Наушники — Fostex TH919

The Fostex TH919 is a dynamic headphone with open-back cups from the Japanese company Fostex, introduced together with the closed-back TH910 as a matched pair of high-end models. It keeps the driver, mechanical parts and lacquered wooden housing of its sibling but opens the rear of each cup to the air.

Key specs that matter

Every cup is fitted with a 50 mm BioDyna diaphragm driven by a neodymium magnet. Nominal impedance is 25 ohm, sensitivity is 100 dB/mW and the rated maximum input is 1,800 mW. Fostex quotes a frequency response of 12.5 Hz to 45,000 Hz. These figures are identical to the closed-back TH910, so the two models differ only in the open or sealed rear of the cup and in the details of the finish. The headphone weighs approximately 385 g, measured without the cable, the same figure as the TH910. Its detachable lead is 2 m long, made from 7N high-purity OFC copper, and runs from two 2-pole 3.5 mm plugs at the earcups to a gold-plated 3-pole 6.3 mm plug.

Engineering and use context

Fostex describes the BioDyna unit as newly developed for this generation, with a revised edge around the diaphragm intended to suppress unwanted resonance. The yoke and other mechanical parts are made of a lightweight magnesium alloy, which the maker says brings their weight down by 20 percent against the same parts in aluminium. The housings are cut from hard maple and coated in traditional Japanese Urushi lacquer, with a black lacquer base and sulfur-smoked silver foil laid into the finish. The ear pads have a newly shaped slanted surface and are built from two layers of low-resilience urethane covered with a silk protein synthetic leather, a material the company claims is three times as durable as ordinary covers. The head pad and headband use natural sheepskin, and Fostex packs a synthetic leather carry pouch. The cable detaches at both earcups, and Fostex offers a separate balanced cable terminated in a 4.4 mm plug as an optional purchase.

Pairing

The combination of low impedance and high sensitivity means the TH919 can be run from portable players and from full-size headphone amplifiers alike. The stock cable ends in a full-size plug for home amplifiers, while the optional balanced lead serves players and amplifiers fitted with that socket.

Alternatives

The Fostex TH910 is the closed-back sibling built around the same BioDyna driver and the same lacquered maple housing.