CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: Hands on March 29, 2015, 07:33:53 AM
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OPPO PM-3 Review and Measurements
OPPO has taken an interesting approach to their product lineup and launch timeline compared to what I feel like I’m seeing from most other manufacturers. OPPO started with the pricey PM-1, which I thought sounded pretty good, if not overpriced and a bit sleepy sounding. They then moved to the PM-2, which was essentially just a PM-1 with cheaper build materials and without the pretty wooden box. It was an interesting choice to start from the top and work their way down, not to mention how infrequently you see this copy-but-made-cheaper sort of product launch. But, anyway, the PM-2’s new pads and slightly refined internal damping, which Tyll at Innerfidelity brought to light, helped bring out a more neutral sound at the expense of some smoothness and refinement that I really enjoyed from the PM-1. I thought both models, while handsome and pleasing in many ways, just weren’t quite where they needed to be for the price.
OPPO continued their downward pricing trend with the launch of the PM-3. The PM-3 is meant to occupy a different headphone category than its older siblings. It’s still a planar-magnetic headphone, but smaller and more portable, easier to drive, and, oh, it’s closed instead of open. At $400, it gets close to being half the price of the PM-2. With the closed isolation and frequency tuning, it’s meant for a more on-the-go sort of situation, like in an urban or otherwise noisy environment, while still retaining some level of general balance. When you consider what OPPO was aiming for, I think they did a great job meeting their goals and then some. Sure, I have a few minor quibbles, but for all you get at the price point, there’s not a whole lot to complain about.
Comfort, Looks, Build Quality, and General Presentation
It’s no surprise that the PM-3 is a nice looking headphone with good build quality. Like the PM-1 and 2, it has a sleek, simple, and modern look. It shares a lot of their physical traits and design elements, actually. Lots of black and grey with a healthy mix of plastic and metal, though now you have the option of a white PM-3. Both color options look great in person. The brushed metal back is a nice touch. The PM-3’s edges aren’t quite as rounded as you get on the PM-1 or 2, but it’s almost not worth mentioning.
I do not like that the pads are not removable on the PM-3. I have to imagine there are ways to keep the same level of pad seal while allowing easily removable pads, but, hey, I didn’t engineer these. I just hate pads I can’t remove myself and always will.
Comfort is not bad on the PM-3. The PM-1 and 2 are more comfortable due to larger and deeper ear pads. If your ears are on the larger side of things or stick out, you may have difficulties getting the PM-3 to fit around your ears perfectly or have issues with your ears touching the inner lining of the pads. I think most will be fine here, but it’s something to keep in mind. Personally, it’s the clamping force that gets me. It’s a bit strong out of the box on the PM-3. You can bend the headband to adjust for this, but do make note that this may impede the PM-3’s ability to get a good seal and produce the strongest bass it can. If you have issues with its clamp, play around with bending the headband until you get it right. It’s a sturdy headphone, though do treat it with care nonetheless.
Like the PM-2, the PM-3 comes in a classy looking box, but not a wooden one, and includes a nice denim case. Coupled with its sleek looks and strong build quality, the PM-3 fits right in with the rest of the OPPO lineup. It feels like a premium product. When you consider the price, I think you get more than what you’d normally expect in these areas. But what about the sound?
Sound Quality
Remember that the PM-3 was designed to work well for loud environments. It has inherently decent isolation and a tuned frequency response to work best for its intended purpose. When I first put the PM-3 on, I thought it had powerful bass and was a little bit bright. It doesn’t exactly have a U-shaped sound signature, but it’s not entirely neutral either. The slight brightness is certainly outweighed by the low end response.
The PM-1 and 2 always had some extra warmth to their sound, but they were generally flat or slightly thick at best when it came to low bass. With their rolled-off top end, both sounded a bit mid-centric and, at times, a bit sleepy. The PM-3 is not that. Compared to the PM-1 or 2, it kicks the bass up a couple notches and has a less warm tonality. Once you get into the low-mids and upper-bass of the PM-3, the response just gets stronger and stronger the lower you go. It has a lot of kick and impact. Generally, the bass on the PM-3 sounds strong and powerful, though at times it can get a little thick sounding. Think perhaps a bit too full-bodied rather than too muddy. But for a headphone being so bass-heavy, I actually think it’s more clean than not. It trends a fine line, really.
However, I have heard some say they do not hear the PM-3 as particularly bass heavy. I think there are a few possibilities that can explain this. First and foremost, the PM-3 is very sensitive to getting a proper seal if you want the full bass output. Even thin glasses have a measurable effect on the bass output. I don’t think it’s too difficult to assume, then, that even certain styles and lengths of hair or particular face shapes and features might prevent one from getting a perfect seal on the PM-3. Or it could even be different ear shapes and sizes affecting perceived response. Then you must consider how some judge bass differently. Some focus more on the upper-bass than the low-bass when quantifying it. Some also come from backgrounds with headphones with even more bass or, perhaps more commonly, headphones with higher distortion in the bass (which will often give the perception of more or stronger bass). Let’s also not forget the possibility of product variation, though I get the feeling OPPO is pretty consistent. You can see that trying to understand varying opinions can get tricky quickly.
