The Oppo cups are more comfy than the M2 IMHO. Not quite the effortless comfort of the MDR-1A but then again there is zero creaking at the hindges on the Oppo M3, better isolation, quality build with a nicer high end look and feel, and they stay put better. The same could not be said for my experience of the MDR-1A. And I don't feel the drivers on my ears like the MDR-1A or the slight lack of cup plushness like the M2.

I totally agree with you, Neo. I have a pair of MDR-1Rs and, while they are insanely comfortable, the nearly nonexistent clamping force means that slight head movements send the Sony kit sliding off of my noggin. I can count numerous times that they have been thrown off of my head when turning to see a coworker.
 
For further comparison, the PM-3s seem to sit between the HD 650s and MDR-1Rs. HD 650s clamped a little too tightly (out of the box) and MDR-1Rs are noggin sliders. The PM-3s, however, strike an excellent balance between comfort and security.
 
As an aside, I decided to try running the PM-3s from my Nexus 4; easy for the MDR-1Rs, impossible for the HD 650s. I generally prefer pretty low listening levels but found that I needed to output at about 85% of maximum for comfortable listening. Definitely doable (especially from mobile devices with better amplification circuity), but if you prefer/need louder volume levels then you should seriously consider a portable amp. That being said, the Nexus 4 has never impressed me. Even dual or three-way BA IEMs often need just about all the Nexus 4 can give (keeping in mind that the Nexus 4 amp is rated at a fairly wimpy maximum voltage).

so who has made cables for these? I got some trrs plugs but had to order some cable since I ran out, so I'm hoping to build a 4-pin xlr cable and also a portable balanced cable later this week.

i know there are some 3rd party guys making cables for these as well, but interested to see some DIY ones here.

Damn, I hesitated on picking up one of the refurbs and now they're out of stock...

heliosphann said:

  Damn, I hesitated on picking up one of the refurbs and now they're out of stock...

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I've seen 'em go in and out of stock over the past week.

cba191 said:

  I received my refurbs 3 days ago as well.  If I hadn't known they were refurbs, I would have thought they were new.  Best $320 I've spent in a long time. 

Click to expand...

 
Another +1 for PM-3 refurb quality.   Couldn't tell they weren't brand new at all.  
 
Got my PM-3s late on Friday and havent had much chance to listen yet, but vocals and upper range sounded superb.  I know "break in" in a controversial issue here, but I'm running pink-noise on mine over the weekend because I did notice the "mid-bass bloom" others have mentioned and I'm hoping it goes away a little bit.  This is my first set of cans so its a steep learning curve (mdr-888 earbuds before this - I know earbuds aren't well regarded around here, but for $30 a pop, I am still amazed at their sound quality).
 
I need closed headphones for my office environment, but this has already got me wondering what the PM-2s would sound like
 
Anyway, yeah for anyone on the fence, I don't see why you would pay for new when you could get Refurbed cans except for the psychological factors and availablity.

xsdmx said:

  I've seen 'em go in and out of stock over the past week.

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I'll have to keep my eye on these.
Really liked the demo PM-3 I heard, and own the PM-1 which I love.

After quite a few hours of listening with a balanced cable I can say that it makes a big difference in depth, impact, and spaciousness of the sound. I highly recommend a balanced cable.

^ Wouldn't the sound also be a result of the amp as well, not solely the cable?

jerick70 said:

After quite a few hours of listening with a balanced cable I can say that it makes a big difference in depth, impact, and spaciousness of the sound. I highly recommend a balanced cable.

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it's balanced connection that makes a big difference due to more power, not the cable itself

miceblue said:

^ Wouldn't the sound also be a result of the amp as well, not solely the cable?

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  Hi miceblue.  Yes absolutely.  Personally I've experienced the difference cables make.  On that note. the point I was trying to make is that balanced does make a difference over SE in the presentation. Not necessarily the cable.
      

max choiral said:

 
it's balanced connection that makes a big difference due to more power, not the cable itself

Click to expand...

 
   HI Max.  The power could be the reason it sounds better.  miceblue mentioned earlier in the thread that it is the signaling.  It could be the way a balanced output is wired, the topology, or implementation of the amp.  I think that is open for discussion.  Care to pipe in about this miceblue? 
 
  The amplifiers that I used both have a single ended and balanced output.  I have the Little Dot mk VI+ and the Oppo HA-1.  The balanced output definitely made a difference, for the better, in my opinion.

Interesting article 
 
http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/igor-levitsky-of-oppo-digital-discusses-headphone-technology/?utm_campaign=Hi-Fi%2B+Weekly+Emails&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-392

ytsejamer said:

  Interesting article 
 
http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/igor-levitsky-of-oppo-digital-discusses-headphone-technology/?utm_campaign=Hi-Fi%2B+Weekly+Emails&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-392

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dude, what an amazing article. His thoughts & insights are really on point!

jerick70 said:

 
  Hi miceblue.  Yes absolutely.  Personally I've experienced the difference cables make.  On that note. the point I was trying to make is that balanced does make a difference over SE in the presentation. Not necessarily the cable.
      
 
   HI Max.  The power could be the reason it sounds better.  miceblue mentioned earlier in the thread that it is the signaling.  It could be the way a balanced output is wired, the topology, or implementation of the amp.  I think that is open for discussion.  Care to pipe in about this miceblue? 
 
  The amplifiers that I used both have a single ended and balanced output.  I have the Little Dot mk VI+ and the Oppo HA-1.  The balanced output definitely made a difference, for the better, in my opinion.

Click to expand...

 
I think it'a combination of both power and materials.
 
Adding more power always helps even from smaller, balanced sources like the Ponoplayer.
 
The thicker gauge wiring (hence less flexibility) in most custom cables also helps to better carry the signal (using a pure silver balanced cable by Surf with mine). Switching back to the stock SE cable feels like a big step backwards but the PM-3 sounds so good on its own that the cabling is less critical.
 

I don't think adding more power helps the PM-3 at all. I can't think of any reason why having double the voltage swing would be beneficial if an amp already provides sufficient power output.

To reach 105 dB SPL, the PM-3 would need 2.712 mW of power at 28 Ω, or 0.276 Vrms and 9.841 mA based on Innerfidelity's data. That's a trivial amount of power needed for most amplifiers and even a smartphone can output that. Why would having twice the available voltage swing be beneficial? If anything, it would make the volume management worse because you would have to lower it if the same gain is used, and that could potentially reach the channel imbalance region.


What would be much more likely of the difference in sound is the balanced-line architecture of the amp, which allows for common-mode noise rejection.