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Basically the title says it all but ill guess i will make up a nice fairytale for context: Once there was a boy on his quest for good audio, He goodled wide and far and finally settled on a pair of Fostex T50RP MK3s. When they arrived their Earpads where flat and they sounded no good. Hmm said the boy "This is not as it should." With a brand new pair of Shure HPAEC1540 Pads they felt staggering but the sound was yet unflattering... Now that that menace is over lets get going with the real reason of this post. Basically i f***ed up and my current DAC + AMP solution doesnt have enough "oumph" to drive these bastards. Would love to have a Combo solution but im open to seperate solutions. Any recommendations? Funds are kinda running low so the cheaper the better but all rec's are welcomed, cheers! Oh and they need to be available in the Northern parts of EU.

Hi. I've been looking for a dac for a while. As for now, I have 2 options: 1. Get schiit modi 2 + magni 2 (local dealer, so the price is double, and uber versions are out of budget) 2. Get dac\amp combo - fostex hp-a4. Costs same as above I don't really know which option is better, because I didn't listen to any of them. So what's the best way to go? Thanks.

I wanted to find out if those adjustment rods are getting loose after some time, like ones on Grado headphones. Thanks.

Welcome to the Frugal Horn MK3 build thread! This will document my build and testing of a pair of Frugal Horn MK3s Post index links: Build process/painting First Post (This One) Second Post Third Post Fourth Post Fifth post Sixth Post ________________________________ Measurement/evaluation Seventh Post Eighth Post (Could be coming soon) Background Information: (Note: I will refer to the speakers as FH3s from now on) The FH3 is a horn speaker that was designed by certain people over at the diyAudio forum, and most notably, Dave from Planet10 Hifi. They can utilize many different full-range drivers, the most common choices are the Fostex Fe126en and the Mark Audio Alpair CHR-70.3. This speaker is different to many speakers because it only has a single, full-range driver. Today, most speakers of this size either have a tweeter and woofer or a woofer-tweeter-woofer (MTM). The reason why these single driver seakers are able to sound as good as they do, is because of the complicated design of the cabinets the drivers are in. Here is a picture of a finished FH3: The Build: The pair of speakers that I am going to build will be in a piano black finish, with Fostex Fe126en drivers. The first thing I did was hop on parts express and order the terminal cup, floor spikes, Acousta-Stuff, acoustic foam, and some 3/4in screws. The reason this is called the Frugal Horn is because it is so cheap to build! Everything in the picture cost about $50USD, and this is everything except for the drivers and plywood. The next major expense of the project was the plywood. The plans call for 3/4 inch birch plywood, and that isn't very cheap in my area of the US; The cost for a 4x8 sheet was $70USD. The next thing to do was bust out the dial calipers, tape measure, and circular saw to begin marking and cutting out the different pieces of the speakers (forgot to mention: one 4x8 sheet is enough for two speakers). Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of all of he pieces that were cut out, but here is a clamped together mock-up of what they will (sort of) look like: *Notice the hastily done lens blur in photoshop :)* The backs of each speaker will be curved, just like in the example photo when they're done. The next thing to do was to glue-up the internal structure and and add some of the damping according to the plans: Fig. 1 I forgot to add the orange "fluffy" damping that goes just below the driver, I figured it out after listening to how shouty they were when I first tried listening to them. The plans called for about 50g of damping (I used Acousta-Stuff): (Sorry for the blurry photo) That 52g pile of damping was then stuffed into the "v" on the inside of the speaker before I glued the second side on. The hole for the driver is only four inches (104mm), so it is difficult to fit your arm through and around the baffles that are inside afterward: I also forgot to mention the acoustic foam that goes around the area that the driver is in. This foam is used to minimize reflections inside the area of the cabinet that surrounds the driver. These reflections can come back through the cone of the driver, and cause unwanted distorion or noise. That is all until the next update!

Hi! I've had my t50rp mk3 for several years. They had some repairs, pad replacements (velour hm-5), and yet the default ones appeal more to me. Is there anyone, who has upgraded from t50 to t60? Are they much different? I can't decide between those and he-400i now. Thanks

hey so basically I have a pair of t60s and I was wondering if anyone has any favorite pad choices for them.

