[Mdman26]

Total noob here looking for some guidance. I have a pair of Argon Mk3s on order with the balanced cable option. My short list of amp candidates are the Magnius and the Emotiva A100. The benefit of the Magnius is that I can run it balanced. The A100 obviously offers max power with the jumpers.

As for the rest of my setup, my music is stored on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) and I plan on using my Earstudio ES100 Mk2 via USB OTG for its DAC with a potential upgrade down the road.

Does the balanced option of the Magnius trump the power of the Emotiva? Also, what cables (type, not necessarily specific brand) would be recommended for a setup like this? Thanks.

 

[megabigeye]

Are you just talking about power? If so, both of those amps are complete and utter overkill for the Argon (assuming it has the same sensitivity as the T50RP). At 50Ω and 92dB @1mW, the Argon require 630mW to reach 120dB (which will damage your hearing within seconds); the Magnius does 3,200mW into 50Ω, and the BasX A-100 does 8,500mW into 47Ω. The Argon's maximum power handling capacity is 3,000mW, so either of those amps could potentially damage the headphones if turned all the way up.

 

[megabigeye]

Just for giggles I did the math... you could (theoretically) play the Argon at 127dB on the Magnius, and 131dB on the Emotiva. Ouch. My ears hurt just thinking about it.

(These images always kind of annoy me because who the heck listens to their stereo at 125dB?! Though the jet at 100 feet is useful. That's freakin' loud.)