[PLUSSOUND]

  Sorry for the noobish question but I need some help
 
i am looking for a shorter cable than the 3M for the PM3 I just got.
do I just need a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable?
I see a lot of different types of cables litz, occ, ofc, will there be a noticeable difference between them?
am I just better off getting the 1.2M cable straight from oppo?
 
Thanks

Feel free to send us a PM or email. We can provide detailed responses on this matter.

 

[MissChristie]

Sorry for the noobish question but I need some help

i am looking for a shorter cable than the 3M for the PM3 I just got.
do I just need a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable?
I see a lot of different types of cables litz, occ, ofc, will there be a noticeable difference between them?
am I just better off getting the 1.2M cable straight from oppo?

Thanks

I need to order a new iOS cable as mine just stopped working out of nowhere this morning. The sound works, just none of the control functions do.

I find the v-moda cables work spectacularly for an inexpensive replacement cable. They come in several colors and model types including ones with inline mics and 1 button and 3 button remotes.

This is the one I got that functions with my phone.

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-1-Button-SpeakEasy-Cable-Red/dp/B00MYTRFJE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466709156&sr=8-2&keywords=Vmoda+cable

And here is one that works with IOS.

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Speakeasy-3-Button-Reinforced-Cable/dp/B012B7SD9O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1466709156&sr=8-4&keywords=Vmoda+cable

They're kevlar coated, come off the jack at a 45 degree angle and were tested to withstand 1 million bends. I think they represent a great value for regularly costing $15 and below.

 

[blue350gt]

If you ordered directly from Oppo online the PM3 ships with long cable and also ships your choice of Android or iOS shorter cable, no extra fee, At checkout directly from Oppo online store, they ask you choose either Android or iOS or I think maybe even just "plain" shorter cable. Then, both long and your choice of short cables should have been included.

Your other questions about cables is a separate big conversation .....if you google " custom headphone cable" you'll see for yourself. So many choices. For a super high end cable, made especially for PM3, you can spend more on cable than PM3 itself. What I think I've heard most is: buying super expensive cable doesn't improve sound quality in proportion to cost. In other words, if you buy a PM3 and think you'll add a custom "audiophile" $200 cable to it - think about maybe spending that $200 on a different headphones. Not all custom cables are $200, but some really cool looking ones from a company mentioned earlier in this forum would run about $150 for PM3. I haven't seen anything much lower than that made for PM3. In the drop down menus for these cable products you must choose specific Oppo, Sennheiser, Audeze, HiFiman models. It's seems like they fabricate with certain terminator configurations that must be made to be compatible with your specific headset you have. You choose 3.5mm, or balanced, or however you want source input designed. There's some pretty cool custom PM3 cables out there if you've got the $$$.

thanks for the replies.
 
I did get a bonus cable, I went with a IOS cable for my iphone. I need the shorter cable for work, my desktop amp is less than 3 feet away.
I tried search through the thread, it seems people who went with a custom cable went with balanced cables, so I wasn't sure if unbalanced cables would benefit (noticeably) with a higher end cable
I may try the Vmoda cable MissChristie suggested, I wasn't 100% sure if any 3.5mm cable would plug directly to the headphone input as it seems slightly recessed.
 
Thanks again everyone.

 

[RRod]

  Well yes, thanks. I tried several headphones as well as audeze sine which doesn't have that pm-3 treble roll-off problem and sounds to me pretty good, but they are no as good as pm-3 fits on my head, also they are on-ear cans. However, I was hoping for some more specific EQ settings, something like - add +1.5 dB for 5k or +2 dB for 8k... I mean may be someone already did something similar and can share it here.

 
FWIW, here's my PM-3 → HD800 EQ settings I use on my Rockboxed iPod (numbers are dB Hz Q):
5dB precut
low-shelf:-4 210 0.7
peaking: -5.3 30 2
peaking: -2.3 225 1.5
peaking: 3.8 260 1
peaking: -3.8 740 1
peaking: 5.7 1030 1
peaking: -9.7 2000 1
peaking: 3.9 4920 5
peaking: -7.9 8180 5
high-shelf: 2 4000 0.7
 
This was based on measurements from binaural mics at the meatus.

