Fostex TH610
FOR Comfortable; punchy, surprisingly sensitive sound AGAINST Need more clarity; harsh treble; poor rhythmically
As we know, looks can be deceiving. The Fostex TH610 headphones seem the part for a high-end pair of luxury cans, but don’t have the sound quality to match.
They certainly appear classy, and the walnut housings are smooth and well made, each holding a 50mm neodymium driver. Their pads are made of artificial leather and fit snugly over your ears, so they are comfortable to use.
Even the 3m cable – a gold-coloured rhodium 6.3cm jack on one end and a pair of detachable two-pin connectors at the other – is covered with a fabric that’s nicer to touch than most headphones at this price. As such, it’s a shame the TH610S don’t have the sound quality to complement their elegant design.
Let’s start with the positives. These closed-back headphones go surprisingly loud. These cans are dynamically impressive, and can be relied upon for a big blast of sound.
What’s more, they know what to do with it, providing a good punch on the rapid bass that kicks off Kings of Leon’s Charmer. However, ‘go big or go home’ has never been the be-all and end-all when deciding the worth of a pair of headphones.
Preferably, that force would be matched with speed and agility, but the TH610S aren’t quite as rhythmically adept as we’d like. Playing Hans Zimmer’s Dream Is Collapsing from the Inception soundtrack, what should be rapid and tense violins err on the sluggish side.
Mist opportunity
Tonally, the TH610S are far too focused on the lower frequencies – the cymbal crashes and the screams of Caleb Followill’s lyrics being hampered as a result. The naturally strained vocals need care and attention to ensure they don’t end up giving the listener a headache – but what sounds crisp from the similarly priced Audio Technica ATH-W1000ZS sounds unbalanced and brittle from the TH610S.
During treble-heavy songs, such as the guitar strums of David Bowie’s Starman, the high-pitched riffs, which sound sophisticated from the other two pairs in our test, are rather harsh here.
There’s also a distinct lack of clarity across the frequency range – the synths in the climax of Vampire Weekend’s Diane Young aren’t as distinct as they should be, and Michael Stipe’s vocals in R.E.M’S Nightswimming are noticeably foggy.
Packs a punch
“The TH610S can be relied upon for a big blast of sound. However, ‘go big or go home’ has never been the be-all and end-all for headphones”
Overall, it never truly feels as though you’re getting an insightful reproduction of your music from these headphones. That’s disappointing at this price, but especially so when you can spend the same amount on either the Amirons or the ATH-W1000ZS.
There are a number of headphones available at this price with much better audio qualities and which will ultimately handle your music more proficiently than the Fostex TH610S, even if they perhaps don’t look as good.
The TH610S pack a decent punch, but need more detail and clarity, as well as a better-balanced and more refined tone, before we could truly recommend them.