Z Review - Fostex T50rp MkIII (My New Babies) 

After watching a crapload of reviews for these and many similarly priced headphones, I decided to pick up some stock T50RP MK3(Bought the Shure replacement pads as instructed). Honestly, you pretty much sold these to me with this review alone, and my wallets mad....but my ears thank you! The fact that you can make these your own sound-wise with mods was also a huge factor for me and I can see why they're so popular. I haven't been this excited about being an audiophile in years and your reviews just speak to me in a way that others do not. I know this is an older review and you may never read this but thank you for putting so much time, effort, and heart into these reviews.

"Efficiency, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NONE!" I just started watching this chanel but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it.

came back to this video 5 years later to re-appreciate the review that got me into audio, and headphones, and MUSIC once more; great recommendation, I still love my pair (even though my dekoni pads are practically falling apart now). Thanks Zeos

So, I received a pair of these about a week ago, was listening with the stock pads. I didn't find them particularly uncomfortable actually, maybe because I don't have a very wide/thick head. But, I managed to get my hands on a pair of the Shure 1540 pads for $40, albeit with a one week delay for restocking, shipping, etc, so I went for it, because why not. In that first week, I used these cans a LOT. And as advertised, they sound phenomenal; excellent, tight bass response with a high level of detail and clarity in midrange and treble, which I personally place a high value on. Needless to say, I was very impressed and happy with my purchase. Thanks, Z! Now, fast forward to today: received the 1540 pads. These are clearly high quality and VERY comfortable. However, after putting them on, I noticed right away that something wasn't right. With the new pads, a portion of the detail and clarity is lost, and the bass becomes a bit more bloated. I would generally say the sound is more muffled. DISCLAIMER: I would not call myself an audiophile, an amateur one at best, but the difference is very noticeable. I would attribute it to the foam/felt on the stock pads vs the 1540's. It is about twice as thick, with the Shure pads having a thin layer of actual foam. The stock pads have a thin, herringbone-eque stitched material, no foam. Just thought I'd share. Now trying to decide if the Shure pads are worth the extra comfort for what I would perceive as a decrease in sound quality.

Ok, you just made me $131.26 poorer and I'm not even pissed. These are the best sounding headphones I own.

Doc Brown invented the Fostex T50rp Mkiii. Quote: "This sucker's electrical. But I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 jigga-watts of electricity I need." Re plutonium required to run the Mkiii: "[Doc,] did you rip that off?" "Of course. From a group of Libyan nationalists. They wanted me to build them a bomb, so I took their plutonium and, in turn, gave them a shoddy bomb casing full of Audio-Technica M50 parts!"

I just got my Fostex T50rp today and I immediately put the Shure 1540 Pads on them. After plugging them into my schiit stack and giving them a listen, I was blown away by the sound! They are absolutely incredible and one of my new favorite headphones!!! Thank you Z for the awesome review and recommendation!

Damn Z, you're costing me money again.

You haven't heard inefficient headphone till you've had the old 80's AKG K240m 600ohm. Good god they can't be driven by anything.

OK, I'm about to get hammered I'm certain, but the shure1540s (alcantara) feel amazing and get you a hair more soundstage, true. but the stock pads sound the best in terms of sound coherence. this is absolutely a driver distance issue. the 1540s don't sound bad, but they do two things that I can hear: attenuate the low mids and mids a noticeable amount emphasize around the 5 khz range and make cymbals somewhat harsh. but drum attack is overbearing too I must say given this spike. the smack of the tom and snare skins really stands out as will a papery kick drum or clicky kick drum with plastic or wooden beaters. together it disjoints the music somewhat. you lose mid bass warmth and take on more treble overall. and because the treble is only accentuated at certain frequencies it tends to bury the sweet air of the highest highs. it still sounds good, just not as good as stock to my ears. I am somewhat treble sensitive however. with the stock pads, my ears took over an hour without issue before they started to pitch a fit being cramped in the pancakes as z calls them. but the sound is just so immersive and pleasant on them compared to the 1540s! so try stock before you drop 40 bucks on the upgrades.. I didn't find it nearly as uncomfortable as others have described.

