[Maelob]

  Hi all,
 
I've seen different people talking about the precise bass of the PM-3 but others saying it's a bit quiet. It seems the OPPO HA-2 users use bass boost to give it a bit more impact in the lows.
 
I love good sound. I love to ear the music the way it was made to be listened. This sentence has to be taken exactly how it is. I mean if a musician made a song with and outline piano i want the headphone to make it sound exactly as it was intended.
 
So this also work for bass. I don't want to call myself a basshead. Cause it's not only about the bass but really about sound reproduction. I like to be able to enjoy all the spectrum and all the frequencies without lacks. So this works for every frequencies. Often, i have seen that when it comes to reproduce frenquencies below 60hz, lots of headphones are just not capable to make the job well or need good sources and good amps to have the power required to be able to do it.

Currently i'm an owner of VMODA M100. I use it with a HTC one M8 (known to be one of the best android smartphones for music) + Lollipop custom ROM with audio enhancement + Viper4android for whom i use only one effect called "dynamic bass" which permits to increase the sub frequencies (20hz to 40hz) + ibasso T3 portable amp with gain of and bass boost on. The sound is very good (for my taste) but i'm really curious to get an even better sound with the OPPO PM-3.
 
I know lot of people here are against equalizers. But i don't understand why some whould say OPPO PM-3 are for example less punchy than HD600 when maybe a little increase in the lows with an equalizer could solve the problem...........

So my question is : Is there someone here who isn't scared to use an equalizer and who can tell me if the OPPO PM-3 is able to provide deep full and punchy basses with some eq tweaks ?
 
It's important for me to know cause i know how the source used to listen to the music is important and can make a difference. For example i went to a audiophile shop to listen do Ibasso DX90. I put my micro sd in it and plugged my vmoda. I can assure you that some deep bass (20hz-30hz) was kind of forgotten compared to the same song playing with my HTC M8 + viper4android
 
ps : I'm french so excuse the faults please
 

VMODAS are definitely more punchy - PM3s have less of the boost, deep bass is there but is not boosted, so at first they will sound less "exciting" but they are so much clearer and the mids are really awesome and addictive.   - I think they respond well to some EQ is you want to boost the bass a little. Honestly It will take a few days for your brain to adjust to the neutral sound. But overall I like them. If you are looking for some extra clarity then try the PM-3 but for me VMODAS are a really fun headphone.  up to you - also if you like that punchy sound from the Vmodas the Beyers T51s are also punchy and fun.  But again for me the PM-3 is more of an all rounder with really sweet sound

 

[flashmp3]

  How can you be so sure which one, the HTC or the iBasso is correct, if either?  What is your reference? You would have had to been in the studio or at the mastering desk at the time of the recording to really know for sure.
 
I think a lot of it comes down to economies of scale. I find that for the most part all but the very highest quality headphones that tend towards a boost in the low frequencies, do so with a loss in accuracy. Some manufacturers have consciously made the choice to intentionally limit low frequency level and extension rather than try to inaccurately re-produce the lowest octaves because they know that while it is possible to design and build a headphone that can produce even the lowest bass accurately it can't be done at the price point they are aiming for.
 
I own the PM-3's and I will admit that through my FiiO X5 gen1 they can sound a little bass shy, for the most part, but the bass that is there is extremely accurate in terms of timbre and tone and extension, it just seems that the level is down. If I connect the PM-3's to the dedicated headphone amp of my BDP-105 there is an increase in the bass output for sure, but I still don't know which presentation, if either, is the more accurate one. It will depend on your source equipment and more importantly your personal preference.

I understand what you mean. I have to be more precise to try to make you understand what i mean. I've been in the quest of perfect sound (for my taste) for a while. In that quest, there have been Westone UM2, Westone UM3X, different ipods, Galaxy Note (wolfson dac included), different tries like the ibasso DX90 2 weeks ago, different headphones with also ultrasone pro 900, etc...etc...

I say that just to precise that i'm not a noob who hasn't understand how important the source of listening, the quality of the music, the quality of the amp (if the headphones need it to be well driven and delivery their full potential) are. When i'm talking about liking to hear the whole spectrum i mean for example when you go to a concert or a club where the audio configuration is high quality, what you will hear may be surprising. For example someone used to listening to music on an ipod+stock earphone will be surprised to discover some bass in his favourite songs that he had never imagined before. It's the same thing that happens when for the first time you listen to music with a good quality subwoofer that is able to get low in the frequencies. It's like you're discovering parts of the musics that weren't there before. I think you get exactly what i mean. 
 
