Dekoni Blue Fostex Planar Semi-Open Over-Ears for $180 [MD]

Fostex the People! The Massdrop offer on the new condition Fostex Dekoni Blue planar magnetics for $180 with free US shipping is nearing the end of this cycle at Massdrop. This is yet another variant of the good old Fostex T50RP Mark III, a fookin’ legend in Flea Bottom at HeadFi’s Landing 😉 The package includes an extra set of earpads, so you get one set of hybrids and one set of velour.

The orders will ship in mid-September 2019 from the vendor. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

As a refresher, the Fostex T50RP-III and subsequently this variant are semi-open headphones…

Pre-order new Fostex T-XO II planars for $180

Planar continues to be all the rage these days and if you are on the planar steam train and patience is one of your virtues, Massdrop is launching a new headphone (an “In the Works” product) and accepting pre-orders for $180, it is the Fostex T-XO II planar magnetic headphones. The $180 price is good until July 18 in 2019. After that, the price will climb to $220 which is its “regular” price.

One thing of note with this headphone is that it is tuneable in two different ways: it includes two sets of damping foam and two sets of earpads, so you have four theoretical combinations to experiment with. Make sure you have a notebook standing by 🙂

That part about patience being a virtue? I was not joking! The shipping estimate for this is March 2020, that’s EIGHT months from the blog-posting date 🙂

Dekoni Blue (by Fostex) Planars for $190 [MD]

Planet Planar continues to expand with newer options, one of which is now fully unlocked at the members-only BUT free-to-join Massdrop webite. It is the new condition Dekoni Blue (by Fostex) semi-open over-ear planar-magnetic headphones, based on the good old Fostex T50RP Mark III.

The price is $190; orders will ship in late March 2019 from the vendor. There’s no mention of warranty in the listing. The drop runs for the next four days and change [from blog-posting date that is]…

Pre-order the new Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 with Removable Cables

Fostex the People! I just can’t resist recycling this old joke 🙂 Massdrop is back with two new TR-X00 closed-back wood over-ear headphones! They are the old favorites but now with removable cables. These are a pre-order, an “in production” listing, with a mid-April 2019 shipment estimate. Just in time for the tax deadline 🙂

The Purple Heart goes for $470, while the Ebony goes for $520. This being a Massdrop-Fostex partnership, they come with a 2-year warranty.

These being a pre-order, they also come with these perks:
+ coupon for $10 off your next Massdrop order
+ a polishing cloth
+ an exclusive Q&A with the project leader

So if you are a fan of removable cables, and you are a boldly going early adopter of pre-production, hide your wallet 🙂

Fostex TX-1 Over-Ears for $20 with free shipping

On the budget side of things, and with free shipping, you can get the new condition Fostex TX-1 over-ear headphones for $20 with free shipping (no minimum order required for the 48 contiguous US states) at the Musician’s Friend until Sunday at 8am eastern (or earlier if they happen to sell out before the expiration time). They also offer 45-day free returns, and they average 3.7 out of 5 based on 23 customer reviews.

Fostex TX-1 Over-Ears for $15 with free shipping

On the budget side of things, and with free shipping, you can get the new condition Fostex TX-1 over-ear headphones for $15 with free shipping (no minimum order required for the 48 contiguous US states) at the Musician’s Friend. They also offer 45-day free returns, and they average 3.6 out of 5 based on 21 customer reviews.

Dekoni Premium Earpads for AKG and Fostex for $35 to $73 with free shipping [MD]

Not to be confused with Dakini bliss, Dekoni earpads hope to offer bliss for your ears 😉 A couple of them are fully unlocked at members-only Massdrop running for the next 3+ days (from blog-posting time) with free US shipping as follows:

+ Dekoni Premium Ear Pads for Fostex
for $35 to $73
+ various materials are available, and options compatible for the TH-X00, TH-900 and of course the all-mod T50-RPs

+ Dekoni Premium Ear Pads for AKG K7* for $35 to $73
+ four material options
+ compatible with AKG Q/K701, Q/K702, K601, K612, K712, K7XX

These ship in mid-March from the vendor, with all sales final as usual. By “all sales final” they mean there are no returns for “satisfaction”, only if the product is defective, broken, missing parts, etc.