Here's one helpful tip for those who use stock pads on the MK3s: -If the slight "sizzle" in the treble annoys you, try using Equalizer APO and set some peak filters on it to reduce the sizzle and "S" emphasis. These are my Peak Filter settings: -Center Frequency: 6,000Hz, Gain: 2.50db, Q Factor: 12.0 -Center Frequency: 10,000Hz, Gain: -5.00db, Q Factor: 11.0 Technical Note: I tried as best I could to match the frequency response from the MK3s between the 6KHz and 10KHz range to match the frequency response of the HD600 by using the graphs from InnerFidelity. Also, if you want to increase comfort on stock pads without changing sound signature, then stick tissues inside the outer rims of the pads, but only stick the tissue on ONE side (this makes the pads slightly angled) and leave the rest of the pad empty. By doing this, you will minimize the change in distance between your ear and the driver and slightly increase comfort.

I actually bought a pair of these and turned them into Open Alphas. I'm glad I did. Not that they sounded bad to begin with, but they fit my sound preferences more with the conversion. Bass isn't as loud, but the highs aren't as in your face either so it is a nice balance

I would love to hear you impressions of the T20RP which is open instead of semi open. I compared them and liked the T20RP alot more than the T50RP. Why? Bigger soundstage, more transparency and more bass. They have about the same bass as the Fidelio X2's and match the harman target response better than the T50RP. You don't have to buy the T20RP you can just remove the filterpaper behind the vents. It's a task of 5 minutes.

For everyone wondering about this headphone, I just bought it, based on this review, and I'll give you my two cents. Yes the pads are as bad as Z says they are. I now have ass cancer, and will be buying replacements swiftly. The cables are alright, maybe get a different one if you want a different length. They require some kind of amping, but you can power them with pretty much any amp. Like a fiio e10k will do the job, but they do require the gain quite high, which is strange. Sound. Excellent. Clean, like, so, so clean. But also balanced and detailed. Not totally neutral, slightly warm but ever, ever so slightly, just enough to hug your ears and make them feel happy. The bass is super. Like, bam. Boom. Dada doom, in your room. Vocals, strings and acoustics really shine overall, but they can make anything sound wonderful. For the price, I dont know how these can sound like this. I highly recommend them. Please do buy replacement pads! Thanks for doing this review and putting these in my life Z.

Z, I bought these, they arrived today and they are the real deal. The bass is the standout feature for sure. Love the openness of them, was not expecting that at all. The highs are crystal clear and not fatiguing at all. The clamp is a bit strong but that's likely by design as the drivers seem to need to be really close to your ear for the full enjoyment. Can't wait to hear them with the Shure 1540 pads. Also tried gaming, Rainbow Six Seige, I'm hearing things I didn't hear with my HD600's. Absoluetly incredible for gaming. How can these sell at the price they do?

FYI, I believe the 940, 1440, and 1840 pads are the same. I tried some quick searches to figure out if some were memory foam and some not...it's a little unclear. 840 is the pleather version with possible memory foam, 440 is pleather and thinner.

Yep unfortunately i cannot agree with Z at all with the 1540 pads on the T50rp MK3. Bass becomes alot more muddy/bloated and the treble is grainy. I thought it may have been something to do with the thick felt in the middle so i decided to take the leap and cut them out. Result was a bit better with the treble being alot more like stock however the bass was still unbearably overbearing. The comfort is definitely there and i really don't find the stock pads all that comfortable however in the end Sound wins over comfortability and the stock sound with stock pads is just that good that i don't feel any mods are necessary. But yeah IMO i really don't recommend the investment (because that's what they are at this price) on the Shure 1540 pads. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVE THE STOCK SOUND

Why is everybody talking about replacing pads like its a solution without compomise... it is not! Ive had these since they were released and have bought the most comfortable pads from mayflower electronics, and also the Shure 1540.... and the sound gets completly changed! The mayflower ones create to much base and the shure pads "spike" in the highs and it almost gets uncomfortable from the sound. The original ones are by FAR the best ones for these headphones, you just need to bend out the headphones so they dont sit so tight on your head.

Hey ! I just wanted to thank you for this video ! I just get a 2nd hand pair of T50RP, get hybrids brainwaivz with toilet paper... And it's amazing. Perfect to complete my setup with the AKG 712PRO and Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless for travelling. I recommand the brainwaivz if you want a flat signature and still have some basses. I love them for rock and metal ! Have fun all !