The midrange as a whole on the PM-3 is relatively clean, clear, and neutral. With the strong bass and slightly emphasized treble, it might sound a little recessed to some. I don’t necessarily hear it that way, but there are a couple different ways you could look at the PM-3. I think it could be slightly better integrated with the bass and treble, to a lesser extent, but that’s just me nitpicking.
Treble on the PM-3 is interesting. Throughout the entire range, it never quite reaches the strength of the bass output, so any extra emphasis still doesn’t stick out too much. And emphasis or not, the treble is smooth and clean sounding. So, sure, it can be a touch brighter in spots than normal, but it rarely sounded harsh or too fatiguing even for someone with laid-back tastes like myself. The general treble emphasis on the PM-3 lies in that upper-mid to lower-treble transition area, not too unlike what I heard on the HD600. It’s not lit up quite like the K7XX, for those familiar with that headphone. If anything, the upper-treble on the PM-3 is a tiny bit rolled-off. I don’t hear anything as missing on the PM-3, but relative to some other headphones, it might lack that tiny last bit of sharpness, sparkle, and clarity you get from the upper-treble.
The PM-3 will never be the airiest or most expansive sounding headphone. It’s closed and on the intimate side of things. The soundstage is well integrated but a bit small. There’s not a ton of depth to the sound, but layering is thankfully not particularly blurred.
Sure, the PM-3 might not be quite as balanced tonally as the PM-1 or 2. It’s a bit cooler sounding and has a more “fun” sound signature. But, damn, it’s fun, engaging, and addicting to listen to! I can see this working really well in a louder environment, which I have not yet had an opportunity to really test it in yet.
In fact, the PM-3 actually has some improvements over the PM-1 and 2 to my ears regardless of having a more “fun” sound or not. For one, it seems to have more clarity across the frequency spectrum than its predecessors do. Transients seem faster and cleaner. Low-level details aren’t quite as masked. The PM-1 and 2 just have an inherently slower sound in comparison. No doubt, the PM-3’s frequency response plays into this perception, but I think it has some genuine improvements outside of that. For one, distortion seems better on the PM-3, but I’ll get into this in a bit. The PM-3 just seems to sound a bit cleaner and clearer in most ways than the PM-1 or 2. Snappier, if you will. Simple as that.
All in all, I think OPPO came close to nailing what they were aiming for. The PM-3 is not inherently meant to be the most neutral headphone ever, and that’s fine. It has a really engaging sound and seems to make some technical strides over the PM-1 and 2. Ideally, I think the treble response could be evened out a bit more so it’s not quite as bright sounding, and the mids could sound a bit thicker and better integrated, but I’m really nitpicking and don’t have much room to complain when you’re already getting so much at $400.
Let’s take a look at how they measure for me.
Measurements (See Attachments Below)
First, I would like to mention a couple things about my measurement setup and methods:
- I use an in-ear mic for measurements, and my results only compensate for an inherent bass roll-off from my mic’s PSU. As such, these results are meant to at least somewhat match what I hear, given the coupler is my own head and ears. Since your ears and head likely aren’t physically identical to mine, you may hear things differently. My results are more meant to emphasize my point of view, not be some sort of averaged or absolute truth for all. Also note that flat on my setup generally means flat. No need to over complicate reading these.
- If possible, I take measurements of each channel from both ears. Given the PM-3 has a flat style ear pad, this is possible. I take four measurements of each channel from each ear, totaling to eight measurements per channel. These are then averaged.
- Harmonic distortion results are inherently limited in my setup and really only good for showing major problems. Results below 100Hz can be hit and miss as well and are the most limited or bottlenecked portion of my measurements.
- If you’ve seen any of my other measurements floating around on the internet, the PM-3 measurements are only comparable with other results from this year. Why? Because I got a new in-ear mic that I can fit deeper into my ear canal. This generally means I get more treble in measurements with my new mic. So, if you see anything from me that I measured last year, just make note that it’s not entirely comparable to results of anything I’ve measured from this year. There are more similarities than not, but for the sake of keeping things simple, try not to worry about comparing ’14 and ’15 measurements.
Now, with that said…
Frequency response results show a strong bass emphasis that is about 8 or 9dB up from the 1KHz point at 20Hz. It has a fairly linear decrease to the 300Hz point. I think the PM-3 could use a bit smoother transition from bass to mids, even if it meant you get more warmth in the midrange. It’s not that the bass sound disconnected, because it doesn’t, but the tuning does make the midrange sound a bit thinner than it could otherwise. The midrange is largely pretty good, though you can see that upper-mid through lower-treble emphasis I heard during listening tests. Personally, measurements are what they are, but I didn’t hear the PM-3 as rolled sounding at the top end as the graph makes it look like. Lacking air, yes, but not particularly rolled.
If you look at Tyll’s measurements for the PM-3, you can see how one might hear parts of the midrange as a bit depressed and disconnected relative to everything else. And depending on how you look at his results, especially the raw results, you might be able to see a bit of that upper-mid through lower-treble emphasis relative to some other headphones.
Here’s a quick look at how the response changes when I wear thin glasses. As you can see, even a small leak in the pads, and I do mean small, causes a noticeable drop in bass. Ignore that the response doesn’t look exactly like the graph above. This was just one quick measurement take for easy comparison’s sake, not a full set of averaged measurement takes.
