Massdrop x fostex tr-x00 mahogany headphones

What does the community think of these headphones? I have heard great things about the brand if you are looking for a bass-heavy pair! Looks like they are now including removable cables, or maybe they have for a while now and this is just Drop marketing. Anyone own and what do you think? Reviews from the drop community have them at 4.5 stars and 100% recommended. Pretty impressive.

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They’re identical to the TH-X00, just with removable cables (similar, but not identical, connector to the Sennheiser HD6XX … albeit wired in opposite polarity). And the TR (removable cable) version came out in mid-2018.

I had the Ebony versions, which are the most neutral of the series. Prior to that I had the TH-X00 in Purpleheart.

They’re excellent cans.

I only sold mine because, as good as they are, I had better closed-backs that were getting all my closed-back listening time.

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I had them. I had the Emu Teak headphones too. Both are bass cannons. The Emu were betterer. Still V shaped, but less sucked out in the mids, and better for wider ranges of tunes. Both need new earpads if your the kind who dislikes things touching your ears. Stock pads are semi-on-ear, despite being big enough to be considered circumaural. Aftermarket pads compared here.

I do miss my Teak headphones sometimes. They are just loads of fun.

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I love the ebony model. It’s a fun, balanced headphone. I use it at work often. Not a fan of the purpleheart one.

It’s not the most resolving headphone, but it does the trick for me for multi-tasking usage.

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I use some sheepskin pads I found on amazon that are the same shape and design as the stock pads, but they are supremely more comfortable and also lower the bass and raise the treble slightly and this provides an even more neutral balanced sound.

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Agree with the Prof and others; the E-mu Teaks all the way. Had the original TH-X00 and liked them but the bass sometimes just overwhelmed the mids too much for my liking. Got the Teaks and swapped the pads with the ZMF Ori pads… love 'em.

I bought a pair of used purplehearts to play around with, nice but swapped the cups on them with a different wood which seemed to tame them a bit.

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All the drivers are the same in the Massdrop/Drop TR-X00 series (just over 1 Tesla). The cups/chambers are indeed what alters the sound. The Fostex TH-900mk2 and 909 use a more powerful driver (about 1.5 Tesla).

It’s amazing how much cups and pads affect sound.

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If the transducer is the orchestra, then the cups and pads are the venue in which they play.

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Well said. :tumbler_glass:”:tumbler_glass:

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Darn it… Now I’m thinking fondly of when I had the Teak. Thinking of ordering another. This is your fault @MRHifiReviews!!

Shakes fist at sky

Darn you!!!

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This damned forum. I’m 5 minutes away from arguing about a chair I want! :rofl:

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Lol!

Lol! You guys crack me up!

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Don’t laugh at me! This is serious!

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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The 2nd HP I ever owned as the Massdrop TX-00. I found it uncomfortable (those earpads truly suck). The bass was amazing. But I found this HP difficult to bear: a combination of bright upper mids, audible “grain” (roughness) in the treble, and uncomfortably strong dynamics in those tonal zones. The TX-00 became a case of me learning what I don’t want in headphones.

Several years later, heartened by praise/comments for the E-mu Teak (usually contrasting it favorably against the physically similar TX-00), I bought one direct from the mfr. The sound really was a big upgrade over the TX-00 IMO. The concussive bass & sub-bass of the TX-00 was slightly softer & rounder, which I found pleasing. Mids were better, less recessed; and upper mids & treble were less grainy & grating; they were of the “hurts so good” variety. A great sound, smooth & organic. But those uncomfortable pads became impossible to ignore.

@ProfFalkin & I collaborated on a pad-rolling experiment using a number of aftermarket pads of all kinds. Some pads did less sonic damage than others, and all improved comfort. I finally concluded that no set of pads preserved that bouncy, musical/organic sound of the E-mu Teak sufficiently. So I reluctantly sold them.

I don’t think of them too often, now that I found another headphone, distinctly more expensive (ZMF Aeolus) which IMO gives almost all the sonic benefits of the E-mu Teak with vastly greater comfort. And it’s an open-back, which I really must have (closed backs aggravate my tinnitus too much to be practical).

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I had these headphones until a few months ago.

They offer solid value for the price. Beautiful look, solid comfortable pads, great sounds for hip hop and otherwise solid across the spectrum for my ears at least.

I sold them because they leaked a little too much for work and I knew there were better all around cans (Stellia).

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Have the TH-X00 Mahogany. It’s the best rock/metal can I have in hands, better than Grado SR325e which is lacking in bass.

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Welcome to the forum!

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Welcome to the forum @DNTWIBT! Those Foster drivers are pretty special.

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@DNTWIBT awesome man and welcome to the forum!

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