POWER REQUIREMENT: The sensitivity of the MkIII is given as 92db/mW. To get ear killer levels of 115db, more than you'd ever want, requires 200mW power. Almost any good headphone amp will easily produce this much power into the MkIII's 50Ω impedance. For example, the Asgard 2 can output 1000mW into 50Ω!

I thought Zeos was over hyping these when they came out but I auditioned them today and his checklist rant is pretty spot on, you don't get to start beating this sound till you're buying flagship headphones.

Are you gonna make a review for any of the brand new Fostex TR series cans ? Awesome reviews btw, keep up the good job!

I added a ZMF Lambskin Pilotpad, (headband) and a set of Shure pads to my T50RP M3's ... and they are a blessing now, super comfort, super sound (no issues with the sound, the pads do squeeze very good, they BREATHE, so no more plasticy PU leather earsweat issues going on, the leather feels soft and well made),, I did adjust the clamping force a bit,, super duper happy now :-)

I waited 1 month for my Shure 1540s to show up. Today is the day. Most comfortable ear pads i've ever worn. Loving it so far. Oh and I'm also using the Schiit stack to power them. I don't see any huge issues, but then again my ear isn't trained as well as this guys'.

Dammn. Now I know what to get when next time I'm in the market to buy new headphones. Great and awesome review Z .

the Massdrop x Fostex T-X0?

I just got my pair of Mk III's in yesterday and I have to say that my Sennheiser HD598's have officially been dethroned as my go to headphones for music, movies and gaming. The clarity is just on another level compared to my 598's and my M50x's have been relegate to smartphone cans. I will say these are the first pair of headphone that actually convinced me that someone was actually playing in the same some I was in....yes they're that good. PS: Zeos was not exaggerating about how much power these need, my Fiio K5 amp is set to high gain with the dial set between 1-3 o'clock depending on the source. Anything lower won't be loud enough!

Had similar situation when I put angled pads on my T50rp MK III - sound became less detailed & volume went down, because of greater distance between my ear & driver. I put regular HM5 pads on, but I'll have to give those Shure pads a try now... Thanks Z

Fostex is currently having a $50 rebate on all mk3s, expiring July 31st. Go get them NOW!

I'm sold. Been looking for my first good quality headphones. Now need to get a Dac to run it. Just subbed too.

Well... I bought the T40RP as an impulse buy (my local store didn't have the T50RP). Liking it so far for the music I listen to. Any thoughts, peeps of RU-vid? My Samsung Note 5 Sorta-kinda power those... at max volume, maybe in a quiet room.

T50 mod: -Shure alcantara pads -Bose QC 35 felts (come with Bose replacement ear pads)

What is the cheapest *good* DAC/amp that can power these efficiently?

I just got my T50RP MK3's. These are my first planar headphones and the sound is so forward and immediate. I absolutely love the stock sound of the T50RP MK3's. That is where the problem begins. The stock pads on these are absolutely terrible and hurt my ears after about 30 minutes of use. I got the Shure 1540 pads and put them on. The sound is completely destroyed by the Shure 1540 pads. I power them at 50 volume on my Sound Blaster X7 with stock pads. Normal headphones are about 25-30 on the Sound Blaster X7 for me. When I put the Shure 1540 pads on they lowered the sound so much I had to put them on 80 just to get to normal listening levels. I think that is why Zeos says they are so hard to power because he is using the Shure 1540 pads. With the stock ear pads even my Astro MixAmp can power these fine. Also, the bass is completely ruined and everything sound so muffled with the Shure pads. I really wish there was a better solution. Does anyone know of a better solution to the pads? Maybe I could cut out the cloth on the 1540 pads. Would it still sound pretty close to stock? I noticed that the Shure 1540 cloth between the ear and the driver is about twice as thick than the stock pads. Damn!

What the difference between mk2 and mk3 in sound? design only? You dont recomend to buy mk2?

Have since reverted back to stock pads and simply inserted *rolled kitchen tissue paper to thicken pads without losing headphones' sublime musical characteristics and only use ultra thick ZMF lamb skin ear pads when watching films, gaming for that really low down punch with gunfire, explosions and other effects. Very much true there Z about T50RP Mk3 being sensitive to distance. V-Moda orange cables I bought are perfectly matched. On E09K, "ok" listenable volume is about 10-11 o'clock.

