The OPPO PM3, what’s there to say about it? Quite a lot actually. But I am going to try and cram everything into my... journey with this wonderful headphone.
First about me:
I am a music lover. I love music in general, and love listening. It doesn’t have to be the best gear for me to listen to music, but it must sound good to me, or I have trouble listening.
I live ‘out of circulation’ so to speak, in a small island nation, so I am not in a position to try anything much.
I also am not looking for open cans.I like the isolation that closed backs give me, and I don’t want massively large headphones. I listen at home, at work, and sometimes on the go. Home is a noisy environment, so open phones are out. And I have fit issues with iems and want to stay away from the trouble of maintaining them. So as you see my choice of headphones boil down to at most semi portable closed back headphones.
My gear list :
Amps: Fiio E11K, Burson Audio Soloist SL
Sources: Mac Mini running VOX and iTunes, IPod Touch 3rd gen. 64gb with Sendstation LOD, Schiit Modi 2 uber
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT235, Sony MDR-7520, OPPO PM3
Cables: Blue Jeans LC1, Ecosse Conductor, Van Den Hul D102 MKIII, Surf Cables RCA interconnect and PM3 single ended headphone cable, Generic USB Cable
So as you can see, I don’t have that much…. I have more cables than gear
I listen to a wide variety of music, which includes classical, rock, reggae, electronic, jazz, pop, alternative, soca, soul, R&B, disco and some others. I am not much of a country fan.
Remember all that I am writing is my opinion and just that.
Introduction:
With that out of the way, I first started hearing about the PM3 on this site obviously. I was following MacedonianHero’s thread on his quest for his ultimate portable headset. And saw his update as to when he considered the PM3 the king of his hill. I read his views and thoughts and came to the conclusion I needed to check this headphone out. I did more research and saw threads about it and it being compared to the Audeze EL8 and I read a lot of reviews. I must admit I got a bit conflicted after hearing one person saying these are rolled off in the treble, then someone else saying they were bright, but I kept reading, PMed a few people on their thoughts compared to different phones and decided…. What the hey?? Why not?
Then I had trouble getting them, no store in the US would ship outside of the US, and I had to contact OPPO directly and do it over the phone. I wouldn’t lie at the end of it all I paid US$650 for this headphone.
Packaging, build, comfort and isolation:
They were finally in my country and then I went to get them and pay the duties
. The Customs lady said open the box. So I did. In that box was another box sealed in plastic wrap and protected by packing and a much smaller white box that held the short cable. So I opened the big box. In that box was a white cloth like bag that held a denim case. I was then told to open that case. In that case were the headphones, the long cable in a draw string bag and the ¼” adaptor. The Customs Lady looked at all of this with an awestruck and exasperated look on her face at the same time. She could not believe the amount of packing and packaging of this thing. I was in awe myself and wished I had a camera to capture the look on her face.

Left Customs and headed back to work
. Yeah I had to do the work thing, but had the phones out and setup in no time. Took my time and examined it. The best built headphone I had ever seen. Previously that fell to the 7520, which has creaking issues. The PM3 felt just as solid and better put together. Everything was precise. The clicking of the headband adjustment, the buttery smooth spinning of the cups, the nice fake leather that felt really soft nice. I had to admire them. It didn’t have the locking cable attachment, but the cable still clicks firmly into place after almost two months of ownership and unplugging and plugging back in the cable almost every day. Nicely done. That it came with the hard denim case and had all of the nice little touches just made my owning it feel really sweet.


Put it on, and It is comfortable. Not as comfortable as the Sony MDR-1R, but comfortable none the less. I can understand some people’s complaints about fit and comfort and even the clamping pressure, but for me it is good enough. It was heavier than I was accustomed to, clamped stronger than any other headphone I had maybe except the Senn HD497 that I had to stretch out, but it was not uncomfortable and I have worn it for a couple of hours straight and no real issues. I have also not have any seal issues and the sound does not change much with the turn of the head as it does with the 7520. Isolation wise, it’s on par with the 7520, maybe just a smidge better. Needless to say, once music plays, it’s all good.

