swbf2cheater
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2009
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So I recently purchased the Sennheiser PMX100s, the mid-tier set in the PMX lineup and higher grade open back of the trio. The PMX60 precedes it and the Closed Back PMX200 supersedes. I must say, I am truly impressed by the PMX100s.
Having been an audiophile for many years, I grow tired of purchasing over the ear sets that lack in the area I feel to be vital, even when it is advertised that they don't lack in these certain areas. To me, hearing that guitar or vocal screaming in my ear is more important that anything. I dislike the distant, lacking sound many expensive sets produce. Much like a man standing down the street with a megaphone trying to sing or play guitar. The sound just feels distant, this is something I've struggled for YEARS to avoid to no avail. Even my set of Denon D1001s and Shure 440s failed to meet my needs. While both are much clearer and crisp than the PMX100s in overall sound quality, I feel that Sennheiser got the range of sounds dang near perfect on the PMX100.
SQ:
The highs are just right, that perfect distance in my opinion. When you listen to a guitar player like Marco Sfogli or Guthrie Govan, you can't help but to grin heavily when using the PMX100. They lack nowhere. There is a slight veil to the set, but this is to be expected for the price. Some people may agree with me and unless you are an experienced audiophile who can hear subtle discrepancies and imperfections in sound, you wont even notice. The bass is thumping, something I find eerily similar to the Sennheiser HD 485, but less muddish. Dare i say the PMX has superior bass and clarity over its 485 full sized cousin? They are open backs, and sound will leak. But they provide a fantastic warm sound, easily driven by any mp3 player. When properly amped, as any headphone would be, the sound quality and thumping bass increases dramatically.
* Frequency Response: 15 - 27,000 Hz
* Min Terminating Impedance: 32 ohm
* Max Spl: 114 dB
* Transducer Principle: dynamic, open
Comfort:
They are a behind the head set, and the ear rests can get uncomfortable after a while. The earpads themselves are pretty basic and cheap, they are nothing special and seem to be the same as any Sony or dirt cheap set you can find at your local Dollar General store, but this doesnt mean they are bad. Perhaps with some clever ingenuity, one could come up with a nice earpad mod for them? Either way, it is not really needed. I find myself reaching my limit after about an hour of usage. After vigorous massage, I can go right back to another hour of listening.
People claim the band behind your head sticks out too far. I disagree and say you are wearing them wrong. If you position them forward slightly, you wont have a problem, and in doing so the sweet spot will appear near instantly. At least for myself anyway. You can position them at an angle to wear when resting against a chair or laying down without a problem.
Overall I am incredibly impressed with them. The Highs mimic the Denon D1001 and the low bass is like a cleaner version of its older cousin the HD 485. While not as clean and crystal clear as either more expensive full size set listed here, the sound produced is ideal for music in nearly ever genre with one exception: Classical. Sadly, the sound stage on this set is lacking. I gamed for a solid two weeks via Call of Duty with this set, where sound is absolutely vital. I can still pinpoint where the pitter patter of sneaking foes are, but not exactly. There is always some confusion, and during DVD movies, the same can be said: It's not bad, it could be better, but its still tolerable, they are geared for music after all and not soundstage experience via games and movies. Classical music fails miserably with this set. However, rock, jazz and electronic pass with flying colors. In fact, I enjoy this sound more so than my Denon D1001 and many other VERY expensive sets solely because the highs are just right. They sound really IN YOUR FACE and RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR EARS, unlike many more expensive that claim to do this, but do not.
So on a final note, they are easily driven by mp3 players, score a 6/10 on the comfort scale and provide an excellent cheap alternative to rocking out. Bass is heavy, rich and thick. It will surprise you the first time you use it and crank out a heavy bass track, and the highs will floor you when you get that guitar tapping and screaming in your ears. For the price, you can't go wrong. They are an incredible deal for the price.
Tracks Tested:
For Bass:
Gorillaz - Dare
Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana, Scream
Angie Martinez - If I could Go ( Transporter OST )
For Highs:
Guthrie Govan - Waves/Slidey Boy/Ner Ner
Marco Sfogli - Andromeda/It Hurts
Van Halen - Best of
Hendrix - Best of
Classical:
John Williams - Superman the Movie OST
Jazz Mids:
Stochelo Rosenberg - For Sephora/Minor Swing
Bireli Lagrene - Summertime/Isn't she Lovely
Django - I'll see you in my Dreams
