Sennheiser HD600 vs. Oppo PM3

[JemHadar]

Excellent comparison...thank you for sharing

[eljr]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

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."

awesome set of posts, thanks!

[bart]

Thank you Stephen!
You're my favourite Schiity Sennheiser reporter!

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by bart

Thank you Stephen!
You're my favourite Schiity Sennheiser reporter!

Thanks, Bart, but I honestly think Serge takes the prize in that category!

[bart]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Thanks, Bart, but I honestly think Serge takes the prize in that category!

Can't I have 2 favourites?!

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by bart

Can't I have 2 favourites?!

LOL! Absolutely!

[jdandy]

Stephen.......Thank you for a most enjoyable review. I was rooting for the HD600, too. I had the Sennheiser HD600 for many years and enjoyed the headphone immensely before replacing them with my current favorite the Sennheiser HD800 driven with the Sennheiser HDVA 600 headphone amplifier, a fully balanced Class A solid state design. Pete (Vintage Pete) bought my HD600's and is very pleased with them.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Levitator

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...

Yes, the Oppos are very nice. Easy to travel with too. Leave it to Oppo to come with a planar magnetic that can be driven by an iPhone. They sound fab with my Astell & Kern.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Stephen.......Thank you for a most enjoyable review. I was rooting for the HD600, too. I had the Sennheiser HD600 for many years and enjoyed the headphone immensely before replacing them with my current favorite the Sennheiser HD800 driven with the Sennheiser HDVA 600 headphone amplifier, a fully balanced Class A solid state design. Pete (Vintage Pete) bought my HD600's and is very pleased with them.

Thanks, Dan.

I remember your HD600 reviews and impressions, and the nice background and review you wrote when you transitioned to the HD800s. I think you made a good choice to drive them with the Sennheiser HDVA 600 amplifier and run them in balanced mode. I heard the 800s at my local dealer with the HDVA 600 and they sounded fantastic. I know the 800s can be challenging for some amps with their frequency response. A lot of of the serious headphone guys have developed a lot of mods for them.

The new HD660 is making a lot of waves, presently.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Thanks, Bart, but I honestly think Serge takes the prize in that category!

Stephen, my write ups are all about sharing our passion for audio with friends here on AA. It's great to have such a nice group of avid enthusiasts that collectively possess decades of experience in the hobby. It makes the hobby that much more fun as we continue to learn from one another by sharing our passion and impressions about various audio gear and music. I never consider this hobby a competition and no trophies are given out but the sheer joy of sharing and learning from others is priceless.