 

[HipHopScribe]

  Unless your glasses have very thin stalks, I bet you'll notice it. Breaking the seal on them does impact the real low thump some songs have. With some songs that don't extend down as low, it won't be as noticeable.

 
They are fairly thin, though I do notice the difference without them. I'd call it subtle, but it's there

 

[newyorker4life]

I don't know of any DACs out there that do this for sure. The cable is built to interface with the iPhone and not a DAC, once you have your DAC controlling the audio, the cable won't do anything. Maybe there's a DAC that passes those inputs through but I've not heard of it nor is it mentioned as a feature of most popular mobile DAC/amps.

I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure if you want to use the volume controls on your cable, you'll just have to plug straight in to the phone. With more Lightning cable DAC/Amps to come (ala Audeze Cipher), you may have a better option soon. That is, if Apple really does get rid of the 3.5mm audio jack. I wonder how good they'll sound though as they are quite tiny, a sophisticated amp/DAC in that form-factor seems a ways off.

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I thought I'd share photo of all four HPs. Upper left PM3; upper right Sine + Cipher; lower right (white) Sol Republic Tracks Air, (blue) Bose Soundsport.

I think people might be interested to see the closer up pic of Cipher DAC which is substantial. I wish I took a photo of the Dragonfly Red before returning it - but the Cipher DAC is not really smaller than DFR. And frankly Cipher DAC feels really solid, well made, substantial. The DFR felt like a somehwat flimsy USB thumb drive and not as solid as Cipher DAC.

All the Cipher magic doesn't ameliorate comfort issue. Tonight listening to entire Patsy Cline Decca Masters collection on PM3 is gorgeous. I don't hear the treble roll off others mention. Long extended session listening at night the PM3 comfort is way way better.

When you put all four together you can see size differential. It's amazing actually that the Bose Soundsport are so tiny vs. others.

So yes I did try Sine and PM3 at gym because I wanted to try it. Don't care how they look. Even thought Sine has the hardest clamping force it tended to slip more. The PM3 and Sine were fun at gym which has lots of air conditioning, no sweating. Cipher cable length is a bit too long though. The new Bose Surroundsport IEMS are actually better than I expected and iOS track & volume control is flawless. Having a bit of fit fiddling with plug size, I think I'm in between medium & small. I can see keeping Bose for gym. I prefer PM3 or Sine for walking. PM3 for jacking into home AVR. The refular Sine cable is way too short for equal testing with AVR.

The microphonic feedback for me defies logic. The PM3 & Bose, which both create tightest seal, have least microphonics. I don't mean rustling the cable, I mean walking and getting "thump thump thump". Sol Republics and Sine have worst.

Sol Republics definitely keeping - $38 groupon was a DEAL.
Bose probably keeping for gym.
Still not sure about PM3 or Sine. Comfort with PM3 is still exponentially better than Sine. Tomorrow is another Sine day, will wear that more.
Edited by newyorker4life - Today at 8:01 pm

 

[newyorker4life]

I find the v-moda cables work spectacularly for an inexpensive replacement cable. They come in several colors and model types including ones with inline mics and 1 button and 3 button remotes.

This is the one I got that functions with my phone.

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-1-Button-SpeakEasy-Cable-Red/dp/B00MYTRFJE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466709156&sr=8-2&keywords=Vmoda+cable

And here is one that works with IOS.

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Speakeasy-3-Button-Reinforced-Cable/dp/B012B7SD9O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1466709156&sr=8-4&keywords=Vmoda+cable

They're kevlar coated, come off the jack at a 45 degree angle and were tested to withstand 1 million bends. I think they represent a great value for regularly costing $15 and below.

These don't list PM3 compatibility specifically - but you've used with PM3? Also the Amazon reviews are not great overall. If I keep my PM3 I'm going to check back with Forzaaudioworks I like their "Claire" in transparent black or brown.

 

[lukeap69]

V-moda M-100 cables fit the PM-3 very well. In fact I am using the V-moda Boom Pro for my skyping need.

Surf Cables and Dyxon make very good cables for PM-3. And so do Forza.

 

[MissChristie]

These don't list PM3 compatibility specifically - but you've used with PM3? Also the Amazon reviews are not great overall. If I keep my PM3 I'm going to check back with Forzaaudioworks I like their "Claire" in transparent black or brown.