Dekoni Premium Ear Pads for Fostex for $38 to $73 w/FS [MD]

Fostex the Earpads People! Massdrop is offering the new condition Dekoni Premium Ear Pads for Fostex starting at $35 with free US shipping. This is the base mode. Additional options are available with different material and targeting different Fostex headphones. Prices range from $38 to $73. There are too many options to list here individually. You will see them all at the Massdrop listing or their shopping cart if/when you are ready to checkout.

These will ship in late February 2018 from the vendor, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing. The offer runs for the next five days and change (from blog-posting date).

Open-box Fostex HP-A4 DAC/amp for $240 after coupon

Coupon code CLEAROUT15 gets you 20% off select clearance items at BuyDIG until 12/31/17 at 11:59pm ET. One of those options is the open-box Fostex HP-A4 24-bit DAC/amp which drops from $299 to $240~ with free shipping. There is only one unit available of this per the listing there.

Fostex TR-90 (250 ohm) Semi-Open for $99

Fostex the people! [oops! wasn’t I supposed to stop saying this?] The new condition Fostex TR-90 (250 ohm) semi-open headphones are down to $99 with free shipping by “AudioDeluxe” with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. The other variations go for $109+.

This is a relatively newer line of Fostex headphones that unfortunately does not follow the Beyerdynamic number scheme. In Beyerdynamiclandia, DT-770 is closed, 8 is semi-open, 9 is open. Makes sense. In Fosterlandia, 7 is open, 8 is closed, and 9 is semi-open. No pattern! Harder for a mnemonic 🙂

These are dynamic headphones, not planar magnetics.

$115 Fostex Headphones: TR-80 (80 or 250 ohm), TR-70 (80 ohm), TR-90 (80 ohm) [WAS $125]

UPDATE: as of 9/11/17 re-check, the prices dropped from $125~ to $115~…

ORIGINAL POST
Fostex the people! (sorry, I can’t resist saying this). The new condition Fostex TR-80 (250 ohm) closed-back over-ear headphones are on sale for $125 with free shipping, sold by “Digital DJ Gear” with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day Prime shipping if a member. This has a September 13 shipping estimate. Limit one per customer.

If you want something more drive-able, the 80 ohm version, model Fostex TR-80-80 is in-stock for the same price from the same seller, with a limit of five units per customer.

$125 seems to be the magic number because the semi-open TR-90 (80 ohm) go for the same price, but not the 250 ohm version of them.

Also going for $125 is the open TR-70 (80 ohm), but there’s no 250 ohm orderable on the listing.

There are multiple models on the same listing, so if you are reading reviews and questions, make sure they refer to the correct model.

These are dynamic headphones, not planar!

PRO TIP for HEADPHONE MAKERS: if you are going to give your headphones model numbers, and you plan to have different impedance variants per model, make sure the model numbers are not in collision with the impedance numbers!

Fostex TH-X00 Trio for $400 to $500 at MD

Fostex the Massdrop people! These are biodynamic headphones, not everything Fostex makes is planar magnetic 🙂 Running right now is a trio of Fostex TH-X00 variants (sounds like smartphone-talk) going for $400 in Mahogany, $450 in Ebony, and $500 in Purpleheart. No Ivory 🙂

These are drops that run daily, because of the way the Massdrop website is structured ~ they don’t have a standard / normal listing like Amazon or BestBuy or Newegg and such. Instead they have listings that have to have a starting and ending date. So they keep opening and closing them, so orders can ship quickly.

Yes, these ship quickly by Massdrop standards!

Fostex T50RP MK3 Planars for $135 [updated with new coupon]

Good until 8/25/17, coupon code ACC17 gets you the mod/DIY-favorite, new condition Fostex T50RP MK3 Semi-Open Planar Headphones for $135~ with free shipping. The price before the coupon is $159. Coupon expires 8/25/17.

If they run out of the coupon expires, they are available in certified refurbished condition for $128 by Beach Camera thru Amazon.