So maybe you could help me and telling me if raising the level of the lows on the OPPO PM-3 can make it sound powerful and more punchy.For me and my taste a good bass definition will especially be the fact that none of the frequency is forgotten. From what i understood from the impressions here, i feel like with the PM-3 you're able to hear clearly and precisely the difference between a 20hz sound and a 30hz sound. So i just want to be sure before buying them that i'll be able to make it sound as punchy as my VMODA M100 if i increase the lows with an equalizer

 

[flashmp3]

  VMODAS are definitely more punchy - PM3s have less of the boost, deep bass is there but is not boosted, so at first they will sound less "exciting" but they are so much clearer and the mids are really awesome and addictive.   - I think they respond well to some EQ is you want to boost the bass a little. Honestly It will take a few days for your brain to adjust to the neutral sound. But overall I like them. If you are looking for some extra clarity then try the PM-3 but for me VMODAS are a really fun headphone.  up to you - also if you like that punchy sound from the Vmodas the Beyers T51s are also punchy and fun.  But again for me the PM-3 is more of an all rounder with really sweet sound

Thanks for this feedback.
 
I listen more to hip-hop music where part of the songs are guided by bass. I don't like to say that on audiophile forums cause quickly you can be seen as someone who would be pleased by a sony mega bass headphones :s. The goal is really to have the best material (for less than 500 dollars) to be able to get the best out of it. It's like having two cars. One one side you have a regular vauxhall basic car and on another hand you have a powerful mercedes. Both can go to 80 mph but the sensations will be far better on the mercedes. So it's not because you're not going to drive at 120 mph that you shouldn't by the mercedes..........

 

[Mark Up]

I'm perplexed. A prior reviewer said these have better bass impact than Audeze LCD-2 (which needs no bass boost). Then there are those saying it is on the thin side for bass. I'm not saying either is wrong, but what a difference. Can it be so subjective with these?

 

[Jeff Y]

  I'm perplexed. A prior reviewer said these have better bass impact than Audeze LCD-2 (which needs no bass boost). Then there are those saying it is on the thin side for bass. I'm not saying either is wrong, but what a difference. Can it be so subjective with these?

Sometimes one has to rule out some views, no matter how subjective it is. Or better yet listen to it yourself
But IMO Audeze definitely has a stronger punch than the PM-3.

 

[Hansotek]

So my question is : Is there someone here who isn't scared to use an equalizer and who can tell me if the OPPO PM-3 is able to provide deep full and punchy basses with some eq tweaks ? 
 

 
Yes. Absolutely. I find that orthos tend to respond exceptionally well to EQ in general. My guess is that it's because the planar design allows more evenness in terms of driver control (but it may also be a byproduct of the generally simplified housing designs... or a bit of both). Anyway, the PM-3 is no exception. I almost always listen to it with some form of EQ. I will almost always boost the treble by about 2db at 8khz rising to +4db at 16khz. Then I'll season the bass to taste with the music.
 
- For hip-hop or electronic, I'll usually boost by a couple of Db at 32hz & 64hz and then maybe 1 db at 120hz. 
- For rock, I'll usually just add 1db at 64khz for a little extra impact.
- For metal, I'll dip 120hz by -1 db, bump 64hz up by +1, and dip 32hz down by -2db or so. That adds some impact, while making the overall bass very fast and snappy sounding.
 
Sometimes, I'll add a little dip around 3khz (half a Db or so), for a slightly more relaxed presentation.
 
So you see, you have quite a few options. It responds really well to everything EQ-wise, in my experience.

 

[good sound]

  I'm perplexed. A prior reviewer said these have better bass impact than Audeze LCD-2 (which needs no bass boost). Then there are those saying it is on the thin side for bass. I'm not saying either is wrong, but what a difference. Can it be so subjective with these?

I think it has a lot to do with what you are using to drive them . As I said in a previous post, with my X5 I find the PM-3 a little light in the bass, I'm talking about level not extension. With my Opp-BDP 105 and the same recording, not at all.

 

[gelocks]

  I'm perplexed. A prior reviewer said these have better bass impact than Audeze LCD-2 (which needs no bass boost). Then there are those saying it is on the thin side for bass. I'm not saying either is wrong, but what a difference. Can it be so subjective with these?

 
Seems that "fit" is the issue with regards to bass on these! I'm one that says bass is kind of lacking (actually increase Clear Bass to 2 on my Sony NWZ-A17) but others have reported that bass quantity IS there. Some measurements are out there with different variation of fits... basically, if you use glasses or have lots of hair, etc. that messes up with the seal and these seem to be very dependent on that...

 

[Madmollusk]

  I'm perplexed. A prior reviewer said these have better bass impact than Audeze LCD-2 (which needs no bass boost). Then there are those saying it is on the thin side for bass. I'm not saying either is wrong, but what a difference. Can it be so subjective with these?

Paired with the Asgard 2, on high-gain, the PM-3 produces exceptionally sweet and extended bass--though bass-heads and closet bass-heads may adamantly disagree with this assessment. Through my smartphone (LG G3), however, the bass can sound a tad shallow at times, especially if the PM3 has to compete with a loud coffee-house type environment. In fact, I’ll go on the record here: you can satisfactorily drive the PM3 with just about any smartphone or tablet, but they positively shine when you give them extra power and headroom. When properly amped, the PM3 sounds just as good as my HE-500 (minus the large sound-stage.)  

