Oppo PM-3 : The Portable Planar - Impressions

[elvergun]

  I'm sure others have had the experience you relate too--it must happen.
 
It may well be as with anything mechanical that one example will come off the line working smoothly and effortlessly and the next one has a burr, is a little tighter or whatever and it just sounds like S*** until it wears in.  Maybe that's why we all have had mixed experiences with break-in.
 
I suspect you're right with electromechanical transducers that's we both get broken-in.  Cables, wires and interconnects, not so much.
 
At the end of the day if we like what it sounds like after a month or two, that's all that counts.  Now we need an explanation as to why some gear which sounds good at the beginning gets boring after a while.  I suspect it's not the gear. 

 
Also, I would like to know why I did not like my T5p when I first got it (bought it used from the forums...the previous owner had used it for more than a year), and now I think it is one of the best headphones I've ever heard. 
 
 
With the T5p I went through some sort of mental burn-in, while with the Sennheisers it was an actual case of burn-in.  At least that's my story...and I'm sticking to it.

 

[jagwap]

People seem very passionate that physical burn in or mental burn are the cause, exclusively.

Both can work together.

 

[AudioBear]

I think Elvergun's experience proves that there is a period of mental adjustment that one could call a mental burn-in.  I had that one too.
 
It's better to like a can more and more with time than the other way around. 

 

[JML]

The bass on the PM-3 has been improving quite significantly as it has burned in.  I've been comparing it to two other headphones (PM-1 and KEF M500) as it has been playing for many hours over the past couple of days, and I've been very surprised at the huge degree of improvement today, over seven hours or so.  More change than any other headphone I've ever owned.  The treble is more delicate and extended, too.
 
It's not my brain that's been changing.  

 

[robm321]

Mine has only a few hours on them, and the treble has improved already. It was a bit splashy straight out of the box.

So, I'd have to agree. There is a very noticeable change so far.

 

[gr8soundz]

Stretching them a bit didn't work (Oppo used some fairly thick steel on the PM-3). Not going to risk damage trying to bend them.
 
So, they must go back but I will miss their sound that I'm now addicted to.
 
Thinking I'll have to try another planar now but the posts I've seen (unless I missed something) comparing the Oppp/Audeze/Hifiman point toward the PM-3 being the most comfortable planar of all (even compared to the PM-1/2 despite what Oppo says).
 
Is there a planar headphone out there comparable in comfort to the HD598 or Sony Z7?

 

[money4me247]

  Stretching them a bit didn't work (Oppo used some fairly thick steel on the PM-3). Not going to risk damage trying to bend them.
 
So, they must go back but I will miss their sound that I'm now addicted to.
 
Thinking I'll have to try another planar now but the posts I've seen (unless I missed something) comparing the Oppp/Audeze/Hifiman point toward the PM-3 being the most comfortable planar of all (even compared to the PM-1/2 despite what Oppo says).
 
Is there a planar headphone out there comparable in comfort to the HD598 or Sony Z7?

if comfort is your main concern, stay away from the lcd series. super heavy & bumpy headband is extremely uncomfortable. comfort can be improved with the leather strap mod being sold by head-fier Lohb or the Diono seat belt wrap.
 
the he-400 & he-500 & he-6 are on the heavy side, but due to their normal flat headband, they are more comfortable than the audeze headphones which are generally even heavier w/ bumpy headbands. the audeze EL-8 is heavier than he-400 but lighter than the he-500 & he-6. no bumpy headband & wide earcups so should be acceptable for comfort once you adjust to the weight.
 
the new he-400i & he-560 are extremely comfortable. one of the most lightweight orthos out there besides the pm3. i personally did not have any issues with their clamping force, but some ppl did. however, it is an easy fix, just have to bend the metal headband a few times a day or place the headphones over a shoebox/basketball & you can easily adjust the clamping force to your liking after a few days.
 
the pm1/pm2 are comfortable, but they have shallow earcups so my ears brush against the drivers which leads to discomfort after long listening sessions. ymmv.
 
mr. speaker's line-up generally get pretty positive feedback on comfort, but i've never tried them myself.
 
my personal recommendation for most comfortable planars would be he-400i/he-560.

 

[JML]

Mine seem to be getting a bit less tight (and more comfortable) as they're worn...  But I have a 7 & 3/8" hat size and extend the earpieces about 5 clicks.