[DEAD Fostex TH-900 Mark II drops to $899

This recurring offer expired…

We have a new low price to this recurring Adorama offer. The new condition closed-back over-ear Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are down to $899 with free shipping. They are an authorized dealer. You can buy as many as you like.

Fostex T50RP Mark III with Fiio A1 head-amp and Bag for $160

Another bundle of threes here as well. The new condition Fostex T50RP Mark III planar magnetic headphones are bundled with the Fiio A1 portable headphone amplifier along with a general use Digpro gadget case, all together for $160 with free shipping by Beach Camera fulfilled by Amazon, so it is Prime eligible for members. As with other bundles, they are a good value if you want/need all the items included in the bundle.

[DEAD] Fostex TH-900 Mark II for $950

As of a 6/9/17 AM re-check, this sale ended, but itt is a recurring offer…

Not everyone is going planar-magnetic crazy. If you are a fan of high Tesla dynamic headphones, the closed-back over-ear Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are on sale at authorized dealer Adorama.com for $950 with free shipping. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout.

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart for $450

Dynamic Fostex headphones now, these are not planars. The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart are back on again, offered for $450 with free shipping. Only 83 units are available for this offer which will end in seven days IF they don’t run out of units by then. These ship late April 2017 from MD, but still “all sales final”.

Fostex TH-900 Mk II and Audeze Deckard amp for $1400

Bundle up time once again. This time it is two different headphone manufacturers bundled up, the new condition Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are bundled with the Audeze Deckard headphone-amp, together for $1400 with free shipping at Adorama.com. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout.

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Ebony for $500

Ebony and ivory, sing together and make your wallet cry, because the biodynamic closed-back over-ear Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Ebony is back on again, fully unlocked for $500 with free shipping at the members-only but free-to-join shopping club. The offer runs for the next seven days from blog-posting date with the orders estimated to ship shortly after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship final (early April 2017).

Fostex TX-1 for $20 w/free S&H [updated]

The orange-black color scheme of the new condition Fostex TX-1 studio headphones, is going for $20 with free shipping by Woodwind & Brasswind through Amazon (not Prime eligible).

The daily deal of it expired but it is recurring: The orange color scheme of the new condition Fostex TX-1 studio headphones offered for $20 with free shipping as the second Musician’s Friend Deal of the Day good until 8am ET on Monday (or earlier if sold out). Only the black color scheme is on sale… UPDATE: the black was offered the day before, the orange is offered the day after…

Fostex TH-900 Mark II for $950

Not everyone is going planar-magnetic crazy. If you are a fan of high Tesla dynamic headphones, the closed-back over-ear Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are on sale at authorized dealer Adorama.com for $950 with free shipping. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout.

Fostex TH-900 Mark II for $950

Fostex the people! Okay, I need to retire this joke 🙂 The Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are back on sale again at authorized dealer Adorama.com for $950 with free shipping. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout. These are dynamic 1.5 Tesla closed-back over-ear headphones.

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart for $450

They are back on again, this offer running for the next seven days from today (or when the 300 available units get spoken for; whichever happens first). The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart biodynamic headphones are unlocked for $450 with free shipping. They come with a 2-year warranty and will ship at the very end of February 2017.

Running in parallel are the Earsonics SM64 double-flange in-ears, going for $280 plus $7~ flat shipping. There is very limited supply (only 35 units). They come with a 2-year warranty and will ship from Massdrop facilities in late March 2017.

Last but not least (at least in terms of comfort) among today’s unlocked drops, the ZMF Ear Pads go for $50 plus $3 flat shipping. These are the Ori. For +$10, you can upgrade to the Eikons. They ship late March 2017 as well.

Fostex TX-1 Closed Over-Ears for $20 w/free S&H

Fostex too has headphones all over the price range. On the budget side of things, their TX-1 closed-back over-ears go for $20 with free shipping by the Musician’s Friend (MF) group of companies including MF directly and Music 123 thru Amazon (not Prime eligible) and by MF through eBay.

Speaking of them, the CAD MH-310 which looks very similar (but not identical) to a certain Superlux/Samson headphone (I think the SR-950) is on sale for $30 with free shipping by Musician’s Friend and free store pickup by Guitar Center. But if you don’t have coupons or store credit or gift cards there, the Samson SR-950 goes for $24 with free S&H at Adorama.

