Massdrop is a unique, community driven commerce website. Audio aficionados, knitting nerds, cooking dweebs, and so many more niche-market connoisseurs flock to the site to check out what is on sale. And that is the main beauty of Massdrop. They provide discounts on great products in each community. Today, Massdrop shared their new release with us. It is a headphone collaboration between Massdrop and the folks at Fostex. Today I’ll take a look at the new headphones as I conduct this Massdrop x Fostex THX00 Purpleheart headphones review.
Specifications
Frequency Response: 5Hz-45kHz
Impedance: 25 Ohms
Sensitivity: 98dBSPL/mW
Type: closed-back, over-ear
Transducer: 50mm dynamic driver
Price: on sale for $449.99
In the Box
TH-X00 Purple Heart Massdrop Headphones
Carrying pouch
Design
Headband
After undressing the headphones from its box, the first thing I notice about the headband is that it is light and flexible. It has a thin cushion padding, coated with pleather. It isn’t too special but seems durable and like it would fit numerous head sizes.
Earcups
The earcups are made of Purpleheart wood, one of the densest woods in the world. Not only does it change the look but it also changes the sound a bit. Additionally, the earcups are large and circular, but still feel lightweight.
Earpads
The earpads are thick and comfortable, although they are not made of memory foam like other headphones in this price range. They are asymmetrical in thickness and in shape. Toward the back of the head, the earpads are thicker, and toward the front of the head they are thinner. Additionally, the outer shape of the earpads is circular but space for the ear is more ear-shaped than circular.
Cable
Attached to both earcups is a thick, cotton-braided cable. While it feels very durable, it is also a bit bulky for my taste. However, the cable is not detachable, so it poses a threat to the overall durability of the headphones because if the cable breaks for whatever reason, it will mean purchasing new headphones rather than just buying a new cable.
Sound
Lows
The low end of the Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart headphones is thick and punchy. Its boominess might be a bit much for some folks but I actually really like it! The low frequencies are also dynamic and sound great with classical and jazz buildups and breakdowns. There seems to be a boost around 80Hz and in general I’m impressed by the amount of low frequency extension. This is one of the main differences between the TH-X00 and then TH-610. I also really dig this low end with hip-hop, pop, and electronic music.
Mids
The midrange is scooped out a bit, particularly with a cut somewhere around 300Hz. Other than that, the midrange feels spacious, with a boost around 5kHz, adding detail to vocals. Somehow, despite the high-mid favoritism in these headphones, they are not sibilant.
Highs
Perhaps the lack of sibilance has to do with a high frequency cut around 8kHz, It is a little bit hard to tell though, due to a frequency boost somewhere between 10kHz and 12kHz. This makes high-hats stand out a little too loudly, but I didn’t notice any other instruments standing out in such an obvious way. The high frequencies have nice extension as well, giving the headphones particular articulation.
Soundstage
The spacious mid range combined with the generous highs produces a bit of depth, although it is more subtle than the TH-900. The headphones have accurate width as well. Considering the low and high end extension I described above, you won’t be surprised to hear that the headphones had an accurate and tall sense of height.
Overview
The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart headphones are a lot of fun to listen to. They are less flat than the Fostex TH-610 and have lovely low end and high end extension. They’re imaging is not as deep or interesting as the Fostex TH-900, but the headphones will be really great, especially for folks on a tighter budget who enjoy hip-hop, pop, and electronic music.
The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart headphones are available at Massdrop:
Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart at Massdrop
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