Np, glad to help
Iāve got the Topping D50s dac with the THX 789. Great combo to say the least!
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How does the D50s sound? Itās not a balanced DAC but opinions vary on the subject of balanced DACs. I was thinking about going with the iFi ZEN dac/amp because it can output balanced or RCA from the DAC to my THX AAA 789. Itās also a really cool looking unit and gets great reviews.
I love the D50s but itās my first stand alone dac so I may not be the best one to ask. Iāve had comboās before but this sounded better. Also, I run my balanced headphones through the THX AAA 789
Dudes, I feel like I was somewhat made for this thread. Current owner of an Argon T60RP and Audeze Mobius. Music and gaming are my main uses.
Amping an Argon T60RP with a Mayflower ARC v1 so I could use it as a gaming headset: high gain, knob all the way up, couldnāt get it quite loud enough for my tastes. Thatās how power hungry it is.
With an Emotiva BasX A-100, jumpered: no problem, it gets more than loud enough at 12 oāclock. I agree that the lowered MSRP on the THX 789 probably makes more sense nowadays though an A-100 is still half the price used, if you have the desk space for it.
The Argons are loads of fun with a huge soundstage if narrow center. My only issue is that I keep going back to the Mobius for convenience (wireless, BT for calls and music from phone with USB gaming) and subbass impact. The Argons sound a little thin and bright with the primary tuning of the ZMF oval suede pads now that Iāve put some months in with the Mobius.
Anybody running alternate non-microsuede pads for their Argon T60s? Iām treble sensitive so Iām thinking about the ZMF cowhide or lambskin.
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I have the protein pads and to me, they sound great.
Wish I could find the fix for the left ear cup creakingā¦
Thatās some great info @Kevlar. Have you ever had an opportunity to listen to a pair of T50rp Argon MkIIIās? I havenāt placed an order yet so Iām wondering if the T50 MkIIIās would be a better choice for me. Even the Modhouse description for the T60RP Argons says āThe T60RP cups have resulted in a little less bass and a little more treble than a T50/T40/T20RP based Argon, but otherwise the sameā. I like my bass and would hate to shell out the coin and wait 3+ months only to be disappointed with bass response.
Iāve had the T50 MKIIIās on 2 different occasions and the T60rp unmodded and now modded T60rpās. I felt the T50rp argons were a little too muddy for my taste and preferred the T60rpās unmodded to the T50argons (felt like more detail). Now with the T60rp modhouse argons, itās kind of like the best of 2 worlds. (My opinion).
Iām thinking of selling my T60rp argons if interested. (Iām trying to stay at 3 pairs and I already have LCD-X, Beyer T1.2 and Gradoās that I would never sell).
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Thanks for the comparison @rjley. Iām still undecided. Iāll let you know regarding buying your T60RPās. Iām also starting to collect several pairs of headphones. I have Sennheiser HD650, Sivga SV004, 1More Triple Driver, Hifimann HE4XX, and (donāt laugh) Bose QC 35. I know, Bose right. They have their place in my collection. I mostly use them when traveling since the active noise cancellation is so good.
i dont use suede, i use leather. leather leather leather. reduces treble increases bass.
complete with shitty, but easy to use modmic =D
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the suedes turn them into beyer esk highs imo. i talked extensively with ryan before he sold them for months. for my tastes we agreed the leather would be better then the suede. plus i got a small zoo around here so i avoide suede when possible cause the hairs are real!
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Do you have that creaking in the left ear cup?
no, mine are silent.
Agreed on the overall signature - the highs were surprisingly sharp with suede. What do you have there in the pic? Lambskin?
I just impulse bought the cowhideā¦
yeah lambskin. love em they comfy. those kefs arent there either, that was the first day i got em. they dont fit on my desk lol.
edit: im also cold blooded, so āhotā pads are not hot for me.
really? I found that the lambskins somehow made the treble worse. At the moment I am using the suede pads. I suppose I could swap back and forth to compare again. I will say that either way the suede are way more comfortable on the head then the lambskin granted the lambskin is super comfy already.
By āworseā, do you mean the highs were louder? Or softer?
Going purely by Zach and Ryanās descriptions, it seems like the situation with an Argon T60 is or should be:
ZMF oval microsuede: slightly bright
ZMF oval protein: slightly bright
ZMF oval lambskin: neutral
ZMF oval cowhide: darker
i like bass, what can i say. i am a basshead. i found the treble to be, im not sure if this is the right term as i am not a reviewer, rolled off more maybe? like the pad is absorbing a little bit of the treble energy. i think the biggest difference between the 50ās and 60ās is the treble. the 60ās correct a lot of the treble short comings in their default state. i found them kinda bright at times.
i am a very treble sensitive though, 42 and can hear an 18k sine wave. the defualt tuning was a little brighter then i wanted already, and suedes help the treble to breath and open up more. i do not personally own the suedes to compare, but i might get a pair to use for first person shooter purposes. it might help in that regard over the lambskin.
i think the best pair is the one that complements the argons to your taste. for the majority, i think the suede probably is the way to go. ryan does rec the suede on the 60ās with his mods. if you are debating, just email ryan. he will tell ya the difference in the pads. be patient though, him and his wife do it alone and they are busy. may take a little while to hear back.
are there arguably better headphones around this price? maybe. subjective. but one things for certain, you are not going to support american jobs at this price point any other way with a headphone. if peeps stop getting argons, those 2 loose their jobs. and all argons are great sub 500$ planars imo. YMMV
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from what i can tell that is true for the t50ās but that not true for the t60ās and that Ryan finds the tuning for the suede to be there better choice.