It's been a little over a year since I released a review of the most interesting modification of the Oppo PM-2 from Audio Zenith under the PMx2 index. I recommend rereading that review, but in short - the headphones turned out to be interesting. For this year, the main developer of the model Alexander Zaets decided to make them even better, and he succeeded.
In short, what good were PMx2 from Audio Zenith? In short, these are the most comfortable and compact headphones with "top" sound. On the one hand, it's almost Oppo PM-2 - comfortable, relatively light and fit into a medium-sized flat cover. On the other hand - it's headphones with almost neutral sound and frequency response, close to linear, not requiring a huge power amplifier (although favorably related to it). They can be heard with pleasure and with relatively simple and compact sources like Audinst HUD-DX1, but for something like Yulong DA9 they have enough stock (and even higher).
But, as you know, there is no such perfection that can not be improved yet, so Alexander decided to "work" on what the discerning audiophiles wrote down in the flaws of the model, namely, to make the scene even bigger and lower the harmonics while retaining the manner of filing the first fashion. As far as he managed to do this, perhaps, two pictures with measurement of the harmonics of my pair of headphones "before" and "after" will be the best.
The second mod was even more expensive than the first (manual work, selection of emitters, many measurements, risk of getting a marriage during the modification of the radiator), so the price has slightly increased, ready-made headphones cost $ 1900, the modification of your pair costs $ 900, including a new pair leather ear cups. But this is the case when I could immediately say that the price is justified.
Specifications
Since the modification does not affect the electrical characteristics of the Oppo PM-2, the TTXs coincide with the original model.
- Emitter: isodynamic, 85 mm × 69 mm
- Acoustic design: open
- Frequency range: 10 Hz - 50,000 Hz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 102 dB / mW
- Rated Power: 500mW
- Peak power: up to 2000 mW
- Weight: 385 g without cable
Packing and delivery kit
In terms of the box there are still no surprises, it's all the same two-layer package from Oppo PM-2 - an outer box made from ordinary recycled cardboard, the inner one is made of silver-gray cardboard with a texture. Inside is a very comfortable denim bag containing the headphones themselves, and two cables - a thick "stationary" in a fabric braid with a 6.3 mm plug and a thin "portable" for connecting to a 3.5 mm jack.
I, by the way, thought and ordered myself a Era-in-ear balanced cable with 4-pin TRRS and use it to connect to Yulong DA9.
Design and comfortable wearing
Appearance and comfort of wearing PMx2v2 also inherited from the donor, and this, in fact, is one of the main advantages of headphones. That to hide - designers of a product in Oppo have worked well, their PM-series has turned out both comfortable, and compact, and rather stylish. Despite the active use of metal, the headphones remain very light (less than 400 grams at the present time - it's almost a feather), they are perfectly assembled, and if necessary are folded into a very compact carrying case, allowing them to take with them on any trip without problems.
I think it's not necessary to describe the design in detail, it's understandable from photographs, so just a few comments. Audio Zenith adds branded stickers that make it possible to distinguish their fashion from the stock headphones, and in the new version the grid modifications are painted in silver color. Not that it was necessary, but, in my opinion, they look better with silvery forks of fastening cups. During the modification, the ear cushions change to leather ones from the PM-1, but they have traditionally undergone a profound modification, beginning with the internal filler and ending with the fixing ring (yes, it also affects the sound). Of course, the main work concerning the emitter remains invisible, but the measurements and sound here speak for themselves.
Of course, the PMx2v2 is not a street model, they are open, so they are playing quite hard outside and the noise is missed, so in general these are headphones for home use, but they can be carried with you, unlike other tops, so I would refer this model to the category of "portable hospital".
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening.
- Yulong DA9 and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2016 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Lotoo PAW Gold, theBit OPUS # 2 and iBasso DX200 and others as portable players
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 96 hours.
If to say "in general", the new version of the mod retains the main features of the previous refinement: a fairly linear frequency response, an excellent resolution, an unpainted pitch, but the headphones got a "boost" in the volume construction (I think it should be thanked for the reduction of harmonics and fine fading) as a consequence, natural sound. In addition, a few decibels were "raised" LF, which gave the sound a pleasant body effect.
