[ultrabike]

  From http://www.audioholics.com/headphone-reviews/oppo-pm-1/measurements:
 
 
Pretty flat up to 20K. Now discuss, please.
 

 
Just saw that. The ranges are a bit wide on the y-axis but even then I'm surprised there was that much bass when using a styrofoam cup! IMO they measure reasonably flat, but not that flat:
 

 
Not sure how they got flat treble in their characterization.
 
On my rig they did exhibit quite a bit of non-linear distortion in the lower mids (over 3%), which I think should be absent on $1k range cans (particularly in that frequency range)
 

 
I did direct comparisons with my HD600s which are quite a bit more affordable, and found the HD600s superior in most every aspect.
 
That is not to say that these cans suck at all. But for the price, I was not expecting high levels of distortion in the mid-range.
 
Tyll uses a different type of coupler and also found problems in the mids, perhaps due to driver limitations:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/685704/oppo-pm-1-a-new-planar-magnetic-headphone/1590#post_10472455

 

[DougD]

Originally posted by HiFiAudio:
 
Headphone acoustics are significantly different than room acoustics because you are using an acoustic coupler as opposed to propagating the sound through free-space --- technically called the “free field” in audio terminology, and defined as three-dimensional space where there are no reflecting surfaces. When measuring speakers, you measure the sound out in the free field with a reference microphone and assume if the sound measures flat, you’ll hear it as flat if you put your head where the microphone was --- which is true. But with headphones, there is no free field in which to measure the sound. Due to reflections and modal oscillations within the enclosed volume between the headphones and your ear, the sound at any particular point within that space may be different than the sound at another point. As a result, the only legitimate place to measure the sound from headphones is at the eardrum.
 
That’s a problem because if the sound is flat out in the free field and you stick your head in it, the sound is no longer flat by the time it hits your eardrum. This difference between flat sound in the free field, and the EQ of the sound you hear at the eardrum when you stick your head in the sound in the free field, is called the Head Related Transfer Function.

 
That's a good answer, but my original question was poorly phrased. 
 
The Audioholics FR measurement is VASTLY different that Tyll's, especially over 10k, where the Audioholics measurement stays essentially flat, while Tyll's does a jagged dropoff to -20 or -30  dbSPL.
 
What I was really wondering is "is the Audioholics curve too good to be true", because the artifacts of the "styrofoam cup transfer function" (SCTF) are very unlike the measurement artifacts that result from the (physics of the) Head Related Transfer Function ?

 

[mrtim6]

Everything can be and is compared to the HD800, no doubt. But this is a special case where a new planar magnetic headphone is manufacturered and released; it'd be dumb not to compare to to Hifiman and Audeze as the biggest priority.

It's like if a new 200m sprinter enters the Olympic scene, he should be matched up against other 200m sprinters first, before he goes into 100m and 500m sprints.

LOL I get the idea but for your reference there is no 500m race usually a 100 m sprinter will either sprint the 60m + 100m or 100+200 m rarely the 100 200 & 400 meters.

Wonder how the PM-1 matches up to the Alpha Dogs too

 

[HiFiAudio]

Wonder how the PM-1 matches up to the Alpha Dogs too

Its mentioned in the part 4 PM-1 review a few posts back.

 

[AnakChan]

  Its mentioned in the part 4 PM-1 review a few posts back.

 
Haven't read Part 4 of the PM-1 review but I'd expect them to be quite drastically different sounding - at least from my Alpha Dogs and a production demo PM-1 I heard back last Friday. I'll be able to share more of my thoughts in a few days as Oppo Digital Japan has graciously agreed to loan me the HA-1/PM-1 for a few weeks starting later this week.

 

[HiFiAudio]

Haven't read Part 4 of the PM-1 review but I'd expect them to be quite drastically different sounding - at least from my Alpha Dogs and a production demo PM-1 I heard back last Friday. I'll be able to share more of my thoughts in a few days as Oppo Digital Japan has graciously agreed to loan me the HA-1/PM-1 for a few weeks starting later this week.

Nice opportunity, look forward to your impressions vs alpha dogs.   FWIW thats my setup currently (HA-1/PM-1)

 

[Q Mass]

For all those chomping at the bit for the PM-1 but were hesitant because of the International price discrepancy, we have updated our Offline Order Form to include the PM-1 and HA-1 products. This form will allow you to purchase any of our products direct and have them shipped internationally.