Harmonic distortion results are pretty good as a whole. Keep in mind that the bass distortion creeps up because the response as a whole becomes more and more elevated as you go down the spectrum. It’s all relative. But, still, my setup is limited here and generally is the bottleneck for bass distortion results in low-distortion headphones. Tyll’s harmonic distortion results look pretty good and, interestingly enough, get very low at 100dB! Oh, and what’s this? No 300-500Hz distortion spike like the PM-1 and 2! Might play into the PM-3’s clean sound.
CSD results for the PM-3 are pretty good. Not the absolute best I’ve seen, but nothing to complain about. Naturally, the treble spots that are a bit emphasized aren’t going to decay as quickly as other spots.
Next up is the eight measurement takes that I averaged together to get the full frequency response measurement. Differences in various takes are largely due to in-ear mic insertion depth, though the headphones placement and fit does play a bit of a role too. Whereas Tyll moves the headphone to account for different placements, I have tactile feedback to let me know if a headphone is fitting right and like I’d normally wear it. Maybe you’ll find these raw results useful, and maybe not. But here they are.
Conclusion
I think the PM-3 does really well for its targeted, on-the-go sort of sound and price point of $400. I find them very fun and engaging to listen to, if not a touch brighter than I’d like at times. Think of them a treading that line between being somewhat neutral and natural sounding and the typical U-shaped, fun sound signature. It’s more the bass emphasis that makes them less than neutral than the slight treble emphasis, but, hey, the bass can actually be pretty fun. Measured results look pretty good for my setup. No terrible surprises or anything of the sort.
With the generally good sound quality, sleek looks, strong build quality, and overall premium presentation, I think the OPPO PM-3 is a great headphone and worth your consideration if you’re in the market for this sort of headphone. Sure, I’d like to tweak a few things before calling them perfect, but I highly recommend the PM-3.
UPDATE: Someone informed me you can indeed get the pads off. They don't appear to be adhered, but rather clipped on in a way that makes it seem so. Doesn't look as easy to get off as you'd normally expect from a removable pad, though, but possible.
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That looks pretty good!
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Hey there hans. : )
For the frequency response graph, is the ideal headphone supposed to have a flat line? I'm kind of surprised there's not really much of a peak at around ~9-10 kHz because I hear some sizzle in that area with my PM-3, but it's not to the point where it's overdone and makes that area sound metallic-like.
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Thanks for that!
That's an impressive graph... Hope it doesn't sound too bright.
Impressions so far have been pretty positive on the PM-3.
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For the frequency response graph, is the ideal headphone supposed to have a flat line? I'm kind of surprised there's not really much of a peak at around ~9-10 kHz because I hear some sizzle in that area with my PM-3, but it's not to the point where it's overdone and makes that area sound metallic-like.
There's no real ideal response with my methods. I use an in-ear mic for measurements and only compensate for inherent bass roll-off that stems from the mic's phantom PSU. Because of this, my measurements generally correlate with how I hear things (though not always), and therefore may not correlate as well for others, unless they are a physical copy of myself. But that's kind of the point of my measurements, to have some sort of personal-objective data to accompany and flesh out my subjective impressions so readers get a better idea of my perspective and how I hear what I hear.
All I can really suggest is checking out some of my other measurements to get a feel for how my results might translate to what you do or do not hear. Keep in mind that my results from this year are going to show a bit more treble emphasis than prior measurements because my "new" mic can be inserted deeper into my ear. Otherwise, my "old" and "new" measurements are fairly comparable. Any of my measurements starting with and after the K7XX are using the "new" mic.
But, generally, yes, flat on my measurements will be closer to flat, with some exceptions. It's far from perfect, but no need to do super in-depth interpretation.
I too was surprised by that dip right around when you get to 10KHz. You might notice that subjectively I did not mention much about that area but more about the upper-most treble that contributes more to air (maybe). However, when fooling around with a sine wave sweeper/generator, I could actually hear that treble dip and the lack of emphasis right around 10KHz. I don't hear this too much during music playback, though, but I also don't hear any emphasis there either. It's more in the treble below that spot, is what I hear. You may hear something different due to physical head/ear differences alone, and there's the possibility of product variation. I hear emphasis in the 10KHz area more as sharpness or a type of clarity and less of a sort of timbre coloration, but YMMV.
That's an impressive graph... Hope it doesn't sound too bright.
Impressions so far have been pretty positive on the PM-3.
Let me put it this way. Usually if I don't find something too bright, it won't be an issue for others at all. These are just on the fence for me but smooth and balanced enough that I don't find them too bright.
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Let me put it this way. Usually if I don't find something too bright, it won't be an issue for others at all. These are just on the fence for me but smooth and balanced enough that I don't find them too bright.
Nice! Look forward for the complete review when you have the time.
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Updated first post with full set of measurements, including a quick look at how even a small leak can affect bass response. Will update first post with full impressions write up in next couple days, hopefully.
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Can not comment on the sound anymore but your measurements look pretty similar to how I heard them. I guess there is quite a bit of progress with your measurement technique. Kudos to you :boom:
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made an account just to comment on this. great review!! really enjoyed reading it :)p1
thanks
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Thank you Hans for the great review!
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Lol didn't even write what I'd consider a full review yet, but no problem guys.
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Just some impressions, which were through listening for quite a limited time. Also didn't bring the uha-6s with me, which has been my favorite for orthos in general. So tried them with xperia z2 (so shit after the lollipop update), rockboxed classic, hdva800 and the oppo portable dac/amp.