 

[Stillhart]

  I haven't heard the P7 in awhile, but I'd have to agree the PM-3 is just better overall. I thought the P7 was good, but I wasn't as impressed as others were, so take that into consideration. 
 
For those that believe in it, are orthos considered phones that require break in? 

 
HiFiMan recommends 100 hours burn-in on the HE-560.  I'd say if they're recommending it, there must be something to it.  I do personally feel that that soundstage opened up on my LCD-2 after burn-in.  I listened to them a bunch on the first day, then went out of town for the weekend and left them playing the whole time.  When I got back, some 50-hours of burn-in later, they sounded more open.  I tend to attribute this to the headphone rather than mental burn-in since I wasn't listening to them for 50 hours...yet they still changed in sound.
 
And I know here's the whole mental memory thing, yadda yadda.  I'm not really interested in debating it.  Just thought I'd throw those data points out there for anyone wanting to make their own decision.
 

I just purchased a pair of the pm-2, my initial thoughts are that they sound very much like the pm-3 with just a slightly larger sound stage. I think the pm-3 is more comfortable. The pm-2 are going to go back and I will be purchasing the pm-3 again for my new headphone. The pm-3 has bested the M2, T51i, and PM-2 for me.

 
I've got the loaner PM-2 right now and they are a wonderful headphone.  If they PM-3 sounds like a closed PM-2, I think it's probably a winner.  While I prefer the HE-560 sound signature overall to the PM-2, I still think the PM-2 sounds awesome and it's just a flavor difference (i.e. if someone preferred the PM-2, I'd totally get it).
 

  Stretching them a bit didn't work (Oppo used some fairly thick steel on the PM-3). Not going to risk damage trying to bend them.
 
So, they must go back but I will miss their sound that I'm now addicted to.
 
Thinking I'll have to try another planar now but the posts I've seen (unless I missed something) comparing the Oppp/Audeze/Hifiman point toward the PM-3 being the most comfortable planar of all (even compared to the PM-1/2 despite what Oppo says).
 
Is there a planar headphone out there comparable in comfort to the HD598 or Sony Z7?

 
I agree that the HE-560 (and HE-400i) are quite comfortable.  I think the PM-2 is also pretty comfortable if you are okay with the earpad size (I find the inner circumference to be a little small, depth isn't an issue for me).  The thing is the HiFiMans aren't going to sound like the Oppos.  The Oppo sounds a lot more like Audeze (but better).  LCD-2/X/3 are not particularly comfortable; they're very bulky and heavy and they have very loose clamp so they're not steady on your head.  I haven't tried the EL-8 since CES where it was too tight, but they've said they were halving the clamping pressure before production.  I suspect it'll be pretty comfy in its final revision, (tho the sound is still a big ???... they didn't sound good at CES).

 

[gr8soundz]

  if comfort is your main concern, stay away from the lcd series. super heavy & bumpy headband is extremely uncomfortable. comfort can be improved with the leather strap mod being sold by head-fier Lohb or the Diono seat belt wrap.
 
the he-400 & he-500 & he-6 are on the heavy side, but due to their normal flat headband, they are more comfortable than the audeze headphones which are generally even heavier w/ bumpy headbands. the audeze EL-8 is heavier than he-400 but lighter than the he-500 & he-6. no bumpy headband & wide earcups so should be acceptable for comfort once you adjust to the weight.
 
the new he-400i & he-560 are extremely comfortable. one of the most lightweight orthos out there besides the pm3. i personally did not have any issues with their clamping force, but some ppl did. however, it is an easy fix, just have to bend the metal headband a few times a day or place the headphones over a shoebox/basketball & you can easily adjust the clamping force to your liking after a few days.
 
the pm1/pm2 are comfortable, but they have shallow earcups so my ears brush against the drivers which leads to discomfort after long listening sessions. ymmv.
 
mr. speaker's line-up generally get pretty positive feedback on comfort, but i've never tried them myself.
 
my personal recommendation for most comfortable planars would be he-400i/he-560.

 
As always, thanks for the info money4.
 
I actually left the PM-3s spread over a small computer case overnight. The steel is too thick and elastic and appears reinforced by a narrow but thick plastic band. Afraid it may break or weaken if bent.
 
Its not the weight but just the clamping force (may be unique to me). Last year I sent the original Momentums back and sold my Yamaha Pro500s for the same reason. Believe someone said the HE400s had more clamping force than the PM-3.
 
