[Gego]

Dear Head-fi,
 
Just new here, long time lurker. Did a lot of research here so first of all, thanks you guys! :3
 
Recently i've upgraded my ATH's M50's to the OPPO's PM3's. I've read so much good stuff online and on this forum (you guys are amazing <3) that i decided to buy them blind. However i'm a little dissapointed by their sound. They sound miles better than the ATH's, don't get me wrong. But i feel like i'm missing something. Also to keep in mind, i use them with my phone (Sony Xperia Z3 Compact) exclusively. Mainly in the train since i have long train rides each day. My phone kind of struggles with the headphones as at max volume it's at decent to high volume.
 
First of i want to tell you what i do like about the OPPO's.
 
Style 10/10
I love how these look, considering i use them outside a lot they better look sexy!
Comfortable 8/10
While heavy they are still pretty comfortable! The pleather feels like fairly high quality and the cushions are good enough.
Utility 10/10
It comes with a lot of detachable cables which is a must. Also it doesn't have noise cancelling or bluetooth which i don't use. So for me it's perfect.
Sound 7.5/10
I'm still not sure about this. They are really detailed and very flat. Don't think they are uncoloured though. I feel like there's something missing above 4~8khz. Furthermore, i could do with a little bit more bass. I'm no basshead but it feels a little empty at times. Stereo image is okay at best.
Price 8/10
I paid 400 euro's for them in The Netherlands. More than 400 dollars in america, but a lot less than the normal retail 550 (!!) euro's. I expected to get a lot for that kind of money and sort of got it. Wouldn't mind paying more if it means i get more.
 
 
So here are my options i think:
 
Option 1: Sell the heapdphones at a loss and buy new ones.
This is the most obvious answer. There's a chance the OPPO's are simply not my kind of headphone. Maybe they are too flat for my taste? Who knows. I could do with a little more lively and airyness in the highs and maybe a bit more low bass. I love the detail, especially in the vocals. Also i'm a huge reverb addict and i love hearing each seperate trail of reverb on for example acoustic drums. 
So hopefull i can resell these for 350 (more than a year warranty). And with some extra money i can afford a better one. 
 
Does anyone have recommendations for a similair headphone to the OPPO (Style/closed/portability) only just better? ~750 euro's maybe? Not sure how much i'll need to spend so ANY recommendations are fine.
 
Option 2: DAC/Amp
Altough technically not needed, buying a portable amp/dac could also solve my problems, right? I've heard that some people love to use a better DAC for better sound. An amp powering this headphone could be beneficial altough i don't have any clue on this. There are plenty of portable DAC/Amps and they could be a future investment for a headset that does need them.
I''ve heard lots of good stuff about the Chord Mojo. Altough the size is downright ugly, the size however seems perfect! It's a shame my phone doesn't have an elegant solution for an usb connection (I have to open it on the side), but i'll just put it in my traveling bag so no one sees it anyways.
 
Would a portable DAC/Amp solve my problems? Its a good future investment, possibly. But is it worth the money for now?

Option 3: Software
I've heard the OPPO's act fairly well towards EQing. I just use stock android with spotify premium, so nothing special or super high bitrate (just 320kbps). Maybe i could EQ bit of bass and highs. Would be the cheapest solution but i have no clue where to start either.

Anyone any tips on android apps?

 
Well sorry for the long read! I didn't want to open a thread unless i needed to. (Hardcore lurker). I'm desperate for help and i know if anyone can help me, it's probably you guys!! I'm counting on you!

Greetings,

Gego

 

[Rhamnetin]

Honestly, you need a better source (portable DAC?), an amplifier, and a new headphone.  I think that a better source and amp would probably help, especially for your bass concerns.  Maybe it will help with your treble woes too (lack of extension?) but I'm guessing that's a headphone characteristic.  So I'd get a DAC/amp or a DAP first.

 

[RRod]

I have the PM-3 and both my ears and measurements agree with your assessment of the treble, which feeds into the sense of soundstage. If that's your main bother then I would say it's best to either get new cans or to take a little time to EQ the treble up a bit (which is the solution I'm planning on taking once I get unlazy about it
 
If they're getting loud enough, the amp stage is probably sufficient, as there aren't output impedance issues to worry about due to the HP design. As far as the DAC, if the measurements here are kosher, there shouldn't be issues there either.

