Thick and Rich – Fostex T60RP Headphones Review

January 23, 2018 3:01 pm

MajorHiFi recently received the newest headphones from Fostex, the T60RP. Due to debut at NAMM 2018, these cans are semi-open. They are the successors to the others in the T50RP, so I’m excited to give them a listen and see how they feel and sound. This is the Fostex T60RP headphones review.

Thick and Rich – Fostex T60RP Headphones Review

In the Box

-T60RP headphones

-3.5mm audio cable

-3.5 mm to 6.5 mm adapter

-Carrying pouch

-Fostex logo sticker

-Documentation

Design

Headband

Right away, as I take the Fostex T60RP out of the box, I notice the headband seems very durable and sturdy. The headband is double tiered with genuine leather, all attached to a metal yolk. The weakest point of the headband is where the headband attaches to the yolk. This attachment is plastic, but it is thick and seems to have very little tension. Additionally, the headband is super flexibly and it fit easily on my head as it seems it would fit well on most head shapes and sizes.

Earcups

The earcups are made of mahogany which makes the T60RP headphones the first in the line to be made of wood. Mahogany is a hard and durable wood, so the large and oval-shaped earcups feel strong. To my pleasant surprise, they are actually pretty light as well. As a result, during my listening session they never felt fatiguing on my head.

Earpads

The earpads are super comfy! They fit fully around the ear, but are thick enough so that my ear doesn’t fall in and touch the earcup.

Transducer

The Fostex T60RP makes sound via the Fostex proprietary RP diaphragm. The RP (regular phase) diaphragm is supposed to make the phase between the two drivers as close as possible for optimal transient response, detail, and clarity. It is made of polyimide film with copper foil etching. Additionally, Fostex says the mahogany driver housing helps to provide depth to the RP diaphragm. Let’s put it to the test!

Sound

Lows

The low frequencies of the Fostex T60RP stereo headphones have a thick, full, and solid sound. They’re not remarkably fast, but sound detailed and supportive nonetheless. It’s frequency response and shape is a little bit cloudy due to broad boosts at 40 Hz and 60 Hz. However, this cloudiness is actually quite warm and aesthetically pleasing. While the T60RP’s low frequencies can work well with most genres, they sound the best with hip-hop, EDM, pop, and other genres that have a lot of synthesized instruments like synthy indie music.

Mids

The low mids of the Fostex T60RP feel very separate from the rest of the mids. Perhaps this is due to a small cut at 650 Hz and another more substantial cut at 1.5 kHz. Regardless, the rest of the midrange feels super rich and thick. Due to a boost at 200 Hz and 500 Hz, electric guitars, pianos, strings, synthesizers and drums all have a heavy fullness, giving extra energy and power to songs that want it. As a result, vocals also sound thicker than usual. Unfortunately, this thickness takes a little bit of air and intimacy out of some vocal performances. However, the vocals still sit in the expected place in the mix level-wise due to boosts at 3 kHz and 5 kHz.

Highs

The high frequencies have nice extension, although their relative level to the midrange and low end is a little modest. However, boosts at 8.5 kHz and 11 kHz make cymbals sit a little higher in the mix than they would otherwise. Mixes that emphasize that frequency range might sound a bit harsh, but it works well with others.

Soundstage

I’m most impressed with the Fostex T60RP headphones’ sense of depth in its soundstage. It is subtle yet super aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the sense of width is accurate, although not remarkably emphasized. Lastly, the height is effective, although the headphones sense of tallness is greater than its sense of low deepness.

Overview of Fostex T60RP Headphones Review

The Fostex T60RP headphones are an upgrade from the others in the RP series. They are certainly a quality headphone with a thick, solid, and rich sound signature. They are comfortable for long duration use, and so I’d highly recommend them for folks who either just like to listen for a long time, or for mix engineers or recording engineers looking for a pair of headphones to supplement their monitors.