To each their own, but akin to what lukeap69 stated above, I've used them with the PM-3s and can confirm they fit. They are standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm. There are alot of headphones that use that connection so the PM-3s probably aren't listed as despite their popularity in our circles, they aren't all that well known to general consumers and the lister needed to save word space.

 

[newyorker4life]

V-moda M-100 cables fit the PM-3 very well. In fact I am using the V-moda Boom Pro for my skyping need.

Surf Cables and Dyxon make very good cables for PM-3. And so do Forza.

Is it Dyxon or Dyson?

 

[lukeap69]

Is it Dyxon or Dyson?

 
You are correct, it should be Dyson. 

 

[noplsestar]

And also Lavri Cables from Latvia (EU)

Very cheap for pure silver Cables!
https://m.facebook.com/lavricables/
And here the cables for the PM3:
http://m.ebay.com/itm/181810976275?_mwBanner=1

 

[mysticstryk]

Pm3 has just arrived. Listening to them through my Fiio X3ii right now. Seems to drive them well. Will plug them into my Vali 2 later, though these were bought for mostly portable use. Will also try through my Valhalla 2, though I suspect that won't be a very good pairing.

 

[Sonic Defender]

.... try through my Valhalla 2, though I suspect that won't be a very good pairing.

You may be surprised. I used an original Valhalla years ago with a Grado HF2 and I rather liked the combination. That assumes you were talking about impedance matching as opposed to sound signature matching as planar headphones are not very impedance matching sensitive, or so I believe is the case.

 

[newyorker4life]

Pm3 has just arrived. Listening to them through my Fiio X3ii right now. Seems to drive them well. Will plug them into my Vali 2 later, though these were bought for mostly portable use. Will also try through my Valhalla 2, though I suspect that won't be a very good pairing.

 
 

  You may be surprised. I used an original Valhalla years ago with a Grado HF2 and I rather liked the combination. That assumes you were talking about impedance matching as opposed to sound signature matching as planar headphones are not very impedance matching sensitive, or so I believe is the case.

 
Can someone please explain to this noob a few macro concepts, please.  I promise, I've read a lot online, ya'll know I've been actively participating and contributing,  trying to learn. 
 
So - what, exactly, in very plain uber-noob English, is the relationship between ohms, impedance, and the devices one is pairing.   What, exactly, is impedance as it pertains to what I am hearing?    Same question about ohms.  What, exactly, is ohms as it pertains to what I am actually hearing?    With all respect, the EQ frequency response curves still baffle me, I don't understand what I'm seeing.   That doesn't clear it up for me.  Yes, I can move the sliders up and down, and I can hear some differences, but I couldn't tell you exactly which sliders are affecting exactly which specific tones I'm hearing.
 
For instance,  I pair my iphone with my PM3s, which I am loving. I also jack the PM3s into a reference Yamaha AVR.   To me, the AVR seems to drive the PM3s better than an iphone, right?  Which is really excellent when I don't have to turn the volume on the t.v. up just because the a/c is on.  But,  I was a bit disappointed by the pairing of Dragonfly Red + Apple CCK + iphone + PM3.     I walk my dog with my PM3s and the first obvious no-go on DFR was bulk, for me, I mean c'mon. I don't want to remove what's in my pocket on the subway or in the middle of NYC showing everyone around me what gear I have.  That is not portable, for me.  The second and worse no-go was loss of headphone volume & track control.  For truly 'portable,' that's just a non-starter.  I wouldn't even have known to ask the question about hp track & volume control before trying the DFR.  It would never have occurred to me the DFR can't do what the Sine Cipher can do. 
 
So I'm eager to understand please - what, exactly, do ohms and impedance mean in simple terms of what I am hearing on my PM3s.   What, exactly should an external DAC/amp or hi-def portable music player do, as defined in the context of ohms and impedance,  that should theoretically make it a 'good' pairing, or a 'not good' pairing with the hp's one chooses.   How and why does the Yamaha AVR 'drive' the PM3s better?  What is the 'vehicle" the Yamaha is using that better drives the PM3s?  Is it just sheer power - the Yamaha of course plugs into the wall,  the iphone is just using a small battery.
 
I realize these are basic questions,  I'm just eager to understand.  And try as I may, all the curves and frequency charts no matter how long I stare at them or read about them, don't really clarify it for me.