Can't say i was that impressed, but pretty close to what i would gather from the measurements. When there was low bass, something like under 50Hz, everything seemed to be covered in slow pouring syrup. Quite smooth up top but a bit papery treble presentation that lacked detail and dynamics. What bothered me the most however was the inability to distinguish very basic musical elements. Low toms and kick drum were one with melodic bass level instruments. Relative pitch differentiation was sub par from a headphone of this price. I would boldly say that these would only work for rather minimalistic music, whether acoustic or electric. Both the fsp and paradox resolved basic information much better.
Could be that the leckerton would change things, as they did with the lcd2 (bass was'nt so messy after all!), but not that interested anymore.. I liked the pm2 however.
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Looks like a good performing headphone at a very very attractive price!!! Now I'm getting kind of sold on these... :p
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Thanks for taking the time to measure these and share opinions. I'm currently listening through a Yulong D200 DAC/Amp combo with the PM3. Overall I find these a tad bright/forward in the upper-mids/lower treble like you, but I'm finding it interesting the bass is showing that. I am not finding these very bassy, though extended nicely with a touch slow decay. I find the mids/treble to be a bit dry though, a little thin. I agree that the imaging from left to right seems to be rather good, rather intimate soundstage but good sense of where things are. I find the soundstage enveloping though.
They seem to be in-between analytical and fun, engaging and fatiguing. So far I think that they sound very nice, some flaws for sure, a bit closed in sounding, but they're a nice package. Better than the Mad Dogs though? That's what I think these need to be compared directly too.
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I've said this a few times before, not necessarily here, but what is your background in headphones? Trying to gauge what you consider bassy and not bassy. It could be that you're used to bassier headphones or that you're more used to bassy being mid or upper bass emphasis, where as the PM3 has a more low bass emphasis.
The PM3 is also very sensitive to seal. Even a slight break in that can drop the bass by a few dB. I can imagine a scenario where someone with a certain head shape/size or ear shape wouldn't get the same sort of seal that I do. Even having a smaller head than I do could reduce clamp which could then reduce the bass response. Hell, I bet even having more hair than I do could affect how well it seals. PM3 is quite touchy with seal and bass response.
Agreed that something about these is a bit dry, though I wouldn't say thin. I think with the low bass emphasis and slight upper-mid/low treble bump, the mids sound a bit recessed and less lush than they could otherwise. When you get a really good seal, though, the strong bass often makes up for it. If you don't get that sort of bass, the PM3 can definitely be thin and dry sounding.
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With the PM-3 when you refer to bass, are you referring to bass as in "thump" from say a kick drum, or bass as in from a bass guitar or synth bass, etc... or both?
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More kick and thump from stuff down low. Some general thickness. Stuff like bass guitar is more in line with everything else.
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I've said this a few times before, not necessarily here, but what is your background in headphones? Trying to gauge what you consider bassy and not bassy. It could be that you're used to bassier headphones or that you're more used to bassy being mid or upper bass emphasis, where as the PM3 has a more low bass emphasis.
The PM3 is also very sensitive to seal. Even a slight break in that can drop the bass by a few dB. I can imagine a scenario where someone with a certain head shape/size or ear shape wouldn't get the same sort of seal that I do. Even having a smaller head than I do could reduce clamp which could then reduce the bass response. Hell, I bet even having more hair than I do could affect how well it seals. PM3 is quite touchy with seal and bass response.
Agreed that something about these is a bit dry, though I wouldn't say thin. I think with the low bass emphasis and slight upper-mid/low treble bump, the mids sound a bit recessed and less lush than they could otherwise. When you get a really good seal, though, the strong bass often makes up for it. If you don't get that sort of bass, the PM3 can definitely be thin and dry sounding.
My favorite headphones of all time are the AD series of Audio Technica. I currently own the InEar StageDiver 4 IEM, Audio Technica W1000x, Audio Technica A900x, B&W P7, Koss Porta Pro, Sennheiser HD650 and Audio Technica Ad2000x.
I consider headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT770 to be bass heavy and the P7 to be thick/bassy. I haven't done an AB yet, mostly out of laziness, but I would guess that the P7 are more bassy compared to the PM3.
I'm not saying that these are bass light, they have a bit of a thick low-end, but on the other hand I wouldn't recommend them to a basshead. I think the bass, from my short time listening, lacks a visceral punch and comes off a bit thick, but sounds rather laid back than quick and forward. Basically I'm trying to say that the bass comes off more as a thick presence than sounding clear or punchy and becoming a focus What I'm hearing is that the upper mids seem to be the most prominent frequency. The bass is no slouch, but I think it is rather laid back.
I hope that makes sense in the least, I don't blame you if it doesn't as it sounds pretty stupid reading back, I just don't have the right words right now.
I've only heard them for about an hour though so my ears are certainly adjusting.
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I can see where you're coming from. Personally, I think the PM3 sits somewhere in between thick and punchy bass. Caries both traits but, IMO, sits more towards the punchy side. It's not the cleanest sounding bass but, IMO, does well for being around +8-9dB in the lowest bass registers. Indeed that there may not be quite enough thickness to recommend to someone crazy about bass. I've heard headphones with a smaller measured bass boost, and low distortion, that sounded thicker, muddier, and slower than the PM3. Things can be weird like that sometime.
