pads (at the suggestion of a very helpful fellow audiophile). They rival my HD600 in comfort, and the sound appears unchanged from the stock pads. All these cons and required pad changing are quite discouraging, are'nt they? Well if they did'nt sound as good as they do, it would'nt have been worth it. They rank higher than the other headphones I own in sound quality. For comparison: -HD600: Best midrange. Has similar, but leaner bass presence, very small to no soundstage and is not as clear. -Alpha Dog: Best sub-bass, but lacks punch as well as slightly less clarity. This lessened clarity is made up for with a wider soundstage. It is less focused in sound imaging and is also heavier than the fostex. -Nad HP50: As good as it is at being portable, it costs twice as much and it is bested in all convievable areas by the T50RP MK3. I would'nt call the fostex a good portable headphone, however. The fostex mk3's signature is one of fun, clarity, and precision. The bass is my favorite part of these headphones. It is very present and mid-bass focused, sub-bass takes a backseat, but is not completely missing. For clarification; sub-bass is the deepest/lowest notes you will hear (think thumping rap and rumbling beats) and Mid-bass represents bass guitar, the low end crunch of electric and acoustic guitars. Mid-bass usually represents the meat of most instrumental music and drums..the MK3 handles it so, so well. The midrange I do not find to be lacking in any way, it just sounds natural. The treble is exciting and can be a tad bit sharp, but ultimately is clean and never dull or annoying. There is nothing offensive about the sound signature these produce, even if the soundstage is not very big. The only con sound-wise I can think of is the soundstage itself lacks a bit of seperation. Yes, you can hear everything and all the detail shows up. It just does'nt have a lot of 'space' around the instruments like the alpha dogs do. The fostex is so engaging, clear and fun that you really don't focus on that, however. I spent a month running these MK3's through my usual torture tests and found them to pass with flying colors. They are forgiving enough to be on your head for hours, exciting enough to make music pleasurable, and speedy/clear enough to retain lots of detail. Best of all is they nail the bass response perfect with no sign of muddiness. I happen to prefer metal music (and lots of rock), but I really listen to lots of diverse genres as well, and nothing sounds bad through these MK3's at all. Just incredible headphones for the money, the fact they outshine my alpha prime at 1/3 the cost is quite a feat! Recommended ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 02/26/2017: These headphones have certainly proven their worth. In the past 6 months, I have done the following: -Sold my Alpha Prime, the fostex are roughly equal. -Tried new headphones, including the Audioquest Nighthawk and Audeze LCD-X. Even for what they gave me in soundstage and resolution improvements, they still lost out in immediacy, engagement and fun factor. Fostex is still king! -Upgraded my amp to the Ifi iCan SE; the fostex needs the power and it is worth every watt you can feed them. -Recently upgraded these stock T50RP MK3 to the Mayflower V1 edition and they are EVEN better than before. Clearer mids and calmer treble. -Performed a simple mod on them to bring up the bass. -I like them so much now that I added some Carbon Fiber Vinyl wrap to customize their appearance(picture included). Also added a MrSpeakers comfort head strap. Now they are just perfect, perfect!

TL;DR: If you're looking to enjoy games with better sound, these are your pair. DO THE AMAZON CALL AND GET THE AMAZON HARMONY CODES! THEY LITERALLY JUST GIVE YOU A CODE FOR 10%-20% OFF MOST OF THE ITEMS YOU'LL BE BUYING! MUST BUY PADS(These are often the most recommended- google around for others if you want but beware that their sound could worsen drastically with a bad match) Shure HPAEC1540 Replacement Alcantara Ear Pads for SRH1540 Headphones Likely will need to buy: A headphone amp/dac set or combo. Linking mine in the review, there are better out there if you are grabbing these for music. Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround HD Audio External Sound Card with Headphone Amplifier for Windows PC/Mac/PS4/and Other Consoles As a person who is a "gamer" and not an audiophile, I was greatly impressed. If you're looking at this page you've probably done the same as I have, reading/watching headphone reviews in an attempt to find one that works but doesn't break the bank. For me it was either this or the k7xx, and I took this because the k7xx can't be purchased and returned, and these are semi-closed rather than fully open. They are fantastically capable headphones. Out of the box, I was able to use 7.1 surround MUCH clearer than with my old HyperX Cloud IIs(which are already a good headphone that is re-branded). They do, however, come with TINY pancake pads. If you buy this headset and don't replace the ear pads I guarantee you'll return it thinking it isn't comfortable. Makes the headset cost an additional 40-50, but when complete, it's just amazing. They're semi-closed, meaning they'll leak sound, but honestly I think my ear pads leak more sound than the ports at loud levels anyway. Definitely need an amplifier to get good, loud sound out of these. For gaming, I recommend the Creative G5, because it's a soundcard/dac/amp, lets you plug in your microphone, gives you many settings to fine-tune your sound, and most importantly provides support for 7.1 surround sound, which TO ME made so much difference that I won't be letting go of it for a cheaper/better amp. For music, on it's own, it gets to about a 6.5/10 without software for this headset, and to about 8.5/10 utilizing the options the software gives you. My setup is this headset(open-box for $120), 1840 pads($40), G5($120), and a Boompro($30, not the best because of the port location but it's fine for me). Makes my total right around $310- a little on the high side but right around the cost of "high-end" gaming headsets and I guarantee it'll outperform them in comfort/quality all around. Well-worth the investment- the improved positioning has genuinely helped me track enemies in games while the sound improvements are making me hear so much more that I'm now appreciating artists that I used to scoff at. If one does decide to become an audiophile and get even more out of this, you can send these in to get modded into Argons, which are one of the best closed-headphones within their price range, and connect an additional amplifier to the G5, meaning nothing(except maybe the original pads) would go to waste!

