Review: Mayflower Electronics Fostex T50rp V1

Firstly I would like to thank Mayflower Electronics for sending me this review sample, I will write as honest a review possible, these headphones received over 50hrs of burn-in but no differences were noted.

Gear used:

Dell XPS15 > Sybasonic UAU19A > T50RP

iPod Classic 7G > Silver LOD > T50RP

Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality:

Packaging is a simple card box, with the headphones on the front and info on the back. No frills, but these are studio headphones and are not trying to be attractive to the average user. I like the simplicity of the box, and it serves it purpose of protecting the headphones during shipping.

Accessories are nowhere to be seen, but who needs them anyway. No carry bag here, or adapter of any kind. Not a problem, but a carry bag would have been nice at least.

Build quality is stellar, they are very simply put together, and this means less to break, the headband is rubber coated, the cups are durable plastic and the cable is replaceable, what more could you want.

Comfort and Isolation and Mods:

Comfort is good in the short term, but after about an hour they start to feel a little heavy on the top of your head, a Sennheiser headband pad would solve this, the earpads are soft and deep enough for my ears, as they are upgraded from the factory ones to Shure SRH840 pads by Mayflower Electronics.

Isolation is very good for a semi-open backed headphone, there is enough for you not to get distracted by quiet noises, yet you won't miss your phone going off or someone calling your name.

Mods: Mayflower Electronics have already modded the V1 a little, which is the model I am reviewing. Here is the list of mods performed:

We will take a standard t50rp and add the standard mod list to these headphones to bring out the full potential in these headphones. Mods include -

1. Mass load the baffles with NewPlast – We use the best clay available imported from the U.K.
2. Acoustic foam on bottom of cups – We use Silverstone foam
3. Cotton over the Acoustic foam – Rolled high quality cotton
4. Shure pads for upgraded comfort and bass response –  Pleather pads will dramatically increase the comfort as well as add better response in the lower frequencies.

Sound:

Lows: The lows are very tight and precise, they don't have the best body or realism but for accuracy and timing they perform very well. Also the lows are very detailed and articulate, the sound is a little on the thin side due to the lows not adding a lot of body, but this does mean that the mids are not affected by the lows in any way. These do have good speed and attack, but they lack body and decay, this is not a huge issue as there is some body, I would just like a little bit more (tube amp to the rescue). These have been modified already by Mayflower electronics to have more presence in the lows.

Mids: The mids are where these excell, they have crystal clear mids, from male to female vocals, acoustic to electric guitar, piano and everything else, these have very linear mids, no humps or dips, no harshness. I really fell in love with the mids on these at first listen, and after more time I cannot help but praise the mids for their honest portrayal. I cannot fault the mids, and that is why I cannot say more about them.

Highs: These have great highs, they sparkle and shimmer without sounding too thin and harsh, they have great detail and definition, and add a real sense of space and air to the music. The highs may not have the best extension, but they do have great realism and in the perfect amount. Overall I am very impressed with the highs, and the slight roll off does not detract from the overall great sound.

Soundstage and instrument separation:

Well the soundstage is good, not the widest but enough spaciousness to give you a good sense of where all the instruments are placed.

Instrument separation is very good.

Conclusion: I think that the comfort and mods that Mayflower do are great, if you are not a DIY person it will help a lot as you don't have to crack them open to modify them yourself.

And the sound, well the mids are incredible and the lows give the sound body and the highs add sparkle without harshness. They are revealing but not ruthless, they have incredible detail, yet sound great with anything.

They do require a good headphone amp to sound their best, and a good tube amp setup will work wonders.

So you get solid build quality, good comfort and excellent sound, all for a very attractive price. These are a great buy.

Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10

https://www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/headphones/fostex-t50rp-version-1/