[Jimmyf1312]

We do not charge restocking fees, and if you are in North America, we cover the return freight as well. So the only thing you lose out on as a direct sales customer is the original shipping fee.

I was refereeing to Audezes restocking fees. You guys have a great policy.

 

[aamefford]

Tyll's description of the PM-1 was pretty accurate, both positives and negatives. I love them. To me, they are laid back, comfy and lovely to wear and listen to. I note the missing sizzle on cymbals, and the slight attenuation of the treble. The mids are lush and wonderful. I feel I get a better bass extension than Tyll hears. I agree on the sound stage - kinda on the small side. They work so well for me because their strengths are traits that are important to me, and their weaknesses are less so. Not everyone will feel the same. As Tyll said - a very divisive headphone. Again, I love them. Caveat - eternally grateful beta tester!

EDIT - to add the note that if the sound signature even remotely seems like a fit for you, find a pair to try. They really are good. The roll off is not extreme in either end to me. Rather than a fault, it is a bonus for my listening. I am sensitive to too much treble, and I find overbearing bass fatiguing. Note that the bass extends very well for me.

 

[HasturTheYellow]

I was refereeing to Audezes restocking fees. You guys have a great policy.

 
Ah, sorry, somehow I had missed the last sentence from Smarty-Pants original post, so I thought the post was about the PM-1. Comment: redacted.

 

[kkcc]

Tyll's description of the PM-1 was pretty accurate, both positives and negatives. I love them. To me, they are laid back, comfy and lovely to wear and listen to. I note the missing sizzle on cymbals, and the slight attenuation of the treble. The mids are lush and wonderful. I feel I get a better bass extension than Tyll hears. I agree on the sound stage - kinda on the small side. They work so well for me because their strengths are traits that are important to me, and their weaknesses are less so. Not everyone will feel the same. As Tyll said - a very divisive headphone. Again, I love them. Caveat - eternally grateful beta tester!

Good to start seeing some convergence of opinions. Haven't had a chance to listen to one in Hong Kong but Oppo's alternative take on high-end sound (or "portable luxury" as Tyll puts it) is clever and intriguing. We don't really need another LCD nor HD800 sound. The excellent built, laid back and full body sound, efficient drivers all sound promising to me. Too bad isn't a closed headphone else I will buy one whenever it hit the local stores. Hope they will follow this up with a closed version soon!

 

[vkalia]

Where is that guy now who said they were horrible and should have never been made?
Silent as the grave.

LOL

 
Can you keep this thread to impressions?
 
Tyll prefers the sound of the PM1s slightly to that the LCD2s, which is fine - preference is a very individual thing.  
 
But:
 
"The Oppo Digital PM-1 is a gorgeous luxury general purpose headphone ideal for the well healed audiophile looking for a polite, juicy, laid-back sound."    And he's included them b/c of "slightly better sound, to [his[ ears, and significantly superior ergonomics and styling", even though "they fall short of reference quality".  
 
As far as absolute characteristics go, that is pretty much what a lot of people, including myself, have said.   
 
He's also mentioned that they have rolled off treble, which was the subject of much heated discussion earlier.   So atleast now anyone reading this thread with a view to deciding on a purchase will be able to make a more informed decision re which reviews have more credibility.

 

[vkalia]

   
My impression from Tyll's commentary is that the Oppo PM-1 didn't really "knock" the LCD 2.2s off the Wall of Fame, it's more like they were baaaaaaarely nudged out. Very very close race. Someone using a different set of "scoring weights" (higher on technical SQ, lower on long-term listenability and comfort) might easily prefer the LCD 2.2s. 

 
^^^ Yup.    
 
This echoes with my impressions as well - I prefer the sound of the LCD2s (by a significant margin, though), but for me, the comfort/ease of use/ease of travel of the PM-1s more than makes up for that gap.    Which is why I am quite happy with the PM1s.

 

[Smarty-pants]

Where is that guy now who said they were horrible and should have never been made?

