I want to see what pics you are getting. I know you are loving that camera, so show it off.
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est pics. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est pics. Afficher tous les articles
lundi 24 août 2015
mardi 18 août 2015
Post Those Pics
I'll kick off the photo thread because it's my favorite feature of the Note 5. It's kind of a lame pic but it still amazes my to see more stars in the pic than with just my eyes. This was taken in full auto with the flash off. I did have to resize it because the original was too large to upload.
Attachment 3443859
Attachment 3443859
dimanche 16 août 2015
Review of Oppo PM-3 planar magnetic portable full size headphones w/lots of pics!!!
This is a Review of Oppo PM-3 planar magnetic portable closed back headphones. http://oppodigital.com/headphones-pm-3/
I always enjoy reviewing new products that utilize the latest technology trends and find it fascinating when it's released by a newcomer. In my recent review of EL-8C I mentioned how these "young" companies (Audeze, Oppo, Hifiman) became major audio players competing against big audio dinosaurs who have been in business for decades. One of the reasons these companies are in a spotlight because they're pushing boundaries of the technology, exploring new frontiers beyond typical dynamic drivers, and paying close attention not just to a sound but also to a design style. Since I'm partially biased to a portable audio setup, a lot of my headphone reviews are focused on IEMs or closed back full size. But the ability to pack a technology of planar magnetic transducers (drivers) in a portable full size closed back design is something that definitely fascinates me. Though relative to their LCD series, EL-8C was more portable, I didn't find it portable enough for a mobile use. So when an opportunity presented itself, I was very excited to review the latest Oppo PM-3 headphones and their HA-2 portable amp. I felt in love with this dynamic duo right from the start even before receiving these products (from the pictures alone), and this feeling hasn't changed after spending over a week testing them. Here is more to explain my infatuation.
Those who follow high end A/V products are probably familiar with Oppo's popular Blu-Ray players, first released a little over 5 years ago. Otherwise, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about their Smartphones that generated a lot of buzz in the last few years. The birth of their high end headphones and amps happened only a year ago, and their maturity went from 0 to 60 in a record time. In my opinion, this is not a coincidence. A company that perfected the technology of A/V hardware will know a thing or two about sound quality, and being at the cutting edge of smartphone business - you will know for sure how to make a portable audio solution, clearly seen in the design and the functionality of PM-3 and HA-2. As a matter of fact, I couldn't help but to wishfully hope for Oppo R&D to look into Android based DAP combining HA-2 with a smartphone interface. I guess time will tell, and hopefully at the rate of their new releases we won't have to wait for too long to find out what else Oppo is cooking in their lab, but in a meantime let me start with PM-3 review, and then follow it with a separate HA-2 review.
There is no surprise that PM-3 arrived in an elegant packaging with just a minimalistic name logo of a company on the top - such gift box presentation distinguishes a product and makes you feel like you got something special in the box. You won't find any flashy artwork, or a spec, or a list of accessories, so if you are not familiar with a product, this only enhances a surprise of the unboxing experience . Under the cover of the box, you will find an envelope with documentation and everything else inside of a headphone case wrapped in a protective bag.
Unboxing.
Considering PM-3 has a removable cable design, the accessories include 2 sets of cables - 3m extended audio cable and 1.2m portable cable with smartphone controls (compatibility choice of either iOS or Android). Both of the cables are very similar with a slim metal connector housing, a nice strain relief, and a rubbery slim cable jacket/shielding with minimum microphonics. Audio cable also has a threaded end to accommodate the included 1/4" adapter. On the earcup side Oppo made a wise decision to use a standard 3.5mm connector. Though you will need one with a slimmer housing, it shouldn't be a show stopper for many aftermarket cables. As a matter of fact, I tested a few of my upgrade cables and found that sound scales up a bit with a higher quality wires, and I will talk more about it later in a sound analysis section.
Regarding smartphone controls, I received one for Android phone with a single universal control button and a mic. I'm guessing that iPhone version will probably have a volume control which is not compatible with Android, but universal control button should work with any phone for Play/Pause/Call with a single click and Skip with multi-clicks. The in-line remote was placed close enough to the face for a better voice pickup during calls. I did like its sturdy plastic design with a metal button in the middle which is easy to find by sliding a finger across concave side of the remote. All these little details make one big difference in how enjoyable it was to use these headphones, and undeniably everything about PM-3 is full of such details.
But without a doubt a "star" of accessories in here is the case!!! Portable headphone is meant to be transported and could sustain damage if not adequately protected. Why so many companies ignore this fact and include a draw string pouch to protect their products is beyond me. I raise this question in a lot of my reviews, and always mention that consumers would even buy a form fitted case as an add-on accessory. Here, Oppo included a hard shell zippered case, made with a fancy Selvedge Denim and a little handle to carry it in style. Inside, the case is lined with a soft material and has an insert (held with velcro side) with a little separator to keep headphones/earpads from rubbing against each other. Of course, the ability of PM-3 earcups to swing 180-deg helps to maintain a flat storage and even allows a little space for a cable inside of the case. Headphone itself has to be stored flat with a cable removed, and the included cable pouch is very convenient to store both cables.
