[newyorker4life]

Curious to hear your thoughts and comparisons!

FYI, the comfort DOES get better. You can manually stretch it out to help kidckstart it, but I've also found that after enough wearing it will sort of shape and fit to your head...almost like breaking in a baseball glove.

Also, I only where mine when I'm walking...outdoors, nonetheless. I have zero problems with microphonics -- I don't hear a single step. I thread my my cord inside my shirt --- it was something I discovered a long time ago. That may be more practical for me b/c I'm wearing workout shirts (vs. work clothes or something similar)...but maybe something to experiment with.

So far .....PM3 hands down is way more comfortable out of the box. Surprisingly more comfortable. On a scale of 1-10 in comfort I'd say PM3 is a "9". I really REALLY want to love the Sine but right now comfort is a "5". And more surprisingly the PM3s have the least microphonic feedback when I'm walking, even though they are over ear and create a much tighter vacuum seal. Which seems to contradict all microphonic logic, but I'm just reporting what I'm hearing.

To compare Sine + Cipher to PM3s, I also got a dragonfly red (DFR) portable USB DAC to go with the PM3s- to give PM3s some additional "oomph" and to see if I could hear a difference driving the PM3s with a separate DAC; like Cipher DAC helps drive Sine.

Source is iPhone with Spotify and ripped FLAC / MP3.
And I'm going to fire up my Tidal and ROON free trials this weekend. I love new toys.

I'll post more as I go along in my comparing & listening .....but so far in terms of PORTABILITY, Sine + Cipher is certainly way way way more elegant design than clunky PM3 + DFR + Apple CCK. I can't imagine using Mojo or anything bulkier than USB DAC which is already too clunky. Just listening from iPad / spotify and writing this, PM3 + extra hardware is dangling from the iPad in landscape mode. It's a bit frankensteinish. I put a pillow under it all to prop it up. That dangling is still putting stress on the Apple CCK. Another big bummer with DFR/CCK is I lose volume & track control on the PM3 iOS cable. That is NOT convenient if I have to adjust volume with iPad even just laying here, let alone on iPhone if I'm walking my dog and want to adjust volume or change tracking.

So what about sound quality. Okay. I'm a headphones noob. Sine sounds overall punchier and louder, so far. I think Sine pushes more treble forward with everything but classical and better separation. PM3 is smoother, more fluid, balanced. I don't have to raise volume nearly as high with Sine vs PM3 alone. PM3 alone still sounds warmer and bass particularly warmer. Treble, with some classical tracks, PM3 has more detail. Without DFR/CCK, I have to increase volume much higher with PM3 and it gets a bit muddier. Add the extra DAC to PM3 and source volume doesn't have to be nearly as high of course.

In terms of sound quality and cost here's something I have to consider. I got a refurb PM3 for $319. The Sine was $550 with tax in NY. If I didn't know PM3 was returb I would swear Oppo sent PM3 brand new.

Initial impression - Does the Sine sound $230+ better than PM3 on its own, no separate DAC? I don't think so. Does Sine sound better than $319 PM3 + $200 Dragonfly + $30 Apple CCK? I definately don't think so.

I think what's going to happen is I will have to evaluate comfort and sound quality and cost. The PM3 alone, no extra oomph or extra goodies is $230 less than Sine, and has two year warranty.

Once I have Tidal and Roon up and running, will update.

It is a lot of fun playing with all these new toys.....

 

[subguy812]

Interesting impressions. I wouldn't describe either of the headphones that way. Such is how we hear things differently. I will agree that the PM-3 were a touch more comfortable.

 

[newyorker4life]

After starting free tidal 30 day trial I've been listening for many hours now.

The sound quality listening with Sine is just "wow".

Can someone explain in English what exactly "Hi-Fi" quality is in Tidal?

 

[canali]

After starting free tidal 30 day trial I've been listening for many hours now.

The sound quality listening with Sine is just "wow".

Can someone explain in English what exactly "Hi-Fi" quality is in Tidal?

Tidal hifi is the premium $20/mo pkg offering songs downloaded @ 1400kps or so...supposedly similar to CD level SQ
 
...their mid level  offers songs downloaded at a more compressed rate of 320kps at $10/mo
(same as spotify's premium pkg @ $10/mo...songs also downloaded @ 320kps )

 

[newyorker4life]

Tidal hifi is the premium $20/mo pkg offering songs downloaded @ 1400kps or so...supposedly similar to CD level SQ
...their mid level (similar to spotify's premium) offers songs downloaded at a more compressed rate of 320kps at $10/mo

I started a free trial 30 days of the premium ....and I have the $10 month Spotify.

