Orthodynamic Headphones & all things planar

[iaudio]

My listening impressions of the Fostex Thunderpants

http://www.hifivision.com/portable-...amic-headphone-my-impressions.html#post207895


A summary/excerpt:

How do they sound?
The Audio Technica AD700 are very capable headphones imo, and provide excellent vfm in their price bracket. There is good detail level, wide soundstage, spatiality etc.
It's just that the Fostex Thunderpants are awesome headphones, which have a much more classier presentation and bring to the table that much needed body to the music. Even with my mediocre amplification,the TPs had good detail/texture, very realistic mids and sounded fuller across the spectrum.

The one not so subtle difference between them is the bass, and that is where the AD700 lags behind significantly. The TPs have adequate bass which is never intrusive. Me likes!

After the TP the AT sounds a bit a bit forward, thin, unrefined and I miss the bass on some songs,to sum it up!

Updating the thread in head fi too.

 

[longshanks]

Add me to the bottom of the list if possible.

 

[anm]

hmm where are they as of now?

 

[Brendon]

^^ Still stuck with me.

I have a box to ship them in but no tape. Trying to source some brown tape from office but chances are that I wont get them till Friday.

Btw, my review is up - http://www.hifivision.com/portable-...ic-headphone-my-impressions-2.html#post210870

 

[anm]

try at some stationary shop

 

[Brendon]

Ah the problem is I work outside the city and by the time I usually reach home most shops are all shut. Will see if my dad can get it on his way back from work tomorrow.

 

[gurubhai]

^ Second that.( anm's post)
understand your problems though,Brendon

Nice Impressions, Brendon. Seems you had a lot of fun with TPs, don't make the delhi guys wait now !

 

[sachi]

Brendon, have they shipped out and if so, who's it heading to next ?

Is it just gurubhai, anm and esantosh left on the list or am i missing someone else?

 

[gurubhai]

^ Yes, Its only me, anm & esanthosh who are left from the original list I prepared.

 

[iaudio]

So Finally the Thunderpants will get paired with the amp they deserve,ehha!

 

[anm]

guilty of keeping ehha unused since I got it. Tonight got an opportunity to get it out, dusted and listening to songs on it with yamaha hp50. Bliss!

 

[anm]

I have a problem that I get lost in music so instead of being disciplined in switching headphones to do comparisons, I jump on another song to have a listen. I am going to do a small rough comparison of hp50 with hd650.

With little listening done last night and this morning, I am yet to declare a winner between hd650 and hp50s. I think both are great headphones. yamaha seems to have more texture and hd650 more and better top end, but none is too far behind the other. But this is just the beginning.

 

[gurubhai]

^Finally, we get some words out of you.
Hopefully, more will follow.:thumbsup:

 

[anm]

sure. I am back to listening. Hoping to get the house in order today, but seems a little tough as lot of things demanding my attention on a sunday.

 

[Brendon]

Sorry guys for taking an extra week with the TPs. Was very busy till Thursday and then just when I thought ill ship it on Friday I felt sick.

Anyways its all packed and ready to go tomorrow so Gurubhai can expect it on Tuesday morning.

 

[Brendon]

I have a problem that I get lost in music so instead of being disciplined in switching headphones to do comparisons, I jump on another song to have a listen. I am going to do a small rough comparison of hp50 with hd650.

With little listening done last night and this morning, I am yet to declare a winner between hd650 and hp50s. I think both are great headphones. yamaha seems to have more texture and hd650 more and better top end, but none is too far behind the other. But this is just the beginning.

The HD650 has a better top end ??? That's surprising considering the rolled off treble I have experienced. Perhaps the EHHA will enhance the treble of the HD650 more than what any of my current and past amps could do.

 

[anm]

when I continued my listening session later in the noon. Suddenly my headphone amp went silent. At the same moment, I witnessed a power fluctuation. I looked at my laptop, and thought maybe iTunes froze. Looked at the power strip on the table top - all lights coming fine. The power light on TV was on. Laptop was on power. What the hell! I was scared - but then reassured myself and went to restart the amp. Nothing responded. It won't power on. What is the use of these spike protection strips when they killed my headphone amp, I wondered and lamented.
Then I reassured myself again - if gurubhai can make it, he can fix it as well. Then with a heavy heart, got up and indulged myself in some other work. Put the amp back to its hibernation cave, packed the headphones.
Meanwhile, I realized I had put the power strip on inverter power as I planned to upgrade the TV firmware. So the inverter power zapped it. How could I be so stupid to put it on inverter power, when everywhere on forum people say that ups/ inverter power is bad for avrs at least.
But in next few moments, I realized I was quite sober the last night and had NOT put the amp on inverter. It was on direct raw power socket. Oh, so it was not the power strip, and not the inverter power. This must have been the power fluctuation.
Have to run, will right more in few mins

ok - so as soon as I realized it was on raw power, I went and checked my fridge. Indeed it was a power cut. So I realized that nothing may actually have happened to the amp. I am much relieved, but there is still an element of suspense, as could not confirm yesterday. Will check out as the first thing tonight.
In just minutes, the panic attack and roller-coaster my mind went through. I am just keeping my fingers crossed, hoping the amp is fine.
BTW, the amp is VERY powerful. It takes hp50s to ear splitting levels much beyond 3 o clock. What!! beyond 3 o clock and powerful!!! Well this volume control is done anti-clockwise so 3 o clock is equivalent to 9 o clock.

 

[anm]

my hd 650 is not much burnt in. Maybe top end rolls off more later. I keep headphones in hiding to save them from my little princess frying them, or worse, dipping them in water. Turns out that it prevents me too from listening much to my headphones.

The HD650 has a better top end ??? That's surprising considering the rolled off treble I have experienced. Perhaps the EHHA will enhance the treble of the HD650 more than what any of my current and past amps could do.

 

[anm]

edited the earlier post. But the power is really shitty in Noida during day. It was visibly fluctuating all the time yesterday.

 

[gurubhai]

Nice of Anant to share his panic among us. Not for faint-hearted these posts with sequels.

There has been talk on HF of newer HD650 sounding brighter. Some new silver driver IIRC.
Also, according to sachi the EHHA does have good synergyl with the Senns.