I found the treble could be harsh with some recordings listening to the stock T50RP. T50RP mk2 had the porous paper; T-XO-ii, T50RP mk3 and now T60RP have the thicker paper with the single vent. If you've been following my posts you'll see I usually leave audio products alone once I get them ... kidding ;) I picked up a Fostex T50RP mk3 (or mk III, however you want to write it) so I could see the differences from the original T50RP … Each step of internal modification impacts the interaction with the chosen pads. Honestly, you could start and end your Fostex RP modification journey just with ear pad changes. The example images on our listings are as a guide only; any and all cable purchased may look slightly different to these example images. Most important to consider is what I was hoping to achieve by modifying the T50RP mk3. “…the Alpha Dog is easier to like with its more dynamic sound, but is also superior in terms of technicalities… This is the best T50RP-mod headphones I’ve heard… Let’s start with the best part first. Not even close. There is some debate around whether the raised flat surface centered directly behind the driver should be covered with foam or cotton, as the theory is that it reflects certain frequencies directly back through the driver to the ear. Adhesive foam or felt dots are sometimes used, or Transpore surgical tape strips may be placed over the back (or along the edges) of the driver. Low density memory foam (easy to compress). Regardless of model, all current Fostex RP models share the identical. Enigmatic Audio was created by Head-Fi member and sound engineer, Luis Flores, otherwise known online as LFF. So, we modified the mk3 … Just Another Fostex T50RP Mk3 Mod No single headphone has been modded quite as extensively as the Fostex T50RP. It sounds very, very good (as it should for the original $600 price tag)! This removes the locking jack mechanism and replaces it with a new jack that is no longer recessed. Hello everyone, about 2 Weeks ago i ordered successfully my Argon MK 3 Conversion for the Fostex T50RP-Mk3 (got a order confirmed mail). and finish (smooth, fenestrated, hybrid, etc.) The Schiit Lyr version 1 tends to be my go-to for ample power. Short answer is ‘yes’. The Argons include a hand-stitched deerskin suede comfort strap, ear-side baffle damping, custom driver modification, ZMF ear pads, V-Moda cable, metallic vinyl decals on the cups and 3D printed badges. I am using the Mayflower mod kit with the baffle upgrade. The Mk3 sounds much better balanced, erring mainly with a very slight sizzle in the treble, and loss of bass below around 100Hz. Your email address will not be published. The timing of this interest mirrored the success of companies, such as HiFiMan, who started gaining widespread recognition for producing relatively inexpensive, but good sounding planar magnetic headphones. This region of sound is often fatiguing for people, and T50RP mods are infamous for having peaks in this area. Clamping force should just be as easy as bending the band along the length to approximate a smaller circle. First up is the an unmodded Fostex T50RP mk3 with MrSpeakers Alpha pads. The Alpha Dog is superior to every other T50RP-mod I know in terms of depth.” –, “Stock Alpha Dogs are tuned neutral from the factory, and the default factory setting gives you one of the best flat monitoring tunings I’ve heard among any headphones. ZMF Headphones, founded by Zach Mehrbach, currently offers the Classic ($300), Blackwood ($700) and Ori ($900). Please not that the 'nut' around the 3.5mm socket must not be rotated, doing so will void your warranty as this could twist the internal wiring or damage the cup. Have a great day ! Not bad sounding, but for me there is a peak in the 2-4k range that I had to EQ out in iTunes by dropping it 6db. For instance, the extremely well reviewed Dekoni Blue version is often described as surpassing the sound quality of a stock T50RP mk3: I assume by their unspecified “proprietary changes” they mean “we made the cups blue and wrote Dekoni on the headband”. I also bought those cheap pads you liked but I actually liked how my Brainwavz XL Sheepskin sounded a little more (had them on my Modern Retros). Not so much a bass-head pad, but it’s impossible to complain about the quality. This listing is for a custom pair of Fostex T50RP MK3 headphones, modified by OIDIO SOUND. The clarity, imaging and instrument separation are the best I have ever … I certainly do. Extremely flat with amazing clarity.” –. Most pads have a fabric that covers the driver as well. This yielded reasonable amounts of clean, and not overwhelming, low end. Many report that opening the vents fully (to increase bass) and then using cotton to dampen reflections gives the most low end performance. With the Mk3 headphones we have a material upgrade for the inner baffle foam. The headphone cord is orange as stock, the closest paracord we have is "Orange" which is very similar but slightly different on close inspection, so note that selecting the cord colour in the listing refers only to the Pellucid-PLUS cable and not the headband cable. This is a completely safe and non-invasive modification (you don’t have to unscrew a single screw) that yields tangible results. Fostex T50RP MK3 Professional Studio Headphones Semi-Open T50-RP MKIII 5 out of 5 stars (5) 5 product ratings - Fostex T50RP MK3 Professional