[nick n]

I almost got one at one point

 

[MLegend]

 
Careful removing those. There have been some that resulted in snapped tabs on the baffle part after trying that. That might void the warranty since there are meant to be sent to Oppo for pad replacement. Not saying it will happen, but it has.

Luckily I still have to buy the pads first haha. I'll be sure to be EXTREMELY careful when I try and take the pads off. Thank you for the warning.

 

[elvispretzel]

   
HA-2 will be the most versatile one because Oppo already tuned it to sound great with PM3, it works flawlessly as USB OTG with Android phone and connects easily with iPhone/iPad without a need for camera kits, and connects directly to laptop as usb dac.  You get slim design, dedicated volume pot, and it can even charge your smartphone.  The ONLY thing it's missing a transport control, like in A200p or E18, but I can live with it.  Plus, it's a portable headphone amp/DAC that can be used with any headphones, not just PM3.  Also, you get a pretty good battery life, 12+ hours connected to your phone, and while used as usb dac connected to your laptop it chargers up from usb port.  Oh, and it comes with Oppo's rapid 5V/5A charger they use in their smartphones.
 
Btw, that's next on my review list

Awesome! Thanks for answering, my only worry has been that I've read a few times that the PM-3 will sound better with more power than what the HA-2 can provide, but to what degree I don't know, might differ from ones sound preferences. 
 
When do you plan to review them?

 

[twister6]

 

HA-2 will be the most versatile one because Oppo already tuned it to sound great with PM3, it works flawlessly as USB OTG with Android phone and connects easily with iPhone/iPad without a need for camera kits, and connects directly to laptop as usb dac.  You get slim design, dedicated volume pot, and it can even charge your smartphone.  The ONLY thing it's missing a transport control, like in A200p or E18, but I can live with it.  Plus, it's a portable headphone amp/DAC that can be used with any headphones, not just PM3.  Also, you get a pretty good battery life, 12+ hours connected to your phone, and while used as usb dac connected to your laptop it chargers up from usb port.  Oh, and it comes with Oppo's rapid 5V/5A charger they use in their smartphones.

Btw, that's next on my review list

Awesome! Thanks for answering, my only worry has been that I've read a few times that the PM-3 will sound better with more power than what the HA-2 can provide, but to what degree I don't know, might differ from ones sound preferences. 

When do you plan to review them?

Hopefully by the end of this week. Btw, 12+ hrs battery endurance is when used as amp, not dac/amp, just want to correct my last statement. I actually got 11+ hrs in high gain setting at 50% volume. With a phone, usb otg connection, it's closer to 7hrs, still great!

 

[Gnawbert]

I stopped by the Mountain View headquarters a few weeks ago and demo'd the PM-3s to replaced my T5Ps, and man do I love these things.  They're way more portable, they're built like a tank, and they hang around the neck and turn nicely.  They're pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a commuting / office headphone.  I saw a pair of red PM-3s at the San Francisco head-fi meetup but was saddened to learn that's not a design that's offered yet (if ever), so I went with the black.
 
My only frustration is that after 3 weeks the right driver seems to have died.  This is something that also happened with my T5Ps and was a cable issue, though in this case it seems to be an actual driver failure as switching the cable does nothing.  Bummer!  So now I've got to send them back to Oppo and get them fixed, which I'm sure will be a breeze.  Why am I even mentioning this?  Because after three weeks of using these things it really drive home just how much I like them now that they're broken.  Oh well, at least it'll give me something to look forward to.

 

[twister6]

  I stopped by the Mountain View headquarters a few weeks ago and demo'd the PM-3s to replaced my T5Ps, and man do I love these things.  They're way more portable, they're built like a tank, and they hang around the neck and turn nicely.  They're pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a commuting / office headphone.  I saw a pair of red PM-3s at the San Francisco head-fi meetup but was saddened to learn that's not a design that's offered yet (if ever), so I went with the black.
 
My only frustration is that after 3 weeks the right driver seems to have died.  This is something that also happened with my T5Ps and was a cable issue, though in this case it seems to be an actual driver failure as switching the cable does nothing.  Bummer!  So now I've got to send them back to Oppo and get them fixed, which I'm sure will be a breeze.  Why am I even mentioning this?  Because after three weeks of using these things it really drive home just how much I like them now that they're broken.  Oh well, at least it'll give me something to look forward to.

 
Were you driving your PM-3 straight from X5 (assuming Classic version, and perhaps in high gain)?

 

[reddog]

Hi everyone I was wearing my white oppo pm-3's at the hospital while visiting my mother, and some large gangster tried to take my headphones. Lol I used my Aikido and ended up popping his thumb out of socket. Never get in the way of a audophile and his headphones, especially on a elevator. I was dressed nice too

 

[latiftal]

Hi GUY-Fis and GAL-Fis!!! 
 
This is my first ever post. I'm 26, a recent UofT grad, work full time with water, and love music. Mom said she used to play music to me in her belly... Moms never lie. Ever. 
 
