He liked them both -- on looks alone, I can't stomach the Argon, and since they both seem to be pretty good, I think T60RP is the winner overall.
Fostex T60RP
- Thread starter Sopp
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He liked them both -- on looks alone, I can't stomach the Argon, and since they both seem to be pretty good, I think T60RP is the winner overall.
omegaorgun
Previously known as FireLion
All black Argon https://imgur.com/a/9ypGbeA I am not a fan of the orange MK3 cables myself so I converted the T-X0. My big question is what would happen if you gave Modhouse a T60RP? & I have asked him about that and it might be a possibility.
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Nice, I'm curious about that DAC/amp as I've noticed it before and have considered buying it... pairs well with the Argon, eh?
omegaorgun
Previously known as FireLion
Thing has serious power at 1 O'clock on the volume it is really loud on the T50RP. I threw a Gold Lion tube in and it did clean up the sound but it's still remains musical if that makes sense, it's easy on the ears.
xDuoo replied to an email and stated the TA-01 is indeed a class A amplifier. It has cirrus logic DAC's (2) not the Wolfson that is listed as the newer one has better features(kinda odd they didn't update that).
I might entertain a TA-10 or TA-20 down the line as I was so impressed with it. I did have my hands on the TA-03 but it hadn't half the power.
They go for $119.99 on Massdrop and it's a bargain at that price, I love it.
kintsaki
500+ Head-Fier
It seems to me that Fostex decided to push the TxRP line into the audiophile market.
Reviewers are paid to praise it, a new driver is developed, wooden caps are introduced,
plush pads are used, etc etc...
Suddenly the "compromised" "cheap driver" performs as well or better than TOTL expensive
models straight out of the box or it is a really a real fun to listen to headphone for "music-files".
Argon is back ordered as Smeggy, LFF, ZMF and other moders once were.
There is a new moder Kodi and a new T0rp variation. A full marketing campaign head on.
History repeats itself. I am glad. The RP has always been the best driver that money can buy
and never needed any modes. At least not the ones I have seen (excluding ZMF, Brainwatz
and ALPHA pads) and tried the last month on the MK II, MK III,and MK IV (the t60) extensively.
I tried various dampening methods and materials, sources and amplifiers including the new Sony
Walkman, the ifi 3.0 USB purifying signal and power source for USB DACs and the Crown XTI
700 RMS Watts into 2 Ohms with a 500 damping factor (the XLS that Zeos used on the 15 inch
sub woofer he built has only 200 damping factor) and the headphone amp/dacs touted in the
audiophile market don't even publish their miserable 50 DF. As for the balanced fad that is another
marketing ploy. They just get 3 times the power because the chips are multi core. That is from 60mw
to 200mw on a larger screen that does not play video files. Come on Sony give us a break.
I had to buy step up matching transformers and an electronic adapter to connect the "consumer" -10 db
"balanced" Sony circuitry to the professional +4db balanced XTI circuit. The newer XLS model from
Crown supports both consumer and pro inputs but the damping factor is only 200 and that makes a hell
of a difference on sub bass performance.
All My Fostexes from MK II to MK IV scaled all the way up to when three amps were cascaded with the
XTI in the final stage. The TOTL competitors also scaled up and became tolerable but still trash for my taste.
(Their performance hilarious for their hideously expensive prices). My 10 year old MK II in a 50% larger
Smeggy modified case packed with just cotton balls is clear as a whistle sightly less detailed and deep
based than the T60 but has a monster soundstage thunderous bass impact and loudness and when my
friends compared it to the T60 they that now they understand the meaning of the phrase "if you go black
you never go back".
I have not moved the T60 drivers to the enlarged Smeggy case yet. I will do this in phase 2 of my
experimentation along with exploring transmission line versus acoustic suspension performance,
double drivers in a single case, and front end bass band-pass configurations inside the pads.
Its about time someone sits down and does some serious research...
I am fed up with all this audiophile foolishness...
For the first time in my live I felt as if I was kind of attending a live concert...
Reviewers are paid to praise it, a new driver is developed, wooden caps are introduced,
plush pads are used, etc etc...
Suddenly the "compromised" "cheap driver" performs as well or better than TOTL expensive
models straight out of the box or it is a really a real fun to listen to headphone for "music-files".
Argon is back ordered as Smeggy, LFF, ZMF and other moders once were.
There is a new moder Kodi and a new T0rp variation. A full marketing campaign head on.
History repeats itself. I am glad. The RP has always been the best driver that money can buy
and never needed any modes. At least not the ones I have seen (excluding ZMF, Brainwatz
and ALPHA pads) and tried the last month on the MK II, MK III,and MK IV (the t60) extensively.