You can use this adapter and ANY cable with it: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016P36I5G Just tried it on my MK3s and hooked up a V-Moda Boom Pro. Worked great.

I don't get why the innerfidelity guy is saying m50 is better sounding than these,I heard them and is one of the worst signature I have heard,even the 2050 has much better sound.I know open vs closed is stupid but you know what I mean

Received these earlier from Amazon. To anybody who's worried they won't be able to drive these, don't be. They're acceptably loud and well powered at around 60-70% on my fiio x1 player which I was relieved about. Obviously they'll perform better with amplification but they are definitely adequate with mp3 players that have a bit of power in them. smartphones may struggle slightly as I find their output to be a bit on the low side. I think these sound fantastic, everything just sounds....right!

+Z Reviews This video does not show up on your channel when click on the list of videos. Neither does the sound demo.

so I remember you saying yours are harder to drive than others. Could a mica origen push this if it is a normal pair?

How are Massdrops Fostex T-X0 compared to this? I dropped my T50RP MKIII from my table and they just splintered into thousand pieces, poor plastic... So I need a new pair, but stock or any modded version to recommend?

Thanks for the review Z. You basically confirmed what I wanted to do. Get the T50RP Mk 3s because they're cheap, and stick with a new cable and earpads. I know these respond amazingly to modding, but I'd rather enjoy them as they are and get better headphones later. I don't have the skills or patience to mod, and as many say these are already improved over the Mk 2s. By the time I get one of the custom models, I could be looking at HiFiMans or Audezes for only a little more.

Would you rather recommend T50RP Mk3 or Sennheiser HD600 for me? I listen to all kinds of music, play games and watch movies, so they will just be for enjoyment, nothing professional.

This was interesting to watch, as I am impatiently waiting on a custom balanced cable I ordered so i can listen to my Paradox Slants (a T50RP Mk2 Mod) for the first time. Since I'm into the T50RP drivers, I just figured i'd post some additional pad options. Lawton audio sells some angled pads that were recommended on head-fi (a headphone forum): www.lawtonaudio.com/fostexanglepads.html They are angled, and not too thick- but I don't know how stiff they are. Mayflower electronics, who have been selling mods of the MK2s for years now, sell the 3 pads they use on their mods: www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/headphones/mayflower-electronics-t50rp-repleacement-pads/ All 3 of these will keep your ears pretty close to the drivers and the v3s have the "memory foam" thing going on. this video (about the modded headphones they sell) gives a bit of a close look: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xYCiqn2YraY.html Oh- they also sell the V-moda cable if you like 1 stop shopping :) And finally, ZMF Headphones, alongside the only commercial T50RP MK3 mod that I have encountered thus far, sells 3 pads as well: www.zmfheadphones.com/order-the-zmf/zmf-pads-pre-order-discount All 3 of these pads have "memory foam," 2 are quite thick, but the last one not so much (and the foam is softer). I imagine the 3rd one is very likely worth a shot. It's hard to say though- these pads are originally intended for ZMF's modded MK3s. Speaking of which, I would love to see videos in the future covering ZMF's Mk3 mods (he makes 3 different wood cup designs and a mod in the standard cups). Also Z, if you get the chance, listen to some Paradox or Paradox slants (enigmaticaudio.com)- I'd love your opinion (can't wait to listen to my slants- the first person who was going to make me a cable actually passed away :( Man, what is it about the T50RP drivers? I have auditioned almost the entire Audeze line, and the HD 800 600 and 650 out of a Sennheiser hdvd800 (the LCD2 and 3 also out of a Mcintosh D1000), the Oppo pm3 and 2 out of the Oppo HA-1, and the Alpha Dogs, the Entire Ultimate Ears Ciem line (with a universal tip though), and even the Abyss... (this was at a head-fi meet- I didn't recognize the gear)... and nothing made me as happy as a pair of homebrew-modded T50RP MK2s that a coworker let me audition. I presume it's the regulated phase technology (Fostex have a patent out on it) giving the drivers awesome phase accuracy- but what do I know. Hopefully all this is at least vaguely helpful to someone. All in the spirit of sharing information! Cheers All :)

This is sooo funny... bought these 2015-12, uncomfortable, bought the Mayflower companys most comfortable pads (was the worst experience Ive ever had dealing with that company!! DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!) and the sound was complete shit! So I really wonder if the sound would be as good with the pads you are recommending? What I did was to bend out the headphones and they are not as tight now and are much more comfortable! But I might buy the pads though!

