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Oppo PM3 Review (Closed Back Headphone)

SpaceMonkey

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I had bnib pm3 and nad hp50. Sold pm3 to a friend. Sounded very similar but pm3 had some hf sibilance that i really didnt like, "because planar magnetic" :)
 

sprellemannen

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This could end up like the AKG K7XX thread. Everyone's an objectivist until it's their beloved gear that gets tested, then it's a case of 'can we really trust these particular results?'
Amir has disclaimers in his headphone reviews, for example "Headphone measurements by definition are approximate and variable ... " (which is applaudable by him).
 

Snafu

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As said if you get +1 year with pads not falling apart you haven't been using them. But it's easy to replace pads with new ones that are widely available (~$40 or less) and ones i got from China were imo better than originals.

imo best headphone for natural human voice/zooming etc.

cheers :)
 

Robbo99999

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@amirm , "Once again I used dual filters to shape the response for bass (and amounts visually adjusted and hence the fractions)."

Have you started using REW or similar program to manually & visually adjust some of your filters then?
 

Remlab

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The driver used in the PM-3 is identical to the driver used in the Drop Panda, which makes for a very interesting direct comparison:)
 

Jimbob54

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@amirm , "Once again I used dual filters to shape the response for bass (and amounts visually adjusted and hence the fractions)."

Have you started using REW or similar program to manually & visually adjust some of your filters then?

I think he means, using Roon (as with EAPO with Peace etc and presumably REW) you can edit freq and amplitude on filters on the graph in realtime , so he probably started with typed in settings , then dragged the points to the shape required, meaning he ended up with some odd numbers in there. Assume thats what REW allows?
 

solderdude

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The driver used in the PM-3 is identical to the driver used in the Drop Panda, which makes for a very interesting direct comparison:)

You can see some of the bass hump also in the Panda. It is just lower in frequency.
1627677594800.png
 
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amirm

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@amirm , "Once again I used dual filters to shape the response for bass (and amounts visually adjusted and hence the fractions)."

Have you started using REW or similar program to manually & visually adjust some of your filters then?
No, I am doing it visually.
 

Robbo99999

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No, I am doing it visually.
Ah, I thought you were intimating that you had started using a graphically based EQ program so you could accurately put in your filters to some parts of the curve that you wanted to give attention, hence the "fractions" comment you made.....but you're still 'roughly' eyeballing it....ok then.
 

Remlab

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I think that maybe based on where the FR is matched with the target response, it can create somewhat of an illusion. For example, if the highs are matched at 2khz between the Drop Panda and the PM3, we'd get a different visual impression of the rest of the response spectrum compared to being matched at the regular 425hz point. Using identical drivers but with different headphone designs is a good way to examine this.
 

GoMrPickles

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I have a pair of these; I really like them when closed-back phones are needed (it helps that I got them for $250). Agree that the bass booms without EQ. They do come in different colors, if that's your thing. I bought them used and have had them for several months; there's been no change to the appearance of the headband or pads. YMMV.

ETA: Thanks for the review, Amir. I was also confused by the "directional" cable when I first got them.
 

bidn

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The Oppo PM-3 is very poor regarding wear and tear (problems with the faux leather), confer reviews with images on Amazon.
The pads after 2 years according one of the Amazon reviewers of Oppo PM-3:
View attachment 144429
View attachment 144430

And the headband after 3 years use according to another Oppo PM-3 reviewer on Amazon:
View attachment 144431

I had the exactly same problem as him with the headband (after 3 years use) of my Pioneer SE-Monitor5 (which I gave away after that), and (as he mentioned) tiny bits from the headband kept felling off in the hair, floor etc. (so it is not just the headband looks a little bit ugly).

I had the Sennheiser HD 800 for approximately 9 years and it was amazing regarding wear and tear (in addition to comfort and sound). Furthermore, Sennheiser seems to be very good regarding spare parts (confer their internet site). Thumbs up for Sennheiser! I replaced the Pioneer SE-Monitor5 with Sennheiser HD 820.

Excellent point,
I can confirm this. I own the PM-3 (though nowadays one of my daughter uses it), the pads don't last a year and need to be replaced by newly bought pads at least once a year.

You are right that the cause is the use of protein (fake) leather. I also own various bluetooth headphones (AKG, Audio Technica, Parrot...) with protein leather, and when used regularly the pads also don't last a year (My wife and my several children also intensively use headphones, so this gives more experiences).

The use of the so-called protein "leather" may be strongly demanded for ideological reasons by vegan activists, who are very vocal about it (I can remember some fanatics who were raging against the Focal Stellia at head-fi because of the use of genuine leather), for real use my experience is that it is worthless, absolutely no match against real leather. I think that one should be careful about this (being very cautious to avoid fake leather pads), the more so for expensive headphones. I remember reading several times on the Hifiman Susvara thread at head-fi that some people complained that the pads of their $ 6000 Susvaras would not last longer than six months of their wearing them...
 
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JJB70

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I can't speak about the PM-3, but build quality and durability of the open back PM-2 is superb in my experience. Not sure if the PM-2 upgraded to leather but I have never had any problems with mine and they are rather old now.
 

restorer-john

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We call thrift stores/opportunity shops "oppos".