I tried various dampening methods and materials, sources and amplifiers including the new Sony
Walkman, the ifi 3.0 USB purifying signal and power source for USB DACs and the Crown XTI
700 RMS Watts into 2 Ohms with a 500 damping factor (the XLS that Zeos used on the 15 inch
sub woofer he built has only 200 damping factor) and the headphone amp/dacs touted in the
audiophile market don't even publish their miserable 50 DF. As for the balanced fad that is another
marketing ploy. They just get 3 times the power because the chips are multi core. That is from 60mw
to 200mw on a larger screen that does not play video files. Come on Sony give us a break.
I had to buy step up matching transformers and an electronic adapter to connect the "consumer" -10 db
"balanced" Sony circuitry to the professional +4db balanced XTI circuit. The newer XLS model from
Crown supports both consumer and pro inputs but the damping factor is only 200 and that makes a hell
of a difference on sub bass performance.
All My Fostexes from MK II to MK IV scaled all the way up to when three amps were cascaded with the
XTI in the final stage. The TOTL competitors also scaled up and became tolerable but still trash for my taste.
(Their performance hilarious for their hideously expensive prices). My 10 year old MK II in a 50% larger
Smeggy modified case packed with just cotton balls is clear as a whistle sightly less detailed and deep
based than the T60 but has a monster soundstage thunderous bass impact and loudness and when my
friends compared it to the T60 they that now they understand the meaning of the phrase "if you go black
you never go back".
I have not moved the T60 drivers to the enlarged Smeggy case yet. I will do this in phase 2 of my
experimentation along with exploring transmission line versus acoustic suspension performance,
double drivers in a single case, and front end bass band-pass configurations inside the pads.
Its about time someone sits down and does some serious research...
I am fed up with all this audiophile foolishness...
For the first time in my live I felt as if I was kind of attending a live concert...
joeike
Head-Fier
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After seeing Z's review on the t60 RP I think I've got wooden cup headphones in my future from fostex.
Ditto, unless I get the TH-500RP and they suit me well enough.
joeike
Head-Fier
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Does anybody really know what massdrop did to the t-xos to make them so unpleasant according to Z reviews. The first week I had them I changed the pads to angled from brainwave and I'm happy with the Comfort and sound.
omegaorgun
Previously known as FireLion
Not sure, I actually liked mine before I had them converted to the Argon but the difference was very apparent when I got them back. You can just pay for the mod itself and it's cheap enough but it might be a 4 week wait. Is it worth the wait, yes.
joeike
Head-Fier
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That's definitely an option I might do but I might want to try something myself maybe get a few tips from Forums thanks.
George Taylor
1000+ Head-Fier
I previously had the TH500, currently have the TH40 & 60. And from my perspective the 500s just didn't measure up. Which was a shame as I really liked the "look" of them. They just had a really condensed sound. And when you are comparing a closed can (the 40s) with an open pair (the 500s), and the closed are more open sounding, something's not right.
SoundSquare
100+ Head-Fier
sorry for the off topic but I'm glad to read an A800 owner. The A800 was the biggest surprise of all headphones i've ever purchased. The comfort is awful, but the sound these cans deliver is absolutely brillant. I own some much more high end and expensive cans -(HD800, Magister, Pandora VI, LCD-3) but the A800 never sound lower class compared to them. They are quite hard to find but worth the attention, actually they are a mystery, how can they be so good ?
Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
Well, it's said that Phillips/Gibson (Fidelio X2s, among other terrific HPs) designed the driver. Apparently that means something.
I'm actually going to sell mine based on the comfort. Still, I'm surprised at how good they sound. Better IMO (for example) than the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home I auditioned at CanJam (another open-back dynamic, though distinctly more expensive).
I'll admit that I'm seduced by the premium looks of the TH500RP over the more utilitarian look of the cheaper RP models -- but also by the glowing review by Steve Guttenberg, as well as the fact that it's the favorite planar of one my fellow Head-Fi'ers whose opinion I respect, having a number of headphones in common with her.
mbwilson111
Headphoneus Supremus
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What was your source? I use mine with my SS desktop setup or with my tube amp. They do need power... but then, so does the t50rp mk3 which I had until recently ... I don't remember thinking they had a condensed sound.
At the moment that is my ONLY planar.. at one point I had three. I have done a few complicated trades with my husband. I have the day to myself tomorrow. I will try to give them a really good listen tomorrow. I have been wanting to but have been sidetracked by iems and buds recently. I know you already have the T50RP MK3 and the T20RP MK3. Have you tried the Brainwavz Hybrid pads on them? Loved the T50RP MK3 with them.
Sometimes I think I have too many choices. Actually I know I do. What are we DOING? I should just stop reading threads.
BTW, I have listened to the t60rp that my husband has but was distracted by the creakiness of the cups. I have not listened to it since it was exchanged for a non creaky one.
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