Sound:
Where do I start? As a whole, the PM3 is my best sounding headphone. I enjoy it the most. Everything just goes well together, I do not think there is any real stand out part of the sonic spectrum or any real deficiency to talk of. So with that out of the way, let me break it down a bit.
Bass:
After being accustomed to the 7520, these sounded bass light. I was a touch disappointed in this area, and I love my bass. It did not lack extension, quality, articulation, or any of those things. What it lacked was volume. And as I said, coming from the 7520, it was obvious. But truth be told, I modded my 7520 to reduce the bass. It had too much boom. But deep down I am a closet bass head. So it always left a smile on my face there. The more I listened to the PM3 however, the more I began to appreciate the bass. It was a bit truer to the recording than the 7520. If the song was bass light, it was painfully obvious. If the song was bass heavy, it let you know that as well. Many times I was listening to some music and found myself checking to see if the bass boost on the E11k was on. Other times I would reach for the switch and put it on. I would be lying if I said I did not wish for more bass, but at the end I can say I am satisfied. I do realize that the bass presentation of a pair of speakers with even 8 inch drivers with room reinforcement is going to be more visceral and much fuller sounding than most if not all headphones ever will be and I have learned to accept that. There are tracks whose bass will wow you on speakers, and leave you wanting more on headphones.
Mids:
I love these things here. Smooth, clear, rich, refined, natural. I don’t have a phone that sounds any better. I cant think of any better way to describe it than to do a comparison. I was listening recently to some Sting; The Soul Cages album. I had on the PM3 and was just enjoying the music. I was listening to flac via VOX, the M2U and the Soloist. When I switched to the 7520, the mids sounded a bit unnatural, not as full, clean or clear. Also the feeling realness I got with the PM3 was not there. In the mids, to me it was no contest. The difference was not night and day, but it was quite noticeable. I can still enjoy the 7520, and even though it has the PM3 beat in the bass department, it clock gets cleaned in the mids. Where there might be a little variation is in the male vocal range where it might be ever so slightly bumped, but I think that adds to the mids clarity and makes vocals sound great.
Treble:
Well I guess I have sensitivity to highs. I find absolutely nothing wrong with the highs of the PM3. Again they are clean and clear. No grain. They are cleaner than the 7520 highs and also extend a bit more. This is where there are a few slight short comings in my view. I do feel that there is a small hole in the transition from mids to highs and I do feel that at some times there is a slight emphasis to the middle part of the treble that can sound a touch harsh when pushed. Both issues do not really bother me and I guess I am now accustomed to them. Is the trebles rolled off? A bit, yes. It does not seem to extend as much as say the Shure 440 that I had the pleasure of sampling a while back. Lacking that last bit of sparkle maybe. But I am pleased with it. No complaints.
I do find that it has a naturalness about it that I just love. All the parts form a nice cohesive unit and that translates to me to give a nice sense of ambience, and presents a nice 3d sounding signature. I have no open cans to compare to, or even great speakers, but the soundstage does not sound all that wide. What you do get though is good instrument placement and a sense of layers in the music both vertically and front to back. The soundstage does not really leave your head and expand beyond the walls though, but it is the closest to speaker hifi in terms of soundstage and instrument placement that I have gotten out of a headphone. You feel like you are in an acoustic space all be it a small one.
Compared to the 7520, the PM3 just sounds better. The detail retrieval is not better, there is less bass in terms of quantity, it is heavier..... But..... it is more cohesive and natural and gives a realism that the 7520 just cannot match. They are both good headphones, but overall the PM3 is just better. If you really like your bass very hard hitting and visceral, the 7520 would be a better bet, although I am not sure how hard hitting even that is compared to some bass cannons out there. If you are after a more natural and better put together sound, of the two the PM3 wins hands down.