Keep in mind I'm also coming from an HD650 and modded PM2. The PM3 makes those sound pretty bass light and not so punchy. :) But those two also have about the same, or at least better integrated, upper bass and low mids.
Product variation is also worth considering, though OPPO is usually fairly solid in this regard. But, as a whole, I do think I get where you're coming from and can understand where we might be hearing things the same and things differently.
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Thanks for your response, I certainly understand where you're coming from with the PM2 and HD650 and I appreciate your response/opinions.
I've given the PM3 more head time and I've found that the bass comes off a bit too thick for some rock based tunes I'm listening to, The Rolling Stones - Miss You, for instance, the bass guitar is too present, taking away the energy from the guitars and vocals due to them not being balanced in the mix in comparison. Everything is clean and heard nicely, but they lack forwardness in this case. The bass is a bit thick and lacks the punch that I've heard in my other headphones.
Conversely Kendrick Lamar's "Backseat Freestlye" benefits from this due to the headphones putting out sub-woofer esque bass sans the rumble. It's sort of a tease in that regard.
After listening more I certainly give them a pretty warm edge to them with mildly forward upper mids, with a slight treble roll off and slightly scooped mids. Not really v-shaped, but not entirely balanced.
I think they sound rather nice and the soundstage is rather enveloping, good sense of space and imaging. I'm definitely delving further into these.
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I finally unboxed my pair and gave these a good listen. I agree with everything Hans has said. The bass thickness / muddiness seems to vary from amp to amp - dependent upon output Z. Low bass quality and treble delineation doesn't seem to be as good as the PM1/PM2, but quality of mids is better. PM3 is a better headphone than PM1/PM2 in some ways. Little bit snappier, less limp-dick as Hans puts it. At $400, quite a good price considering exponentially increasing prices on newer headphones.
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Figured I'd mention that April 19th I plan to compare the PM3 to the B&W P7, Mad Dogs, AKG K550 and Denon MM400. I have a feeling that the PM3 will find itself somewhere hanging in the middle overall. I'm going to guess the P7 will have the most satisfying deep bass, while the Mad Dogs will be the most balanced/refined. I think the PM3 might win on musicality, they're really growing on me and I find them quite engaging. I don't quite like the K550 so those will likely sit last.
Are there any other closed portable options I'm forgetting in the $300-$500 range?
Sorry if off-topic.
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Also Momentum 2, MSR7, FSP.
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Also Momentum 2, MSR7, FSP.
Unfortunately I don't think I can get my hands on them, will try though!
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I have difficulty finding headphones that I find super comfortable. I have a large head, not necessarily round, more like a... long? I guess? head. The top of my head and my ears are far apart. Most adjustable headphones I wear at their maximum extension, and most "one size fits all headphones" like the Stax Omega 2 or the AKG K701 simply don't fit my head. It can be very frustrating.
To me, the PM3 are one of the most comfortable headphones I've worn. I literally sighed the first time I put them on. Super soft pads, my ears never get hot, no pressure grinding down on the top of my head. This makes them the perfect work phone comfort wise, since I can easily listen for several ours without any physical fatigue.
In terms of how they sound, they aren't the last word in resolution but hell they are $400 bucks. I think the midrange is nice, maybe a tad bit boosted in the upper midrange, but not in the very obvious way some AT cans are. To me they do NOT have the greatest midbass slam, but its not weak by any means, but lacks a bit of oomph. Keep in mind I haven't heard the other Oppo cans so I can't compare them.
Treble I have no real complaints, maybe lacking just a bit of sparkle.
On the whole they are wonderfully comfortable, reasonably neutral, and really easy (and fun) to listen to. I anticipate putting a lot of hours on my pair.
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If you think the PM3 lacks a bit of oomph, you'd laugh at the PM-1 and 2.
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How's the isolation ? Can these be used on a plane ?
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If you think the PM3 lacks a bit of oomph, you'd laugh at the PM-1 and 2.
Yeah this thread definitely gave me that impression! If thats the case I think I'll steer clear of the PM-1 and PM-2. I can't get emotionally involved in music if the bass is limp. And don't get me wrong, I find the bass on the PM-3 totally acceptable, just doesn't have the kick of say a Lambda Normal Bias, which is kind of my standard when evaluating bass on planar or electrostatic phones.
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Tried the PM3 with HA-2 out of AK120Mk1. Felt like... well, value buy budget portable setup. Nothing sounds wrong. Nothing really wow.
It just kind of reminds me of Sony MDR-1r. Not that it sounds like that, but somehow in some way is similar to my ears.
But for that price, well, undeniably easy to throw money at!
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Just depends on what you're after. The pm-3 is a very good closed planar mag that is truly portable. It fills a niche very nicely. It's also very close to neutral with just a touch of warmth which impresses me quite a bit for the price range.
I've been using the Momentum 2 wired version for a few days and so far...I like it better than the pm-3. While the pm-3 is quicker and more neutral than the m2, the m2 works better for me as a true portable. It feels weighless on the head when compared to the pm-3 which has some heft to it. The m2 is easier to amp and get to it's full potential. I felt that even with my x5 (good neutral DAP with a nice amp section) the pm-3 sounded a little hollow in the mids and the bass became a little shy. When I added an amp to the x5, the pm-3 was great. The m2 sounds very good straight from the x5 though...no amp needed.