 

[Gego]

  Honestly, you need a better source (portable DAC?), an amplifier, and a new headphone.  I think that a better source and amp would probably help, especially for your bass concerns.  Maybe it will help with your treble woes too (lack of extension?) but I'm guessing that's a headphone characteristic.  So I'd get a DAC/amp or a DAP first.

 
Apperently the Sony xperia's DAC's is above average. So would a Dac/Amp really change that much?

 

  I have the PM-3 and both my ears and measurements agree with your assessment of the treble, which feeds into the sense of soundstage. If that's your main bother then I would say it's best to either get new cans or to take a little time to EQ the treble up a bit (which is the solution I'm planning on taking once I get unlazy about it
 
If they're getting loud enough, the amp stage is probably sufficient, as there aren't output impedance issues to worry about due to the HP design. As far as the DAC, if the measurements here are kosher, there shouldn't be issues there either.

 
Glad to see i'm not being crazy here. So much praise for the OPPO's, maybe i just expected more.
What new headphone would you recommend?

 

[Rhamnetin]

I'm thinking the Beyerdynamic T70p or T5p (although this one is probably above your price range) is a good choice for you.

 

[Gego]

  I'm thinking the Beyerdynamic T70p or T5p (although this one is probably above your price range) is a good choice for you.

 
On head-fi the T5p are described as too bulky and fragile. Also no detacheable cable, which worries me more than the price.
 
EDIT: Wouldn't something like the Ultrasone Signature Pro or Sony MDR-z7 make more sense? 

 

[Gego]

Bump. Before i open a thread asking for recommendations i'd like to get some more oppinions ^^.

 

[S-O8]

PM-3 through my phone ... nope.  PM-3 through my Pioneer amp ... Nope.   PM-3 through my HA-2 out of my phone or MacBook ... Love it !   Go buy an HA-2

 

[Gego]

  PM-3 through my phone ... nope.  PM-3 through my Pioneer amp ... Nope.   PM-3 through my HA-2 out of my phone or MacBook ... Love it !   Go buy an HA-2

 
Matching OPPO gear seems like a good idea. Most of OPPO's stuff is severly overpriced around here though. For example, the  PM3's are 550 euros (~624 dollar). And the Ha-2 seems to be around 400 euro's (~454 dollars).

 

[VNandor]

I think you really should try to EQ your headphones before you buy a new dac/amp. Just google android EQ app or something like that and if it doesn't cut it, ask around  Head-Fi for an "audiophile-approved" EQ app. It wouldn't take more than ten minutes to see if it fixes your problem, definitely a cheaper and easier solution than getting a DAC/amp, and you could still buy a new one if you aren't satisfied with the EQing.

 

[BRCMRGN]

My initial impressions were a lot like the OP's. Very disappointed out of an AK240, even in balanced mode. Then I tried balanced from a Pono and HM901. The PM-3 may be efficient enough to drive from a phone, but it needs a lot more power behind it to really shine. You should try a source or amp with more juice. After finding the right source, I liked the PM-3 so much that I bought a second one for the office.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[rriordan]

I'm in a similar situation with my PM-3's. I use Viper4Android which improves it a considerable amount. It might not be the final solution to your problem but it's worth a try considering it's free.

 

[lltfdaniel]

  PM-3 through my phone ... nope.  PM-3 through my Pioneer amp ... Nope.   PM-3 through my HA-2 out of my phone or MacBook ... Love it !   Go buy an HA-2

 
Yeah i agree.
 
without an amp they sound okay, amp dac makes quite a big difference.

 

[Maelob]

i was like you- i just sold them because found the too polite missing some fun. i wanted a little extra bass but didnt want to carry extra stuff with my iphone- i just ordered the new Vmoda wireless. they have a more fun signature with more bass not as detailed but still very good and new are cheaper than the PM3. just my two cents.

 

[paulc35]

you can't spend 300 dollars on head phones and expect them to sound great off the phone. these are accurate very revealing headphones.& you need a good digital source and a headphone amp to truly evaluate .
there was no need to buy headphones like these for phone only. hope this helps. you don't need to buy a 1000 dollar amp. there are plenty of good ones for a couple hundred.
The bad and good about high end, or revealing components is they reveal what's in the recording and that can be grand, or garbage. I've seen a few people once introduced to high end revealing products want to get rid of said products until they listened to good source material.
This is when garbage in garbage out comes into play. You do have to have a good source for good headphones though.