Silent as the grave. LOL

Can you keep this thread to impressions?

Tyll prefers the sound of the PM1s slightly to that the LCD2s, which is fine - preference is a very individual thing.  

But:

"[COLOR=333333]The Oppo Digital PM-1 is a gorgeous luxury general purpose headphone ideal for the well healed audiophile looking for a polite, juicy, laid-back sound."    And he's included them b/c of "slightly better sound, to [his[ ears, and significantly superior ergonomics and styling", even though "[/COLOR][COLOR=FF0000]they fall short of reference quality[/COLOR][COLOR=333333]".  [/COLOR]

Pretty much what a lot of people, including myself, have said.    [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]He's also mentioned that they have rolled off treble, which, funnily, so many of the initial posters, esp the beta testers, were steadfastly denying in the early posts.[/COLOR]

So atleast now people reading this thread will be able to figure out which impressions/reviews are more reliable.

It was a comment against the irrational impression comments of another poster. That is on topic.

I don't recall anyone "steadfastly denying" there was a slight roll off at the top end.
I think the debate was more about how much of that truncation could be heard in real world music.
Maybe some or even most people can hear it, and maybe the difference is the difference between natural sound and artificial sparkle... maybe somewhere in between.
The PM-1 is what it is, a polite and natural sounding headphone.
Once again it's important to listen to all the HPs you may be considering buying to hear for yourself what you like better.
As they say, different strokes for different folks.

 

[Ontology24]

I wish you guys could sell those pads separately, cause they are sexy as hell. 

 

[Clemmaster]

   
My impression from Tyll's commentary is that the Oppo PM-1 didn't really "knock" the LCD 2.2s off the Wall of Fame, it's more like they were baaaaaaarely nudged out. Very very close race. Someone using a different set of "scoring weights" (higher on technical SQ, lower on long-term listenability and comfort) might easily prefer the LCD 2.2s. 
 
I can't wait for a Tyll review of the HifiMan HE-560s as another comparison.

 
The problem is that the HE-560 don't match Tyll's - well-known - sound preference like the PM-1 does. They are neutral and extended (read brighter) vs. lush and mid-centric.
 
He refused to review the AKG K812 because they were bad didn't match his preference and he preferred not to write bad things about them because of that. That's a bit sad for the audience, but that shows how smart and aware he really is.
He is not one of those hype-all-over-the-place guy...

 

[Currawong]

  Forgive my noobish question, but I'm curious: those of you with the PM-1 and the HA-1, how much would you say does the HA-1 improve the PM-1's sound?

What I'm getting at is this: I've got a pair of Beyerdynamic T5Ps and I'm looking to get an amp/dac combo to go with my iMac for home listening.  I am also interested in a pair of PM-1s, but I'm not sure which I should buy first, the HA-1 or the PM-1.

 
Improve over what? An iPhone or similar? Planars do like to have good amplification for best results.
 
My impressions of the HA-1 is that it is fairly spot-on for its price. It isn't the most resolving HP amp, pre-amp or DAC out there (eg: compared to, say, a Hugo) but it does an all-round good job and is very flexible. You could do a very neat near-field desk rig with the Oppo PM-1, HA-1 and a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv active speakers.
 
I'm with Tyll on the PM-1s nudging out the LCD-2s. One of the endearing things about the old, circular diaphragm planars from Yamaha and others was that they were light and portable and pleasant to listen with. The PM-1s to me are a modern take on the old planars, light, ergonomic and quite portable and very easy to listen with, even if I do wish they would follow Audeze's lead and shift the upper mids and treble up a few dB.

 

[Jimmyf1312]

The problem is that the HE-560 don't match Tyll's - well-known - sound preference like the PM-1 does. They are neutral and extended (read brighter) vs. lush and mid-centric.

He refused to review the AKG K812 because they were bad didn't match his preference and he preferred not to write bad things about them because of that. That's a bit sad for the audience, but that shows how smart and aware he really is.
He is not one of those hype-all-over-the-place guy...

http://youtu.be/DRyPgQU-WMc

He did review the k812 though...

