Fostex Premium Reference Headphones, Lacquered Urushi Finish (Th-900Mk2)

I'm not the type to write out some extensive fart sniffing breakdown of these headphones. I kinda feel like if you are in the market for something like this you should know what you like and what headphones deliver that profile. Although for myself I can say they look, feel and sound absolutely amazing. My experience with Fostex has been fantastic, your mileage might vary.

As I always mention, lots of things in headphone reviews are subjective, so to give you a sense of my reference points and tastes, I have been into mid-fi and hi-fi audio for about 15 years now. I would call myself a "Basshead Audiophile", as the main types of music I listen to are EDM, Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop/Top40 - all genres that require a decent amount of bass. I occasionally listen to classic rock and alternative. At the same time, I appreciate the detail, clarity and presentation that comes with a good hi-fi set of headphones.My current equipment...Every day use: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3, Apple AirPods Pro, Apple AirPods MaxDetailed listening: Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro Custom IEM, Sennheiser IE900, Denon AH-D9200, Fostex TH900Mk2, Fostex HP-A4 (Desktop DAC/Amp), Dragonfly Cobalt (Mobile DAC/Amp)...As you can see, pretty much all of my equipment, whether low-end or high-end, has an either V-Shaped or somewhat U-shaped response curve, and that includes the TH900. My intention is to use these for detailed listening when I want the most exaggerated V-shape, and I use them for all of the genres I mentioned above, depending on what type of presentation I'm looking for, which I'll get into.First, just on general comfort - for me, these are quite comfortable over-ears. The headband and pads are properly comfortable, as you would expect for something in this price range. I do not feel any pressure on the head and have often worn these for hours with no issue. The cups rotate in multiple directions on he hinge, allowing for easy adjustment for fit. I will note, however, that several folks in forums have had issue with the hinge breaking. I have not experienced that, but I could see how, with too much pressure, the hinges could break. Given these never really travel more than a few feet from the stand (included) over to my amp then on my head, I haven't had an issue with it. Also worth noting, these cans have VERY big ear cutouts in the cups compared to most over-ears. They are designed to be worn a bit farther back on the ears than most cans, so that took a little adjustment, but once I found that seal, it was obvious and easy going forward (there's also a sound-based reason for this design, which I'll get to shortly). This may also be a plus for folks with larger ears. As always, mileage may vary on fit, but from my observations, there's nothing fundamentally flawed about the design with respect to comfort/wearability. The included wire is also top-notch, which is what you would expect in this price range. The cable is nice and long and wrapped in a nice cloth material that does not tangle.The outside of the cups, are of course quite beautiful. This, of course, is also subjective, but for those that value hand-crafted wooden ear cups, these are some of the best out there. Just do a quick internet search of "Fostex TH900 video," and you will find a 6-minute video of how these are made that just may make you buy these based on that alone (seriously, have seen people do it haha).In terms of sound...If you've done your searching around the web about these, there are a few repeating themes you will hear about these - best bass for a closed-back, very bright, big sound stage for a closed-back, natural-sounding. All of these have SOME elements of truth, but as always, it depends on your reference point.Overall, these are very natural-sounding headphones with a warm sound, that out of the box, I would call a "modified" V-shape, with a slight emphasis on the low end and a bigger emphasis on the high end. The mids are also slightly recessed. What also contributes to the overall natural sound is the size of the soundstage, which is indeed the biggest I've ever experienced in a closed-back. Overall, it is an extremely well done sound, that can really let you get lost in the music and transport you there, especially if you have some tracks that have really good masters. The level of detail retrieval is also outstanding.That said, right out of the box, day one, these did NOT blow me away. It took a bit of reframing in my mind, and a little bit of EQ work. However, after doing this, it actually only made me love and respect these more because they respond extremely well to EQ, meaning these are cans that have the POTENTIAL to be absolutely awesome for folks that are willing to fiddle a bit. Let's dive deeper...Given the reputation for bass, let's start there. Indeed, this is the best bass I have ever heard on a headphone. That said, I do NOT mean that these have the MOST bass of any headphone I've ever heard, and out of the box without EQ, I actually didn't find the bass all that impressive in it's overall volume. However, two things to keep in mind here. These are NOT consumer-grade headphones. They are reference/hi-fi/studio-grade. They are NOT designed to provide overly-boomy bass you find in cans like Beats, V-Modas, Sennheiser Momentums and other mid-tier consumer cans. The goal of reference headphones is to provide bass that is like having a subwoofer in the mix WITHOUT it bleeding into the other parts of the mix. The TH900s do this extremely well. While out of the box the bass isn't huge, it is still elevated above neutral, and the bass that does exist is deep, rich, layered and controlled well into the sub-bass levels. It comes through very naturally, and this is especially evident in instruments like bass guitar and kick drum. Now, if you also combine this with applying a boost in in the bass regions with EQ, you can make these things pump out out some extremely gorgeous, big, full, beautiful, ear-rattling bass without distortion. I've applied about a 3-4db eq in the sub-bass regions and 2-3db in the mid-bass regions, and these respond extremely well to EQ. Often, applying EQ can make the sound come across as compressed or artificial, and that is not the case here at all. Even a lift in the EQ keeps the bass in its own lane in the mix. One theme you will hear throughout is that these are versatile, and responding well to EQ is a big part of that.The second standout of the tuning here is definitely the highs - though I will admit to some controversy here. For a can that has a reputation for bass, the level of detail retrieval in the highs is very good. It is not as good as something like the HD800 that is made for detailed listening in the treble regions, but again, this