 

[AudioBear]

   
Seems that "fit" is the issue with regards to bass on these! I'm one that says bass is kind of lacking (actually increase Clear Bass to 2 on my Sony NWZ-A17) but others have reported that bass quantity IS there. Some measurements are out there with different variation of fits... basically, if you use glasses or have lots of hair, etc. that messes up with the seal and these seem to be very dependent on that...

This is really a key point.  A good seal or a bad seal is the difference between great and thin bass.  I played around with wearing position and found i could dramatically influence the bass response.  One of the problems PM-3 has with bass is it isn't boomy or distorted like some bass-heavy cans.  It's very tight, controlled accurate and deep.  It could be that what some are missing here is truly missing because of seal problems but it could also be they are missing flabby exaggerated bass.  Then too there are people who read somebody's opinion on a post and just parrot it.  The power of suggestion is great.
 
And yes you can equalize the PM-3s up without adverse impact on sound quality--at least to +3dB--didn't try more because I am not a basshead.
 
If you look at the frequency response of the PM-3 on Innerfidelity it is about as flat I have ever seen down to 10Hz.  That's impressive.  If the measured response it flat, the cans have bass.  There are, however, many cans that have elevated lower bass, or humps in the bass that are going to sound a lot bassier than the PM-3.  If you want bass, get one of those cans.  The PM-3 just won't satisfy you.  It would be interesting to see how much the PM-3 bass can be equalized up without degrading the sound.  I suspect quite a bit.

 

[mojolo]

Can't tell ya why other folks are hearing what they are, but my experience is that amplification made a big difference.
 
Driving the PM-3 from my One Plus One, bass was quite lacking.
 
Driving the PM-3 from the Dacport, bass is very present.

 

[miceblue]

A friend of mine owns the One Plus One and says the on-board soundcard is pretty lackluster. I wouldn't automatically associate any difference in sound quality for the PM-3 from just the amp alone.

 

[howdy]

Has anyone tried this with the AK Jr.?

 

[puffmtd]

  Has anyone tried this with the AK Jr.?

Yes sir, I'm listening to it right now with the AK Jr. and it does just fine. 

 

[money4me247]

  Hi all, I've seen different people talking about the precise bass of the PM-3 but others saying it's a bit quiet. It seems the OPPO HA-2 users use bass boost to give it a bit more impact in the lows. I love good sound. I love to ear the music the way it was made to be listened. This sentence has to be taken exactly how it is. I mean if a musician made a song with and outline piano i want the headphone to make it sound exactly as it was intended. So this also work for bass. I don't want to call myself a basshead. Cause it's not only about the bass but really about sound reproduction. I like to be able to enjoy all the spectrum and all the frequencies without lacks. So this works for every frequencies. Often, i have seen that when it comes to reproduce frenquencies below 60hz, lots of headphones are just not capable to make the job well or need good sources and good amps to have the power required to be able to do it. Currently i'm an owner of VMODA M100. I use it with a HTC one M8 (known to be one of the best android smartphones for music) + Lollipop custom ROM with audio enhancement + Viper4android for whom i use only one effect called "dynamic bass" which permits to increase the sub frequencies (20hz to 40hz) + ibasso T3 portable amp with gain of and bass boost on. The sound is very good (for my taste) but i'm really curious to get an even better sound with the OPPO PM-3. I know lot of people here are against equalizers. But i don't understand why some whould say OPPO PM-3 are for example less punchy than HD600 when maybe a little increase in the lows with an equalizer could solve the problem........... So my question is : Is there someone here who isn't scared to use an equalizer and who can tell me if the OPPO PM-3 is able to provide deep full and punchy basses with some eq tweaks ? It's important for me to know cause i know how the source used to listen to the music is important and can make a difference. For example i went to a audiophile shop to listen do Ibasso DX90. I put my micro sd in it and plugged my vmoda. I can assure you that some deep bass (20hz-30hz) was kind of forgotten compared to the same song playing with my HTC M8 + viper4android ps : I'm french so excuse the faults please

 
@flashmp3,
 
just a note for your own personal reference. The V-Moda M100 has a significant bass boost (~10dB) and a relatively recessed midrange (15dB difference between the bass & mids). You are not getting "music the way it was recorded" with those headphones as there is quite a bit of coloration on the M100. That being said, the M100 are quite nice headphones and you will hear more sub-bass on those compared to a lot of other headphones. The M100 are very enjoyable & fun to listen to. However, in relative comparison, the majority of more reference-tuned headphones (even the ones that people positively rate the bass quality) will not have that much sub-bass quantity.
 
for you, I would recommend staying away from the HD600. Go with the HD650 or old HE-400 instead as those have a darker feel to their sound signature that I think you would prefer with your M100 background. Hard to say if you will like the PM-3 has they do present the sub-bass well, but they will not have that sort of 15dB boost of the sub-bass over the mids.
 
Hope this information is helpful.
 
Vmoda M100: measurement info: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/bassheads-delight-v-moda-crossfade-m-100-measurements#7M6iohEOA244lHum.97