Pretty new to this audio stuff. Looking at buying the T50RP MK3's just wanting to know if the JDS Labs The Element will be ok in terms of power. I hear these are quite power hungry. Could anyone advise? Thanks guys,

Hi all I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for headphones for portable use around the $100 range? I'm mainly going to be gaming with these so soundstage is a great plus. They don't need to be super accurate, but definitely on the fun side. I'm primarily looking at the M40X as the M50X were way too closed in for my tastes but I really want to know what other alternative headphones are out there that fit my budget. Also they need to be portable enough that I can toss them into my bag without taking up too much space!! If I need to sacrifice some SQ for build quality I don't mind. I'm currently using Fostex T50RP MK3s but they're just too bulky to carry around all the time but sound and work fantastic. I've also got AKG K553s and while the soundstage is amazing, they're just too bass light for fun and I always have trouble getting them to seal properly on my head, especially on the go. Plus attached ridiculous cable makes them not very portable friendly. I know there are the Takstar Pro82s available but I'm just not sure of their durability against the M40X. If I had the budget I would love to get a pair of Sennheiser Momentums but they're just too much out of my budget and I need some headphones that I won't feel too bad throwing them around. I've got Fidelio X2s I use at home and ideally I would absolutely love to have something that has similar sound signature, but probably next to impossible to get in a closed back set, especially on something portable and around $100. Also I can't stand on-ear headphones if my above collection was any indication haha I appreciate any help or input!!

I am looking for some new headphones to replace my Bose AE2s and I have been looking for some time now. I am not sure what to get but recently the T50RP MK3s by Fostex cought my attention. First off you might say those are innefficient but my Oneplus 3 drives my DT 880s 600Ohm ( about 0.514Vrms needed to achieve 90dB - measured by inner fidelity Tyller: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicDT880600ohm.pdf ) so they should handle even inneficient cans fine right? (T50RP MK3 measured at 0.206 Vrms to achieve 90dB http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RPVarientsMeasurements.pdf) So the power issue is out of the way. My next question is concerning the rather bad noise ratings. The heavily modded Alpha Prime (second document page 11 ) seem fine but the stock versions look terrible - terrible as in worse than everything I ever saw measured by Tyller. I have never really modded heaphones before unless you count dialing down the treble in my Superlux HD 668Bs by adding 2 different layers of paper towel and in addition changing the pads to something more comfotable. I think I might have some fun playing around with those but as a student the fear of breaking or at least messing up a 150€ is apparent. Do you think these are worth it for somebody who never has modded anything before but would like to try some things? My purpose will be using them on the go and I know that they are kind of open but kind of not. I am thinking about doing some bassport mods and closing all other fents as some measurements seem to benefit the sound (and reduce leaking?) (source http://www.head-fi.org/t/618659/fostex-t50rp-incremental-mods-and-measurements) I would be willing to do stuff like at step 7 and 8 at first and maybe jump to some more drastic things later if I can for some reason afford to mess things up. One thing to note: I would be doing all this without any measuring equipment and I am simply to lazy to build the stuff he meantions in his post. I have try some different paper towel on my HD668s also purely judging by subjetive hearing. Would that be a huge obstacle? (I mainly listen to my DT 880s with strongly EQed treble. I like a neutral sound with a little bit of increase base maybe a 5db raise but low base so it doesn't bleed into the midrange like for example the Shure SE215 do.Mmids should be relatively flat and uncolored. I like relaxed treble that roles of slowly. I have my EQ set up to create a flat profil of 5950Hz 0dB down to 20khz about -6dB but that can sometimes be to harsh and I turn it down 2-4 dB more so it is not as stressful to the ears.) I hope you don't fell spammed with to much usless info now. Feel free to leave some suggestions and maybe tell me if you own a pair of T50RP or have listened to them - modded or unmodded- and generally what you think about my intetions. I will take everything with a grain of salt as I learned in the past that audio is probably one of the most subjetive things in live - maybe tied with sexual preferences? Idk.

Massdrop: http://dro.ps/linus-thx00 (Using this link DOES NOT give us any kind of monetary kickback, it just lets Massdrop know that you came from this video) This collab from Fostex and Massdrop produced a seriously awesome looking pair of headphones... But are good looks their only benefit?