Accessories.
When it comes to a planar magnetic technology used in PM-3, the idea of multi-layer diaphragm with spiral pattern conductors and neodymium magnets is a mouthful that can make you think there is no way it could be fitted in a lightweight portable design, but it actually is. Based on a design of their flagship open back PM-1 headphones, the diaphragm is very thin and ultra lightweight where along with PEM-optimized neodymium magnets Oppo was able to reduce the weight of the transducers while still maintaining a high level of sound quality. In combination with metal/plastic housing and use of artificial leather material, the final weight without a cable is down to 320g - evenly distributed thanks to a balanced design and a comfortable fitment with a perfect clamping force (the first time where I didn't have to use my kids soccer ball to stretch the headband).
Starting with headband, it's leather wrapped with a nice soft cushioning on the inner side which comfortably rests on top of your head. The height adjustment has a nice click mechanism and expandable steel part of the band attaches to a uniquely shaped yoke connected to earcups that swing full 180-degrees. One interesting detail I noticed, inside of yoke there was 2 tiny rubber feet/stoppers to prevent tilting earcups from touching the alloy metal frame. Also, the left end piece where yoke is attached to the headband had a little id bump underneath of clearly labeled "L" so you can easily determine a correct side even in the dark by sliding a finger. The same Left earcup also houses 3.5mm headphone jack.
Earpads are soft and plush with an opening large enough to comfortable fit my medium/average size ears without actually touching the driver. Of course, fitment will differ for people with bigger ears or larger size head, but I was pleased with a fitment and was able to achieve a good seal and a decent isolation despite an even thickness of earpads. With some headphones you do need angled earpads to achieve a good level of seal, while here it worked perfectly as is. As a matter of fact, even so they had an artificial leather material, my ears never got hot or sweaty ever after hours of continuous use.
Design.
Fitment.
As I mentioned in my EL-8C review, the principle behind planar magnetic design has been around for over 40 years under different names, but due to a progress in research and development to make it more lightweight and efficient, we are seeing more releases utilizing this fascinating technology. Nevertheless, I still recommend to read Tyll's article about the history and the background of planar magnetic drivers: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content...SG6IEbqKEBw.97. Also, Oppo product page has a lot of interesting info if you want to get more into the details of the technology behind the design: http://oppodigital.com/headphones-pm-3/
Before my sound evaluation of PM-3, I put these headphones through 100+ hours of standalone burn in to condition drivers to their full potential, though to my surprise the change only affected the low end of the spectrum while mids/treble remained the same. Still, I'm a strong believer in standalone burn in to avoid a brain burn-in when you listen out of the box. The next observation came about source dependency and how PM-3 pairs up with DAPs, laptop, and my smartphone. Yes, PM-3 has 26 ohm nominal impedance and efficient 102 dB sensitivity, but I found a sound to scale up not only with a volume but also with a driving power. When I say "scale up", I really mean the clarity of upper mids and lower treble. There is no problem driving PM-3 loud with a portable source, but if you want to have a better retrieval of details - you need to juice them up with extra power.
As an example, I had no problem driving PM-3 with my Galaxy Note 4, and bass had a great slam, but mids were slightly veiled. Pairing it up with HA-2 took a sound to a whole new level! With AK120ii bass quality and extension improved, and mids became clear but not as detailed, more on a smoother side. The same with Fiio X5ii and Cayin N6 in low gain setting, but in high gain they scaled up very nicely with a noticeable improvement in detail retrieval. QLS QA360 pair up was a notch above everything else with an articulate low end and detailed organic mids and even improved airiness in treble. N6 in high gain came very close to that as well.
Cable "rolling" was another source of sound improvement. Stock cable yields a deep low end, clear mids (baseline clarity), and slightly rolled off treble (lacks air). Switching to ASEN OFC cable (it has a slim connector extension), I hear a touch less sub-bass, and a little smoother mids. Next, with Lunashops slim connector silver-plated cable I also found a touch less sub-bass, mids being a little brighter but at the same time loosing a little details. The most significant improvement was with Linum cable using a short (0.8m) interconnect I had for test purpose - a very articulate tight bass response, a detailed bright mids, and a treble that came out to play! I wanted to try my Pure silver cable as well, but the connector was not slim enough.
Going back to a stock cable and using QA360 as my source, I hear PM-3 sound as neutral-smooth with a warm detailed signature. These headphones have an excellent low end extension, organic smooth mids with a great retrieval of details, and a nice smooth treble with a slight roll off. All this makes a perfect combination of clear detailed sound wrapped in warm smooth blanket.
In more details, low end is rather articulate with an excellent extension down to a delicately textured sub-bass rumble underneath of a slightly enhanced mid-bass hump. Mid-bass has an average speed (not too aggressive, but also not too slow), and an average decay. Bass is not super tight, but it's well controlled without spilling into lower mids.
Lower mids have a nice full body, contributing to organic nature of the sound. Upper mids are smooth, clear, detailed - there is no artificial brightness or harsh peaks, and a sound is very natural, but not super detailed. Both female and male vocals are organic and smooth, detailed, and at the same time a little laidback.