I'm a happy owner of the slightly moded T50RP mk.1 and I won't switch, at least not when it comes to "closed" headphones. its good to know that fostex isn't just sitting there doing nothing and are blowing everyone away with their price/performance ratio, and I payed 200€ for my original unmodified ones. that's pretty good.

Auray sheep skins ( a couple of dollars more than HM5 ) are mid way between those OEM Fostex and HM5's and yes V-Moda do have an orange matching cable replacement.

WE GOTTA TAKE THE POWER BACK

another awesom z review :D though thanks to this video title my youtube recommendations on the right are filled with toy baby doll videos :/

I run the same setting and you are right higher volume and smaller distance to ears improves the sound a lot.

I recently purchased the t50rd mk3 and 1540 pads, powered by the the schiit stack Uber. In my opinion, the 1540 pads are the more comfortable, but change the sound in a way that I don't like. I think since it doesn't clamp down on me a lot and the 1540 pads are thicker, they don't flatten much and keeps the driver a bit further than the stock pads. this makes the lows sound lower and the highs sound sibilant. Again, that's my opinion on a brand new t50rp and brand new 1540 pads.

LOL @ 3:50. So damn funny made me dribble my coffee ;)

i bought the mad dogs bec of your review and i love them. now you show me this im going to have to find some money now lol

Yesterday I finally received the Shure 1540 pads. They are a lot firmer than I thought. It was very easy to swap the pads. Stores were I live don't sell the V-moda cable. I bought a Hoco cable. It's short but it is a very nice cable. The 3.5 mm jack plug is the same shape as the Fostex cable.

was expecting these to arrive tomorrow Monday, but somehow my go to computer and audio store delivered it on Sunday free of charge. I definitely need to check some new amps.

If you don't buy them you get ass cancer you say, well now we now how total biscuit got ass cancer in the first place.

makes me consider to sell my beloved dt770s to get these.. but I cant power them.. the choices

We have probably the same taste for sound, I gave up on buying m6 i bought schitt stack 2 instead, then I gave up on t20rp and bought t50rp mk3 which I loooove now, and love my hd600 and hd650 aswell, also have x2 as a fun cans, and guess what, 1540 pads are coming tomorrow... so now is the question, should I keep following your channel and put myslef to risk of spending more money on stuff I love but I dont need, or simply spend few more bucks and buy few sheeps, move somewhere in mountains and try living only spiritual life.... thanks man, keep the good work!

Just received my T50RP MkIII's yesterday, took the plunge on them due to the current $50 rebate :) I immediately fell in love with these budget Planars, and if anything I'm even more excited now to receive my Purplehearts!! If the rebate on the MkIII's is an enticement by Fostex to give a taste of the brand and drive sales of the higher models (TH-X00 included), then well played, Fostex! Well played. I took the advice of a Massdrop user and stuffed 1/2 cotton balls behind the stock pads. IMMEDIATE comfort improvement, with perhaps the slightest loss of the stock sizzle. I can live with this. I would have immediately put the 1540 pads on them, if they weren't sold out. I have the HM5 hybrids, but my fingers aren't dexterous enough to install them on the MkIII's :/ My particular pair also isn't too hard to drive, unlike what Zeos experienced. My pair starts giving satisfying sound at around 40-50% volume on Low gain on my Schiit stack, the same approximate volume twist as my K7XX or HD600's.

Am I the only one that watches for the cat? Lol

15:15 dat laugh :D

So I put HM5 angled pleather pads on these things and I think they sound fine. In fact they're still frikkin amazing

i don't know if you meant it like that, but alcantara is no leather and does not have anything to do with leather.

shp 9500 or those?

these have a power limit of 3000mw!!! most are only 500mw no wonder there so hard to drive!!!

How much can others hear my music? How semi-open is this exactly? Assuming I normally don't listen too loudly (and I know that's a really hard description to gauge.)

I finally picked these up & Im kicking myself for not getting a pair sooner.....went with the same earpads and using my little dot hybrid amp, going to try with my Bottlehead Crack tube amp. These handle every genre you can throw at them. I think its a little hot on the treble at times and souds harsh, Find myself turning the volume down other then that pretty good. The video and comments here pretty much cover everything you need to know. I think this is probably the best bang for your buck headphone if it suits your needs. Obviously not the most ideal portable headphone requiring an amp and semi-open. For home use I find these perfect.

