Fostex TH500RPchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Burn-in radically changes the sound for many owners. Multiple listeners describe an initial impression they almost returned the headphone over, only to find that after 150 hours or more of burn-in the bass became tight, controlled and dynamic, and the treble turned silky smooth, allowing long fatigue-free listening sessions. Others echo that two weeks isn't enough and a full year of ownership confirms lasting improvement, though they caution first impressions can be misleading.

Bass response and enclosure design are the biggest points of contention. Critics argue the bass is simply missing rather than 'tight' or 'refined,' attributing this to T50RP drivers placed in a semi-open enclosure without adequate internal damping. Some suggest closing the cups or adding damping material like clay could raise low-end and midrange output, framing the TH500RP as a rough design with unrealized potential rather than a finished product.

Perceived value swings wildly between bargain and disappointment. Some owners who paid around $300-315 shipped call it the best cost-effective headphone they've owned, ranking it against pricier planars like the LCD-3 and HE560. Others report faulty units, flat balanced-sounding demos that disappointed versus online praise, or returned their pair within days, suggesting inconsistent quality control or mismatched expectations shaped by amplification and burn-in.