Martin Pipe checks out Fostex
open-back TH909 headphones.Fostex
opens up
F
ostex, which made its name
in the field of small-studio
multitrack recording, is fast
becoming a headphone force
to reckon with. The Japanese
operation’s closed-back TH900
and its Mk2 derivative, have attracted
praise. We now have the ‘premium flag-
ship’ TH909 I am reviewing here, which
can be yours for £1,500.
The TH909 is, according to Fostex,
essentially an open-back version of the
TH900 Mk2. “While keeping the same
sound characteristic”, Fostex explains,
“we further expanded and increased its
sound field by...adjusting the acoustic
circuit design”. The pleasantly-styled new
model, with its ‘Japan Lacquer Bordeaux’
housing-cover, bears a close family
resemblance to the TH900. However, the
outwardly-facing grilles of each earcup
betray the TH909’s ‘open’ design.
The cables are removable by a plug-REVIEW
40 HI-FI WORLD SEPTEMBER 2019 http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk