Thursday 19th November 2015

 

PM-X2 merupakan headphone Oppo PM-2 yang telah heavily mod by Audio Zenith. Ongkos modif ini sekitar 600 USD,making it slight more expensive than Oppo PM-1. Founder Audio Zenith sendiri adalah teman baik dari Igor Levitski (Pencipta Oppo PM-1, PM-2 dan PM-3).

Item List:

- Oppo PM-X2 
- Oppo PM-1 with latex foam pad
- Standard Cable Oppo PM-1 (both balance and single ended)
- AK240 SS
- Bakoon HDA 5520
- Chord Mojo
- Masskobo 404

 

Comparison result: 

- Physically PM-X2 has more weight than PM-1, also slight less pressure for headband, making it slight discomfort for me after around 2 hours compare to original PM-1

- Faster decay! More upfront upper mid and treble! I think these 2 points are really biggest difference in sound character between PM-X2 and PM-1. Just keep in mind, the different is there but not much.

- Bigger impact and more linear bass freq in PM-X2, bass hits harder, shorter decay. In PM-1 is slight more woolly sound, but also more relax bass presentation.

- Instrument is more distinct, slight more separation in PM-X2, perhaps due to wider soundstage effect, though the different is minor

- Indvidual instrument in PM-X2 is more resolving and sound more real, but PM-1 has more natural decay and transient, which is helping to create more lifelike presentation.

- PM-X2 has harder impact for treble area, like cymbal for example, its like the drum player hit it more aggresively, feel more energic in PM-X2. In PM-1 is more to polite behaviour, but still in a very good way.

- For vocal songs, I feel PM-1 has fuller mid, very lush, clear, and full bodied, making it has effect "the singer is there" better than PM-X2, also has more emotion too. PM-X2 while has clearer midrange and thicker lower mid, but at the same time it feels less full in midrange area. In Allan Taylor songs, his vocal could be too weighty, but less full than PM-1, and also could produce slight more sibilance than PM-1.

- For orchestra I think PM-X2 is really really excel, instrument sounds real, the speed is there, the impact is there, not the biggest soundstage in the world, but still spacious and very accurate placement! Also the musicality is still very great like the PM-1, making enjoying orchestra songs are very easy. I'd pick PM-X2 for this kind of songs over PM-1 or Mr. Speaker Ether actually.

- I'm about to say PM-X2 has blacker background, but the more I listen to it, the more I feel perhaps this due the slight brighter signature as both have very good black backgound

- Sound wise, after 2 hours listenend, I think I got slight more tired feeling in PM-X2, which is the thing I never experienced from PM-1. Both still very smooth sounding headphone though. (I can't listen to stock HD800 more than an hour straight unless in very low volume)

 

Conclusion:

PM-X2 is a huge improvement compare to stock PM-2, and I think it's really deserve a flagship status in headphone world. The differences with PM-1 are there, not hard to hear/feel it, though the different actually is not that far either, it's still sounds like Oppo headphone,you won't be mistaken by other headphone brands. Personally, none of them is better than each other, they're at the same level, but with different purpose.

Thanks,