Introduction So here it is! The one headphone that convinced my lazy ass to actually write a review on it. I've been meaning to write a review on some speakers I got and the Fostex TH600 but never got around to it but this IEM blew me away that I just had to say something about it. I bought a pair of RHA MA750i after thinking the Fostex I ordered got lost in the mail so I had a chance to compare the two. This is Fostex's first venture into mid/high range IEMs and I think they really nailed it. Rumors were that they were going to be priced at $100 at release but instead, the retail price was $150 at release due to the great feedback at audio shows. The current retail price at the time of wriging is still $150 but the lowest price is about $140 on Amazon. The RHA MA750 is at $120 for the non-remote version and $130 for the remote version (MA750i) so the Fostex are about $20-30 more depending how you look at it. For full disclosure, I paid $85 for the Fostex from a member on the Head-Fi classifieds which is an amazing deal and $95 for the RHA MA750i on Amazon warehouse deals. I'm not going to take price into consideration comparing the two IEMs since they are in the same price bracket and a $20 difference isn't that much. My source for these IEMs are my Monoprice DAC/AMP when I'm at home and an HTC One M7 for on the go. For reference, I have tried numerous headphones valuing from $50 to $700 and other audio gear but these two headphones are my first IEMs that cost more than $50. These will be replacing the SoundMagic E10 which was bassier than I like but still a very good IEM. I also prefer a neutral or slightly v-curved sound signature. Glamour shots to follow. Click on picture for bigger image. I do not have pictures of the RHA MA750 but will post links where you can view them. Fostex TE-05 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4F5REC/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me RHA MA750i - http://www.amazon.com/RHA-MA750-Isolating-Headphone-Warranty/dp/B00ELAM8LE

Hello LTT forum! I'm really, really new (if you couldn't tell). Well at least I'm new to the forums, I've been a fan of Linus' videos for at least a year now. In fact, he's one of the main reasons that I was inspired to make the following review: Okay, I just now realized that the thumbnail looks like the ones that LTT use. Umm... This is my review of the Mad Dogs from Mr. Speakers, which is a very interesting set of headphones that you probably won't have heard of (or heard) unless you're interested in the high-end audio game. Nevertheless, somebody has to review them! Anyways, this is my first video of this type, and I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys! I'm open to suggestions/critique, and I'd appreciate any input that you'd have for me. Thanks all, especially Linus, Luke, and the rest of the team over at LTT for being so awesome!

Im about to buy the Fostex T50RP v3 from Mayflower electronics but I confused about its cable. I dont know what size the end plug is and would it fit into my computer/mobile device? Will i have to get an adapter? I am trying to purchase these now so a quick reponse would be greatly appriciated.

I'm looking at getting the O2 Amp/Dac combo from epiphany acoustics and the Fostex T50RP V3 from mayflower electronics. I was just wondering if there are any other headphones or amp/dacs that I should look at instead. For reference, I listen to mainly electronic music and will be gaming with these headphones. My budget is £250 max for the headphones and about £200 for the amp/dac. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

