# Fostex T50RP MKIII headphones review



## Pier (Nov 14, 2021)

So I got these new headphones a couple of days ago and here's my mini review.

I've always wanted to try some planar headphones and for aprox only $150 and some great reviews these seemed like a no brainer.

TL;DR: I *love* them but you absolutely need to use an EQ. Specially to reduce a peak around 10khz, otherwise you'll fry your ears.

To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, I've been comparing them to my other quality headphones. Listening to my typical reference tracks in all sorts of genres and production/mix styles.







In this picture:

- Fostex T50RP (semi open)
- HD600 (open)
- DT990 Pro (open)
- HD280 Pro 2019 version (closed)

*Build quality*
This is a professional product through and through. The build quality is excellent and everything feels solid. The cable is detachable which is a big plus compared to the HD2800 and the DT990.

It includes 2 cables. A short one with a mini plug on both ends and a longer one (I think 10 feet?) with a plug connector. The cables are kinda crappy to be honest, but they do the job and are cheap to replace. The connection to the headphones is a mini plug, but the locking mechanism is proprietary.

The ranking for me would be:
1) T50RP
2) DT990
3) HD280
4) HD600 (these seem super fragile although have lasted for 6 years already)

*Comfort*
I find them comfortable, but I'm not very picky about this. I can wear them for hours. My wife is very picky she can only wear the HD600 for more than 5 mins.

I've read tons of people complaining harshly about the included pads. IMO they are not great but do the job. I've tried replacing them with some pads I had laying around (like the HM5) but they altered the sound too much. Zeos mentions in his review that the best are the Shure 1540 Alcantara (which seem to be difficult to find right now).

In terms of comfort the ranking for me would be:
1) HD600
2) DT990
3) HD280
4) T50RP

*Sound*
Of course headphones are very subjective so take all this as Pier's Opinion™. The cavity produced with your ear will inevitably change from one person to the next.

So once I EQ'd those oh sweet mother of Jesus. I'm just mind blown by the space, precision, and detail of the planar drivers. I can't conceive how good more expensive stuff like the LCD-X can be.

*Low end*
I love my bass and the low end here is deep, precise, and sharp. These headphones have by far the best low end of all the headphones here. It's not even a competition lol. It's already great before EQing but I've enhanced the low end region, specially the deepest low end below 80Hz. This might be exaggerated for others of course.

One of my reference tracks for the low end is Angel by Massive Attack. It's one of my favorite tracks of all time and I've never heard its low end like this, specially the first minute or so.

*Mid range*
The mids are bit scooped but, again, the clarity and precision of transients is amazing. Voices sound very natural to my ears after EQ.

All of these headphones are good at the mid range IMO. The HD600 are stellar of course and the smoothest of all four, but I feel the T50RP are better to judge mix decisions as anything out of place will stick out.

*Treble range*
These are bright headphones. Probably the brightest I've ever heard. The high end is very rich in details though. After taming the nasty peak around 10Khz with the EQ I was able to hear other frequencies in the treble area much better.

Of course this is a very personal matter. I tend to prefer brighter headphones, others prefer darker ones. In this regard for example I don't love the HD600 as I feel the famous Sennheiser veil hides stuff from me. I own other Sennheiser headphones (eg: PXC550) and they all have it except the HD280.

Maybe the 10khz peak will soften up after some use. Many say headphones burn in is a myth, but I've personally experienced this with the DT990. They had a very nasty peak around 9Khz and were unusable without EQ. Now this peak is much softer and I wouldn't need EQ for that.

*Soundstage*
Obviously the HD280 being closed headphones don't stand a chance here, but I'd say the T50RP have the best soundstage of all. At times it really feels as if there's a spatialization plugin going on. It's shocking when hearing more spacious content such as film soundtracks.

The HD600 have really good space too, but since they lack high end detail I feel the illusion of space is not as realistic IMO. In comparison, the DT990 are kinda mediocre for open headphones.

*Are the T50RP for you?*
Of course a big drawback is that you need to EQ these headphones. I mostly listen to music on my iMac when working and I use Soundsource to apply a Pro-Q3 preset. When working on my DAW (in my Windows machine) I just put Pro-Q3 in the master.

That said, I think these are fantastic headphones for listening to produced stuff. Specially film soundtracks and orchestral music which tend to be (generally speaking) tastefully mixed.

Personally, I love them on all sorts of genres, but I think it's fair to say that in genres like electronic music, rock, metal, etc, there is an abundance of badly mixed stuff compared to classical, jazz, and film. These headphones are so precise that anything with a mediocre mix will be annoying to listen to if you're paying attention. The HD600 or the HD280 are much more tolerant. Specially the HD600 makes everything sound great.