But the PM-3s sound perfect for some critical listening that none of my other headphones can match. This is worse than finding a great pair of sneakers or driving shoes only to find the manufacturer doesn't make 'em in your size.

 

[money4me247]

  As always, thanks for the info money4.
 
I actually left the PM-3s spread over a small computer case overnight. The steel is too thick and elastic and appears reinforced by a narrow but thick plastic band. Afraid it may break or weaken if bent.
 
Its not the weight but just the clamping force (may be unique to me). Last year I sent the original Momentums back and sold my Yamaha Pro500s for the same reason. Believe someone said the HE400s had more clamping force than the PM-3.
 
But the PM-3s sound perfect for some critical listening that none of my other headphones can match. This is worse than finding a great pair of sneakers or driving shoes only to find the manufacturer doesn't make 'em in your size.

ya, if you leave the pm-3s stretched out a bit larger than your head size, the clamping force will decrease over time. another suggestion is trying to use a larger size. a larger headband size will decrease the overall clamping force.

 

[NZheadcase]

  I haven't heard the P7 in awhile, but I'd have to agree the PM-3 is just better overall. I thought the P7 was good, but I wasn't as impressed as others were, so take that into consideration. 
 
For those that believe in it, are orthos considered phones that require break in? 

 
Since this is an OPPO thread, I think this might be appropriate:
 
http://www.oppodigital.com/KnowledgeBase.aspx?KBID=89&ProdID=PM-1
 
The short of it is:
 
""Break in" is a process of accelerated aging for mechanical, electronic, and acoustic components. By exercising the components for a period of time, early component failures can be weeded out and parts can settle down to their final working mode. With advances in manufacturing processes and quality control, break in is no longer universally prescribed."
"For customers who want to take their headphones through a break in process, please be mindful of the overall volume level when breaking in the headphones; similar to the way in which a speaker can be overdriven, damage can also occur to headphone drivers when subjected to excessive volume levels."

"Ultimately, we recommend just listening to your music - don't worry about break in; after about 24 hours of listening time, you will have a very clear idea as to how the headphones will sound."

The KB article is quite short and informative with some bits about keeping your hp safe whilst breaking in. Good read for those interested. 

Personally, after a while in the hobby now, I'm more in the brain burn-in school of thought. As usual, YMMV, my two cents etc.m etc.

 

 

[gr8soundz]

  Mine seem to be getting a bit less tight (and more comfortable) as they're worn...  But I have a 7 & 3/8" hat size and extend the earpieces about 5 clicks.

 
I have the same hat size and also at about 5 clicks.
 
Mine are also a bit less tight but still a bit too much pressure; only good for short sessions and I still get a borderline migraine feeling after.
 
Again, I'm aware few others have this issue so I don't blame Oppo or anyone else. Just something I personally go through with every headphone. Thankful I found a few so far I can live with (just not these unfortunately).
 
If the PM-3 is the most comfortable planar under a grand (HE-1000 anyone?), I may have to forgo planars alltogether.

 

[gr8soundz]

  ya, if you leave the pm-3s stretched out a bit larger than your head size, the clamping force will decrease over time. another suggestion is trying to use a larger size. a larger headband size will decrease the overall clamping force.

 
Just went full extension (all clicks). Your right about the decrease in force; they feel strange "sagging" over my ears. I'll try 'em like this for a while. Thanks.
 
How long should it take to decrease over time (like a week)? The sff case I used is 1-2in wider than my head.

 

[NZheadcase]

   
I have the same hat size and also at about 5 clicks.
 
Mine are also a bit less tight but still a bit too much pressure; only good for short sessions and I still get a borderline migraine feeling after.
 
Again, I'm aware few others have this issue so I don't blame Oppo or anyone else. Just something I personally go through with every headphone. Thankful I found a few so far I can live with (just not these unfortunately).
 
If the PM-3 is the most comfortable planar under a grand (HE-1000 anyone?), I may have to forgo planars alltogether.

 
Like @money4me247 said, there are mods to planars that make them comfortable to wear. The Mr. Speakers Alpha Dogs employ such a band as the ones he descibed in the previous post. Quite comfy once that is in place. 
 
If the size of the PM3 is bothersome, then that sucks. Sad that you have to let them go.