Both are budget studio headphones, so it is reasonable to assume trade-offs versus well-regarded $100+ studio headphones. Although I suppose a more accurate term would be “studio-useful headphones” versus “studio” which is as much marketing as it describes function 🙂

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Ebony for $500

Knock, on wood! (to test the headphone’s wooden acoustics and isolation) 😉 Massdrop is back on again with another exclusive, their “x Fostex TH-X00 Ebony” headphones are unleashed for $500 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next eight days and estimate to ship in late February 2017. They come with a 2-year warranty. Only 120 units are available as part of this run, with about 1/6th of them already spoken for as of the blog-posting date. These are (bio)dynamic headphones.

Fostex TH-900 Mark II drops to $950

Fostex the people! They are back on sale and with a lower sale price since the last time! The Fostex TH-900 Mark II are down to $950 with free shipping, for a limited time, in new condition, at Adorama.com. With 1.5 Tesla, you can create your own wormhole 🙂

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Headphones for $400

The Wooden Headphones Club meets again at Massdrop where they are offering their own “x Fostex TH-X00 Headphones” for $400 with free shipping. The offer runs for the next seven days and will ship late January 2017, which is fairly fast for MD standards. They ship from Massdrop, so from the looks of it, they may already have these in their warehouse/facilities (my speculation; I have no clue).

PS: these are dynamic driver headphones, planar is not everything despite their increasing popularity 🙂

Fostex TH-900 II + iFi Micro iDSD Black Label DAC/amp for $1300

And now to the four figures with a bundle at Adorama.com, they are offering the new condition Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphone bundled with the iFi micro iDSD Black Label Edition DAC/amp, together for $1300 with free shipping. No coupons, no rebates, but this is a limited time promotion.

Fostex TH-900 Mk II + iFi micro iDSD Black Label for $1300

It’s bundle time! The Fostex TH-900 Mark II headphones are bundled with the iFi micro iDSD Black Label Edition DAC/amp, together going for $1300 with free shipping at authorized dealer Adorama.com until 12/21/16. No coupon, no rebate, just add to cart and proceed to checkout. These are dynamic headphones with 1.5 Tesla.

[DEAD] Fostex TH-500RP Premium Planar-Magnetics for $274 (ends Thur 2:44am ET)

As of a 10:12pm ET recheck, this is sold out and dead as a door nail… It lasted less than two hours with a surprise half-off discount of Amazon’s own price…

[Read more…]

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 for $400

It’s back on again. Fostex the people! The Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 is ready to go for $400 with free shipping. It is running for the next eight days (until around 12/14~ or so; they don’t provide an expiration time, only “8d left” so you can’t pinpoint it to a specific time). About 1300 units are available and this will ship fairly quickly by MD standards, mid-December 2016. It will likely arrive before Christmas – knock on wood (pun intended).

Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 Purpleheart for $450

I thought I could stop saying it but I can’t help it. Fostex the People! The Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 Purpleheart is back on at Massdrop going for $450 with free shipping, with three days left in the offer (from Cyber Monday). 450 units are available, so it looks like they won’t sell out barring any surges. This is expected to ship quickly, early-to-mid December 2016, and it will ship from Massdrop. This is a dynamic headphone.

Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 for $400

I may have exceeded my lifetime quota of “Fostex the people” jokes, but the Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 is back on again at Massdrop going for $400 with free shipping with three days left in the offer (from Black Friday) with a reasonable early December 2016 shipment estimate. A total of 450 units are available, so theoretically it could sell out earlier.

[DEAD] Fostex TH-900 Mark II for $999

This sale ended… We have another high-low, from a $10 earbud we now go to a $1000 headphone! It is the closed-back over-ear Fostex TH-900 Mark II, with its 1.5 Tesla, at authorized dealer Adorama.com for a limited time.

Fostex TH-900 Mark II for $1000

Fostex the people! The TH-900 Mark II is currently on sale, for a limited time, in new condition, for $1000 with free shipping and handling at Adorama.com. With 1.5 Tesla, you can create your own LOST island anomaly 🙂