[bzippy]

I have nearly zero experience with planars and so it's time to give them a try. I'm currently reading up on the 3 in the thread title, so any opinions on these would be appreciated. And any others that I should look into. I'm most interested in the smooth planar sound I keep reading about.

Closed back, under $500, new or used.

Thanks.

 

[megabigeye]

Panda from Drop.com? Not officially released yet, but available for pre-order, I think (haven't actually checked in a while). They're a Bluetooth headphone based on the now-discontinued Oppo PM-3, but supposed to be slightly retuned to fix the darkness (and hopefully the boringness) of those headphones. Don't let their Bluetoothiness put you off from them, as a) they can be run fully passively, and b) the built-in THX amp is completely transparent* and the tuning is achieved without DSP, so they should sound the same wireless or wired.

PM-3 are very good (just finished listening to Clouds Taste Metallic on them), but were discontinued a couple years ago (2018?). The problem is that the head band and ear pads can disintegrate over time. The ear pads are relatively easy to replace, but the headband is not user replaceable. As of a year ago Oppo was still able to do repairs, but the headband was $100! I don't know if they're still doing the repairs or not. People have found other creative ways to fix their headbands (tennis racquet tape, etc.).
Anyway, not to dissuade you from buying them; just as an FYI.


*I think I once went on a rant and told you that there's really no such thing as audible transparency, only to realize a few days later that I was wrong. Oops! Sorry for that! Audible transparency basically means that it introduces no colorization of its own and will sound indistinguishable from another audibly transparent device. By design drivers cannot be audibly transparent, but DACs, amplifiers, etc. can.
Maybe you already know all of that, but I've been feeling vaguely guilty for months for telling you the wrong thing, so wanted to set the record straight.

 

[HipHopScribe]

I'd suggest waiting for the Drop Panda to be released

 

[bzippy]

Panda from Drop.com? Not officially released yet, but available for pre-order, I think (haven't actually checked in a while). They're a Bluetooth headphone based on the now-discontinued Oppo PM-3, but supposed to be slightly retuned to fix the darkness (and hopefully the boringness) of those headphones. Don't let their Bluetoothiness put you off from them, as a) they can be run fully passively, and b) the built-in THX amp is completely transparent* and the tuning is achieved without DSP, so they should sound the same wireless or wired.

PM-3 are very good (just finished listening to Clouds Taste Metallic on them), but were discontinued a couple years ago (2018?). The problem is that the head band and ear pads can disintegrate over time. The ear pads are relatively easy to replace, but the headband is not user replaceable. As of a year ago Oppo was still able to do repairs, but the headband was $100! I don't know if they're still doing the repairs or not. People have found other creative ways to fix their headbands (tennis racquet tape, etc.).
Anyway, not to dissuade you from buying them; just as an FYI.


*I think I once went on a rant and told you that there's really no such thing as audible transparency, only to realize a few days later that I was wrong. Oops! Sorry for that! Audible transparency basically means that it introduces no colorization of its own and will sound indistinguishable from another audibly transparent device. By design drivers cannot be audibly transparent, but DACs, amplifiers, etc. can.
Maybe you already know all of that, but I've been feeling vaguely guilty for months for telling you the wrong thing, so wanted to set the record straight.

OK, thanks to you both. I had not heard about that -- I'll keep my eye out for the Panda. Honestly though, I don't think I'd have a problem with the boring/polite/smooth/dark/dull character that many dislike about the PM-3. That's kinda the profile I'm after, as a change of pace. But just to put it in perspective, where might their character fit in the spectrum of my other headphones? They are, approximately ordered from bright/vibrant to polite/dark (to my ear): Focal Clear, Senn HD25 Alum, Meze 99C, Senn HD600, V-Moda XS.

The crumbling soft bits is another matter though. That's a bummer indeed.

And I'm sorry big eye, but I don't really remember your rant. Or maybe I vaguely do? (my brain these days) Which thread was that again? No matter anyway, I really prefer it when people tell it like it is and don't hold back (even if they change their mind about it later). I have very strong opinions that change frequently lol. Thanks for saying that though .


And I'm still interested to hear more about what people think of the Monoprice 1060C. At $250 new, I'd imagine all the raves in the1060C Impressions thread have an unspoken "for the price" qualification. But if all sub-$500 planars have the same qualification, then they might a good choice for me. I guess they're pretty heavy though.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Haven't heard the 1060C, but I had the open 1060 and they had weird tuning issues and substandard build quality, so I don't know if I trust Monoprice

 

[megabigeye]

OK, thanks to you both. I had not heard about that -- I'll keep my eye out for the Panda. Honestly though, I don't think I'd have a problem with the boring/polite/smooth/dark/dull character that many dislike about the PM-3. That's kinda the profile I'm after, as a change of pace. But just to put it in perspective, where might their character fit in the spectrum of my other headphones? They are, approximately ordered from bright/vibrant to polite/dark (to my ear): Focal Clear, Senn HD25 Alum, Meze 99C, Senn HD650, V-Moda XS.

