Headphone enthusiasts who are looking for an affordable pair of professional studio headphones can take a look at the Fostex T50RP MK3. It is a very modestly priced studio headphone without compromising the sound quality and is highly regarded by its users. You will need a matching headphone amp to drive the Fostex T50RP MK3 and if you are currently looking for one, please continue to read on.
To find the right amp for the T50RP MK3 studio headphones will require some understanding of its sonic traits and with this knowledge, you’ll be able to choose the headphone amplifier which would suit your preference. And so let us start with learning more about this pair of studio headphones.
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Sound Characteristics of Fostex T50RP MK3 Studio Headphones
The Fostex T50RP MK3 has a semi-open design and is built to produce the most neutral sound quality out of the 3 models in the series. This is critical for professionals who want to complete their work with precision and without compromise. The clamping force of the T50RP MK3 is not really tight but it will hold on and it does feel quite comfortable. Its earpads on the other hand are not as comfortable as we would like them to be. Your ears will start to feel warm and discomfort, we suggest changing the stock earpads if possible.
Due to the headphone design, the sound will leak out and may cause annoyance to people around you, still not as bad as open-back design headphones. The noise isolation capability of the Fostex T50RP MK3 is subpar but we assume your studio or workplace should be a non-noisy environment. Its impedance is 50 Ohms which is good. The sensitivity of this Fostex studio headphone is low though and an amp will be needed. Based on these specs, we do have plenty of amp choices to go for and will limit them using price points as one of the factors.
More Details on Fostex T50RP MK3 at Amazon
The sound quality of the Fostex T50RP MK3 is really amazing for the price, the accuracy of the music delivery is ideal for professional work. The bass performance is agile and has a fast transient, it doesn’t linger nor overshadow the higher registers. We were surprised that the T50RP MK3 could actually reach deep into the bass extension. If you are looking for accurate bass responses, this headphone certainly won’t disappoint. Bass fanatics who are looking for higher bass output should check out Fostex closed-back headphone model.
The highs are crisp and have an excellent level of clarity, providing us with plenty of music details including subtleties. It can be forward sounding but doesn’t sound overly harsh nor intrude on the mids. The midrange reproduction does lack warmth and can be really flat at times. Still, the highs and mids work well together, giving us highly defined musicians on a decent-sized soundstage. Fostex T50RP MK3 stereo imaging is precise and separation is equally remarkable. The overall sound reproduction is simply clear and transparent.
Fostex T50RP MK3 will do well with a headphone amplifier that is powerful enough to drive them. We should be cautious with matching the studio headphones with a bright sounding amp so as to not make them sound harsh or cringe. If only the T50RP MK3 is more comfortable to wear, and hopefully the next iteration will do just that. All in all, it is definitely value for money and is worthy of your time to have an audition with them. You can take a look below to check out a list of the best headphone amps which you can select and match with your Fostex T50RP MK3 professional headphones.
Fostex T50RP MK3 Specifications
- Wearing Style: Headband
- Transducer Principle: Semi-Open, Orthdynamic
- Frequency Response: 15Hz-35kHz
- Sensitivity: 92dB
- Impedance: 50 Ohms
- Weight: 315g (0.69lbs)
Best Amps to match with Fostex T50RP MK3
The Bravo Audio V2 will be one of the best budget headphone amps to match with the Fostex T50RP MK3. This is a hybrid headphone amplifier with a Shuguang 12AU7 tube and the warm sonic characteristic helps to provide a smoother music delivery. The amp also adds weight to the bass response, providing you with a more full-bodied music presentation. Bravo Audio V2 will bring out the texture and details of the low frequencies. You can change the stock tube to alter the sonic characteristics of the hybrid headphone amp too.
More Details on Bravo Audio V2 at Amazon
JDS Labs Atom Amp+ is another amazing headphone amplifier with an affordable price tag and will go well with your Fostex T50RP MK3. This is the successor of the renowned Objective 2 and provides even more value than its predecessor. Even though it is an entry-level headphone amp, it could still drive headphones with 600 Ohms impedance and would drive the Fostex T50RP MK3 efficiently. This is also an ideal amp for professionals due to their neutral and transparent sonic characteristics, providing you with accurate and detailed music presentations.
Schiit Audio Vali 2+ is one of the best tube hybrid headphone amplifiers and it is modestly priced as well. It has a very polished background for a hybrid tube amp and this will suit nicely with the Fostex T50RP MK3 studio headphones. The Vali 2+ reveals a bit more texture and also adds more punch to the bass delivery. It also eases off the harshness a little which is great if you are planning to crank up the volume when listening to T50RP MK3. Tube rolling would be an option as well but we find the stock tube is good enough.
More Details on Schiit Audio Vali 2+ at Amazon
Drop + THX AAA 789 is a powerful headphone amplifier that could drive the Fostex T50RP MK3 studio headphones with ease. The neutral sonic characteristics of this headphone amp will complement the T50RP MK3 really well, giving you a balanced and accurate music delivery. The flat sound quality of the Drop + THX AAA 789 and its faithful music presentation will be great for professionals too. This amp has a modest price tag and its honesty will playback music close to what the artists have intended.
More Details on Drop + THX AAA 789 at Amazon
The SMSL HO200 will be another powerful headphone amp to go for and has a modest price tag to boot. SMSL HO200 has similar sonic characteristics with the Fostex T50RP MK3. It is capable of unraveling details throughout the frequency range with precision, making it a really suitable match with your T50RP MK3 studio headphones. This is an exceptional headphone amplifier for headphone enthusiasts who are critical listeners and for professionals who want highly accurate music delivery with brutal honesty.
More Details on SMSL HO200 at Amazon
The Topping A30 Pro is an exceptional headphone amplifier to partner up with the Fostex T50RP MK3 especially if you want to slightly bring forward the vocals. The vocal reproductions sound richer but without compromising the accuracy. This headphone amp makes listening to vocal-centric music very enjoyable and adds a more expansive soundstage which will complement the Fostex T50RP MK3 professional headphones. The stereo separation of the Topping A30 Pro is good as well and it will be worth your time to have a listen.
More Details on Topping A30 Pro at Amazon
To Sum It Up
During the auditioning of the headphone amps, you should bring alone your Fostex T50RP MK3 as well as your favorite music. This is to help you get more accurate headphone amp audition results thus enabling you to choose the right amplifier that will fit your requirements and preferences. You should allow some time for the tubes to warm up first if you are testing tube headphone amps.