Studio Headphones Semi-Open T50-RP MKIII I’m also unapologetically a gear-head and love lights, buttons, meters, switches and especially things made from traditional wood, leather, metal and glass materials. Not only are they a must for comfort, ear pads also play a major role in sound quality. I’ve not tried it, but it may be possible to insert a bit of very flat rubber or something slightly tacky inside the retention area before screwing it back together. It all started with the Mk2 iteration which employed Fostex’s … With a tiny Allen (hex) key, the port opening could be screwed more or less open to change the level of bass. The stock pads, cables and socket are poor, and the aesthetics are much more suited for the recording studio than for public. Mod House Audio offers an upgraded (and almost twice as expensive – $25 vs $15) Suspension Strap out of hand-stitched deerskin suede or Alcantara. Unfortunately, if you elect to remove the material, or adhere another substance to it, it is all but impossible to get it back to stock form. There were several probable Fostex OEM headphones: Similar cosmetics to previous version but with a new 38mm square, T20RP mk3, T40RP mk3, T50RP mk3, T60RP, Dekoni Blue, Drop TX0 II. Just wondering if you know of any mods that address the issue I’m having? Planar magnetic drivers and headphones seem like a recent development due to increased popularity and press. –. Low price point – with the promise of top tier performance far below top tier prices, Ease of disassembly – real screws, no glue, means little chance of breakage, Simple cup design – lots of options to try damping and venting alterations, Not the ‘best’ stock sound or comfort – the flat stock ear pads are universally considered uncomfortable, Add loose cotton to the empty space behind the. Reducing unwanted mechanical vibrations. Build quality and comfort are quite good though. The exterior material (cowhide or lambskin leather, synthetic protein leather, alcantara, velour, etc. After much experimentation, I ended up covering all the front vents with tape and using the Mayflower Baffle Upgrade. Add that to the time invested in researching and testing my own modification process. In fact, as I write this, I put Foobar on shuffle and the tracks went from Bjork to Pat Metheny to The The to Goblin Cock to Jao Gilberto and they all sound amazing! Clearly more than enough leather for very many comfort straps or future DIY projects. Level 1 included internal sound modifications plus HiFiMan or Fisher Audio ear pads. New RP models and partnerships have debuted in the last couple of years with Dekoni Audio and Drop (formerly Massdrop). There have now been four generations (or versions) of RP headphones. “…none of the other modded T50RPs even got close of the quality of the Thunderpants. Proof that absolutely anyone can modify the RP series! Reducing unwanted air vibrations. One of the biggest improvements is a modification to stabilize the driver, lowering distortion and cleaning up the sound, eliminating any unwanted bass rattle noises. These worked perfectly. On the Mod … Perhaps to protect intellectual property, the website is disappointingly spartan and devoid of information. Check out how small changes can dramatically alter the sound of this orthodynamic headphones. His current lineup of modified T50RP headphones are the Paradox ($600) and the Starving Student Slant ($700). They feature smaller or larger vents in the cups to change the sound. The stock RP series cup is a thin plastic shell, empty of any sort of damping material. The T60 is definitely a move towards a more attractive and higher-end personal audio market. I don’t claim to have golden ears with magical properties, nor any ability to create music. [email protected], You are welcome! This progressed into the Alpha Dog ($600), which gained prestige by using the world’s first 3D printed cups. T20v3 has weak bass (with version one pads) and a smooth response tilted upward toward the treble.”. A DIY leather comfort strap was the obvious (and easy) starting place for my own modifications of a stock T50RP mk3. It’s an easy place to start improving things. In 2015, Tyll Hertsens of InnerFidelity posted measurements of many of the popular Fostex RP variants including both commercial and DIY modifications. This listing is for a custom pair of Fostex T50RP MK3 headphones, modified by OIDIO SOUND. Level 2 added a dual entry cable, comfort strap and custom paint job. Some like transpore tape, some like suede, some like their. Fostex T20RPMK3 Closed Headphone: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics Select Your Cookie Preferences We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, … Are they the best made, highest quality and most attractive headphones ever? t50rp, Adding dampening material to the interior of the cups is done in an effort to eliminate reflections and resonance. We offer a range of source connector options, including standard TRS jacks, XLRs and newer balanced TRRS connection options. Want a much more balanced sound? So if your personal tastes or modding goals differ from my own, then please just take this article as a discussion of what is possible. pellucid-plus, Information about the wire and Pellucid-PLUS cable: this is made with a high purity oxygen-free silver plated copper with a Teflon coating, 100-strands per core, to achieve the maximum