Example:
"Where did you get those ratty looking headphones?"
"They were $2 at the Oppo, but it was half price day, so only $1"
"Bargain"
 

lordhumungous

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the Oppo PM3 closed back planar magnetic headphone. It is on kind loan from a member. The PM3 is discontinued but seems to have quite a following and hence the reason I wanted to test it. Originally it cost US $399 but I see used prices from $500 up to $800. Typical of Oppo products, it holds its value well and even appreciates!

I am not a fan of the look of the cups but otherwise, there is a nice luxury feel and look to this headphone especially in white:

View attachment 144414

A 3.5 mm cable connects at both ends which is convenient. Note however that you need a slim fitting one at the headphone side. The cable supplied has a larger one at one end which would not fit right on the headphone until I reversed it.

The cups are small and I can feel them on my ears. The softness of the super supple pads help. Width and length of the cup inside dimensions are 60x40mm. Depth is 20mm.

Noise isolation is very good. It would block almost 80% of the noise from my Audio Precision's fan. Best noise cancelling headphones land at 95%+ and less good ones at 90% so this is very good.

Note: The measurements you are about to see are made using a standardized Gras 45C. Headphone measurements by definition are approximate and variable so don't be surprised if other measurements even if performed with the same fixtures as mine, differ in end results. Protocols vary such as headband pressure and averaging (which I don't do). As you will see, I confirm the approximate accuracy of the measurements using Equalization and listening tests. Ultimately headphone measurements are less exact than speakers mostly in bass and above a few kilohertz so keep that in mind as you read these tests. If you think you have an exact idea of a headphone performance, you are likely wrong!

Fitment on the fixture was challenging even though the cups easily covered the artificial ear on my measurement fixture. This resulted in fairly large variations in bass response. I got the two channels to match which is a good sign but still, keep in mind the cautions above in bold.

Oppo PM3 Measurements
As usual we start with the headphone frequency response as comparison to our preference curve:

View attachment 144415

First thing that stands out is the hump between 60 and 300 Hz. Other measurements show it less pronounced. And if I lowered the levels, I could make it less so even here. Listening tests have to confirm whether it is this exaggerated or not. Below and above this hump, we have surprisingly good compliance with our target. Response is "dirty" however with a number of kinks, likely caused by resonances. We have a bit of deficiency between 3 and 4 kHz and exaggerated peak around 7 to 8 kHz. Overall, this is not half bad. :)

Here is the relative response for equalization purposes:

View attachment 144416

Distortion is exceptionally low at bass frequencies especially as we consider that we already have enough or even too much energy there:

View attachment 144417

Unfortunately there are a lot of resonant peaks in higher frequencies. These could be the driver, the enclosure, or both. If you go back to the frequency response measurements, you can see traces of the same there.

Here it is in absolute log form:
View attachment 144418

Group delay doesn't tell us much except maybe confirming a resonance around 2 kHz:

View attachment 144419

Impedance is flat and low like most planar magnetics:

View attachment 144420

Sensitivity is above average so should not be hard to drive:
View attachment 144421

Oppo PM3 Listening Tests and Equalization
Some people accuse me of liking "bass." There is no better proof of this being wrong than me saying I did not at all like the bass response in the PM3. It is bloated. What I like is sub-bass response where there is almost never too much of a good thing. :) What is here is way too much and too high of a frequency which overwhems the tonality of the rest of the headphone. Add to that the lack of lower treble energy and the sound is not to my liking at all. Everything you play has some amount of "hmmmm" bass to it, whether it should or not.

So I pulled out the EQ and went after the three area of concern:

View attachment 144422

Once again I used dual filters to shape the response for bass (and amounts visually adjusted and hence the fractions). Measurements were correct in the level and magnitude of bass error. With this correct, deep bass is now a delight and the rest of the tonality gets to shine, well with the addition of the two filters.

Spatial qualities are good post EQ. I give it B+.

I am still listening them as I type this -- a sign of being happy with the sound of the headphone. :)

Conclusions
It is always nice to test "iconic" products and the Oppo PM3 is one. I can see some of the appeal it has in compliance with the Harman target in sub-bass and midrange. Exceptionally low distortion in bass helps with the clarity and clean sound here. This said, I can't listen to it without EQ. There is just too much boominess and missed sparkle in the lower treble.

I am happy to recommend the Oppo PM3 with Equalization. It is a pass for me without but it is not offensive for every day listening like some headphones are.

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I’ve listened to this headphone and it sucks . I never did equalization with it though. It lacked resolution IMO .
 
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amirm

amirm

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Ah, I thought you were intimating that you had started using a graphically based EQ program so you could accurately put in your filters to some parts of the curve that you wanted to give attention, hence the "fractions" comment you made.....but you're still 'roughly' eyeballing it....ok then.
To be clear, I am using the real-time UI in Roon to move the points around to create the shape I want. This naturally creates fractions and such. Matching to the target is done by eye which is kind of tough as that target is not visible in Roon UI.
 

Robbo99999

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To be clear, I am using the real-time UI in Roon to move the points around to create the shape I want. This naturally creates fractions and such. Matching to the target is done by eye which is kind of tough as that target is not visible in Roon UI.
Yeah, I can see that. (The exact same thing can be done in REW except you have the target overlaid)
 
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