Just figured I'd put my two cents in. Am new to this whole scene, so take what I say with a grain of salt, since I don't really know anything.
Just got the PM-50s in today. Been listening for 6hours or so and a/b-ing with my sundaras. Tried them on a Geshelli Labs Enog2 + Archel 2.5 pro stack (balanced) and an iFi nano iDSD BL. This review will be more of a comparison to the Sundaras, since they are my daily drivers and my first "audiophile" headphone. Testing these with the stock pads they come with. Did not use the second pair, as I have yet to feel the need to try them out.
For starters, from my point of view, these headphones sound neutral with no real mid recession. They are warm. They are detailed. Will not be a bass-head's headphone of choice, and will not be the studio mastering set of the century. I think they strike a great balance between analytical capability, warmth, bass, portability, build quality, and literally everything else. TLDR : good pair of cans. Wicked easy to drive too.
Burn/break-in :
These have changed drastically in sound profile / quality over the 5 hours I've been listening, and have only improved. It might just be my ears adjusting, but regardless, significant improvement. The bass got tighter, the treble got smoother, and the mids came out a bit. Pads and headband also got more comfortable. The sound got smoother and less warm the more I listened.
Bass :
Quite nice compared to the sundaras. More of it and better almost better defined. More punchy. Slightly longer resolution, which leads to a warmer sound. I prefer this set of cans for bass in almost every respect.
Mids :
Much better defined and less recessed than the Sundaras. Honestly might be closer to neutral. Again, a win for these cans.
Treble :
Cannot find fault here. I would say they are as similar as similar can be in their treble presentation. The PM-50s might have less grain and less emphasized treble than the Sundaras? It might also be that the mids are more forward and defined, so it makes the treble sound less focused. Regardless, I would call this one a close tie.
Dynamics and Resolution :
PM-50s win here too. I find myself tapping my foot and jamming unconciously. I think it's cause the dynamics on the PMs feel just a smidgen more impactful than the Sundaras. This makes them more 'fun' to listen to. They are slightly warmer with a little longer resolution, but it feels controlled and intentional. No points off for that.
Detail :
I hate to give the PMs a win again, but it just narrowly edges out the Sundaras for detail. I'm struggling with the warmth of these headphones, and I thought that the Sundaras were the clear winner here at first. However, the more I listen the more I am able to pick out details that the Sundaras sometimes struggle to give me at the same volume. I expect this to improve with more analytical amps and/or break-in.
Sound stage :
Tie. Sundaras are slightly less wide, but seem to be more separated than the sounds in the PMs. Close enough for me not to call either way.
Imaging / Separation :
This is where the PMs fall short. Imaging is a tie, but separation is odd. I can tell where everything is and see the space between intruments, but even with the wider soundstage the warmth makes me feel that, at times, sounds are mish-mashed with each other. When I relisten I find this to not be the case, but it isn't as up-front clear as it is with the Sundaras. Idk. Both are great in different ways. This is where I'd say Sundaras for busy tracks / orchestral / live music (for a real "I'm in the audience" type of experience), and the PM-50s for everything else.
Build quality :
PMs win hands down. Real walnut, metal grille, no plastic (?), better feeling pads, and just rock ****ing solid feel. Wire also blows the Sundaras out of the water. Would buy the wire by itself.
Comfort :
This is a toss-up. I like the feel of the Sundaras cause they fit my head so well. However, they have no swivel and that can be a major downside for a lot of people. At the same time, the PMs are pretty much on-ear for me, and the headband (if not properly fiddled with) can become uncomfortable. Depends on what you're willing to compromise on / head size. Large ears will hate both. Neither are winning awards for fit. Comfort I'd hand to the 50s once they break in. Idk if these pads are filled with angel feathers or what, but damn. Fit I'd hand to the sundaras.
Conclusion :
Imma keep both the pairs of cans. They both do different things well. If I'm listening to soundtracks, being really analytical (no fun allowed ), my PMs on-ear fit gets tiring, or in a really quiet environment I'd grab the sundaras. For everything else I'm liking the PMs right now. I'm just having more fun with listening with the PM-50s. I think the highest praise I can give them is that I don't want to take them off. I'd rather just walk around with them plugged into my phone / iFi nano. I also trust the build quality moving around more and the isolation is flat out better. I would heartily recommend these headphones to people who want a slightly warm and well balanced planar with gobs of detail. Will be keeping these. Might become the daily driver.
I will remind you again, these have changed in sound drastically since I started listening. They may have comfort issues for some people. However, I find myself not wanting to take them off and walking around with them. They are just pleasant and fun to listen to. Great for relaxing on the porch with a scotch or dancing around on the patio while not sacrificing detail to make itself fun.
Anyways, hopefully those of you who are on the fence go for it. Would recommend. I'd love to hear other people's opinions on these cans.