I think I definately hear a difference .... it feels like the Sine just "woke up" with Tidal. Literally, faster & kind of addictive.

 

[canali]

I started a free trial 30 days of the premium ....and I have the $10 month Spotify.

I think I definately hear a difference .... it feels like the Sine just "woke up" with Tidal. Literally, faster & kind of addictive.

 
there should be no diff if its the $10 pkg...both spotify and tidal offer 320kps downloads at that pricepoint.
now that said it could be the sources of their songs (better recordings ie remastered vs not) etc.
i'm afraid i'm not familiar with the audio engineering controls behind the scenes.
 
try the $20/mo tidal hi fi version however....1400kps downloads....or is that what you mean,
that you're trying the hifi version for free ?
(they offer it often for 2-4 week trials)...as does spotify..as does apple
,..streaming is increasingly heating up.

 

[newyorker4life]

there should be no diff if its the $10 pkg...both spotify and tidal offer 320kps downloads at that pricepoint.
now that said it could be the sources of their songs (better recordings ie remastered vs not) etc.
i'm afraid i'm not familiar with the audio engineering controls behind the scenes.

try the $20/mo tidal hi fi version however....1400kps downloads....or is that what you mean,
that you're trying the hifi version for free ?
(they offer it often for 2-4 week trials)...as does spotify..as does apple
,..streaming is increasingly heating up.

I'm trying the $20 version of tidal, free 30 day trial. Wow. My ears are so sore from headphone "clamp" but I don't care.

 

[canali]

I'm trying the $20 version of tidal, free 30 day trial. Wow.

ah oh, now i get it.
 
so you're like me: were trying spotify's 10/premium and also trialing tidal's 20/hi fi.
 
i do like a bit of each: spotify has alot of good collections, that tidal is now trying to copy
as per getting to know you after you visit and tracking your choices.
 
but i do love tidal's interface: and that spinning record when you maximize a tune...very cool and 'jukebox' like
 
plus for spotify and apple: they get back to you within 2 day with issues/questions/suggestions.
tidal sucks...1.5 wks later they finally get back to me...pitiful for a company that is charging 2x more ...you'd think cust service would coincide.
not!

 

[newyorker4life]

ah oh, now i get it.

so you're like me: were trying spotify's 10/premium and also trialing tidal's 20/hi fi.

i do like a bit of each: spotify has alot of good collections, that tidal is now trying to copy
as per getting to know you after you visit and tracking your choices.

but i do love tidal's interface: and that spinning record when you maximize a tune...very cool and 'jukebox' like

Carol King Tapestry on Tidal is just jaw dropping ....like....she's in my living room. I've been waiting for the "Wow" with Sine....this is "Wow".

 

[canali]

a related thread you might like, should you stay with tidal
http://www.head-fi.org/t/733233/tidal-lossless-streaming/2580#post_12662199

 

[newyorker4life]

ah oh, now i get it.

so you're like me: were trying spotify's 10/premium and also trialing tidal's 20/hi fi.

i do like a bit of each: spotify has alot of good collections, that tidal is now trying to copy
as per getting to know you after you visit and tracking your choices.

but i do love tidal's interface: and that spinning record when you maximize a tune...very cool and 'jukebox' like

plus for spotify and apple: they get back to you within 2 day with issues/questions/suggestions.
tidal sucks...1.5 wks later they finally get back to me...pitiful for a company that is charging 2x more ...you'd think cust service would coincide.
not!

What did you make inquiries about ? I haven't contacted either company but I am seriously blown away by Tidal sound quality.

I've also worked on the Sine comfort by gently stretching & bending the headband. It's loosening up the "clamp" a bit more.

 

[jmsaxon69]

After starting free tidal 30 day trial I've been listening for many hours now.

The sound quality listening with Sine is just "wow".

Can someone explain in English what exactly "Hi-Fi" quality is in Tidal?

It is CD quality: 16/44.1

 

[canali]

It is CD quality: 16/44.1

 
thanks for your pithy reply vs my long winded one.

 

[subguy812]

I'm trying the $20 version of tidal, free 30 day trial. Wow. My ears are so sore from headphone "clamp" but I don't care.

Relieve yourself of a little clamp and slide the earcups down a bit more. I am also going to be a bit more curious as the gap between the Sine and PM-3 widens more than your initial impressions. 

 

[canali]

a bit of concern that prevents me from pulling the triggger:
i wear glasses and I'm concerned these cans might get a bit 
tight after a bit...over ear designs are always better suited generally, vs on ear, for our type