For general composition and production work, I don't think I would recommend the T50RP. Do you really want to be reminded at every second how bad your unmixed stuff sounds? Probably not  You want to get on with your writing or synth patching, and worry about the final sound later on. Here I would recommend the Sennheisers. My favorite are the HD280 but the HD600 are also fantastic if you prefer open headphones. But, IMO the T50RP are great headphones for mixing as you will quickly hear any obvious mistakes, or to be used as an extra reference.

Honestly, for $150 these are a steal. There's also a ton of modding tutorials out there if you're so inclined. The mkII version is probably one of the most modded headphones ever.

If you only have $100 just get the HD280 and adjust the low end to taste with an EQ if you're lacking some of it. These are amazing, and I can't stop recommending them. Sonically, I put them in the same league as the HD600 albeit with a different sonic signature and of course they are closed cans.

At this point, I really can't recommend the DT990. In terms of sound I feel these are the worst of all my headphones. Not bad, by any means, but definitely behind the other options. I've never tested the DT880 or DT770 though so I can't comment on that.

Edit:

I've decided to remove my initial Pro-Q3 preset since I've found better results altering the Harman EQ curve on a comment below.


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## YahmezTV (Nov 14, 2021)

The T50RP is one of the most popular headphones to mod. I’ve not tried the mark III, but I own two pairs of the mark II. Mass loaded the baffles on one of them and did a few other tweaks to extend the bass response and tame the highs. They’re useful enough out of the box, but they can really be made to sound as good as more expensive cans with a little tweaking.


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## Quasar (Nov 14, 2021)

Very fine review, thanks! In terms of the open vs. closed experience generally, what does "semi-open" with the T50RPs mean to you? Is it, subjectively, more in the neighborhood of one or the other? Based on your soundstage comments I'm guessing that you're getting the brunt of the benefit of open back, but with less bleed?

Also, these are said to be hard to drive. What are you running them through? Just your iMac?

And is that your own EQ curve from scratch? For my new HD660 S, I just found a tried-&-true Harmon curve already made, and haven't felt the need to tweak it, and the little tweaks I tried did not improve it.

Wow, this series is inexpensive enough that I may consider it down the road. I really want to try a planar magnetic driver style. Glad you like them!


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## Pier (Nov 14, 2021)

Quasar said:


> In terms of the open vs. closed experience generally, what does "semi-open" with the T50RPs mean to you? Is it, subjectively, more in the neighborhood of one or the other? Based on your soundstage comments I'm guessing that you're getting the brunt of the benefit of open back, but with less bleed?


These are my first semi open headphones, so I don't know what the general consensus is.

To my ears these sound like open headphones. There's not much bleed unless you listen to high volumes.

Isolation is better than the HD600 or DT990, but only marginally better, specially compared to the HD280. When I tried the HM5 pads, isolation was noticeably better, although sound was garbage.



Quasar said:


> Also, these are said to be hard to drive. What are you running them through? Just your iMac?


Yeah surprisingly the iMac 5K has been able to drive any headphone I've thrown at it. I need to push the volume much higher with the T50s than any other headphones though. I also feel the DAC is excellent on this iMac. Apple does at least some stuff right.

On my DAW machine I use an Audient iD4. The headphone amp can drive the T50s.



Quasar said:


> And is that your own EQ curve from scratch? For my new HD660 S, I just found a tried-&-true Harmon curve already made, and haven't felt the need to tweak it, and the little tweaks I tried did not improve it.


Since I'm not doing any critical mixing I just create my own EQ curves from scratch and trust my ears. I try to be very minimalistic though, nothing complicated. It's an iterative process. I listen to a lot of varied material while fine tuning an average I'm happy with.

In the past I've tried solutions like Sonarworks but I was never happy with the results. In some cases they made the sound much worse. Their correction curves simply cannot take your ears and ear pads into account.


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## CeDur (Nov 15, 2021)

Semi-open headphones are still open headphones, just, well, less open (the grille has less air coming through compared to fully open) 

If someone is after harman-target EQ curve, I recommend looking for oratory1990 EQ settings he publishes on reddit. He is an actual engineer and those curves are based on professional measurements. It doesn't mean it will fit everyone: not everyone is after Harman curve or individual ear-shapes are different like @Pier noticed, but I find oratory settings to be a good starting point.






index/list_of_presets - oratory1990


r/oratory1990: Mostly covering topics like headphones, in-ear headphones, acoustics, electroacoustics, acoustic tuning, headphone design …




www.reddit.com


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## Pier (Nov 15, 2021)

That's a great resource @CeDur !

I can't tell if the frequency response for the T50 version is the mkII or mkIII.

This is a different measurement comparing the two versions from https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-j-r/t50rp-mk3/ (DIY Audio Heaven):






Orange is MKII and blue is MKIII.

