Fostex is a brand with a loyal cult following much like Grado, Ferrum, and Abyss. Those who are used to warm sounding headphones with palpable bass generally have heard of the Japanese brand. Those of us lucky enough to have used their headphones know about how high quality the components, build, and audio can be. Nevertheless, these headphones are somewhat niche despite being a respected and old brand. Fostex has recently announced their new flagship open-back as well as it's closed-back counterpart. Their predecessors (TH-900 & TH-909) had mixed reviews, because of the added brightness that made the overall sound very 'v-shaped'. Lots of Fostex fans felt as if this was a far cry from their unique sound signature, and a risk that was revised on many of the limited editions. I'm curious to see how these are tuned, and the way they perform against their predecessors. 

TH1000-RP and TH1100RP

The TH1100RP are flagship RP headphones that incorporate Fostex's proprietary state-of-the-art premium grade RP planar magnetic driver technology in a solid wood housing. Dyed with Aizome from Tokushima, known as Japan's renowned indigo dyeing method, the headphones are carefully assembled in Japan. This one of-a-kind texture brings out the beauty of the individually different wood grain that is unique to traditional Aizome. Fostex's 50 years of flat diaphragm RP technology come together beautifully in two models of flagship headphones, a closed type and an open type.

Available in Closed-Back with The Fostex TH-1000RP Open-Back Premium Planar Headphones.

The RP technology planar diaphragm driver technology, developed in 1974 and continually refined ever since, has a newly developed planar diaphragm, much larger than the conventional RP driver used in T50RPmk3/mk4. In addition to increasing the number of magnets that sandwich the diaphragm, as well as a newly designed pattern and shape for the printed coil, the magnetic circuit components have been redesigned to optimize the magnetic flux distribution. 

 All of these work together to suppress unwanted resonance in the diaphragm. This simultaneously achieves high sensitivity, smooth frequency response, and excellent transient characteristics, enabling accurate and delicate reproduction from heavy bass to high frequencies, and the ability to express a clear sound image in space with a clear sense of localization.

Features

Newly adopted lightweight magnesium alloy mechanical parts

A refreshed design using Magnesium alloy for mechanical parts, such as the housing base plate and hanger, help reduce overall weight by 20% compared to aluminum. Rubber packing is used for the rotation mechanism to eliminate excess vibration as much as possible. The design concept of taking every detail of each part into consideration has further improved the wearing comfort.

Newly shaped ear pads with new materials

The newly shaped ear pads, which are asymmetrical to optimize the wearing comfort, are made of low-resilience cushions and silk protein synthetic leather that is three times more durable than conventional ear pads, ensuring a comfortable fit even over long periods of listening.

Flexible fitting head pad and headband

The head pad and headband are made of natural sheepskin material, providing a supple and comfortable fit.

7N grade cable for internal wiring and highly reliable detachable connector port

The removable connector on the headphone body, as well as the detachable connector terminal, are both rhodium-plated terminals. Balanced connection is also supported with the optional XLR terminal cable (ET-H3.0N7BL), and a 4.4 mm balanced cable (ET-TH4.4BL) is also planned for release.

Includes high-purity OFC unbalanced cable

Includes 7N (99.999999%) grade high-purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) unbalanced cable, which eliminates impurities to the utmost limit to enhance transmission performance.

Hard maple solid wood housing finished with "Aizome," a traditional Japanese dyeing method

The solid hard maple wood housing, known as a material for guitars, is dyed with Awa Aizome from Tokushima, which has long been valued for its high -quality dyeing. The wood is carefully dyed one by one by skilled craftspersons, resulting in a deep indigo color that beautifully reveals the unique grain of the hard maple wood. Dyeing with Aizome, made exclusively from the 3 indigo plant, allows the hard maple's density and specific gravity to take advantage of its properties that do not add unnecessary color to the sound, allowing the player to user a firm, deep bass range and clear, extended treble range. 

Specifications

Type: Open Dynamic
Driver: RP planar magnetic
Impedance: 32 ohm
Sensitivity: TH1000RP= 100 dB/ mW, TH1100RP=96 dB/ Mw *tentative
Max Input: 3,000 mW
Freq. response: 5 – 40,000 Hz
Weight: Approx.420 g (excluding cable)
Cable: 2 m Y-type 2-pin (detachable connector rhodium plated)
Detachable terminal: 2-pin (rhodium-plated on the gold-plated base)
Plug: Φ 6.3 mm gold-plated stereo standard plug

What's In The Box?

• TH-1100RP/TH1000RP
• Leather pouch
• Owner’s Manual
• 7N (99.999999%) grade high-purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) unbalanced cable