In Calgary, Alberta, the Alcantara pads are $109.98 plus $19.80 for shipping!!! The headphones themselves are $229.74 + $14.09 (shipping) + $23.87 (import fees). This works out to just under $400. Even without the $130 pads, $270 CDN feels like a lot. "Do I need headphones? I've got so many headphones... shit!"

I realize this is like, two months after the thing, but is there something wrong with these T50RP MkIIIs that makes them so hard to drive? The specs say 50 ohms, but you act like the schitt fulla or stack aren't enough? I would hate to get a $100+ amp and have it not work.

Saying goodbye to my 7 year old pair of Sony MDR-V6 and getting a pair of the Fostex. May my blind faith in a channel I only recently discovered, featuring a real as fuck audiophile man doing reviews, not fail me.

Updating my pads recommendation. The original Hifiman pleather pads are the ones that sound the better from all the tests I made, including Shure and all variants of Brainwavz.

The way I modded the Fostex T50rp Mk2... I found that the Shure 1540 Pads were the best for them, and if you used the thicker Alpha Dog pads it was to harsh... so I completely understand why the Shure 1540 pads are best for the Mk3 ones.

On the wire cutter's guide for best open back headphones under 500, they said that the mkiii's were "sensitive enough to deliver plenty of volume from a smartphone"

I want to try these, but my amp is the Liquid Spark (2.4W), with this I'm barely running the BD 1770 pro 250 Ohm, I've head these Fostext require minimum a 3W or even 5W amp. I'm I correct?

Thank you very much for your reviews ! I didn't have the opportunity to hear the Shure 840 and Fostex T50RP headphones , I didn't know what to choose, so I decided on Fostex with Your help and thank you very much! Peace and good to You!

I looked at these/mayflowers because I loved the MSR7s which are bright and precise, they were however painful for me on my ears. I love a replacable wire & boom pro is a great bonus. I'm using Sennheiser 380pros right now - comfy but the only other good thing about them is the isolation. Are there any alternatives that offer more isolation than these but maintain the sound signature where vocals sound great?

I am running a SMSL sanskrit 6th gen with a Bravo Audio S1 amp and the combo works really nice. The amp has more than enough power.

Grabbed the mk3 and decided to swap the pads for the Mr speaker lambskin alpha pads and omg they are now perfect. I was worried the spacing would be an issue but the pads make these phones perfect now. Was waiting on the shure pads but decided to take a chance on the alpha pads and glad I did.

these are 170 with new pads and v moda cable. Should I get it? also a good cheapish amp that can power these? I'm am pretty much completely new to the who "audio world" and just can't help but stare at these...

Just got mine. My pair are pretty comfy as is and aren't clampy at all. Funnily, they let sound in but not too much out. Sound is something like a closed back HD600. Can drive them just fine with an E12. Still awaiting 1840 pads.

Listening to this review on a pair MkIII's. My pair is not hard to drive, but... they need ample power to get the full sound out of them. All devices (phone, iPod, computer) need to be at 100% to get them sounding full. I plan on getting a Schiit stack to run these properly and get the most from them. The wire input on the headphone can be a bit finicky and if you play with it a bit, the right headphone will drop out or cut to half volume. I think this may be the problem if people are having problems driving them. I tested these against a set of M50 MkI's and Brainwavz HM5's. These are much more fun than HM5's with a better balance of low/mid/high (HM5's cram everything in to the middle). The HM5's win for treble control and soundstage (MkIII is right on the verge of sibilant at high volumes), the M50's win for sub-bass (but lack control). The MkIII's are a much more controlled M50 without the murderous lack of soundstage and huge V shape. They love more and more power. The more you give, the more you get. They get more and more full with absolute control over the bass. All these headphones need is a bit more soundstage, a bit more extension in the sub-bass region and better pads. Then just turn up the volume!

these arrived today, didn't even bother with the stock pads, and after wrestling the share 1540 pads onto it I'm not sure ill ever bother to take them off. Rival the comfort of my most comfortable headphone the dt880pro.

For the connection on the headphone, could I just get a 90 degree bend 3.5mm connection and it would work? I'm making my own cable for it and that part is pissing me off...