I joined Head-Fi as I have recently purchased a Fiio X5ii and an Oppo PM-3 as my first informed plunge into Head-Fi sound. Prior I have owned B&W P5, Mies e200,RHA T10i, Bose OE, and a set of Klipsch S4. By no means are any of these great headphones, but they all provide VERY different sounds, thus, allow me to judge where the PM-3 sits in terms of frequency.
 
Here are my impressions of the combination after owning the two since mid July.
 
Firstly the PM-3 plugged into an iPod Touch 4G was simply disappointing, and lacked...well... everything a good can is supposed to boast. Amplification was weak, and drive was without punch.
 
Immediate improvement was noticed when used with the Fiio X5ii. As this post is for PM-3, I wont go into the Fiio except in saying that its a brilliant sounding, musical DAP, with a sub par scroll wheel and even worse UI, perfect TBH for $450ish CAD.
 
The PM-3 paired with the Fiio X5ii showed significant depth and clarity compared to the iPod. Amplification on the Fiio has plenty of power to spare as I felt pain and discomfort past 105/120 volume (give or take a few notches depending on individual song levels). Even beyond pain, I heard no audible distortion on the Planar Magnetic Diaphragm. Well done Oppo. Conventional drivers fail my "we must crank it" test every time.
 
Mids and Highs are clean and never harsh. No sssssssiblance at all at any safe listening volume. The Lows I found to be where the PM-3 whittles compared to the PM-1 and 2 of which I have had the pleasure to audition at AVSolutions (GTA). I must stress though, the PM-3 by no means lacks the Lows. I find the PM-3 to be the most Balanced can I own. It is also the most balanced of the Oppo PM-family. The bigger sisters PM-1 and 2 can't (IMHO) be compared against the PM-3 as the are Open type cans, and they have a certain punch and colouration in contrast. This being said, any more Low, and the PM-3 I feel just won't feel like the PM-3 anymore.
 
The PM-3 is like me in many ways. I'm the youngest in my family, so is the PM-3. We're not Buddhist, but I took the Balanced path, so did the PM-3. My siblings are loud and obnoxious, they're funnier than I am, they articulate faster, and are way better looking. We're different in my family, but I look up to my siblings, and so does the PM-3.
 
I listen to many genres, mostly Rock, EDM and Lounge. Never did I feel overwhelmed by a low frequency. Never did I feel as if i was being stabbed by a high frequency. My listening experience with the pair is simply blissful, precise, and beautifully balanced. That to me is why I love the PM-3, It sounds right with any track, all sounds are equal. No BOOM, no TISSSS, just bliss.
 
Thanks for putting up with my first post. I don't know If I just broke every rule in the Forum Handbook of Acceptable Stuff to Say, but I quite literally just underwent what we in university once called the "bull s**t", the "verbal vomit", the "alphabetic diuretic", the..... "fluff".
 
Kindest Respects,
 
TjL

 

[Gnawbert]

   
Were you driving your PM-3 straight from X5 (assuming Classic version, and perhaps in high gain)?

Nope, I sold my X5 a while back.  I was using my 2011 Macbook Air at the time, but tested it also on an iPhone and an iPad.  I was under the (most likely misguided) impression that planars didn't really have driver failure like dynamics, which is what this really sounds like.  Oh well!  Just shows how much I miss them now that they don't work.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Hi GUY-Fis and GAL-Fis!!! 
 
This is my first ever post. I'm 26, a recent UofT grad, work full time with water, and love music. Mom said she used to play music to me in her belly... Moms never lie. Ever. 
 
I joined Head-Fi as I have recently purchased a Fiio X5ii and an Oppo PM-3 as my first informed plunge into Head-Fi sound. Prior I have owned B&W P5, Mies e200,RHA T10i, Bose OE, and a set of Klipsch S4. By no means are any of these great headphones, but they all provide VERY different sounds, thus, allow me to judge where the PM-3 sits in terms of frequency.
 
Here are my impressions of the combination after owning the two since mid July.
 
Firstly the PM-3 plugged into an iPod Touch 4G was simply disappointing, and lacked...well... everything a good can is supposed to boast. Amplification was weak, and drive was without punch.
 
Immediate improvement was noticed when used with the Fiio X5ii. As this post is for PM-3, I wont go into the Fiio except in saying that its a brilliant sounding, musical DAP, with a sub par scroll wheel and even worse UI, perfect TBH for $450ish CAD.
 
The PM-3 paired with the Fiio X5ii showed significant depth and clarity compared to the iPod. Amplification on the Fiio has plenty of power to spare as I felt pain and discomfort past 105/120 volume (give or take a few notches depending on individual song levels). Even beyond pain, I heard no audible distortion on the Planar Magnetic Diaphragm. Well done Oppo. Conventional drivers fail my "we must crank it" test every time.
 