Conclusion:
Am I happy? Yep. No complaints from me. Except for maybe the AKG K81 DJ and in the end the Sony MDR-1R, I think I did pretty well with my blind headphone buys, and at the end did enjoy all of my headphone purchases that I have made over the years.
This one is my favorite though. Is it the best value? I would not think so. I do realize that there is most likely a premium being paid for the technology, the accessories and the build. I am sure there is great sound to be had for less. But in the end, I feel like it is worth the price and am happy that I own such a wonderful pair of headphones. It’s the total package, not just the sound quality, that makes this a wonderful product.

First about me:
I am a music lover. I love music in general, and love listening. It doesn’t have to be the best gear for me to listen to music, but it must sound good to me, or I have trouble listening.
I live ‘out of circulation’ so to speak, in a small island nation, so I am not in a position to try anything much.
I also am not looking for open cans.I like the isolation that closed backs give me, and I don’t want massively large headphones. I listen at home, at work, and sometimes on the go. Home is a noisy environment, so open phones are out. And I have fit issues with iems and want to stay away from the trouble of maintaining them. So as you see my choice of headphones boil down to at most semi portable closed back headphones.
My gear list :
Amps: Fiio E11K, Burson Audio Soloist SL
Sources: Mac Mini running VOX and iTunes, IPod Touch 3rd gen. 64gb with Sendstation LOD, Schiit Modi 2 uber
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT235, Sony MDR-7520, OPPO PM3
Cables: Blue Jeans LC1, Ecosse Conductor, Van Den Hul D102 MKIII, Surf Cables RCA interconnect and PM3 single ended headphone cable, Generic USB Cable
So as you can see, I don’t have that much…. I have more cables than gear

I listen to a wide variety of music, which includes classical, rock, reggae, electronic, jazz, pop, alternative, soca, soul, R&B, disco and some others. I am not much of a country fan.
Remember all that I am writing is my opinion and just that.
Introduction:
With that out of the way, I first started hearing about the PM3 on this site obviously. I was following MacedonianHero’s thread on his quest for his ultimate portable headset. And saw his update as to when he considered the PM3 the king of his hill. I read his views and thoughts and came to the conclusion I needed to check this headphone out. I did more research and saw threads about it and it being compared to the Audeze EL8 and I read a lot of reviews. I must admit I got a bit conflicted after hearing one person saying these are rolled off in the treble, then someone else saying they were bright, but I kept reading, PMed a few people on their thoughts compared to different phones and decided…. What the hey?? Why not?
Then I had trouble getting them, no store in the US would ship outside of the US, and I had to contact OPPO directly and do it over the phone. I wouldn’t lie at the end of it all I paid US$650 for this headphone.
Packaging, build, comfort and isolation:
They were finally in my country and then I went to get them and pay the duties


Left Customs and headed back to work



Put it on, and It is comfortable. Not as comfortable as the Sony MDR-1R, but comfortable none the less. I can understand some people’s complaints about fit and comfort and even the clamping pressure, but for me it is good enough. It was heavier than I was accustomed to, clamped stronger than any other headphone I had maybe except the Senn HD497 that I had to stretch out, but it was not uncomfortable and I have worn it for a couple of hours straight and no real issues. I have also not have any seal issues and the sound does not change much with the turn of the head as it does with the 7520. Isolation wise, it’s on par with the 7520, maybe just a smidge better. Needless to say, once music plays, it’s all good.

