[HiFiAudio]

  You can like a phone more than it deserves if you've paid a lot for it and sat down with it solo.
 
Likewise, you can dislike a phone more than it deserves if you listen to it solo when you already have a chip on your shoulder about it for whatever reason.
 
There's nothing like a good listening shootout with some other cans to sort out all the psychology, and get down to the basics of sound. Here's an interesting read concerning a (casual) shootout between a PM1, an LCD2.2, an HD800, and some other cans... By and large, I think they nailed it with regards to the PM1 vs the LCD2 and HD800... But again, everyone's ears are different.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/717989/totl-hp-shootout-oppo-pm-1-hd800-lcd2-2-t1-he500-fostex-th900-hd650-hd600

 
While that represented a lot of text to read, and was posted much earlier, generally found that multi-headphone comparison weak on comparisons to how the PM-1 fared.    Have you listened to a PM-1 yet?

 

[keanex]

  I wish you guys could sell those pads separately, cause they are sexy as hell. 

 
They wouldn't fit on another headphone though.

 

[Ontology24]

   
They wouldn't fit on another headphone though.

Anything can be achieved through modding. 

 

[Earbones]

@HiFiAudio- Again, just listening isn't good enough. If you have a prejudice for or against a phone (such as you just dropped a bunch of coin on the new shiny or you're upset about a manufacturer's overseas sales strategy) it will color what you're hearing, if you're not having your ears tempered with other phones. I'm talking about objectively A-Bing them with the LCD2.2 and HD800 and other phones around that price range.
 
Dunno how three guys listening to various phones and arriving at those conclusions can somehow be considered specifically unfair to the PM1, if that's what you're saying... Every phone in that casual shootout had the same chance of coming out on top as the others.
 
Or are you saying it somehow didn't focus enough on the PM1? Again, they spent just as much time on the PM1 as everything else... It just didn't stand out from the pack the way the LCD2.2 and the HD800 did. At least to those listeners with those various amping setups.
 
Granted, I don't have the various different amping setups they do, so my A-B tests are perhaps somewhat biased insomuch as my Resonessence Labs Concero HP was tuned by the manufacturer using an HD800, and my favorite can with it is an LCD2.2... So it could be argued that my specific setup is unfair to the PM1.
 
Like I said earlier, everybody hears differently. My opinions are just that; opinions. Every post on this forum should be tagged with the Reading Rainbow slogan... "But don't take my word for it..." 

 

[HiFiAudio]

  @HiFiAudio- Again, just listening isn't good enough. If you have a prejudice for or against a phone (such as you just dropped a bunch of coin on the new shiny or you're upset about a manufacturer's overseas sales strategy) it will color what you're hearing, if you're not having your ears tempered with other phones. I'm talking about objectively A-Bing them with the LCD2.2 and HD800 and other phones around that price range.
 
Dunno how three guys listening to various phones and arriving at those conclusions can somehow be considered specifically unfair to the PM1, if that's what you're saying... Every phone in that casual shootout had the same chance of coming out on top as the others.
 
Or are you saying it somehow didn't focus enough on the PM1? Again, they spent just as much time on the PM1 as everything else... It just didn't stand out from the pack the way the LCD2.2 and the HD800 did. At least to those listeners with those various amping setups.
 
Granted, I don't have the various different amping setups they do, so my A-B tests are perhaps somewhat biased insomuch as my Resonessence Labs Concero HP was tuned by the manufacturer using an HD800, and my favorite can with it is an LCD2.2... So it could be argued that my specific setup is unfair to the PM1.
 
Like I said earlier, everybody hears differently. My opinions are just that; opinions. Every post on this forum should be tagged with the Reading Rainbow slogan... "But don't take my word for it..." 

I just thought the whole review was too brief where it mattered with not enough substance to form a good impression with what was being compared.  What content was used other then Chesky Binaural recordings?  It was descriptive of gear involved, but Desktops vs Daps, or Sound on the Go, really?  

