Hey, Iāve seen a lot of info about long shipping times in this thread so figured Iād post an update. I ordered my Argons at the end of April and they are shipping now 4 weeks later at the end of May. 
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Using the 4w Xduoo XA-10 high gain balanced with mine. Still lacking that bass impact everyone raves about and definitely recessed midsā¦ Volume isnt an issue at 55 out of 100 just lacking detail and Bass!
Definitely get the most powerful amp possible to hear these as they should. More power definitely equals more quality with these
Might save and pick up an emotiva am2 for these ā¦
Yeah, I may go with the Emotiva BasX A2m. I had also been looking at the Topping L50 and the Schiit Magnius, but to get the best out of both of those I believe I would need to use the XLR output and I just picked up a pair of Argon MK2 on eBay that arenāt balanced.
Had been debating Argon MK3 vs Argon TP60, but when I saw the MK2 on eBay I thought I might as well start where it all started!
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Wow great find Argon MK2s are supposed to sound even better than the 3s
Turns out the seller made a mistake and listed them as MK2, when, in fact, theyāre the MK3, so Iām back to the plan of buying the MK3 new.
For amp pairing, seems like the Emotiva BasX A2m is the best option in the price range? Thought being - the more power you can give these, the better.
Reason Iām asking is because Iām also looking at amps like the Topping L50 and Schiit Magnius, but would only use those balanced/XLR, and so I would order the Argon MK3 with the balanced jack if I went this route.
For reference I have the Modhouse Argon Mk3s balanced using them on an a class amp at 4w @32ohm and they NEED much more power to unock thier full potential sound. Volume isnt a problem they just lack oomph
The emotiva bas-x am2 would be my choice alongside a cheap dac
Thanks for the advice. Is there a video or instructions somewhere on how to do the internal jumper mod for the headphone output on the BasX A2m?
Not sure on video but on Zeos Panteras you tube review he tells you what page in the instructions to find out
Looking into MKIII vs HD Zeus from reviews and such Iāve concluded that
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Disregarding build and comfort both can be described as wide and bass heavy.
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The Argons require way more power to run properly and scale much better than the HDs.
Could anybody , preferably having owned them, compare them thoroughly?
I guess it depends what you are after, what use case, (closed vs open) sound sig, music genres, amp pairing.
- The Argons mk3 are bass heavier.
- The Argons might scale, but I donāt see them outperforming the Zeus on my setup, except for the usual advantages of planars like transient response=speed, lack of distortion, separation.
Treble quantity + balance: Zeus > Argon
Drums: Zeus > Argon
āSpeedā/transient response: Argon
Bass quality: Zeus = thumpy, Argon = boomy (less accurate)
Bass quantity: Argon > Zeus
Laidbackness: Argon > Zeus
Uniqueness of sound / uniqueness overall: Argon > Zeus (closed planar with lots of bass and decent soundstage)
Aggressiveness goes to Zeus, with the caveat that its aggressiveness only stems from its treble and not its upper mids, which makes for a duller sound for guitars, fem. vocals, etc.
Summary/music pairings Argon: Modern music, synths, trip Hop, downtempo, contemporary RnB, somber music, if you donāt want to focus too much on details; Massive Attack, Drake would be good examples. It can be stupid fun but can sound very off as well.
Music pairings Zeus: more balanced, maybe soul (male vocals only), funk, grunge, post-punk, metal with lowly tuned guitars like heavy metal; Stevie Wonder, Nirvana, that kind of stuff.
For female voals, acoustic music and other rock/metal Iād go with something else.
More recommendations:
Gaelle - Transient
Portishead in general
Air - Moon Safari
The track āEvery Planet We Reach Is Dead (featuring Ike Turner)ā by Gorillaz is basically a showcase of the Argonās strengths imo, the slow rhythm, the bassline and synths and completely electronic nature of the track are an excellent match.
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Iāve owned the Argon MK3 for about three years now. I am using the oval protein pads which are beginning to flake, so I am looking at pad replacement options. Over the years Iāve dialed in an EQ that I enjoy for the protein pads. I really needed to pull a lot of mid-bass out to match my preference, but obviously I am trying to keep and amplify the sub-bass. This works really well for me, if being a bit mid recessed, but for electric guitar, sub-bass and EDM itās incredible. Plenty of sparkle with a huge soundstage and somewhat floaty imaging. I wouldnāt use the Argons for critical listening or vocal centric mixes, but I donāt believe those play to their strengths and have other headphones to use.
Anyways, I am just looking for pad replacement ideas. Stick with the proteins which will last me 3ish years before flaking again, or go with suede or lambskin. If changes are going to occur in the sound signature, then I am clearly looking for a bit less mid-bass based on my EQ, which could be adjusted to match the new pads.
I own the Argon MK3 and have been using the ZMF Lambskin pads, they are very durable and quite soft, which works well if you wear glasses because they are flexible enough to give you a good seal even while wearing glasses.
I have never tried the Protein pads, so I canāt really speak to how they may change the sound signature between those and the Lambskin.
These are available for 50$ through ModHouse Audio, iām sure if you send an email to them, they will sell you a pair of pads. And Ryan can tell you how it will affect the sound at the same time. Thatās where I got my spare pads.
Has anyone compared all 3 pads for the argon mk3? I have the protein pads and the seem very bloated to my ears and wondering if the lambskin or cow hide would be better.
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