As I stated earlier this afternoon, there is a caveat with International orders, and that is with the Limited Warranty that normally protects our products from future defects. If you have a PM-1, HA-1 or other OPPO product shipped to an International destination, or these OPPO products are brought to an International destination, it will be the customer's responsibility to pay for the shipping of the OPPO product to and from our United States office. We will still cover the parts and labor itself as part of the Limited Warranty conditions, but we are not responsible for the freight. This is different from a North American purchase where we cover the freight to and from the customer as part of the Limited Warranty.

That's great Hastur, thanks.
This seems more than fair to me.

 

[Thad-E-Ginathom]

As one of the noisy consumer rights posters, I hope I can just have this final say on the subject
 
Quote:

  I know I am late the party, but I want to make a post here while it is still somewhat on topic with the discussions that occurred over the course of the past weekend. The quick, TLR version of the difference in the pricing of the PM-1, HA-1 and all of our other products in Europe are due to the different distribution methods that OPPO Digital, Inc and our International partners employ. We are single tier (direct to the customer) while they are multi-tier (multiple distribution networks to the retailer).
 
... ... ...
 
With that said, this does not fix the difference in pricing, it only helps you understand why it exists. Which is why I pointed out yesterday, will point out again today, and will also reference the resent post by noxa: We will allow for the International sale and shipment of PM-1 headphones. At the moment we are working on the language for an updated Offline Order Form, and when it goes live, we will be able to process PM-1 orders for International shipping. There will be caveats, but I will be more than happy to discuss these through PM or you can discuss this further by contacting OPPO directly.
 
For now, let's return back to PM-1 impressions.

 
This is more "disclosure" than most customers ever get from most companies. This openness and willingness to discuss is much appreciated.
 

  For all those chomping at the bit for the PM-1 but were hesitant because of the International price discrepancy, we have updated our Offline Order Form to include the PM-1 and HA-1 products. This form will allow you to purchase any of our products direct and have them shipped internationally.
 
As I stated earlier this afternoon, there is a caveat with International orders, and that is with the Limited Warranty that normally protects our products from future defects. If you have a PM-1, HA-1 or other OPPO product shipped to an International destination, or these OPPO products are brought to an International destination, it will be the customer's responsibility to pay for the shipping of the OPPO product to and from our United States office. We will still cover the parts and labor itself as part of the Limited Warranty conditions, but we are not responsible for the freight. This is different from a North American purchase where we cover the freight to and from the customer as part of the Limited Warranty.

 
The fact that you are not refusing to supply overseas, and that you are not trying to use international warranty issues for customer control is admirable. Lessons there for some of the big guys.
 
As a prospective customer, I'm happy with the slight limitations there.
 
Due to financial limitation, I think I'm waiting for the PM-2, but oppo is still very much on my shortlist for moving to the world of higher-end 'phones.

 

[JML]

Fourth part (listening and comparison tests) of the Digital Audio Review article on the PM-1 just appeared today:
 
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/05/oppo-pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphones-review-part-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=oppo-pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphones-review-part-4
 
The other three parts have links at the start of this final part.

 

[MattTCG]

I believe that this was posted yesterday. 

 

[JML]

Sorry.  Missed that last night in the flurry of posts!

 

[arnaud]

Some brief listening impressions of the PM-1 over here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/718268/tokyo-2014-spring-fujiya-avic-headphone-festival-impressions/30#post_10543185
 
I think I am going to bug Anakchan to get a listen again to his loaner

 

[musicman59]

Has anybody compared the PM-1 sound out of a tube amplifier versus a SS amplifier? I am curious if other people hear the same as I do.
IMO the PM-1 sound better out of a SS amp. I don't know if it is just my perception or due to its low impedance or what.

 

[purrin]

  Has anybody compared the PM-1 sound out of a tube amplifier versus a SS amplifier? I am curious if other people hear the same as I do.
IMO the PM-1 sound better out of a SS amp. I don't know if it is just my perception or due to its low impedance or what.

 
Have tried PM-1 from variety of amps tube and solid-state. It depends upon the amp. Some SS sounded better than tube, some tube sounded not so good. Whatever the amp, PM-1 is overpriced by $800. It scales poorly with better equipment.

 

[musicman59]

   
Have tried PM-1 from variety of amps tube and solid-state. It depends upon the amp. Some SS sounded better than tube, some tube sounded not so good.

I love my WA5-LE and the PM-1 sounds good out of it but yesterday I tried them with my V200 and my first impression was that they sounded better out of the little V200. Last week I tried them at a dealer out of the McIntosh MHA-100 and they sounded great too.