[Maxx134]

I read your description of how your ears fit into the pads. So just to clarify they fit similar to the HD800/T1, and just kinda float? If this is the case I'm sold and will be done with headphones for a while after this purchase. 

They are closest in feel to the shure1540..
Edit:
I'm talking about the "velour" type pads.

The leather feel different.

 

[Trey36]

Thanks again, now I just need more to be produced.

 

[Headphoner]

Here are the notes of the exact frequencies and level changes we measured over the entire audible spectrum for the beta 3s. You can plot it all of the data out on a graph if that makes it seem more real to you.

Below 25 drops off steep
-4dB at 25Hz
28Hz to 1.6kHz stone flat
-3dB at 2kHz
+2dB at 2.5kHz
-2dB at 3.1kHz
-3dB at 4kHz
-1dB at 5kHz
+3dB at 6kHz
-2dB at 7kHz
8 to 10kHz stone flat
-3 at 11kHz
flat at 11.5kHz
12kHz roll off starts

Based on comparing the Beta 3s to the final retail, I would estimate that the drops on either side of 3kHz are a bit smoother on the final retail. But something this small could be just sample variation too. In any case, it's nowhere near the 10 to 20dB bumps and dips on the Beats response graph posted earlier.

If you have notes like the above for the final version of the phones, it would be very useful (for me at least).  I will probably buy the phones and your notes on the final version would be a useful starting point for EQing the phones.

 

[HiFiAudio]

On http://forums.stevehoffman.tv you have JMCIII that made this comment yesterday to a query on the PM-1
 

Ham Sandwich said: ↑

For anyone doing reviews of the PM-1 here's a couple of things I'm wondering about:

How neutral is it? Especially compared to Audeze and HiFiMan headphones.

How well does it do classical? The shelved down upper mids and treble of the LCD-2 makes classical sound dull. When I first got my LCD-2 I pretty much stopped listening to classical because the LCD-2 made it sound dull. I've since fixed that by EQing and I'm back to listening to classical and enjoying classical. The sonic signature of the LCD-2 is much more favoring for rock and electronic music than classical. I need a good planar headphone that can do classical as well as rock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the PM-1 may be that headphone. Otherwise I'm going to have to look at HiFiMan's new offerings.

With the PM-1 being quite efficient will there be noise problems with amps like my Schiit Lyr? The Lyr does have amp hiss that you can hear if you use an efficient headphone.

Can't answer those questions (yet), but I'll try. But what I can say is that the new PM-1's arrived today for me to review on The Audio Beat. Can't wait to get them burned in and give them a good listen. Having heard both the LCD-2's and the HE-500's, these new PM-1's are in for some stiff competition. But I can say that the PM-1 is one very sensitive full range headphone - it can be driven by my iPhone (off a quick audition at work).....

 

 

[Raptor34]

We must be patient.  Probably be a few weeks or maybe sooner before they ship but based on what I've read here and elsewhere, they must be pretty special and I plan on buying a pair straight away.   Feedback be dammed  

    I emailed Oppo yesterday about a balanced cable and they replied that they would have one available for the PM-1 in the future.   Hopefully sooner than later.

 

[Focker]

   based on what I've read here and elsewhere, they must be pretty special and I plan on buying a pair straight away. 

 
Really? I've been getting the opposite impression

 

[Raptor34]

   
Really?

Yes, really!  

 

[vkalia]

  On http://forums.stevehoffman.tv you have JMCIII that made this comment yesterday to a query on the PM-1
 

Ham Sandwich said: ↑

How well does it do classical? The shelved down upper mids and treble of the LCD-2 makes classical sound dull. When I first got my LCD-2 I pretty much stopped listening to classical because the LCD-2 made it sound dull. I've since fixed that by EQing and I'm back to listening to classical and enjoying classical. The sonic signature of the LCD-2 is much more favoring for rock and electronic music than classical. I need a good planar headphone that can do classical as well as rock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the PM-1 may be that headphone. Otherwise I'm going to have to look at HiFiMan's new offerings.

 

 
I have to say, i cannot disagree with that comment any more.    The smooth warm sound and rich midrange of the LCD2s is *exactly* what makes it so amazingly suited for classical.   Unless one is sitting in a small room listening to a private performance of a string quartet or something, classical music, as heard by a listener in a concert hall, tends to have a warm sound with forward mids.

 

[Headphoner]

   
 classical music, as heard by a listener in a concert hall, tends to have a warm sound with forward mids.

