Oppo launching HA-1 Headphone Amplifier and PM-1 Planar Magnetic headphone!!

[bigboss]

Just been on Oppo website & noticed these 2 interesting products (click on the images for more details):

 

[Frank Harvey]

Haven't seen the headphone amp yet, but the headphones are rather nice 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

I know it says TBD for price, but any ideas please? Thanks.

 

[dalethorn]

I'm sure that headphone amp is out of my price range, but that headphone looks very interesting. The shape reminds me of the KEF-500. There aren't enough good planars to choose from today.

 

[Anonymous]

Expensive business both.

 

[Toolpusher]

*ahem*... :type:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/headphones-etc/new-oppo-headphones-headphone-ampdac

 

[dalethorn]

Here's some info on the actual sound of the headphone.

http://hifilounge.tumblr.com/post/69254009138/oppo-pm-1-headphones-and-ha-1-headphone-amp-first

 

[Ced Yuen]

These have now been launched! They'll be £1099, available this month.

http://whf.cm/1lVhIRX

 

[dalethorn]

So far there still is only one real review from a marginal site.

 

[bigboss]

Where?

 

[dalethorn]

This reviewer seemed to know what he was listening to - hopefully it's an accurate impression.

http://hifilounge.tumblr.com/post/69254009138/oppo-pm-1-headphones-and-ha-1-headphone-amp-first

 

[duaplex]

Those are some expensive cans and pretty nice, but they will have thier work cut out to beat the HD 800, which IMO is the best set of cans in this price range.

EDIT: Ok they are growing on me the more I look at them!!! :help:

 

[pauln]

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/headphones/oppo-pm-1-1242373/review

 

[dalethorn]

The TechRadar guy makes ample mention of the HD800, but no comparison of the HD800 to the signature of the Oppo. So far I've read that it's ruler flat with very hi-fi treble and detail, and other places where it's a more laid-back treble. Why can't any of these reviewers say how it compares to a known reference? For £1099, I think that's not too much to ask.

 

[James7]

http://andreweverard.com/2014/04/23/review-oppo-pm-1-headphones/

full review

 

[theflyingwasp]

I am becoming quite a sucker for build quality and packaging

apple ,oppo ,ruark and twelve south really do go that extra mile with there packaging obviously the build quality and packaging dosent make something necessarily sound better but the B&W p7s and the new oppo headphones perhaps aren't the best in their price range .many would say the sennheiser momentum sound better than the p7s and the hd800s sound better than the new oppo's BUT the p7s and oppo's do look very very pretty! 🙂 the p7s hanging off the just mobile headphone stand look the bees knees! Maybe I've sacrificed a little bit sound quality but you know what I mean .a lot of products are just as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ear.

i wonder if anyone uses the oppo bag/sack you get with the Blu ray player.

 

[bigboss]

i wonder if anyone uses the oppo bag/sack you get with the Blu ray player.

For shopping at Tesco? :shifty:

 

[dalethorn]

http://andreweverard.com/2014/04/23/review-oppo-pm-1-headphones/ ..full review

Flicking back and forth between the headphones and my current desktop speakers showed that the Oppos manage to create not only a stereo image out in front of the listener, with not a hint of the sound being fed to each ear, but also an excellent sense of three-dimensionality, with convincing width and depth to the sonic picture.

Now what I wonder from Andrew's prose above is whether that image is from headphone only, or provided by a DSP of some kind.

 

[spiny norman]

Now what I wonder from Andrew's prose above is whether that image is from headphone only, or provided by a DSP of some kind.

Can't see anything in that review to suggest any DSP is being used.

 

[dalethorn]

Can't see anything in that review to suggest any DSP is being used.

The suggestion of a perfect (or nearly so) soundstage compared to speakers is not what anyone I know of reports for headphones. Now I'm fine with my headphone's soundstage, but the reviewer here makes plain in his review that he is/was generally adverse to headphone use, so I can't imagine how such a person goes from headphone-adverse to actually preferring the headphone soundstage over speakers. Lots of people who like headphones have been enthused with the Sennheiser HD800 soundstage, but none of them to my knowledge have suggested its soundstage could be superior to speakers.

 

[bigboss]

Another review:

http://www.avforums.com/review/oppo-pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphone-review.10280

 

[spiny norman]

The suggestion of a perfect (or nearly so) soundstage compared to speakers is not what anyone I know of reports for headphones. Now I'm fine with my headphone's soundstage, but the reviewer here makes plain in his review that he is/was generally adverse to headphone use, so I can't imagine how such a person goes from headphone-adverse to actually preferring the headphone soundstage over speakers. Lots of people who like headphones have been enthused with the Sennheiser HD800 soundstage, but none of them to my knowledge have suggested its soundstage could be superior to speakers.

I guess it's all horses for courses, and what you or anyone you know reports of headphones may not be what someone else feels when they listen.

Howvever, i have to say that I have just gone back and re-read the review in question, and if you do actualy read it I don't see anywhere where the reviewer is suggesting the headphones in question are superior to speakers, only that he is surprised how close they manage to come to the speaker experience, and is pleased that he has at last found a pair of headphones he feels he can tolerate.