Anyway I downloaded the Oratory pdf and tried to apply the EQ curve. Unfortunately the PDF is lacking info about the filter roll off (dbs per octave). I used the default on Pro-Q3 which is 12db per octave.

I've attached the Pro-Q3 preset in case anyone might find it useful.

This the curve from the PDF:






This is what I got in Pro-Q3 which looks fairly similar:






I'm really enjoying this EQ for listening to music. On first sight I was worried about the scooping around the low mid region, but it sounds great. Maybe a bit bass heavy, even for me  but the PDF warns about this:



> If you find low frequencies to be too congested, deactivate filter band 1 this will sacrifice subbass but reduce distortion.
> 
> Adjust gain of band 2 to preference (bass)


Maybe not for general use though. The scooping and low end seems too exaggerated IMO, or maybe I just need to get used to it.


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## CeDur (Nov 15, 2021)

Pier said:


> Anyway I downloaded the Oratory pdf and tried to apply the EQ curve. Unfortunately the PDF is lacking info about the filter roll off (dbs per octave). I used the default on Pro-Q3 which is 12db per octave.
> 
> I've attached the Pro-Q3 preset in case anyone might find it useful.


Default 12dB per octave is OK. The thing with FabFilter is its Q value is non-standard and calculated a bit differently than in other popular EQs. I attached a simple Excel I used to calculate Q values for one of my headphones (I also use FabFilter EQ). 

Basically you just have to multiply Q value by √2, so:

Q1 = Q2 x √2

where:

Q1 - FabFilter Q 
Q2 - original Q from other EQs (oratory1990 values for APO EQ for example)


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## Pier (Nov 15, 2021)

Thanks a lot for the info @CeDur !

I've updated my Pro-Q3 preset with the new Q values and yeah it made a difference. I've also updated the attachment on my previous comment.

I've been reading a bit more about the Harman curves and they are based on statistical subjective impressions, definitely not meant to produce a flat response but make the listening experience more enjoyable. Very interesting stuff.


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## mgaewsj (Sep 17, 2022)

I am considering getting the T50rp.
I am not finding the related oratory files here https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results/oratory1990
I can only see t60rp, what am I missing?


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## Bee_Abney (Oct 28, 2022)

Pier said:


> So I got these new headphones a couple of days ago and here's my mini review.
> 
> I've always wanted to try some planar headphones and for aprox only $150 and some great reviews these seemed like a no brainer.
> 
> ...



I bought a set of Fostex T50RP headphones. They arrived today. Now I realise how bad my mixes have been!

Thank you!


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## Pier (Oct 28, 2022)

Bee_Abney said:


> I bought a set of Fostex T50RP headphones. They arrived today. Now I realise how bad my mixes have been!
> 
> Thank you!


Awesome!

Take some weeks to get used to those new Fostex before making any drastic decisions!

Reading back on my review from about a year ago, everything holds up nicely. I'm still using the T50RP as my daily drivers although I don't use any EQ now. Not sure if the sound has softened or my brain got used to the sound.


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## Bee_Abney (Oct 28, 2022)

Pier said:


> Awesome!
> 
> Take some weeks to get used to those new Fostex before making any drastic decisions!
> 
> Reading back on my review from about a year ago, everything holds up nicely. I'm still using the T50RP as my daily drivers although I don't use any EQ now. Not sure if the sound has softened or my brain got used to the sound.


That's good advice! I also need to listen to a lot of professional releases on them first. I'm still looking for a good collection of reference tracks. Tom Waits, Black Sabbath and Snakes of Russia are looking likely.


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## Pier (Oct 28, 2022)

Bee_Abney said:


> That's good advice! I also need to listen to a lot of professional releases on them first. I'm still looking for a good collection of reference tracks. Tom Waits, Black Sabbath and Snakes of Russia are looking likely.


Listen to stuff with depth like soundtracks. Dune sounds fantastic on these cans.


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## Bee_Abney (Oct 28, 2022)

Pier said:


> Listen to stuff with depth like soundtracks. Dune sounds fantastic on these cans.


Ah yes, that's a good one. I haven't heard much of it yet as I haven't seen the new version of Dune. I might try Isle of Dogs too as it has a lot of taikos.


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## cedricm (Oct 28, 2022)

I think I'll go with the T40RP, which is seemingly the most neutral of the T50/T40/T20.


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## cedricm (Oct 28, 2022)

CeDur said:


> Semi-open headphones are still open headphones, just, well, less open (the grille has less air coming through compared to fully open)
> 
> If someone is after harman-target EQ curve, I recommend looking for oratory1990 EQ settings he publishes on reddit. He is an actual engineer and those curves are based on professional measurements. It doesn't mean it will fit everyone: not everyone is after Harman curve or individual ear-shapes are different like @Pier noticed, but I find oratory settings to be a good starting point.
> 
> ...