The m2 is also better appointed with choice of materials also. Real leather works better than pleather which I feel is a bit of a cop out at this price point. Just my 2c...
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Odd, cause I still get big bass out of my PM3 even from my crappy mobile devices. I really want to figure out what the main reason is for some of the discrepancies I've seen on bass reports.
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Figured I'd mention that April 19th I plan to compare the PM3 to the B&W P7, Mad Dogs, AKG K550 and Denon MM400. I have a feeling that the PM3 will find itself somewhere hanging in the middle overall. I'm going to guess the P7 will have the most satisfying deep bass, while the Mad Dogs will be the most balanced/refined. I think the PM3 might win on musicality, they're really growing on me and I find them quite engaging. I don't quite like the K550 so those will likely sit last.
Are there any other closed portable options I'm forgetting in the $300-$500 range?
Sorry if off-topic.
Keanex: Would be interested to hear what you find out. I recently acquired the P7 and its bass is pants-shittingly deep without sacrificing tightness and definition. There are moments I'm stunned by the bass on this thing.
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Looks like Tyll's measurements are posted for the PM-3.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelity-april-2015-update
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/OppoPM3.pdf
I drew over his raw measurements to include the HRTF curves.
Er...I have no idea how to add attachments to a post, so I uploaded it on Dropbox.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2816447/Innerfidelity_HRTF_Plots/OPPO_PM-3_HRTF.png
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i'll probably write up a short review at some point, but the PM3 kicks ass. as a member of the beta program, the final commercial tuning is pretty special for a closed can. PM1/2 haters might actually like it. while it's been awhile since i've had the PM1 and PM2 in house, i think i prefer the PM3.
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I definitely like PM3 over PM1. It has that bass extension and extra treble energy that keeps it from sounding dull and muddy.
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Made copy pasta of the full PM-3 review I posted on HF. Updated first post with it.
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Excellent review, really good job man! I only heard them once at the canjam but came away with exactly the same impressions only emphasized ever so slightly, especially regarding the upper treble and lower mids. Despite all the aforementioned issues I also felt it's a really good headphone for the price and closed form factor and should do really well on the market.
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Keanex: Would be interested to hear what you find out. I recently acquired the P7 and its bass is pants-shittingly deep without sacrificing tightness and definition. There are moments I'm stunned by the bass on this thing.
Spoiler: I am going to give the P7 the win here. When I first reviewed them I thought they were excellent but pricey, but every time I try comparable closed over-ear I find myself comparing them to the P7 and the P7 winning.
Compared to the PM-3 so far both are built phenomenally. There's no winner here, though the PM-3 feels more luxurious. Comfort, I find the P7 lighter on the head and more comfortable, but barely. I think the PM-3 is going to be more comfortable for most people though.
I haven't compared the sound yet, but will in the next coming week or so.
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Out of my x5 DAP, the pm-3 was weak sounding...hollow mids and bass shy. Out of my desktop amp it was much more impressive without the aforementioned faults.
It's strange that you found them so bass heavy to me. Maybe there is some variation between the units. Would be very unlike Oppo though.
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Yeah, lots of possibilities to explain what people are hearing differently on the PM-3...I think I touched on most of these possibilities in the review and follow up replies. Oh well, it is what it is.
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I finished my review and posted it here (http://www.head-fi.org/t/763855/review-oppo-pm-3-oppos-first-portable-attempt) on Head-Fi. I hope it's kosher to post my external review, I couldn't find anything against the rules. If it is, I apologize and I won't do so again.
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LOL this isn't Head-Fi, with its censorship. You're free to post HF links here.
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LOL this isn't Head-Fi, with its censorship. You're free to post HF links here.
I figured as much, but I didn't know if HF was taboo here since Changstar is taboo there.
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You should listen to PM1 if you wanna talk about limp-dick bass. >:D
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I got a pair of PM-3s for a recent trip, and found them pretty decent. The cups start to hurt my ears after a couple of hours, but that's really the only major concern I had. It was enough to get me to return them... I wish they were as comfortable as circumaural beyers or even HD 600s.
I didn't find the bass limp dick, but I'm probably not much of a bass head. I did listen to some Portishead and thought it sounded great.
Sadly, my search for the right work headphone continues. Might try a th900 next. I think I'm a plankton junkie now, though...
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I just got a set on loan (actually had it a few days now, but haven't had a chance to sit and listen until now). I haven't really read the rest of this thread, but these are my quick thoughts:
- the FR seems really nice, except for a quick dip in the treble, but remarkably no peaks
- bass is just a smidge elevated, but not a typical midbass hump like most closed cans
- but despite that slight elevation, the bass doesn't really carry any impact
- it really sounds like a closed can
- pretty good isolation
- top end feels... weird, I'm not sure how to describe it... wet?
- staging feels wide but slightly behind me ears
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I finished my review and posted it here (http://www.head-fi.org/t/763855/review-oppo-pm-3-oppos-first-portable-attempt) on Head-Fi. I hope it's kosher to post my external review, I couldn't find anything against the rules. If it is, I apologize and I won't do so again.
Very nice and helpful review Keanex.
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Ok it's official...I'm totally in love with the PM-3!
Are they perfect ? No
The PM-3's have some minor flaws but not to the point where I would want to return them.