is still a reference-level pair of headphones, and the detail retrieval of the highs is no worse than "good" for something at this price range. Out of the box, I would say these are actually pretty treble-forward or "bright" as some may say (especially if you are used to consumer-grade headphones). Whether that brightness is too much for you, frankly, will depend on your hearing and preferences. I have seen many folks whose ears are very sensitive to high-frequency sounds, and you will find folks on forums that have definitely experienced that. I'm simply not one of those people, and I have never found the highs harsh. Highs are delivered naturally and crisply, separated in the mix, and can definitely be analyzed sufficiently (though I would not call these an overall analytical pair of headphones). As I mentioned earlier, I EQ'd up the low-end in mine, and I have also EQ'd up the high end to counter - meaning, I have actually elevated the highs MORE than they are out of the box, so I clearly don't have a problem with the treble tuning being too much. The bass + treble EQ here creates a nice, layered, detailed bass with good warmth and rumble that has crisp, clean, sparkly details layered on top - perfectly in line with my preferences. Similar to the bass, no issues with deterioration of the sound by applying EQ to the highs.Onto the mids - there is not a whole lot to say here, as this is the least stand-out aspect of the tune. Again, good for the price range, but I wouldn't call out anything special here. Voices and instruments in the mid range are presented well and are always separate and distinct. These are V-shaped, remember, so the bottom of that V is the mids, and they are definitely recessed, especially male vocals. I noticed this immediately out of the box, and I have the mids EQ'd up 2-3db to compensate. This does not get them all the way up to what I would call flat, but it positions them well in my tune. I will say that the mids are tough to EQ higher because voices are more subject to sounding unnatural with high amounts of EQ. That said, mids here are still quite well done.Outside of the tonal balance of these, what absolutely shines is the size of the soundstage - especially the height and depth. Open-back headphones have the reputation for having the biggest, most natural sound stages, and they should, as they have physical acoustics on their side with an open back. The downside to open back headphones is you typically lose bass as a result. These come incredibly CLOSE to open back quality soundstage. Part of that is the design of the ear cutouts. As I mentioned, they are very large, which naturally creates more space for the sound, and it pays off. The width extends past the ear, about to the shoulder. The height also impresses, with the ability to make you "look up" while listening and "look down" sometimes as well. Also impressive is the depth, with near and far very easily articulated. It is a very big and natural soundstage for a closed back. This, combined with the tuning can often make you feel like you are right in the middle of the studio, concert hall, crowd or wherever. A lot of focus gets put on tonal balance when evaluating headphones, and what I often say is - tonal balance can be EQ'd; soundstage cannot. It's for sure a standout aspect of these.An aspect that goes hand in hand with soundstage is positioning. Again, top-notch positioning here. With such a big sound stage, there is so much space for each individual piece of the mix to exist, and the stage is never bloated or cramped. To the contrary, I would say I've found extra depth in tracks that I had never experienced simply because my other headphones are not able to produce such depth of soundstage and then actually position sound in 3D space this well. Now, I would not call these "holographic", but I would say they are VERY close, especially with the right master (try the live cut of Hotel California). The one trade-off of the soundstage being so big is you do give up SOME level of analytics because some things are positioned further away from you than they would be with a headphone with a smaller soundstage. It is not that the sounds are not there; they definitely are, but rarely is anything ever "in your face." Comparatively, my Denon D9200s have a smaller soundstage, but the positioning of everything being closer, puts some details right in your face for analyzing, but the result is also a slightly less natural soundstage. That is a common tradeoff, so you just have to know going in what you're getting. These are still headphones, so everything is right there and distinct, but these are the not the most detail-forward cans out there for sure. They are going for natural soundstage and atmosphere over extremely analytical positioning.Lastly, in terms of power requirements, these are fairly easy to drive, so you don't need a super expensive amp to use them. That said, I would still recommend at least an entry-level headphone amp. Something like a Dragonfly (or similar product) can drive them fairly decently. A basic desktop headphone amp will drive them best, especially at volume.Overall, very happy with my first Fostex set of cans. I would call them endgame, but I know that if they came out with a mk3 of these, I would at least give them a try. Happy listening!PS: If you are doing your research on these and read reviews of some of the other colors (blue or white), be advised that those have DIFFERENT tunes than the classic reds, so those would have slightly different characteristics.

With ta22 dac/amp sounds amazing!.Bass is lovely.I waiting for custom cable(shorter and ballanced),because orginal is to long(3m), and no ballanced.

I love these headphones! If you are treble sensitive these might not be for you, but for anyone who love bass and treble these are fantastic.

I've owned a pair of Grado GS1000i for the last 10 years. Love them, pure, high-end, non-distorted sound. Comfortable. But I wanted more. I'd heard the Fostex at T.H.E. Show in Orange County a few years ago, and was impressed by the uber high end quality and cleanness of the sound. So I finally ordered a pair, and have been listening to them for about a week. All I can say is WOW! THESE HAVE THE BEST BASS I'VE EVER HEARD!!! Deep, rumbling, earthquake tones you'd expect from expensive headphones. So good I can't believe all that sound's in the music. This is quality product, not boomy cheap like on pop/inexpensive cans. This is true audiophile level bass that rocks and shakes like a deep rumbling in the earth. And, the highs and mids are pure and perfect, just as good as my Grado's (and that's saying a lot). If you're a bass lover, look no further. By the way, I'm listening through a small headphone amp, the Schiit Asgard II. These Fostex headphones are truly what I've always looked for in high end audio. Spend the money, you only live once.