I've modded my T50RP mk2 extensively. The mk3 has the exact same driver with thicker dampening on the back of it, the measurements are not extremely different: www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011A.pdf www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RPMk3.pdf The only other main differences besides the headband is the dampening around the earside of the driver (which makes no audible difference in my measurements), and the different venting system - which imo is harder to control now with the mk3. You have to deal with the entire area around the headphone as opposed to one small hole that the mk2 has. Also, the way the new driver is set up (one square being open, cdn.innerfidelity.com/images/Fostex_T50RPMk3_photo_CompareDriveronBafflePlateRear.jpg) imo makes it harder to do the necessary mods evenly that make all the difference. You now have to compensate and address the hole being there, and because you don't have the material they used to dampen the driver with, you'll never be able to cover it evenly. With the mk2, the whole driver is dampened evenly from the get-go. It's slightly better than the mk2 stock, and imo is harder to mod - don't understand the sudden hype, but whatever floats your boat. I would rather mod an mk2 over it any day. Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. Speakers has just moved onto greener pastures, he has fricken electrostats he's working on, he doesn't have time for this low-level modding crap anymore. Has absolutely nothing to do with the mk3 "being sooooo good" stock. Anyway, I'm done -

So I bought a pair of T20RP MkIIIs, the "fully open" variant. Same driver, same enclosure, same headband, basically the same headphone except for some felt on the cup vents that's been replaced with mesh, and a missing headband hanger cover inside the cup. Got HM5 velour pads on it right now, gonna do some modding still to tune the sound to my liking, but I was surprised with how easy they were to drive. Hell, my phone can run them at a decent listening volume if I max it out, and it's not some ultra high-end flagship model either. I barely had to turn my amp up compared to my Hi2050s, too. I don't know, maybe I'm alright with lower listening levels. But still, they aren't nearly as hard to drive as I expected.

Can you share your Foobar EQ file? I am trying to set mine up for general listening

I got the Sennheiser 660s in hopes it would be better than my t50rp's but it really wasn't. Compared to t50rp's, the 660s sounded like there was a brick wall in the mids but the highs on 660s were significantly more detailed. I just couldn't get past that veil in the sound and t50rp's are still my favorite. Thanks for the recommendation zeos

Do you have a updated playlist for your sound demos... couldn't find it.

It's Christmas. Santa just brought me a pair. Using with an iphone XR with dragonfly red. Need more power. Sounds like a THX 888 is in my future.

In the market for a new set of headphones, How do T50RP mk3's compare to DT770 pro's? I need comfort above all else, mainly for gaming but a bit of music as well. I'm not a huge audiophile, but I do respect good, yet affordable (ie ~200$) headphones.

Need help: These or hifiman HE400 SE ?

I will wear my Mad Dogs until they die, but it's good to know my beloved T50RPs will still be available when they do.

Can SMSL M3-dac/amp drive the Mk3s ? Sadly i can't get the 1540 pads, but how much "worst" are the 1840 pads compared to the 1540?. Thanks

Hey Zeos, if I use the 1840 pads will I have to put toilet paper behind the pads? Wanting to buy these but I don't want to use toilet paper and the 1540s are out of stock. Thanks.

Best portable headphones but impossible to drive with DAC?

Z, please advise, have You tried T40RP mk3? Some people say that they sound better, without trebble peaks and with more bass. Also I read about many people try change t50rp mk3 into the closed ones, which is basicaly the t40rp mk3. I'm stuck at the moment about which one to choose.

So....if I were to buy these with the pads for my dad, being used mainly with iphones and ipads in a home environment they would sound like shit?

Love the sound, but others have talked about that. I want to talk comfort. At first, due to discomfort, I could barely use them. Then I got my replacement pads, which greatly increased the comfort level (could wear them for more than 40 minutes at a time). The headband still bothered me though; who has a head shaped like that??? So I ordered the "comfort strap" from MrSpeakers, which can be had for under $20 shipped. Now they are now the most comfortable headphones I own. They really do start to disappear after a while.

How are the hybrid pads with SHP9500's? Have you tried that setup yet? I think I read something about you waiting for these pads to come in a week ago or so and pretty sure your shp9500 video is older than that. Please let me know as I'm in the process of ordering new pads for the shp9500. Thank you. So many different pads to choose from.