The bass on the PMx2v2 goes very deep, but fortunately, the headphones control it well and do not allow the "lower bass" to muffle everything. This model is critical to amplification (not to quantity, but to quality), it is highly recommended that an amplifier with low impedance, which allows to reveal all their strengths: elasticity, texture, dynamics. I would have immediately thrown off all the lamp models, especially those sharpened for high-end OTL. The bass is not super-flashing, but it is made specifically to provide the necessary in some cases, corporality and massiveness, emphasizing the nature of natural instruments. Strongly overdried LF, in which everything is sacrificed speed, to my ears, still sound not very natural. Fortunately, these headphones perfectly balance between extremes, offering a very good mix of "the best of two worlds."
MF-range is given very in detail and without additional staining. This, on the one hand, allows you to achieve spectacular filing with an excellent level of microdynamics, but on the other - high raises the bar requirements to the source and the material to be listened. If at least one component in the path fails, the headphones will immediately and unconditionally show. However, PMx2v2 avoid very cold and dry feed, if there are emotions in the record - they will be reproduced flawlessly. The imaginary scene is best described by the epithet "correct" - it is exactly the size that should be (well, as far as possible in headphones). The model offers an excellent separation of tools and elaboration of plans, without even passing before complex things like BSO and jazz big bands. In high-quality recordings, headphones perfectly convey the character of instruments and sound very naturally.
The HF range is also quite accurately ottyuningovan. There are no kitsers who go to endless distances, who sometimes like the manufacturers of isodynamic models, but who so badly sound with bad tracks. Also there is not even the slightest hint of squeezing or unnaturalness. If your source allows, PMx2v2 will perfectly play everything for what we like the upper frequency range: subtle sounds, attenuation - thanks to the quality of the attacks, all this sounds very harmonious.
Since comparing headphones of this level "from memory" - an ungrateful occupation, the section of comparisons this time will be brief. In general, you can see a similar part of the review of the first version of the mod, everything written there remains in force.
HiFiMan HE-1000v2 . "Already-not-flagship" HiFiMan is somewhat reminiscent of "Zenith", but the difference is quite noticeable. The thousand have a slightly higher resolution on the LF and lower part of the MF, but they play "lekgosesney", they have less massiveness in the bass, and even MF sometimes lacks "fat".
Kennerton Odin . The total ideological antipode of the heroes of today's review. The Votan headphones offer a sea of energy and drive, more biting on the bass, more aggression at the junction of the midrange and high-frequency bands - that's the key to Odin's success. I think that these headphones do not compete with each other - they are too different niches. Do not forget about the difference in weight, pouring into comfort and transportability.
Compatibility
In general, I have already briefly described what you need from the source to work with these headphones, but just in case, I once again summarize. Choosing an amplifier for the second version of the Fashion Audio Zenith, it is worth looking first at transistor / op amps that can monitor a sufficiently low-ohmic load. Of inexpensive models, I can advise Audinst DX-1 (of course, with the replacement of the op-amp), which gives a good mobile solution in pair with PMx2v2, and in a more expensive segment the choice is great and everything depends on taste preferences, therefore, I do not recommend any particular models I will.
Genre headphones are absolutely universal, they are technical and neutral, so they can play anything. The sensitivity to recording quality is high, but not prohibitive, somewhere in 8 out of 10.
Traditionally several tracks for an example
Transatlantic - Rose Covered Glasses . What can be a better demonstration of the technicality of headphones than a supergroup made up of mega-stars prog? So I do not know, that's why Transatlantic will be here. A complex, multifaceted melody that requires headphones and microdynamics and wholeness in the filing is quite in the teeth for the heroes of today's review, and how they manage the drum parts ...
Yello - Jungle Bill . In order not to get stuck in the whole collection in some kind of gossip, I decided to dramatically change the genre. This track perfectly demonstrates the positive side of the bass in PMx2v2 - speed and weight are present in full measure, and fine midrange and high frequencies fully transfer the entire variety of three-dimensional track effects. That rare case, when electronic music on the saturation of nuances is not inferior to "live".
Nancy Sinatra - You Only Live Twice . Since we stressed the bass, it's worth including in the compilation and something for the demonstration of the VChR. For example, a good female vocals, in the role of which today will be the track of Nancy Sinatra from the eponymous film "Bondiana". In addition to impeccable voice transmission, the second PMx2 famously play out and instrumental accompaniment, saturated with string and wind, leaving in the fashion of the time very high.
conclusions
In general, this model, perhaps, will remain with me for a very long time. Of course, there are several strong competitors in the price segment of this model, but, firstly, PMx2v2 is quite capable of competing with them, and secondly, the main plus of the model is the size and ability to work with not the most powerful sources (which is not typical for tops). Therefore, without killing the soul, I can say that this mod is a rare phenomenon, on the verge of uniqueness.
The article is based on materials .
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