The crumbling soft bits is another matter though. That's a bummer indeed.

To my ear, the PM-3 is quite a bit darker than the HD 650, though, kinda strangely, not as polite. My theory is that the HD 650 has a small amount of distortion in the treble that gives it that polite sound on electric guitar, etc. The PM-3 doesn't have that, but there's not more treble overall. The PM-3 also has a small dip in the 250-500Hz region which is what actually makes it sound dark/dull to my ears. Anyway, I haven't done a direct comparison in a long time, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
...All this being said, the PM-3 with tubes is currently my go-to headphone, above the DT 1990 and HD 650.

And I'm sorry big eye, but I don't really remember your rant. Or maybe I vaguely do? (my brain these days) Which thread was that again? No matter anyway, I really prefer it when people tell it like it is and don't hold back (even if they change their mind about it later). I have very strong opinions that change frequently lol. Thanks for saying that though .

That's okay. I don't expect you to remember that post. I was partially saying that for my own benefit, just in case. Anyway, you're welcome.

And I'm still interested to hear more about what people think of the Monoprice 1060C. At $250 new, I'd imagine all the raves in the1060C Impressions thread have an unspoken "for the price" qualification. But if all sub-$500 planars have the same qualification, then they might a good choice for me. I guess they're pretty heavy though.

You might also check out the Monoprice M565C, which is thewirecutter.com's "Best Everyday Audiophile" headphone (whatever that means).
The Modhouse Audio Argon also fits what you're looking for (actually, maybe it's semi-open).
Anyway, just throwing ideas out there. Haven't heard either of those or the Panda.

 

[bzippy]

Cool, thanks to you both.

Btw, I have the HD600, not 650. It's so weird that I typed 650 by mistake. I've never done that before. It's not like I'm longing or anything -- I have been deeply in love with them since I got them more than 5 years ago. I often choose them over my Clears even. But I dunnno, maybe it's a sign and I should finally try a set of 650s.

 

[bzippy]

I have continued reading up on this much of this week. The surprising number of raves about the M1060C have me too curious to resist. And being only $250 now, I really had no choice. Mine should be here in a few days. Since I'll only be be using them at home and in my most chill moods, I'm hoping the crap headband won't be an issue. The larger concern for me is that nasty looking peak at ~2kHz.

 

[bzippy]

Got the M1060C a week ago and despite really loving them on first listen and wanting to immediately express my love, I decided to wait a week to let things settle. Well, nothing has changed; I'm still amazed by this sound. I don't know if I've just a been a latent planar lover all this time and didn't know it, or the 1060C just really nail my preferences (or maybe both), but my whole audio world feels kinda turned upside down.

Addressing my concerns about the potential negatives:
First, the headband. Yep, it sucks. No doubt. Hard to adjust and flops all over the place. It's comically bad, really. But the sound more than makes up for it imo.
Second, that scary peak near 2k. I was afraid it might be distracting or piercing, but that's not the case at all. To me this peak actually works in its favor by adding just a bit of life to the sound. I think of it kinda like "Presence" in the electric guitar amp world, and a little boost is often quite nice.

I'm curious about how these fit into to the whole spectrum of planars, but I think I'd rather post this question in the Headphones (full-size) area to grab a larger audience & response.

Anyway, I highly recommend these to anyone wanting to give planars a try. These are really stand-out imo, especially considering that they're only $250 now. Most reviews I've read suggest I'm not alone in this reaction.

 

[dotashope]

I think if you really struggle with comfort issues, a pair of modded T50rp or that line is a good choice. Mod House Argon has modding service for them. I have a pair of Mad Dog Pro and enjoying them a lot except the cable makes great scratching noise when touched. Very comfortable, the pads are like butters on my ears.

 

[bzippy]

I think if you really struggle with comfort issues, a pair of modded T50rp or that line is a good choice. Mod House Argon has modding service for them. I have a pair of Mad Dog Pro and enjoying them a lot except the cable makes great scratching noise when touched. Very comfortable, the pads are like butters on my ears.

Oh I don't have any comfort complaints at all. I find them quite comfortable, in fact. It's just really awkward the way they swivel & flop around all over the place.

 

[Yames12]

Oh I don't have any comfort complaints at all. I find them quite comfortable, in fact. It's just really awkward the way they swivel & flop around all over the place.

I have the m1060 open and they are the same. There has to be some sacrifice at that price point. I do still love them though