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Old 10-31-2017, 11:40 PM
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Default Sennheiser HD600 vs. Oppo PM3

Part I: Intro
The Sennheiser HD600 has been a reference standard among headphones for 20 years now. Famous for it's reasonably neutral, accurate and easy to listen to attributes, it's been the "gateway drug" for many first-time or budding headphone enthusiasts. Very affordable at around $285, its affordable for the entry level, but good enough to be "end game" for many, many listeners.

The HD600s smooth frequency response and somewhat polite but airy presentation worked well much in the same manner as the Large Advent or Maggie 1.7 loudspeakers. Not the easiest to drive, not the most transparent, the most resolving or the best imaging transducer on the planet, the bottom line is the HD600 just "makes music".

As Tyll Hertsen's puts in his Inner Fideiity review: "Despite the love/hate relationship the headphone community has had in the past with these headphones, they are widely recognized among enthusiasts as the most important headphone in the world of headphone hobbyists."

Like these speakers referenced, the HD600 it's had its crosses to bear: it's a bit shy in the lowest bass registers, and the very top end is not perfectly extended and neutral, which might have contributed to the myth of the (in)famous "Sennheiser veil". The HD600 has a high impedance at 300 ohms, so to be at it's best, like the Maggies, it needs a really good amp to drive it so it can "bloom". Specifically, output transformerless triode-based tube amps have had particularly good success driving all the HD-series.

The bottom line, though despite it's flaws, the HD600 capable of providing a completely engaging and beguiling musical experience, which at the end of the day, is that really matters.

Oppo has been making a very nice line of headphones for the last few years, a set of planar magnetics, starting with the highest end model, the PM-1, then moving downmarket to the PM-2 and in 2015, the PM-3. The PM-3 is a very affordably priced planar magnetic at $399 with the distinct advantage in that can be easily driven by mobile phones and portable music players, unlike the PM-1/2, which need a proper amp to drive them. The other notable distinction about the PM-3 is that it is a closed-back design unlike the PM-1 and PM-2. Like all Oppo products, the PM-3s exude quallty and are very well made and nicely packaged, it has brushed metal surfaces for the cans (drivers) and brushed metal swivels with pleather covered earcups and headband with easy click adjustments. The drivers are on the smaller side for easy travel, and fold flat for easy carrying in a supplied selvage denim case. Nice.

The headphones in question: Sennheisers on the left, the Oppos on the right.


Part II will compare and contrast these sonic qualities of these two headphones.
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Last edited by Puma Cat; 10-31-2017 at 11:55 PM.
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Old 11-01-2017, 12:05 AM
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tease
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Old 11-01-2017, 12:20 AM
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Part II: Equipment and Music Setup:

I evaluated these two headphones using a Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC, Audioquest Columbia interconnects and a Schiit Valhalla 2 OTL triode amplifier. Yes, it's all a bunch of Schiit. There's that upstart company from Valencia again (Dang! Those guys? Again? Well...yes.) making waves by providing exceptionally high performing performing products that sell at exceptionally affordable prices. The Gungnir Multibit is a DAC fully capable of taking on a Briscasti M1 and sells for a whopping $1249, about *8X* less than the Bricasti. And the Valhalla 2 sells for a budget-busting $349. Roll some nice NOS Amperex PQ 7308s into it, and you've got Conrad-Johnson level sound quality. Music was streamed from a Mac Mini in another part of the house running Roon via WiFi to a Sonore microRendu driven by an Uptone Audio LPS-1 power supply to the Gungnir MB, aka Gumby. I used Gumby's new Gen 5 USB port with an Audioquest Diamond USB A-B cable.

The following playlist was used in this evaluation:
  1. I've Got You Under My Skin, Diana Krall, Live
  2. Lisboa, Melody Gardot, The Absence
  3. Corcovado, Astrud and Joao Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto
  4. Se Voce Ama, Melody Gardot, The Absence
  5. Cry Me a River, Gene Harris and Ray Brown, Soular Energy
  6. Idle Moments, Grant Green, Idle Moments
  7. For What Its Worth, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66
  8. California Dreamin, George Benson, The Best of George Benson
  9. Blue Rondo á la Turk, Dave Brubeck, Time Out
  10. Asturias, Albeniz, Suite Espanola
  11. Bach, Concerto for Keyboard, Strings and Continuo No. 3, Murray Perahia and The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.

Last edited by Puma Cat; 11-01-2017 at 12:25 AM.
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Old 11-01-2017, 12:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
Part II: Equipment and Music Setup:


The following playlist was used in this evaluation:
  1. I've Got You Under My Skin, Diana Krall, Live
  2. Lisboa, Melody Gardot, The Absence
  3. The Girl in the Other Room, Diana Krall
  4. Se Voce Ama, Melody Gardot, The Absence
  5. Cry Me a River, Gene Harris and Ray Brown, Soular Energy
  6. Idle Moments, Grant Green, Idle Moments
  7. For What Its Worth, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66
  8. California Dreamin, George Benson, The Best of George Benson
  9. Blue Rondo á la Turk, Dave Brubeck, Time Out
  10. Asturias, Albeniz, Suite Espanola
  11. Bach, Concerto for Keyboard, Strings and Continuo No. 3, Murray Perahia and The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner.
Excellent selection.
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Old 11-01-2017, 01:16 AM
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Part III: Listening impressions