While Mayflower Electronics' naming scheme is precisely as graceful as a flying brick, their Objective2 + ODAC combo unit is certainly more useful than said adage - unless your motive is in fact to kill someone and/or be disqualified from a paper aeroplane contest with the social label “monumentally stupid”. Certainly, my unit spent the first month of its life as a flying brick on it's trepidatious journey from Murica to Straya, however, and thankfully, far from the optimal dimensions and strength characteristics of a common house brick, it arrived in good condition, as packaging was excellent. As fascinating as the science of house bricks is, I'm not silly enough to spent about $330 on a brick, especially seeing as I wanted to spend the $330 on a box that makes sounds, and, spoiler: it does, and much more effectively than a brick. In tandem with my Objective2 + ODAC combo unit I also stole one of Mayflower's Fostex T50RP headsets, with the “Version 1” modification configuration, and that was about $150. Included in the box with the O2 combo unit is a gold plated USB to Mini USB cable from Monoprice, and an American power supply by Triad. Alternative power supplies are available directly from Mayflower, however it isn't an option on the purchase page, and being used to proper power supplies being included with my purchases, I was caught out. This is one area in which Mayflower Electronics must look into including the right power supply in the box before sending it off, especially for obvious international orders, or at least add the option on the purchase page on their website, rather than an obscure accessory page buried behind menus. If you are from Australia/ New Zealand (or in another country that uses the AS/NZS 3112 socket) this power supply will work with your combo unit: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3059 The Fostex headphones ship with their stock 3.5mm to 6.5mm cable (with lock in connector design), and Mayflower again offer a replacement 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, however alike the power supply it isn't an option on the purchase page, and for a 3.5 male to male cable it's bloody expensive. It's a strange thing that these cables are included at all, seeing as Mayflower knows that these stock cables aren't compatible with their own amplifier products, and indeed the O2 combo unit, and in the end it just makes the whole experience jarring and not user centric at all. I opted for cable from Voso instead, and used a sharp blade to carefully strip away the housing on the right angle end until it fit into the headphones. Interestingly the straight connector end is already fine enough to fit straight into the headset, so you'll have this option with this cable as well. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VOSO-3-5mm-Male-to-Male-90-Deg-Right-Angle-Audio-Jack-AUX-Connect-Cable-2M-AU-/200852989734?pt=AU_Electronics_Portable_Audio_Accessories&hash=item2ec3c56726&_uhb=1 HARDWARE Starting with the combo unit, it's precisely 1 Australian house brick's width across, about half a Swedish house brick high (or half a Germanic house brick with the rubber feet included), and a little longer than two average Danish house bricks are tall. A brushed aluminium enclosure wraps around the two circuit boards inside, with essential connectors jutting out somewhat evenly through the front panel. Three of the four screws holding the front panel on were silver, with one being black, which is either the worst aesthetic design choice in the universe or a sign that my unit met the bottom of the screw draw in the Mayflower workshop. Either way, I knew going in to this that it wasn't going to be the best looking thing in the world – if I wanted that I would have purchased a 12th Century Iranian glazed mud brick to admire – Besides, it compliments my mirror. Centre of the front panel is a red LED which is awesomely uninstrusive, and doesn't distract you from the screen when the unit is in front of you, unlike some peripheral electronics in my vicinity (it starts with A and ends with udio Technica and is a microphone, grrrr). The Fostex headphones looks roguishly nice, sort of noughties television with a splash of copper hot water plumbing. I'll make the point of not rambling on too much about the headphone's aesthetics as they spend most of their life out of sight. Also there's a big picture of them at the top. In terms of the modification, it mainly involves clay being packed into the T50's baffles (baffles are components used to prevent interference between sound waves generated internally from waves outside of the earpads) and a bit of foam/cotton thrown about inside to dampen the relatively open design of vanilla T50 headphones. The modification essentially (and I should mention effectively) snuffs out corrupting external noises and adds a bit of punch to the bass and treble ends of the spectrum, at the expense of clarity in the mid ranges (because the driver simply has less space to wobble about in). Keep in mind these headphones have an RRP of $110, so you need to decide if this modification alone is justification enough for the $70 price hike. SOUND REPRODUCTION and INTEGRATION In terms of how these products sound, their whole purpose for existing, well, the answer is quite simple. Bloody awesome. When used in tandem, details and clarity through the breadth of the sound scape is very good, and very impressive in the bass end. The O2 amplifier has an inaudible noise floor, and no noise or corruption occurs throughout the amplification range. The ODAC component spits out noticeably clearer sound than my on-board audio, however more modern motherboards may not leave as much of an impressive improvement. It is undoubtedly a massive improvement for me, however. The unit only ever reaches a slight warmth, and as it is a completely solid state design, it can be left turned on 24/7, so it really is a hassle free addition to any audio setup. As for the headphones they work exceptionally well for their price. They sound amazing, even when powered through my phone (albeit nearly on max volume due to the impedance) and are definitely worth the purchase price. I've found they really come into their own when crunching through complex music, especially the heavier lumbers of metal and core music, and work well at ironing out the individual notes due to the supreme clarity of the headphones. The headphones are quite comfortable also, surprising given the rather daunting looking headband. The pleather earcups induce a bit of sweating which I wasn't used to, coming from cloth pads, however it isn't severe at all. As the size adjustment on the headphones isn't staggered, they do move about and change size throughout a few hours of use, tending to rest only when the top of the earcup makes contact with the top of your ear, and this is probably due to the weight of the headphones, however again it is only a marginal issue, and certainly not a reason to deter purchase. FINAL WORDS Wrapping up, these are two truly excellent products, let down only by boring, utilitarian names and an insensitive purchase page on the Mayflower website. Mayflower Electronics, luckily has an incredibly helpful and personal public relation attitude, and it's for this reason that I think these issues will be handled appropriately, and hopefully wholly resolved in the future, preferably without the need for flying house bricks to be involved. Keep in mind that these are hand made products, and will appeal more to tinkerers and modifiers more than your mainstream Beats commuter who is solely concerned about the consistency of the finish on their aluminium headband. If you are a DIYer and music/audio enthusiast and appreciate unique punctures to the severely disillusioned audio marketplace then this product is for you. I am very happy with my purchase and each of these have well and truly earned a space on my desk. Right beside my 12th Century Iranian mud brick, of course. p.s. Some brief ideas which I'd like to see from Mayflower - 3.5" and 5.25" faceplates/ internal bay versions for the ODAC+O2 combo as well as tripod screw threads being drilled into the bottom of the chassis.

I was wondering if my ASRock H97 Pro4 LGA 1150 Intel Motherboard could drive the Fostex T50RP V3's or the Hifiman HE-500's. I don't really have enough knowledge about audio to figure it out. Thanks for any help. Also, would I need to get an amp or DAC?