 

[arnaud]

I'm with Tyll on the PM-1s nudging out the LCD-2s. One of the endearing things about the old, circular diaphragm planars from Yamaha and others was that they were light and portable and pleasant to listen with. The PM-1s to me are a modern take on the old planars, light, ergonomic and quite portable and very easy to listen with, even if I do wish they would follow Audeze's lead and shift the upper mids and treble up a few dB.

I like innovation and there's no question that Oppo really did their homework with the pm1. I was impressed with both the amp and phone on the outside, the internal view of the pm1 driver really shows that quite a bit of thinking went into the driver design.

The naysayers, there always are, some with a clairvoyant agenda, I'd say know whose opinion you choose to trust.

Tyll did a pretty amazing job with this article and I felt his impressions reflected very much how I felt about the pm1s. I for one am glad oppo went their own way with the voicing of the can. It really is an enjoyable listen and a nice change from all these orthos trying to sound resolved like stats, which they aren't and end up spoiling what's good about orthos. By that, I mean I very much like the slam and body / presence, not so much sizzly treble. The pm1 may feel overstuffed / damped, but it's quite a seducing presentation.

Certainly would not replace my home rig but it's darn tempting as a secondary phone. Maybe not the pm1 for me but the pm2 might be the ticket.

Arnaud

 

[pataburd]

Between the PM-1, the LCD 2.2, the HE-500, the HE-5LE and even the HE-6, I have enjoyed the Oppos the most.
 
I would put the PM-1 build quality at-or-above that of the other planars listed.
 
While ticking off an itemized checklist of singular attributes, the PM-1 might rank below the others on several counts, but the PM-1 achieve a unique musical synergy and a fine "curvature" to their dynamic that IMHO sets them apart from the others in "their own" positive "way" [to cite the previous poster].  
 
As I had mentioned before, even though I customarily subscibe to the "bright and airy" camp of listeners, the PM-1--which are not "bright and airy" cans--are somehow able to provide me with a satisfying listen, to enable me to enjoy a sonic signature outside the confines of my own prescriptions or preconceptions.
 
It could be novelty, due in part to my hiatus from planar headphones [the Mikros 90 being my point of departure], but at any rate the PM-1 bring a welcome bit of "fresh air" to the headphone market, to these forums and to my ready ears. 

 

[conquerator2]

Funnily enough I have two headphones that exhibit similar characteristics.
The K612 and MA900. While they're not in the same price category and a few things differ their signature, the MAs are easily in the warm & smooth camp and the Ks are in the bright & resolving camp.

I have no problem listening to either but more often than not I end up reaching for the bright and resolving headphones (because a) in contrary to general belief, good bright headphones don't have bass or midrange deficiencies and b) while their treble is enhanced and extended they do not sound harsh or strident if done right)

And so it is rather rare for me to reach for a smooth relaxing headphone because while I enjoy the added benefits of a more engaging midrange and punchier bass I end up missing the things I lost much more - articulate, enhanced treble, clarity, detail retrieval and soundstage.
Those differences are easily discernable on a neutral-ish setup/gear. So preference is a very variable thing and it's great that Tyll recognizes that. Different strokes for different folks... Some take beer, some wine, some prefer one to the other and some don't care.

 

[Earbones]

You can like a phone more than it deserves if you've paid a lot for it and sat down with it solo.
 
Likewise, you can dislike a phone more than it deserves if you listen to it solo when you already have a chip on your shoulder about it for whatever reason.
 
There's nothing like a good listening shootout with some other cans to sort out all the psychology, and get down to the basics of sound. Here's an interesting read concerning a (casual) shootout between a PM1, an LCD2.2, an HD800, and some other cans... By and large, I think they nailed it with regards to the PM1 vs the LCD2 and HD800... But again, everyone's ears are different.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/717989/totl-hp-shootout-oppo-pm-1-hd800-lcd2-2-t1-he500-fostex-th900-hd650-hd600