What they do well - they do very well and I can tell you that I have been listening to them the whole day at office with a big smile on my face.
Congratulations to OPPO for getting it right on their first attempt with a portable headphones!
Oh and I think that the PM-3 sound much better than the EL-8!
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Got the PM3 loaner today. Overall I like the sound - pretty neutral though lacking in air. Reminded me of my RE400 in the mids but with thicker and impactful bass (more sub-bass than midbass). Comfort-wise they are just okay. The pads compress easily which helps with the seal but causes a lack of depth, though it's not nearly as bad as the HP50 in that respect.
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Surprised that people aren't losing their minds over the comfort of these things. To me they are supremely comfortable, like wear for 7 hours at a time comfortable. And I have an odd shaped head, big but really more tall/long if that makes sense. For example cans like the K701 or Stax O2 just do not fit me at all, the bottoms of the cups drag up on the bottom of my ears.
I wear the PM3 at maximum extension and they are just so cozy. They firmly stay on my head but I feel no uncomfortable clamping pressure.
To me they are far from the last word in resolution but I wouldn't call them heinously colored either. In fact the midrange is pretty damn spot on, they just lack some oomph in the lows and sparkle in the highs. Overall though just a real pleasing sound.
EDIT: just realizing my odd shaped head may be why other people don't find these as comfortable as I do. guess I just got lucky with my head shape this time!
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Surprised that people aren't losing their minds over the comfort of these things. To me they are supremely comfortable, like wear for 7 hours at a time comfortable.
Um, how big/small are your ears? Because 57 mm is "shit up with which I will not put."
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I find the PM-3 super comfortable in terms of shape/cushion, but I wish they actually didn't seal quite as well because I get a funny suction/pucker effect on my ears, and they also get quite warm. Switching to the PM-1 alt pads would probably solve both of these.
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Um, how big/small are your ears? Because 57 mm is "shit up with which I will not put."
Actually I have no idea. I suppose I could get my wife to measure my ears. I've never thought of them as small.
/begins developing complex over his tiny ears
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Actually I have no idea. I suppose I could get my wife to measure my ears. I've never thought of them as small.
/begins developing complex over his tiny ears
That's a blessing in disguise. What's that honey sorry i didn't hear you, my ears are too small! You should know you measured them....
I might start saving up for these, i like the DT-150 as my go to closed can but the headband creates a hot spot on the top of my head and i could do with something with a bit smoother sound sig. And they look nice, and i want a new toy :)p8
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The comfort was excellent.
Still haven't put these through my Leckerton, but I'm surprised no one has reported on the bass/mid-bass bloom and inaccuracy. This isn't a minor thing either, but they lacked the ability to discern very basic yet fundamental musical cues. A near 0 ohm output would have to drastically change these babies for me to ever consider them. That area wasn't just overly loose and monotonic, but highly accentuated as well, but I could live with that if it were that alone. That's something I see as "limp dick" bass. The PM2 had no trouble playing effortlessly everything I put through them, when comparing the two headphones side by side..
Anyway, should probably give them another try to see if I'm not hearing correctly.
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Hi guys,
Sorry to go a little OT, but is there anywhere i can get these online for reasonable prices? There doesn't seem to be a proper retailer where I live...
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Hi guys,
Sorry to go a little OT, but is there anywhere i can get these online for reasonable prices? There doesn't seem to be a proper retailer where I live...
Where do you live?
Buying them direct is probably your best bet. https://www.oppodigital.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PM3
They're fairly popular so if you aren't in a rush you could watch the Head-Fi listings for a few weeks and see what the going rate is.
http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch?advanced=1&containingforum%5B0%5D=6550&output=all&search=oppo+pm&type=all&resultSortingPreference=recency
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Where do you live?
Buying them direct is probably your best bet. https://www.oppodigital.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PM3
They're fairly popular so if you aren't in a rush you could watch the Head-Fi listings for a few weeks and see what the going rate is.
http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch?advanced=1&containingforum%5B0%5D=6550&output=all&search=oppo+pm&type=all&resultSortingPreference=recency
Thank you :) I'm in Thailand and the only local place that sells them seem to have them on a permanent "coming soon" status. I'm in no rush so I hadn't called them (and around here, it's not a done thing to show so much interest if I might not actually make the purchase - which in a way I couldn't either way cos I don't know what the local price would be and so on...)
But yes, I'm a dumba$$ for not checking out their online store! Thank you for pointing that out for me!
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Tried the PM-3 on my Lyr 2 and it sounded accurate and clear but a bit thin, and bass was very sensitive to seal. Tried it with the Aasgard 2 and the bass is there, but not quite as accurate or fast sounding in the bass. Overall I think the Asgard sound is better. It's my understanding that the Lyr has a very low output impedance. Is there some other reason why the PM-3 shouldn't play well with the Lyr or should I be looking at a different part of the chain?
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I have fairly thick curly hair. Today, I got a serious haircut. Buzzed down to a 1 guard. The PM-3 pads now make contact with my skin all the way around my ear instead of hair. It feels like a true seal now, with air compressing against my eardrum when I even lightly press the cups against my head. These now sound completely different. The bass now sounds boosted where before it was thin. I can also now hear the bloom mentioned farther up the thread. Very interesting.
Edit - Overall, these now sound so much better and it's not just the bass. The difference in sound between wearing glasses, just having too much hair, and having no hair, is wild.