 

[Magick Man]

I see that Tyll is lurking in the thread. Mornin' big cat! I agree with you 100% on the PM-1s, the review is spot-on. Though not pure "audiophile grade", these are excellent prosumer luxury cans. After nearly a month with them, while on vacation, I can say they're; quite comfortable, super sexy, and easily sound good enough to justify their retail price. At least a half dozen people made favorable comments about them, generally while on a flight or lounging near the pool.

 

[ssrock64]

I see that Tyll is lurking in the thread. Mornin' big cat!

I agree with you 100% on the PM-1s, the review is spot-on. Though not pure "audiophile grade", these are excellent prosumer luxury cans. After nearly a month with them, while on vacation, I can say they're; quite comfortable, super sexy, and easily sound good enough to justify their retail price. At least a half dozen people made favorable comments about them, generally while on a flight or lounging near the pool.

How are you finding the isolation while traveling?

 

[Maxvla]

Nice combo with Black Diamond. Sound comments later tonight, probably.

 

[Maxvla]

I've had the PM-1 for about 6 days now and will be sending them off to the next person tomorrow, so I thought it time to put down some impressions. From the time I received the PM-1 til today I've avoided reading any reviews of these cans to not influence my judgement, especially Tyll's. As I sat down for my final session with these, and thus the beginning of writing my impressions, I decided I had a pretty good idea what I was going to write so I decided to read Tyll's review for perspective. In the past, Tyll's impressions of certain headphones and mine don't particularly line up well so I was expecting just to take it in and write what I was going to anyway. I am surprised and pleased to say I hear the PM-1 almost exactly as Tyll does, so thankfully that will save me a great deal of typing. (Thanks, Tyll!) I offer my reinforcement for your decision to WoF these cans.

There are a few notable differences in our impressions, but none are drastic. First, Tyll mentions that imaging isn't as strong on these as on others. While I do agree with that compared to the very best, I find them no slouch in this department. I find they do a great job on imaging, especially in the frontal region, particularly the center image, which is my #1 priority. The PM-1 is, so far, the only planar (magnetic or electrostatic) that has an acceptable center image, and it does a good enough job just off-center as well. Previously only the HD800 was able to do this for me, and while the HD800 still does it better, the PM-1 is in rare company.

Another difference is his mention of resolution and finesse also not being up to par. I find the resolution good to a point, that point being treble resolution is pretty dreadful, but things like texture and detail in mids or bass are very good. Sounds in the treble region are still decently articulated, but there is very little texture going on up there. Instruments with harmonics reaching up into treble sound a little off. Finesse is very similar in that the bass and especially mids sound utterly effortless and as we approach treble, the finesse morphs into the delicacy of a nuclear bomb. Perhaps this is what he meant, but I think it's important to detail where these failings are, and that they aren't problematic across the entire spectrum.

Regarding the soundstage, I find it slightly more narrow than the HD600, but a good bit deeper with decent, but not great layering. K550 is similarly deep, and slightly wider, but with not as good layering. HD800, of course, is much wider and much deeper with significantly better layering than any of them. Despite the deference to the HD800, I find the PM-1 entirely engaging in its own way.

Now you are probably thinking 'this HD800 guy can't actually like this warm, rich, liquid, intimate headphone', but the fact is, the specter of my sending these off tomorrow is done with regret. I've listened to the PM-1 almost exclusively during this trial, only putting on other headphones for comparison purposes. I really like these and I can't explain why. They go against many of my ideals of proper sound, mostly neutrality, but somehow manage to connect me to the music in a special way. I've particularly enjoyed the PM-1 with my R+B and Rap collection which has been mostly dormant for many years. I find them to be similar to HD650s in frequency balance, except that whereas the HD650 can't get out of it's own way, the PM-1 as the speed and control to be focused despite the treble deficiency. The PM-1 also lacks the graininess of the HD650 in the vocals.

Just last year I had purchased a set of LCD-2 to be partners with my HD800, but found them distasteful almost right away, despite having heard them several times prior to purchasing. People say the PM-1 and LCD-2 are similar, but I disagree. I think the PM-1 is what Audeze wishes they had with the LCD-2. It is much better in every metric, especially comfort. I also prefer the PM-1 over the other Audeze offerings, including the LCD-X.