Let's start with a few caveats before I begin my litany of praises. First, these are meant for desktop listening WITH AN AMP. If you want portable headphones, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something that will sound good connected to your phone, keep looking. I tested these plugged directly into both my iPhone and computer and the result was unsatisfactory. You have to crank the volume up to around 60% to achieve a normal volume, and even then these headphones don't sound quite right: highs, lows, and mids run together and struggle to resolve fine detail and proper instrument separation. You'll get muddy, sprawling bass, tinny, unfocused treble, and some sounds will simply go missing. In short, without an amp they sound unmusical and even broken. If you want a pair of cans that sound great without any additional kit, I can't discourage you strongly enough from buying these. You'll be disappointed. If, however, you already have an amp or don't mind buying one and want something that sounds like $500 for $160, I can't recommend these highly enough. With even a USB-powered amp like the Schiit Fulla 2 I have, the sound transforms from a buzzy mess to a sonic map of the heavens. Seriously. I've never heard anything as precise, textured, balanced, and accurate as these for less than $300. Everything just sounds right. The soundstage is wide enough for good instrument separation and deep enough for good imaging, though neither of these dimensions is spectacular on the T50RP. Where these really shine is in their frequency response. Bass is tight and articulate (as opposed to the monotonous throbbing characteristic of lesser headphones), treble snaps and sparks without being too fatiguing, and mids are warm and smooth. I wouldn't call the sound "flat," however. If anything, these lean toward a "dark," midbass-defined sound. Lovers of sub-bass may be disappointed by the lack of rumble, but to me the sound is just thick enough to make thumpy music sound fun without going over the top. Another word of warning: because these are so revealing, bad recordings will sound BAD. I've read this caveat hundreds of times in reviews and on audio forums in reference to other products and never found it to be true. With these, it's true. These will amplify any flaw in the underlying file or recording, but as long as you have a reasonably high-quality source (I stream Spotify at 320 kbps), you should be on cloud nine most of the time. I have two recommended modifications that echo what many other reviewers have said: replace the included earpads and cable because they're terrible. The Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads for Large Over the Ear Headphones, Brown are EXCELLENT pads—I can't recommend them highly enough for the price, and they'll transform the fit and comfort of the T50RP, which is severely lacking out of the box. Just as important, they improve the sound by creating a better seal against your head. As for the cable, you may find it inoffensive and choose to keep it. I initially tried to go that route, but the locking cable is fiddly, occasionally crackly, and has bad microphonics (plus a tendency to cling to your clothes). Get the V-MODA Extended Audio Cable (Black) and don't look back. I know what you're thinking: if I have to buy an amp, pads, and a cable, these aren't REALLY $160 headphones. That's true. They're more like $275 headphones, but even at that price point they're incredible. It's also possible that your anatomy will agree better with the stock pads than mine did, in which case these are more like $250 headphones. Of course, if you already have an amp, these are the headphone deal of the century. Either way, with the obligatory amp, these punch WAY above their weight. My Schiit Fulla 2 is a tiny, USB-powered thing that still provides more than enough juice for these—I almost never turn the volume knob past about 1/3. Don't believe the claims that you need a big high-wattage amp to drive these—overkill is always the name of the game in audiophilia. That said, more power will generally give better detail and balance at lower volumes, and the JDS Labs Objective2 Amplifier I'm using with these is a perfect match. Of course, if you already have a high-current class-A headphone amp with 2W per channel at 50 ohms and a multibit DAC, I'm sure that will sound even better. :)