Sound:
Where do I start? As a whole, the PM3 is my best sounding headphone. I enjoy it the most. Everything just goes well together, I do not think there is any real stand out part of the sonic spectrum or any real deficiency to talk of. So with that out of the way, let me break it down a bit.
Bass:
After being accustomed to the 7520, these sounded bass light. I was a touch disappointed in this area, and I love my bass. It did not lack extension, quality, articulation, or any of those things. What it lacked was volume. And as I said, coming from the 7520, it was obvious. But truth be told, I modded my 7520 to reduce the bass. It had too much boom. But deep down I am a closet bass head. So it always left a smile on my face there. The more I listened to the PM3 however, the more I began to appreciate the bass. It was a bit truer to the recording than the 7520. If the song was bass light, it was painfully obvious. If the song was bass heavy, it let you know that as well. Many times I was listening to some music and found myself checking to see if the bass boost on the E11k was on. Other times I would reach for the switch and put it on. I would be lying if I said I did not wish for more bass, but at the end I can say I am satisfied. I do realize that the bass presentation of a pair of speakers with even 8 inch drivers with room reinforcement is going to be more visceral and much fuller sounding than most if not all headphones ever will be and I have learned to accept that. There are tracks whose bass will wow you on speakers, and leave you wanting more on headphones.
Mids:
I love these things here. Smooth, clear, rich, refined, natural. I don’t have a phone that sounds any better. I cant think of any better way to describe it than to do a comparison. I was listening recently to some Sting; The Soul Cages album. I had on the PM3 and was just enjoying the music. I was listening to flac via VOX, the M2U and the Soloist. When I switched to the 7520, the mids sounded a bit unnatural, not as full, clean or clear. Also the feeling realness I got with the PM3 was not there. In the mids, to me it was no contest. The difference was not night and day, but it was quite noticeable. I can still enjoy the 7520, and even though it has the PM3 beat in the bass department, it clock gets cleaned in the mids. Where there might be a little variation is in the male vocal range where it might be ever so slightly bumped, but I think that adds to the mids clarity and makes vocals sound great.
Treble:
Well I guess I have sensitivity to highs. I find absolutely nothing wrong with the highs of the PM3. Again they are clean and clear. No grain. They are cleaner than the 7520 highs and also extend a bit more. This is where there are a few slight short comings in my view. I do feel that there is a small hole in the transition from mids to highs and I do feel that at some times there is a slight emphasis to the middle part of the treble that can sound a touch harsh when pushed. Both issues do not really bother me and I guess I am now accustomed to them. Is the trebles rolled off? A bit, yes. It does not seem to extend as much as say the Shure 440 that I had the pleasure of sampling a while back. Lacking that last bit of sparkle maybe. But I am pleased with it. No complaints.
I do find that it has a naturalness about it that I just love. All the parts form a nice cohesive unit and that translates to me to give a nice sense of ambience, and presents a nice 3d sounding signature. I have no open cans to compare to, or even great speakers, but the soundstage does not sound all that wide. What you do get though is good instrument placement and a sense of layers in the music both vertically and front to back. The soundstage does not really leave your head and expand beyond the walls though, but it is the closest to speaker hifi in terms of soundstage and instrument placement that I have gotten out of a headphone. You feel like you are in an acoustic space all be it a small one.
Compared to the 7520, the PM3 just sounds better. The detail retrieval is not better, there is less bass in terms of quantity, it is heavier..... But..... it is more cohesive and natural and gives a realism that the 7520 just cannot match. They are both good headphones, but overall the PM3 is just better. If you really like your bass very hard hitting and visceral, the 7520 would be a better bet, although I am not sure how hard hitting even that is compared to some bass cannons out there. If you are after a more natural and better put together sound, of the two the PM3 wins hands down.


Conclusion:
Am I happy? Yep. No complaints from me. Except for maybe the AKG K81 DJ and in the end the Sony MDR-1R, I think I did pretty well with my blind headphone buys, and at the end did enjoy all of my headphone purchases that I have made over the years.
This one is my favorite though. Is it the best value? I would not think so. I do realize that there is most likely a premium being paid for the technology, the accessories and the build. I am sure there is great sound to be had for less. But in the end, I feel like it is worth the price and am happy that I own such a wonderful pair of headphones. It’s the total package, not just the sound quality, that makes this a wonderful product.