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So I finally got to audition this one in close details, and a few things jumped out to me. Please keep in mind my frame of reference is a modded HD600...
- There is certainly a lack of warmth with this headphone in comparison to the HD600. Something about the lower mids is lacking. Probably an FR thing? I certainly hear this thing much like most other closed headphones... which also seem to lack a bit of low mids. Maybe I'm spoiled by HD600?
- Upper midrange and lower treble is indeed a bit too elevated compared to my HD600. Nothing offensive, though, and I think I know the exact thing to do to even this out, as I have done with the HD600. At times, this emphasis causes a slight disconnect in the vocal range of some artists that I listen to regularly, so... it absolutely has to go.
- Low bass and mid bass are not as elevated as my reference. The PM-3 is actually a bit soft in this regard. Impact is not particularly strong with this headphone. And yes, I took off my glasses. The headphone didn't really change all that much. Upper bass and low mid are also lacking, as mentioned. Perhaps it's that the HD600 has a slight elevation down there that I hear? But ah well.
- Bass is indeed a bit thick, and blurry compared to my HD600. It's unable to represent the full gradations of volume changes in Little By Little (Caribou Remix), whereas the HD600 can effortlessly recreate those without mucking up the soundscape. The PM-3 does an okay job here, but impact and texture are lacking more so than I thought. Perhaps I need a new amp?
- Midrange is this headphone's strong suit. It sounds fairly even and nothing is spotlit. There are some hot spots in certain recordings that both my HD600 and ES10 kinda "hide". At times, I could swear this headphone is a bit... not smooth and refined. The HD600 is much smoother and more refined in this regard.
- Treble is actually causing me to hesitate to get this headphone. It's a bit scratchy, grainy, kinda muted and somewhat too shimmering at times. Probably 10KHz is elevated much more so than I'm used to, and either 3-4KHz is doing something weird that not only disconnects some vocals, but also causes bad hot spots to appear. Now, in its defense, it's not doing anything offensive, and all things considered, it's not sibilant, peaky, piercing, or annoying. It's just slightly too hot sometimes for my ears. The HD600 is much smoother and much more laid back in comparison.
- Soundstage is weird here. I swear this headphone has some good clarity in the midrange, but then... extensions and distortion control seem lacking at both of the ends (bass and treble), so sometimes things appear unexpectedly much closer than they should be, and much more in my face whereas there are also times the PM-3 convinces me I'm simply listening to the HD600 on a bad amp. There is much to be done here.
- Imaging is also an interesting aspect of this headphone. The extra treble emphasis causes a slight sharpening filter that kind of spotlights everything. However, fine details are still blurry, and separation is not particularly good. Probably has to do with bass or low mid distortion. Despite being smoother, less sharp, the HD600 has much better imaging than the PM-3, and can accurately represent some instruments to my ears. At least more so than the PM-3.
- Separation is also not a strong suit of this headphone. Things sound bunched up and kinda... shimmery. Guitars sometimes get lost in male vocals, and so on. Macro details are very spotlit, while micro details are kinda... smoothed over? Hard to explain, but I can definitely say that my HD600 is much more detailed than the PM-3, perhaps not so with macro details, but micro details are definitely more evident.
So... having said all that, I like this one! If I had to take a headphone with no mod, I probably would have grabbed this over the HD600, and pair it with a super warm amp to take care of the slightly hot treble. We'll see... but I'm highly considering purchasing a pair just so I can do... things to it.
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glad you like the PM-3. I am a bit curious about your impressions of a lack of warmth compared to the HD600? I would personally categorize the PM-3 a bit on the warmer side of the spectrum in relative comparison to the HD600.
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I really liked them. I listened for about 10-15 mins only, but, possibly, one of the best portable headphone I've listened to. The only thing I've noticed - bass was a bit to much. I'm not sure how anyone can call it slow or lacking impact.. May be it have as big sound variation as LCD's? Also, treble is a bit rolling off, but nothing extreme. Air and soundstage pretty decent for a closed ortho.
My colleague told he heard some cup reflections and muddiness, but he listened from portable source, and I was using non-portable setup. Also I do not see measurements hint such behavior.
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e206/Thrakhath/Headphones/Oppo%20pm-3_zpsye3wgcpk.png~original)
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My HD600 is modded, so it sounds closer to the HD650 tonally, while having slightly less bass distortion overall compared to stock. Relative to that frame of reference, I think the PM-3 sounds quite a tad brighter.
Drakkard, I think I heard the 3-4KHz distortion spike in your graph very clearly from the stock PM-3. Now that I have gotten a PM-3 for myself and modded it, I think that distortion spike can be remedied to a significant extent. Everyone who heard my PM-3 and compared it to the stock pair also commented on that 3-4KHz spot being gone. One way to check for it would be to play "Tears in Heaven" from Eric Clapton's Unplugged album. His voice should not be spotlit.
I think I also heard that 200-500Hz depression from the stock headphone quite clearly, so it is probably more evident than it seems on the graph.
In any case, now that I have done some work to this headphone, I can tell that it does have the potential to be... different from how it is at stock. My preference would go toward faster, less muddy bass, and simultaneously smoother and less peaky treble. Will publish a modding guide after I have verified the results with a few more folks whose ears I trust.
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And finally, ship it to me right , Billy ? ;D