The first thing that strikes you about both headphones is they sound fairly similar in overeall character in that that they have a laid-back, very easy to listen to, neutral to slightly warm quality with a very natural-sounding presentation overall. The biggest difference between the two that is immediately noticeable is that the Oppos are closed-back and the HD600s are open-backed, and therefore the Senns sound more spacious and airy in overall presentation than the Oppos. The Oppos are more closed-in sounding and have a smaller sonic image as a result. The low bass of the Oppos definitely has more slam and and is more clearly defined at the lowest octaves, which is common with planars, but the highs don't have the airiness and "silkiness" of the HD600s. The Oppos presentation is slightly more forward and palpable and the HD600s have slightly more recessed presentation that sounds lighter in substance and overall character. Imagine the sonic presentation is cut of cloth, the Oppos sound cloth is more opaque and "thicker" than the HD600s, the sonic cloth of the Senns is more "diaphanous" and lighter, which results in sound that is airier and more spacious than the PM-3s. One of the guys at SBAF described the PM-3s as "Once you get into the low-mids and upper-bass of the PM-3, the response just gets stronger and stronger the lower you go. It has a lot of kick and impact. Generally, the bass on the PM-3 sounds strong and powerful, though at times it can get a little thick sounding.", and I would fully agree with that. The soundstage for the Oppos is pretty clearly defined, but small; the soundstage for the HD600s is a bit further back but larger and more spacious. I know that "recessed yet spacious" for the Senns sounds like a contradiction in terms, but there you have it. The midrange of Oppo is relatively clean, clear and neutral, and I think the HD600s is very similar, with the exception that I think the HD600s are notably airier and have more transparency here than the PM-3s, and are capable of more nuance and subtlety, particulary in reproducing voices. Voice and instrumental timbres and notes are more clearly defined, yet more delicately rendered at the same time.

The treble on the PM-3 is nice, somewhat on the laid-back side in the highest regions, which is nice, as they never become fatiguing to listen to. I would say that the HD600s treble is actually quite similar in frequency response to the Oppos, particularly in the upper mids to the lower treble region, but the highs on the Senns are more airy and open-sounding than the PM-3s.

Again, the same poster at SBAF: "The PM-3 will never be the airiest or most expansive sounding headphone. It’s closed and on the intimate side of things. The soundstage is well integrated but a bit small. There’s not a ton of depth to the sound, but layering is thankfully not particularly blurred."

Some owners have said that the PM-3s seem to really sound best when used with portable players and it's not clear why that may be. Maybe the impedance matching with portable players is more synergistic, but regardless, I would actually agree. I use my PM-3s a lot of with my Astell & Kern AK 100 II and they sound fantastic. A great headpone to take with you in the car or when traveling.

What's my overall conclusion? Well, I prefer the Sennheisers overall to the PM-3s, at least on the Valhalla 2. Even though they are 20 years old, and not deifinitely not SOTA, they are very clearly capable of being close to a reference-level transducer, and have an overall more natural and beautiful sound than the PM-3s. In some respects, they remind me of my Dynaudios: very neutral and clean, but never, ever, fatiguing and ever-so-musical to listen to. Pair them with a good amp and they truly can sound absolutely gorgeous.

So, at the end, the HD600s take the day...and with that, I'll end with this partial quote from Shakespeare's Henry V:

"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.

Last edited by Puma Cat; 11-01-2017 at 01:42 AM.
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Old 11-01-2017, 01:29 AM
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Thanks for the detailed description and comparison of the two very different headphones Stephen. I know the HD600's well but was curious about Oppo. Your detailed description gave me a good insight of what Oppo PM-3 is like.

I wonder what the difference between the PM-3 and their flagship PM-1 may be? What does $700 extra buy?

I was cheering for the HD600 because I also love them.
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Old 11-01-2017, 01:35 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PHC1 View Post
Thanks for the detailed description and comparison of the two very different headphones Stephen. I know the HD600's well but was curious about Oppo. Your detailed description gave me a good insight of what Oppo PM-3 is like.

I wonder what the difference between the PM-3 and their flagship PM-1 may be? What does $700 extra buy?

I was cheering for the HD600 because I also love them.
You're welcome, Serge. The Oppos are a great headphone to take with you for use with a portable player, like the Astell & Kerns. Easily driven by the A&K.

For some reference to the PM-1s, search for an Oppo PM-3 review at SBAF (the one I quoted from here written by "Hands"). There's reference in that review to the PM-1s and PM-2s.

I love the Senns, too. I'm listening to them right now as I write this...a hidden track on Melody Gardot's The Absence, Iemanja, Melody's singing with African beats!
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.

Last edited by Puma Cat; 11-01-2017 at 01:41 AM.
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Old 11-01-2017, 01:50 AM
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Here's an amusing couple of posts from the Sennheiser HD6** compendium:

Post: "Like holy sh*t... I am always amazed how Sennheiser's drivers are well-matched, from their lowly products to high end. For driver matching alone Sennheiser is the most trust-able, other than some HD6XX issues I heard.

I just wish companies like Audeze would follow this example."


Reply: "Gotta hand that to Sennheiser. Even with pad variances, they are fricking perfect. Germans can be really annoying in their attention to detail, but this is a good thing."

LOL!
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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Old 11-01-2017, 02:06 AM
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Left/Right Driver matching in the new HD660:

I don't know if Senn does Six Sigma to control product (driver) variation, but whatever they are doing, it is working.

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Old 11-01-2017, 02:14 AM
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Great bit of analysis! I use the PM-3’s with a chord mojo dac and they sound sensational!

Well done and thanks for posting...
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