Mids and Highs are clean and never harsh. No sssssssiblance at all at any safe listening volume. The Lows I found to be where the PM-3 whittles compared to the PM-1 and 2 of which I have had the pleasure to audition at AVSolutions (GTA). I must stress though, the PM-3 by no means lacks the Lows. I find the PM-3 to be the most Balanced can I own. It is also the most balanced of the Oppo PM-family. The bigger sisters PM-1 and 2 can't (IMHO) be compared against the PM-3 as the are Open type cans, and they have a certain punch and colouration in contrast. This being said, any more Low, and the PM-3 I feel just won't feel like the PM-3 anymore.
 
The PM-3 is like me in many ways. I'm the youngest in my family, so is the PM-3. We're not Buddhist, but I took the Balanced path, so did the PM-3. My siblings are loud and obnoxious, they're funnier than I am, they articulate faster, and are way better looking. We're different in my family, but I look up to my siblings, and so does the PM-3.
 
I listen to many genres, mostly Rock, EDM and Lounge. Never did I feel overwhelmed by a low frequency. Never did I feel as if i was being stabbed by a high frequency. My listening experience with the pair is simply blissful, precise, and beautifully balanced. That to me is why I love the PM-3, It sounds right with any track, all sounds are equal. No BOOM, no TISSSS, just bliss.
 
Thanks for putting up with my first post. I don't know If I just broke every rule in the Forum Handbook of Acceptable Stuff to Say, but I quite literally just underwent what we in university once called the "bull s**t", the "verbal vomit", the "alphabetic diuretic", the..... "fluff".
 
Kindest Respects,
 
TjL

 
Welcome!
 
UofT (Toronto)? 
 
The PM-3s are incredible closed headphones and quite rare to find such neutral sounding closed headphones that really hit on all cylinders!

 

[Jeff Y]

  I stopped by the Mountain View headquarters a few weeks ago and demo'd the PM-3s to replaced my T5Ps, and man do I love these things.  They're way more portable, they're built like a tank, and they hang around the neck and turn nicely.  They're pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a commuting / office headphone.  I saw a pair of red PM-3s at the San Francisco head-fi meetup but was saddened to learn that's not a design that's offered yet (if ever), so I went with the black.
 
My only frustration is that after 3 weeks the right driver seems to have died.  This is something that also happened with my T5Ps and was a cable issue, though in this case it seems to be an actual driver failure as switching the cable does nothing.  Bummer!  So now I've got to send them back to Oppo and get them fixed, which I'm sure will be a breeze.  Why am I even mentioning this?  Because after three weeks of using these things it really drive home just how much I like them now that they're broken.  Oh well, at least it'll give me something to look forward to.

I wonder if it has something to do with refurbished models they sell. Maybe they are more prone to problems if your model is a refurbished model. I don't really understand how refurbished items work or what fault OPPO finds in them. Maybe it has something to do with the external appearance like the leather instead of a technical fault with the drivers. I really have no clue why I am writing this post because I know this won't help you. Sorry Hope you get your PM-3s replaced.
Cheers.

 

[jerick70]

  I stopped by the Mountain View headquarters a few weeks ago and demo'd the PM-3s to replaced my T5Ps, and man do I love these things.  They're way more portable, they're built like a tank, and they hang around the neck and turn nicely.  They're pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a commuting / office headphone.  I saw a pair of red PM-3s at the San Francisco head-fi meetup but was saddened to learn that's not a design that's offered yet (if ever), so I went with the black.
 
My only frustration is that after 3 weeks the right driver seems to have died.  This is something that also happened with my T5Ps and was a cable issue, though in this case it seems to be an actual driver failure as switching the cable does nothing.  Bummer!  So now I've got to send them back to Oppo and get them fixed, which I'm sure will be a breeze.  Why am I even mentioning this?  Because after three weeks of using these things it really drive home just how much I like them now that they're broken.  Oh well, at least it'll give me something to look forward to.

So sorry.  I feel your pain.  I love the PM-3s too.

 

[Puretfp]

My first pair were defective, (Right side was cutting out and crackling after a few hrs of play) and they replaced them ASAP even honored my overnight with the same speedy re delivery of the replacement pair, that's service! So OPPO customer service gets the thumbs up from me.

 

[alamone]

Update on those Brainwavz pads - although they do help with the comfort, the seal is not as good as the stock pads.
I just compared the sound and the stock pads have much better bass. If there was a way to graft the brainwavz pad
onto the stock pad connector to retain the seal, it would be perfect I think...

 

[MLegend]

  Update on those Brainwavz pads - although they do help with the comfort, the seal is not as good as the stock pads.
I just compared the sound and the stock pads have much better bass. If there was a way to graft the brainwavz pad
onto the stock pad connector to retain the seal, it would be perfect I think...

Hmm......well I guess all we can hope for is for oppo themselves to make larger pads for the pm3. That way we could send the headphones to them so the company could replace the earpads without breaking the damn headphone.