I'll try update this if anything drastic changes (good or bad).
Pictures :
Just got the PM-50s in today. Been listening for 6hours or so and a/b-ing with my sundaras. Tried them on a Geshelli Labs Enog2 + Archel 2.5 pro stack (balanced) and an iFi nano iDSD BL. This review will be more of a comparison to the Sundaras, since they are my daily drivers and my first "audiophile" headphone. Testing these with the stock pads they come with. Did not use the second pair, as I have yet to feel the need to try them out.
For starters, from my point of view, these headphones sound neutral with no real mid recession. They are warm. They are detailed. Will not be a bass-head's headphone of choice, and will not be the studio mastering set of the century. I think they strike a great balance between analytical capability, warmth, bass, portability, build quality, and literally everything else. TLDR : good pair of cans. Wicked easy to drive too.
Burn/break-in :
These have changed drastically in sound profile / quality over the 5 hours I've been listening, and have only improved. It might just be my ears adjusting, but regardless, significant improvement. The bass got tighter, the treble got smoother, and the mids came out a bit. Pads and headband also got more comfortable. The sound got smoother and less warm the more I listened.
Bass :
Quite nice compared to the sundaras. More of it and better almost better defined. More punchy. Slightly longer resolution, which leads to a warmer sound. I prefer this set of cans for bass in almost every respect.
Mids :
Much better defined and less recessed than the Sundaras. Honestly might be closer to neutral. Again, a win for these cans.
Treble :
Cannot find fault here. I would say they are as similar as similar can be in their treble presentation. The PM-50s might have less grain and less emphasized treble than the Sundaras? It might also be that the mids are more forward and defined, so it makes the treble sound less focused. Regardless, I would call this one a close tie.
Dynamics and Resolution :
PM-50s win here too. I find myself tapping my foot and jamming unconciously. I think it's cause the dynamics on the PMs feel just a smidgen more impactful than the Sundaras. This makes them more 'fun' to listen to. They are slightly warmer with a little longer resolution, but it feels controlled and intentional. No points off for that.
Detail :
I hate to give the PMs a win again, but it just narrowly edges out the Sundaras for detail. I'm struggling with the warmth of these headphones, and I thought that the Sundaras were the clear winner here at first. However, the more I listen the more I am able to pick out details that the Sundaras sometimes struggle to give me at the same volume. I expect this to improve with more analytical amps and/or break-in.
Sound stage :
Tie. Sundaras are slightly less wide, but seem to be more separated than the sounds in the PMs. Close enough for me not to call either way.
Imaging / Separation :
This is where the PMs fall short. Imaging is a tie, but separation is odd. I can tell where everything is and see the space between intruments, but even with the wider soundstage the warmth makes me feel that, at times, sounds are mish-mashed with each other. When I relisten I find this to not be the case, but it isn't as up-front clear as it is with the Sundaras. Idk. Both are great in different ways. This is where I'd say Sundaras for busy tracks / orchestral / live music (for a real "I'm in the audience" type of experience), and the PM-50s for everything else.
Build quality :
PMs win hands down. Real walnut, metal grille, no plastic (?), better feeling pads, and just rock ****ing solid feel. Wire also blows the Sundaras out of the water. Would buy the wire by itself.
Comfort :
This is a toss-up. I like the feel of the Sundaras cause they fit my head so well. However, they have no swivel and that can be a major downside for a lot of people. At the same time, the PMs are pretty much on-ear for me, and the headband (if not properly fiddled with) can become uncomfortable. Depends on what you're willing to compromise on / head size. Large ears will hate both. Neither are winning awards for fit. Comfort I'd hand to the 50s once they break in. Idk if these pads are filled with angel feathers or what, but damn. Fit I'd hand to the sundaras.
Conclusion :
Imma keep both the pairs of cans. They both do different things well. If I'm listening to soundtracks, being really analytical (no fun allowed ), my PMs on-ear fit gets tiring, or in a really quiet environment I'd grab the sundaras. For everything else I'm liking the PMs right now. I'm just having more fun with listening with the PM-50s. I think the highest praise I can give them is that I don't want to take them off. I'd rather just walk around with them plugged into my phone / iFi nano. I also trust the build quality moving around more and the isolation is flat out better. I would heartily recommend these headphones to people who want a slightly warm and well balanced planar with gobs of detail. Will be keeping these. Might become the daily driver.
I will remind you again, these have changed in sound drastically since I started listening. They may have comfort issues for some people. However, I find myself not wanting to take them off and walking around with them. They are just pleasant and fun to listen to. Great for relaxing on the porch with a scotch or dancing around on the patio while not sacrificing detail to make itself fun.
Anyways, hopefully those of you who are on the fence go for it. Would recommend. I'd love to hear other people's opinions on these cans.
I'll try update this if anything drastic changes (good or bad).
Pictures :