I've owned many $200 and below headphones, such as: - Sennheiser HD 6XX - Sennheiser HD 598 Cs - Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro 250ohm - AKG K7xx - Audio Technica ATH-A900X - Audio Technica ATH-M40X I've also listened to, but not owned, many others, such as the Audio Technica ATH-M50 and ATH-M50X, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and DT 990 Pro, Sennheiser HD 598, others I cannot remember at the moment. Of all those, the Fostex T50RP MK3 is my favorite. This is coming from someone who mostly listens to rock, metal, and rap, but I also try a bit of everything to get a feel for a headphone's or speakers' capability. The T50RP MK3 has the best bass quality in the price range by far; sure, you can find other headphones with more boosted mid-bass that bleeds over the mids and sounds terrible, but you cannot beat this quality for the price (not for a brand new headphone at least). Slightly better bass extension than the others, more full bodied bass all around, and better impact than most. It also has my favorite mids for the price, yes better than the HD 6XX (which is just a Sennheiser HD 650). The HD 6XX has some problems in the upper mid region, it can sound a tad strident/harsh/artificial on certain tracks and even lacking in body in the upper mids at times. This isn't talked about much with the HD 600/HD 6XX, but the problem is there on my Schiit Lyr 3 and Garage1217 Project Ember II (the former being a much better amp, one of the best single ended solid state amps available and a damn fine tube hybrid) and Chord Mojo setup (best DAC for under $1,000). The T50RP MK3 doesn't lack body anywhere in its mids, and I don't detect any real issues with the mid range sound. The treble is definitely not the best for the price range, that would probably go to the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro which has the cleanest and most linear treble in the price range to my ears. But the T50RP MK3 treble does not cause fatigue at least, it just seems inaccurate and a bit thin at times, and perhaps lacking in extension. This being a planar magnetic headphone means the bass quality just blows every similarly priced non-planar out of the water. It also means there is no real burn-in requirement. Downsides to planar magnetic tech depends on how it is implemented; I am no T50RP MK3 expert so I can't say how severe its drawbacks are, but to my ears it is only lacking in treble response. Sound stage is mediocre for the price too, the AKG K7xx is the king of that for $200 and below. Also the build quality of this headphone is trash, it feels like a toy but at least it has a detachable cable (and comes with two cables). As some of you might now, this headphone is insanely moddable. It may be a "mid-fi" headphone, but the driver has outstanding capabilities as modders have revealed. In other words, this headphone can be modded to become truly spectacular. The best examples of modded T50s are without a doubt the ZMF Blackwood and Ori; I have the former, and am awaiting the latter, but the main difference between them is the former is closed back while the latter is semi open back. The ZMF Blackwood is one of only two headphones I've owned (out of more I haven't even listed) that have flawless sound to me, with respect to the technology used (e.g. I know it can never have treble as good as an electrostatic, or a sound stage as huge as the AKG K1000). You can't exactly submit a T50RP MK3 to ZMF and get a ZMF headphone in return, but others can mod them for you or you can try yourself.

I recently bought these to replace an old dying pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 pro's (250 ohm). My original setup used to consist of those plus a Fiio E07k. the Fiio ended up dying so i've been using a cheap Syba USB "sound card" for both my headphones and cheap neewer studio mic input.. I absolutely loved the DT770's. they were comfortable which is my absolutely #1 concern with headphones. Infact, they were my #1 recommended to anyone moving from cheap crap "gaming" headsets to actual quality true headphones, simply because they lasted me more than 8 years of total abuse (I travel a lot) and how comfortable they were. My main sound requirements are gaming, video, and music, in that order. I'm not super into heavy bass music, though I do have an appreciation for some GOOD bass. the DT770's delivered on that being a closed setup, however their sound stage, when compared to other options that were open, was obviously lacking. however that never really bothered me. I was still able to game perfectly fine and enjoyed the sound either way. I'm not a super audiophile snob, just have a new found respect for some higher quality headphones. Now, On to these. Out of the box the earpads are nowehre near DT770 comfort level, and the headband definately leaves somethin to be desired. I upgraded right away (i ordered them at the same time, but tested with stock earpads) to Shure 1540's. ABSOLUTELY a must have. if you don't get these pads you're a masochist. again, out of the box, the sound was VERY impressive even compared to DT770's. The sound when compared to the DT770's is "more fun" I don't really know how to explain it. I think these are probably the best sub-300$ gaming headphones. The sound stage is there, but only "better" than the DT770's, its good enough, but it could definitely use more, but not at the expense of anything else... Only real negative other than being a bit uncomfortable for me out of the box (I fixed myself and knew that was going to be an issue); they seem a bit hard to drive. as in, harder to drive than my DT770 250ohm's, and these are apparently only 50 ohm drivers... I am using it still directly through my cheap USB Syba soundcard, it IS able to drive it fine, ableit i'm at 100% volume and it's just barely what I would use at about 75% on my DT770's. Definately suggest getting a DAC/AMP, even a cheap one. The one I have on order is the Syba Sonic. Will update when that arrives (backorder) Modding wise, I think these take the cake, there's so much info on making them even more comfortable, changing the sound profile, etc.

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.

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