The Final DX4000CL is a full-size closed back headphone with a dynamic driver using a 40 mm paper-carbon composite diaphragm. It was released in the spring of 2026. It features a large but comfortable housing with thick earpads. Launch price is£949 / €999 / $999.
The Fostex TH-900 series are closed-back headphones with thin wooden shells and a 50mm driver using a “bio-dynamic” diaphragm. The original TH-900 was launched in 2012, and the mk2 version, which only added a detachable cable, followed in 2016. It has very recently been discontinued but can still be found. Pricing was around 1499 USD at its lowest, rising to around 1999 USD. It has been replaced by the more expensive TH-910, released late in 2025 at 2799 USD.
The Fostex TH-900, both mk1 and mk2 as well as the various limited edition colour variants, are interesting comparisons for the DX4000CL as they are longstanding reference headphones in the high-end closed-back realm.
FINAL DX4000CL SPECIFICATIONS:
- Type: Closed-back dynamic headphones
- Driver: 40mm Paper-Carbon dynamic driver
- Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW – 1kHz
- Impendance: 37 Ohms
- Earpads: Synthetic leather with memory foam (lip-and-notch detachable)
- Housing: Resin
- Cable: 2 m silver coated cable
- Cable connectors: dual 3.5mm on headphones
- Cable termination: 4.4mm (with 4.4mm to 6.3mm adapter)
- Weight: 375g w/o cable
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Final Audio Store
FOSTEX TH-900 SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver Type: Dynamic 50mm
- Impedance: 25 ohms
- Sensitivity: 100 dB SPL/V
- Frequency Response: 5Hz – 45kHz
- Isolation: -10dB
- Connector Type: 1/4″
- Cable Length: approx. 10 ft. (3 m)
- Cable Style: Straight Dual Side
- Weight: 390g w/o cable
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Fostex TH-900 mk2
LISTENING COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
A Before by Olga Konkova
The DX4000CL offers a good punchy cajón drum; the vocals are smooth, delicate, and intimate, and the piano is rich and warm. The TH-900 sounds very different. It is thinner and airier, with a much more distant presentation, but the bass is still punchy. The detail level is higher with the TH-900.
Dancing in the Dark by Jørgen Dahl Moe
This is the best version of this Bruce Springsteen classic I have ever heard. The TH-900 sounds a bit thin and sharp, though rich in detail and texture. The DX4000CL is much warmer and fuller sounding, and more intimate in terms of soundstage. There is less space between instruments, though.
Moo)n by Lindström
Norwegian electronica artist Lindström delivers great beats. The DX4000CL is warm and rich, detailed and intimate, with very punchy bass. The TH-900 also sounds dynamic but in a tighter way. The soundstage is larger and there is more space between instruments.
Woodpecker by Tingvall Trio
Again, the TH-900 is much airier, while the DX4000CL is warmer and more intimate, yet still with great detail and a lusher bass.
Alt e bra by Building Instrument
The TH-900 is more spacious, crisper, and airier, while the DX4000CL is warmer, lusher, and more intimate.
The Sun Always Shines on TV MTV Unplugged by a-ha
The DX4000CL is thicker, richer, and fuller sounding, while the TH-900 is significantly airier, a bit crisper, and with notably better imaging.
II. Allegro, Sonata in A Minor – de la Guerre by Sophie de Bardonnèche
The DX4000CL is a very pleasant listen, lush and smooth. The TH-900 sounds very different; it is much crisper and more articulate, and considerably more upfront.
Limit to Your Love by James Blake
Vocals are smoother and lusher with the DX4000CL, airier and crisper with the TH-900. Both reproduce the challenging bass impressively.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The DX4000CL and the TH-900 sound very different. First of all, the TH-900 sounds much more spacious, which is to be expected given that it offers considerably less isolation and can almost be considered semi-open.
The DX4000CL is smoother and lusher, the TH-900 crisper and more upfront. Both have a good and present bass, and neither has a recessed mid-range.
Treble
The treble is smoother and more laid back with the DX4000CL, while the TH-900 is crisper and brighter, but also more detailed.
Midrange
The mid-range is lusher and smoother with the DX4000CL, while the TH-900 sounds crisper and more upfront.
Bass
Both have a good bass presence and good bass quality.
Soundstage and Imaging
There is absolutely no contest when it comes to soundstage size and imaging capabilities. The TH-900 is on another level. It is also around 2.5 times the price, and it shows. That said, it isolates very poorly and has much of the character of an open-back headphone – the DX4000CL does not.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
When it comes to overall detail level, whether in the bass, mid-range, or treble, the TH-900 is superior, as should be expected from a headphone that is 2.5 times the price.
The DX4000CL is a dynamic sounding headphone, but the TH-900 has even better dynamics – both in terms of macrodynamics and microdynamics. It is more expressive and articulate across the entire frequency range.
When it comes to timbre, they are quite different. The DX4000CL is lusher, darker, and smoother, sounding more natural and relaxed, but the brighter and more textured character of the TH-900 reveals more detail and nuance.
CONCLUSION
It is a bit unfair to compare the DX4000CL with a headphone that costs 2.5 times as much. And it is not only the price; the TH-900 also has an advantage in that its poor isolation gives it an almost semi-open character. However, everything is relative, and the TH-900 is a headphone many people will have heard.
In terms of technical capabilities, the TH-900 is superior with better detail, dynamics and imaging. Regarding noise isolation, however, the DX4000CL is considerably better.
When it comes to tuning, the differences are very apparent. The airier and crisper TH-900 has proven to appeal to many, myself included. However, the smoother, lusher, and more intimate DX4000CL offer something different, maybe a more “natural” and organic feel – which is very engaging in a different way.
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- Amazon: Fostex TH-900 mk2
- Amazon: Final Audio Store
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