Regarding value, yes the PM-1 is not a compelling value argument. It isn't the last word in any aspect of sound, but does match good sound with reasonable physical attributes, and if you consider the cost of the box and premium materials, it is possible to see the $1100 price tag as a worthwhile splurge. I have no need of a fancy box, and while the headphone is attractive and solidly built, I will be interested in trying the PM-2 at a more reasonable price point for the trade-offs present in the PM-1's sound. I am hard to please and harder still to impress, but I have been impressed with Oppo's first release. This is such a better first headphone compared to others in the traditional audio market such as B+W and Focal as well as start up headphone companies like Hifiman (HE-5) that I have to applaud the effort.

Thanks to the owner of these cans, you know who you are!


Associated equipment used:

Matrix X-Sabre
ECP Black Diamond
Sennheiser HD800
Sennheiser HD600
AKG K550

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

^^^Nice.
 
And I totally agree about these headphone being extremely attractive sonically...but not quite exactly knowing why.
 
I ended up thinking it had to do with the dynamic focus...for lack of a better word.

 

[aamefford]

Agreed on @Maxvla's review and your comment Tyll. The PM-1 doesn't in theory handle the upper end as maybe it *should* and yet I like them much better than many headphones that supposedly do handle the upper end well. It's kinda like "that one girl*." She isn't magazine photo perfect, but oh my God is she seductive! I'll take seductive over perfect every day of the week.

*(substitute gender of your choice)

 

[TMRaven]

Lack of textural rendering from the treble is a good summary about how I feel from the PM-1.  That made it seem less real than other headphones I compared it to.  It does indeed have pretty good instrument separation though.  Complex passages can be easy to follow.
 
If Oppo got rid of some of that damping and made the PM-1 more open as a result, while giving it more treble and bass extension I think they'd have a super headphone.

 

[Jimmyf1312]

Great read Maxvla, super helpful impressions.

 

[DougD]

This in response to HiFiAudio's question to Earbones, "Have you listened to a PM-1 yet?" ....

  @HiFiAudio- Again, just listening isn't good enough. If you have a prejudice for or against a phone (such as you just dropped a bunch of coin on the new shiny or you're upset about a manufacturer's overseas sales strategy) it will color what you're hearing, if you're not having your ears tempered with other phones. I'm talking about objectively A-Bing them with the LCD2.2 and HD800 and other phones around that price range.
 
Dunno how three guys listening to various phones and arriving at those conclusions can somehow be considered specifically unfair to the PM1, if that's what you're saying... Every phone in that casual shootout had the same chance of coming out on top as the others.
 
Or are you saying it somehow didn't focus enough on the PM1? Again, they spent just as much time on the PM1 as everything else... It just didn't stand out from the pack the way the LCD2.2 and the HD800 did. At least to those listeners with those various amping setups.
 
Granted, I don't have the various different amping setups they do, so my A-B tests are perhaps somewhat biased insomuch as my Resonessence Labs Concero HP was tuned by the manufacturer using an HD800, and my favorite can with it is an LCD2.2... So it could be argued that my specific setup is unfair to the PM1.
 
Like I said earlier, everybody hears differently. My opinions are just that; opinions. Every post on this forum should be tagged with the Reading Rainbow slogan... "But don't take my word for it..." 

 
Pardon me for me being dense and/or tedious, but this reply does not affirmatively say that you have indeed heard the PM-1 with your own ears, on your gear or anybody else's. Keen to read about your impressions based on objective A-B'ing with the LCD2.2 and HD800. (Apologies if you've already posted that and I missed it, it's hard to keep up with everything in a thread with 2400+ posts.)  

 

[keanex]

  ^^^Nice.
 
And I totally agree about these headphone being extremely attractive sonically...but not quite exactly knowing why.
 
I ended up thinking it had to do with the dynamic focus...for lack of a better word.

 
What mostly attracts me to them is the lively mid-range.