potential in signal quality for silver plated copper. There are two categories of damping materials with two different purposes. Note, I use the Alpha Dog pads almost exclusively with the Alpha Dog headphones as intended. This was a monster article to put together, simply because there is SO MUCH information out there about these awesome headphones. Earpads are where the rubber meets the road as far as modifications go. Please be aware that TRRS jacks are not compatible with non-balanced sources, e.g. It is made of a heavier neoprene-like material that additionally blocks air from escaping. I bought the Mayflower kit minus the baffles. Popular in LP jacket photos as common studio headphones. Any advice on how to target this frequency range and drop it a few db with a mod?? This should serve to hold the rods a bit tighter. Specifically, the adjustment rods have become loose and the clamping force is pretty loose. I have a burgeoning headphone addiction and, while most of the headphones I own are more expensive than my Argon Mk2’s, some very much more so, I keep coming back to the Argon’s when I just want to kick back and enjoy music. I just got the dekoni blue and have been listening to them. They seem to make the high end sharper and much less pleasant for me. Makes possible the manufacture of headphones with outstanding directional characteristics. “Some, like bluemonkeyflier (BMF), prefer the stock white material left in place. I can attest that the Alpha Dog sounds very different that anything I was able to create myself with standard modding methods. A flat tool is used to scrape the surface of the clay flat and many modders recommend adding random indentations with a sharp point to further minimize the chance of reflections. The mk3 models signify a change in response to the current personal audio renaissance, with redesigned ear pads, housing and band to improve comfort and looks. This meant a washer was not required to keep from pulling through the leather. I’ll see how it sound already when I receive it, and might look to further modding it. I had to be extremely careful not to tear them and even then, they were starting to. I added more until I was satisfied with what I was hearing. A gap between the ear and pad will dramatically reduce low frequency response due to changes in acoustic pressure. The above graph shows the averaged raw frequency response plots of the left channel for the Mk3, Mk2, and Mr. Originally, the Paradox was available at three price points and modification levels. ), interior foam properties (memory, stiff, soft, etc.) Rather than adding a strap, another option is to replace the headband itself with a padded version such as the Fostex Comfort Headband from Mayflower Electronics. Fostex T50RP MK3 Professional Studio Headphones, Semi-Open Monolith M1060 Over Ear Planar Magnetic Headphones - Black/Wood With 106mm Driver, Open Back Design, Comfort Ear Pads For … Even within a single model (such as the T20) the sound has evolved significantly with each version. HP : Pioneer SE-MONITOR5, Denon AH-D1200, Sony MDR-1AM2, Audio-Technica M40x, Fostex T50RP MK3 (Mayflower Mod), CCA C16 Gear : Topping DX3 Pro, SMSL SP200, SMSL SU-9, … Using a metal ruler and a fresh X-Acto blade, it is easy to get a very clean edge on the leather. One or two could be added to reduce harshness or treble as desired. A proper seal is critical to good sound. In addition to the unique, and beautifully finished red cups (featuring 3D printed, double walled lattice) the Alphas were bundled with a metal stand, unbalanced Canare Quad Star cables with hirose cup connections (optional XLR were available), leather comfort strap, velvet bag and cleaning cloth kit. And they’re MUCH easier to get on and off, they slip around the outside cup. I’ve bent the hell out of the headband and taped the rods in position but, it’s a pretty janky fix. While excess treble was tamed, I discovered that adding anything to this area made the overall sound too muffled for my tastes. It is beneficial to explain my preferences before you take any advice from my personal experiences. I guess, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. Hopefully you now have a much greater knowledge and appreciation of why the Fostex RP series has been successful and popular for decades. Comparison Review: Audio Technica ATH-G1 vs. ATH-G1WL – For Gamers. The success of the third party modification companies proved that this inexpensive planar could be sold for 5 times the price with the right modifications. Very thin. The Dekoni Blue are produced by Fostex in their manufacturing facilities. For $20, you receive: All you need for several attempts at basic damping modifications (or for a couple pairs of headphones). An easy fix is to add a fabric or leather suspension strap beneath the existing headband, attached via the two screws on either side. In general, smoother finishes, like leather and protein (synthetic leather) tend to increase bass quantity, although perhaps at the expense of quality (loose vs tight bass). Sounds open but it’s closed. While impressive, it is frankly overwhelming to someone new to exploring the world of Fostex RP mods. Between the lackluster bass, very faint highs, … But I do have a deep appreciation for music, founded at a young age, and curated over the years. Damn fine article Mr. Wilson! The release of the enhanced mk3 versions brought