What an amazing resource!

Thanks.


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## Pier (Oct 28, 2022)

cedricm said:


> I think I'll go with the T40RP, which is seemingly the most neutral of the T50/T40/T20.


According to Fostex the T50 is the neutral one:


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## cedricm (Oct 28, 2022)

I've seen a few reviews of people having the 3 models, and that's their conclusion.
(such as ) 

Quite hard to conclusively assess without measurements.
On the other hand, I found more EQ settings / support in VSTs for the T60RP. But it's 2x as expensive.


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## Pier (Oct 28, 2022)

cedricm said:


> I've seen a few reviews of people having the 3 models, and that's their conclusion.
> (such as )
> 
> Quite hard to conclusively assess without measurements.
> On the other hand, I found more EQ settings / support in VSTs for the T60RP. But it's 2x as expensive.



I trust Zeos but beware because he's using custom pads and he mentions that.

Yes the T50 are bright compared to say the HD600 but they are not treble cannons like the old DT Beyers. Personally I think they are just right. Bright material will sound bright, dark material will sound dark. Unlike the HD600 where everything is softened.

Another point is the T40 being closed might not be great at depth and soundstage.


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## cedricm (Oct 29, 2022)

In any case, I'll wait for Black Friday to see what's on offer.


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## cedricm (Nov 2, 2022)

I think I've found a worthy contender: the Hifiman HE400se, which is already one of the most neutral headphone on the market, and, seeing https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy7w95pv0lzm7wy/Hifiman%20HE400se.pdf?dl=0 (Oratory's HK target), can be very well and minimally corrected.


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## Pier (Nov 2, 2022)

I'll probably be getting the Sundara at some point. We can compare notes 🤓


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## liquidlino (Nov 2, 2022)

cedricm said:


> I think I've found a worthy contender: the Hifiman HE400se, which is already one of the most neutral headphone on the market, and, seeing https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy7w95pv0lzm7wy/Hifiman%20HE400se.pdf?dl=0 (Oratory's HK target), can be very well and minimally corrected.


I own these. Superb. Comfy, great sounding (with corrective eq). Only con is short cable. Standard connector so easy to buy a longer one.


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## cedricm (Nov 3, 2022)

I'm still delighted with my EQ-corrected ATH-M50X though.


liquidlino said:


> I own these. Superb. Comfy, great sounding (with corrective eq). Only con is short cable. Standard connector so easy to buy a longer one.


Do you have the V1 or the V2 (stealth magnets version) ?


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## elucid (Nov 3, 2022)

Stealth Magnets. What’s their lead singer called again..?


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## liquidlino (Nov 3, 2022)

cedricm said:


> I'm still delighted with my EQ-corrected ATH-M50X though.
> 
> Do you have the V1 or the V2 (stealth magnets version) ?


Doesn't have a v1 or v2 designation on the unit or box. But the box has a gold "Stealth Magnets" sticker on it, so I'm guessing v2. Only bought it a few months ago.

My headphone usage goes:

1. HD650 for composing at night (speakers during evening/daytime). The dark timbre, lightweight and comfy, so I can compose for extended periods without my tinnitus flaring up. Not so good for mixing in my experience, too coloured, mixes don't translate, even with EQ correction applied.
2. HD400se for mixing. Super detailed, much flatter/uncoloured response, and I find mixes translate instantly to the car, other headphones, bluetooth speaker etc, once I apply the oratory autoeq convolution correction. They do trigger my tinnitus after a couple of hours, so I don't wear them for super-extended periods.
3. ATH-M50x. Mostly just used for tracking live instruments (closed back). I find the sound wearing, and can't use them for extended periods, they severely trigger my tinnitus after only 30-40 minutes, even with corrective EQ. Good for checking mixes on as well. Also not particularly comfy.

If you're coming from M50X, I think you'll be blown away by how much better the HD400se are in almost every respect. Clear sub bass, even frequency response. Detailed mid-range like you'll never have heard. Sparkling but sweet highs. And way, way comfier.


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## cedricm (Nov 3, 2022)

liquidlino said:


> Doesn't have a v1 or v2 designation on the unit or box. But the box has a gold "Stealth Magnets" sticker on it, so I'm guessing v2. Only bought it a few months ago.
> 
> My headphone usage goes:
> 
> ...


The ATH M50X could be comfier but it's OK. I've been using it daily for a long time. In fact, so far, only the ATH can support heavy use with me. Perhaps because I have a relatively big head.

I've had pricey Sennheiser, Focal and Sony headphones that didn't last a year. Very disappointing.

But yes, if enough BF/Xmas money, I'm quite interested in the Hifiman HD400SE.


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## Pier (Nov 3, 2022)

I used the M50 for years. They were comfortable but then the leather started cracking and it hurt my ears.


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