Damn, is it that much better? I needed exactly that! Treble taming pads. Any chance I could buy those pads in EU somewhere?
Do you also think it will be the same result with the ZMF Lambskin Oval/Ori pads? They seem to have almost the same shape, same material and angled thickness. I’m asking, because in the website Ryan explains that the ZMF Oval Lambskin pads are his last choice, no idea why though.
I will try to get the ZMF protein and lambskin pads to compare. Not sure about the alpha pad availability outside the US, but I simply bought mine off dan clark’s website.
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Thanks! I really hope I can achieve this result with ZMF lambskin angled pads, because their hole is bigger than the Alpha pads and my ears are big as well.
So we know the BassX will power them, because it powers anything, and we know “lesser” amps will give them adequate volume but not maximize the potential because of inadequate power. I remember hearing Zeos and DMS saying to get the most out of the “t50 MKIII” series of headphones, that between 6-8W/Channel @ 50Ohms is ideal, but is that the same for these? What do we believe the minimum power required is where power is no longer the limiting factor in increasing sound quality?
Pad Rolling Revisited
I bought this headphone to be an overall “fun” for me personally to listen to.
What I like:
-Well separated sound
-V-shape (or W-shape?)
-Quality over quantity
-Punchy bass
-Sparkly, but non-harsh treble
I’m swapping pads with the above in mind so if you are looking for linear, neutral, accurate, etc, then IGNORE my ranking. Heck, you probably shouldn’t get this headphone to begin with. Buy a Sundara or something.
So here is a quote from Modhouse’s website:
For T60 based units we recommend the ZMF oval Suede pads. Because the treble is elevated relative to the T50 based units as a whole, and the suede smooths out all the treble, it provides a better experience than the protein and lambskin pads.
Let’s revisit this now that I have all 4 ZMF Ovals on me.
ZMF Oval Suede - After many days of pad rolling and careful consideration, I do think these have the tamest treble of the ZMF pads, with the caveat that it’s not the most flat/controlled treble. It also has the most well extended bass. But I still stand by my initial impressions. It’s frequency response is flat in the bass/mids with a treble peak or two that keeps some songs hissing near the top end.
ZMF Oval Cowhide - sniff Yep still smells good. Okay amount of bass. Slight sibilance but treble is very low otherwise. Correction to my previous comment: The mids seem pretty forward but everything else is kind of shadowed. Decently punchy but still a bit muffled. It’s not flat like the Suedes so at least it keeps things interesting.
ZMF Oval Protein - Warm overall with a bit of shouty treble. Bass sounds a little muddier than I’d like and not very punchy imo. Separates sound well, but I prefer the other ZMF pads as I think there are too many compromises being made here.
ZMF Oval Lambskin - I think the treble is more controlled, albeit higher than the treble on the Suedes. The bass is punchy but a bit bloated. Personally I think this is second to the Suedes, but I can definitely see someone liking these pads.
Dan Clark Alpha Pads - Once again, it separates sound amazingly well. Punchiest bass. The treble is not quite as tame as I initially thought, but I still think it’s the most well controlled with little hiss/sibilance/peaks. Heck I think that’s the part about these pads that I like the most. Music just sounds well controlled with these pads. I also severely underestimated how present the mids were so I actually think these pads are a tad W-shaped than V-shaped. That being said I still think the Suedes have the flatter overall response and better subbass rumble.
Cascadia Audio Impact Pads - Bruh wtf
My final order of preference is
Alpha Pads > ZMF Suede > ZMF Lambskin > ZMF Cowhide > ZMF Protein > Impact Pads
Also, @PavelCoelho here’s some side-by-side views of ZMF Lambskin (left) and the Alpha pads (right). The foam on the Alphas are also WAY stiffer:
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Thanks for the pad swapping and for letting us know. I ordered the Alpha pads and will try them in a month or two. I hope the treble is still relaxing with them.
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I mean if treble is your main concern, the Alpha pads might not be the thing you’re looking for. I’m not very treble sensitive but if you are, I could see how the Alphas may not be what you want. Let me know your thoughts though.
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@ShaneD So I really like the T60RP Argon. The African Mahogany really makes these look sharp. They are probably the best looking headphone in my collection at the moment.
As far as sound goes they are amazing. Bass extension is very good as is soundstage and detail. I got them as recommended with the ZMF Suede pads and let me tell you I would be hard pressed to find a more comfortable headphone let alone set of pads. I hear the Alpha pads are something to behold and I have a pair of those on the way.
Did you buy them modded or get it done afterward?
My T60RP’s will be landing next week. I am thinking about trying them out for a week or two and then sending them off to Modhouse.
Bass extension on the t60rp is really nice, as is the detail. However I feel they’re kind of limited on soundstage (vs Sennheiser HD700, Klipsch HP3, Audeze LCD-2CB). Mind you this is in the stock configuration for me. Is the soundstage you describe after having them tuned to t60 Argons or just pad swap?
I’ve been thinking of sending mine over for an Argon conversion, so it would be nice to get some impressions and recommendations! They’re a beautiful pair of headphones, so it would be a shame to let them sit around and not getting much use.
I bought them modded and I have a stock pair of T60 as well that I bought hoping to get modded before I found my current Argons. LOL I think Modhouse is at an 8 week lead time last I heard.
Soundstage is after the mod. Stock soundstage is not near as wide as after the mod. I think the Argons are much better headphones after conversion personally. The stock T60 is still a very good headphone but I can see why some would not like it.
So, it opens up quite a bit after going Argon? How about the rest of the sound? Right now I like the mids and I really like the bass.
Compared to the Edition XX’s, they sound almost claustrophobic. But they have much more detail and clarity than the Edition XX’s.
Could you just pick one song and listen through both headphones? I would love hear a detailed description of both headphones, using the same song on the same amp.
I bought these to convert, but stock really ain’t bad 
Let me do some A\B testing this weekend and I’ll post my thoughts here. I have been wanting to do this and this gives me the excuse. From memory bass is vastly improved, no detail is lost, and the mids are better. You can also put Dan Clark Alpha pads on the T60 Argons and the bass gets even better with no detail loss. Alpha Pads are WILD on T60 Argons. Stock T60s are a very good headphone with decent, fairly comfy pads.
Cool! If I go Argon, I will likely order the Alpha pads.
I look forward to your comments.
For almost a week now I have been comparing the T60RP’s, the Edition XX’s, the Sundara’s and the LCD-2 Classic’s. I thought I would narrow it down and get rid of at least one pair and maybe two. But they all bring something different to the game.
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I quite enjoy it, it’s not a bad headphone by any stretch. Certainly not at the price either. One of the few things I can fault it on by default is the tendency for squeaky noise at the cup mounts and the thick headband. Otherwise the only reason it’s not getting much use is because I enjoy my other headphones more. But I think an Argon mod would swing the favour back again to the T60rp.
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You Guys i know it isnt the Buy&Sell Thread here but im searching for a T60rp Argon and was wondering If anyone is willing to Sell his. I would pay the Price of a new one.
Doesnt seem like Modhouse is getting new stock for them.
Sounds to me like market scarcity …i’d expect higher prices than new…
Yea someone has to make me an offer and i´ll see where it goes. I just dont want to buy a new one and ship the Headphone 2 times around the world.
The Headphone is sold out and i asked him if he will get new ones. Didnt get an answer tho… i guess he gets too many requests.