renewed excitement to the community. To fully discuss the range of available modifications for the Fostex RP series, we need to take a look at the companies who are currently offering, or have offered, professional modification services. This is likely why there are so many different recommendations floating around. Fostex T50RP MK3 Mod Kit with Baffle Upgrade Brand New C $39.39 From United States Buy It Now Customs services and international tracking provided +C $26.05 shipping Fostex T50RP Headphone - Modification / Mod … Only the T60RP is listed as consumer equipment. Since ‘frugal DIY’ is the name of the game around here, I make a quick trip to the local used clothing store and bought a black leather coat for a few dollars. You will have to find the right amount venting based on your … Here is a graph of the Grados, the T50rp's after the first mod, and the T50rp after the mod I just did. You didnt change the file names of the “Popular commercial modification” so you can still find out what it is. I didn’t add the stiff felt to the driver. Make Offer - Used - ZMF Classic - balanced mod - Fostex T50RP MK3 Fostex T50RP MK3 Professional Studio Headphones, Semi-Open w/ Slappa case HP-07 $169.99 Free shipping Make Offer - Fostex T50RP MK3 … The tape is undetectable once ear pads are installed. The Classic maintains the traditional Fostex T50 mk3 build, but Blackwood and Ori both add wooden cups. It has a very neutral tonality and a surprisingly deep soundstage for a closed back headphone. Level 3 included a glossy black or white paint scheme, storage bag and mini-XLR cable and sockets. There are also 4 vents on the front side of the baffle surrounding the driver. The Fostex T50RP MK3 is my first foray into planar magnetic technology. Mayflower Electronics includes a rough template for cutting out the foam shapes for adhesion to the cup interior. Since I did not want to damage the stock white material, nor increase the treble, this is one aspect of modification that I did not pursue. As the model designations would suggest, all are evolutions of Fostex … :) I purchased Fostex T50RP MK3 a bit more than a week ago and found out, rather predictably, that Yulong U100 DAC is not enough indeed for the headphones … Себе брал амбушюры в большей степени как эксперимент под T50RP и AKG K340. The headphones are 50ohms, semi-open for studio use. I will be using the headphones for both gaming and music and want something with good imaging that sounds somewhat spacious and tonally balanced… In the end though, it all comes down to one thing. We will explore some of the standard recommended modifications and take a look at my journey in tuning a stock Fostex T50RP mk3. The original pancake pads are complete and utter poo poo. ZMF Headphones offers a Pilot Pad in suede or lambskin that wraps around the existing headband and provides additional cushioning. … The mk2 was significantly less expensive than the mk3. However, they boost the low end and seem to best suit what I’m looking for. Removing four easily accessible Philips screws is all that is needed to liberate the driver baffle from the back of the cup. This jack will be compatible with the stock cable for single-ended operation, or with a custom cable in balanced … In other words, what you decide to do inside the cups will likely change what ear pads you select in the end. You can target different placement on the driver. Feel like rocking out to Aphex Twin? This includes: 2. Fostex T50RP MK3 i sprzęt Burson Virtuoso zaprezentował z Foxtexami neutralne, analityczne brzmienie o sporej przestrzeni. Input your search keywords and press Enter. Extremely wide in the reproduction range of high frequencies. Clay is added to all the indentations surrounding the driver on the interior of the baffle. Although the components have changed a few times over the last 40 years, the proprietary transducer design and technology has remained essentially the same over the years. The stock cups on the Talos 2 are painted a distinctive hammered copper color (the previous Talos used decals). He also offers the Enigma (from $900), which is not a T50RP modification, but a completely new closed back headphone. “The RP system is an electrically driven electro-acoustic transducer using a plane coil diaphragm… a surface driving system which actuates the whole surface of the diaphragm with the same phase… so constructed that entire diaphragm is evenly driven by supporting extremely thin plane coils of high density between pairs of powerfully magnetic circuits with identical poles opposed, through a unique holding method.” – original 1977. Hey, thanks for this article! I know that both of those things will add bass but what are the differences between how they affect the rest of the sound? These headphones come with a 1-year warranty. They describe the sound as: The Talos 2 includes a leather comfort strap, rubber bumpers on the headband sliders and a pair of custom-made hybrid (sheepskin and velour) ear pads. As expected, it is a successor to their previously offered Talos model. When you select replacement pads, you must balance comfort (size, breathability, thickness, and firmness) with the corresponding changes in sound that is created by each of those factors. Current lead time: 15-20 working days (which is about 3-4 weeks as working days do not include weekends, bank holidays or other days we are closed).