Yes, this is true when listening to live classical music from good seats in the middle of the concert hall.  But when classical music is recorded, some of the microphones are much closer to the instruments than those good seats and the sound of the recording, accurately reproduced by perfect headphones (whatever that is), will be brighter--sometimes considerably brighter.

 

[Currawong]

 

  On http://forums.stevehoffman.tv you have JMCIII that made this comment yesterday to a query on the PM-1
 

Ham Sandwich said: ↑

How well does it do classical? The shelved down upper mids and treble of the LCD-2 makes classical sound dull. When I first got my LCD-2 I pretty much stopped listening to classical because the LCD-2 made it sound dull. I've since fixed that by EQing and I'm back to listening to classical and enjoying classical. The sonic signature of the LCD-2 is much more favoring for rock and electronic music than classical. I need a good planar headphone that can do classical as well as rock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the PM-1 may be that headphone. Otherwise I'm going to have to look at HiFiMan's new offerings.

 

 
I have to say, i cannot disagree with that comment any more.    The smooth warm sound and rich midrange of the LCD2s is *exactly* what makes it so amazingly suited for classical.   Unless one is sitting in a small room listening to a private performance of a string quartet or something, classical music, as heard by a listener in a concert hall, tends to have a warm sound with forward mids.

 
I wonder which version he had, as the original was rather like what Ham Sandwich said, but later versions had a different FR that didn't make classical sound so dull.
 
However, I'm sure a manufacturer can make a planar sound any way they wish. Just look at the how different Hifiman and Audeze headphones sound.

 

[Beagle]

  Yes, this is true when listening to live classical music from good seats in the middle of the concert hall.  But when classical music is recorded, some of the microphones are much closer to the instruments than those good seats and the sound of the recording, accurately reproduced by perfect headphones (whatever that is), will be brighter--sometimes considerably brighter.

 
Exactly. You want the headphone to accurately reproduce the recording, not simulate what the music on the recording sounds like live.

 

[vkalia]

  Yes, this is true when listening to live classical music from good seats in the middle of the concert hall.  But when classical music is recorded, some of the microphones are much closer to the instruments than those good seats and the sound of the recording, accurately reproduced by perfect headphones (whatever that is), will be brighter--sometimes considerably brighter.

 
And that is why a warmer headphone sounds better to my ears for classical music and why i was surprised that the referenced post would argue otherwise.
 
If someone wants to reproduce the sound as recorded, more power to them.  Other people - including me - prefer to re-create something that comes closer to the live sound as a benchmark.     There is nothing inherently "sacred" about staying true to the recording, other than the fact that it is easier to objectively measure accuracy there and it is virtually impossible to measure accuracy if using live instruments as the reference - one has to trust one's ears to decide if, say, the violin sounds more lifelike on this bit of kit vs that.
 
Anyway, that is off-topic.  Let's just agree to have different standards for evaluating gear and leave it at that.    

 

[takato14]

Big Brother (AnakChan) is watching. 
 
But really, what point is there in keeping this thread going when there's no new news? Reviews take time to write...

 

[tinyman392]

  Big Brother (AnakChan) is watching. 
 
But really, what point is there in keeping this thread going when there's no new news? Reviews take time to write...

 
This thread isn't just for reviews, impressions are another part of it.  They tend to be quicker and looser.  Initial impressions take, depending on person, anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours to produce (assuming ~15 minutes of quick writing; that's pretty slow writing IMO too).  There are two people here that have the Oppo on hand and at least one of them (Frank) seems open to answering questions (but can only answer a question that is asked, no psychic ability unfortunately :/)

 

[Focker]

   
This thread isn't just for reviews, impressions are another part of it.  They tend to be quicker and looser.  Initial impressions take, depending on person, anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours to produce (assuming ~15 minutes of quick writing; that's pretty slow writing IMO too).  There are two people here that have the Oppo on hand and at least one of them (Frank) seems open to answering questions (but can only answer a question that is asked, no psychic ability unfortunately :/)

 
 
It'll be much more interesting and helpful when the average head-fi'er gets a hold of these things. Truly, I've found that "reviews" have become so much less reliable over the years. The main reason I've been so successful in choosing gear that matches up really well with my own preferences is because I can use a lot of "little people" reviews to create a picture of a product.  Also, a large portion of the head-fi community is a younger demographic. Our hearing really begins to deteriorate when we hit 40 and 50 years old (and Im 41, so I'm knocking myself here, too!), and there are a lot of younger people here who have very reliable takes on gear (e.g. Dubstep girl). There are exceptions, but many/most of the formal reviewers are up there in years, and I think this is a contributing reason as to why I find them so unreliable. (Although I'm certain they would all say they have EXCELLENT hearing lol.)