Treble is also smooth, detailed, not as extended (a little bit rolled off), but still with enough clarity to give a good sound definition. There is not as much airiness or crispy edge, so it's perfect for non-fatigue extended listening.
Soundstage has an average width and depth, not super spacious, thus creating a more intimate slightly expanded feeling which is pretty good for closed back headphones. Despite this staging intimacy, the positioning and imaging is actually not bad; not exactly 3D, but convincing enough to envision accurate placement of instruments. Due to a warmer smoother nature of a sound, instruments and vocals separation is just average. I mean, you can easily distinguish instruments and vocals, but the layering effect is not as clear as in some bright sound signature headphones.
Since my exposure to planar magnetic drivers started with Audeze EL-8C headphones, they would be my first comparison example. As a matter of fact, I got quite a few requests asking me about this comparison since both headphones are closed back and intended for a portable/mobile use. Here in more details how they stack up against each other.
PM-3 vs EL-8C: EL sound is brighter and has less body; bass is more neutral in comparison, lower mids are a lot thinner and upper mids are more detailed and brighter, treble is crispier and more extended. Sound has more airiness and slightly bigger soundstage in both width/depth, while PM-3 feels more intimate in comparison. So the biggest difference is EL being brighter, thinner, more analytical, and slightly more spacious while PM-3 is being warmer, more natural/organic, smoother, and more intimate. PM-3 is more portable since it's lighter, smaller, easier to wear outside. Both have the same level of passive noise isolation. Also, a standard 3.5mm removable cable is a big plus for PM-3. Furthermore, from a pricing perspective, PM-3 + HA-2 combined in price equal to EL-8C. In my opinion, these headphones don't really compete, but rather compliment each other with their differences. The only thing they have in common is planar magnetic drivers and closed back design, and a preference for either high-gain DAP setting or external amping. Everything else is distinct to help you make a decision based on your sound preference and your intended application.
Comparing to some of the other headphones I have or tested in the past, here is what I found.
PM-3 vs MH40: MH40 bass is slower and not as articulate, it doesn't have the same sub-bass extension, lower mids are a touch thinner and upper mids sounds a bit hollow and a little artificial (in comparison) with less details and clarity, while treble is very similar. MH40 staging has more depth, but overall sound is more veiled and not as refined. Earcups are shallow and not as comfortable. Both have a unique luxurious design, but MH is definitely heavier. MH is not as picky about the source or the driving power.
PM-3 vs B&W P7: P7 has a stronger mid-bass hump which can overpower the sound, lower mids are similar but upper mids sounds a little more colored and less natural, and also treble has a better extension, but it could get a bit crunchy. Soundstage is similar, on a more intimate average level. Both have an excellent build quality with luxurious looks and materials, though I prefer a standard 3.5mm headphone connector vs proprietary 2.5mm under the cup in P7. Furthermore, PM-3 has a more comfortable fitment with a more relaxed (without sacrificing isolation) clamping force. P7 is not as picky about the source or the driving power.
PM-3 vs ATH-MSR7: MSR7 low end has a similar sub-/mid-bass balance but quantity is scaled down. Also, low end is not as articulate. Lower mids are thinner and upper mids are brighter and a little more detailed, though can get a bit harsher. Treble has a much better extension. Staging width/depth are a little better, but overall sound is thinner and less organic, while PM-3 is smoother and with a fuller body. MSR7 is very efficient, easy to drive, and not as picky about the source.
PM-3 vs W60: I know, I'm comparing IEMs to a full size HP, but I just had to add this one for a comparison due to Westone's smooth/warm signature. W60 has a very similar low end, and even some similarities in lower mids as well as treble extension where it also lacks airiness. The difference is in upper mids where W60 is slightly recessed, a little less detailed, and a little smoother. W60 also has a slightly wider/deeper soundstage. Both are picky about the source, though W60 doesn't require any amping.
I already mentioned that I found planar magnetic drivers to require some extra power in order to shine, something that not every source can provide on its own. Thus, here are some of the results testing PM-3 with different portable amplifiers and using Cayin N6 LO as a source.
With Cayin C5 (in low gain): excellent pair up, deep articulate bass, more clarity/details in mids, a little more airiness in treble, soundstage gets more 3D with improved width and depth, also I noticed an improvement in sound separation and imaging.
With FiiO E12A (in low gain): very similar improvement as with C5 (more articulate bass, more clarity and better retrieval of details), but soundstage is not as wide/deep as C5.
With Oppo HA-2 (in low gain): in this pair up the bass doesn't get deeper but becomes tighter and more articulate with a better definition. Mids are more detailed but still remain smooth, treble extension improves and you get more airiness.
In a summary, I like HA-2 pair up better because it doesn't affect sub-bass as much, tightens the bass overall, improves retrieval of details without making sound brighter or harsher. But it can't match C5 soundstage expansion.
With Note 4 vs Note 4/HA-2: HA-2 helps bass to become more articulate, tighter, faster/punchier, mids are clearer and more detailed, and even treble extension improves, becoming more airy.
Conclusion.
To say that I was impressed with PM-3 would be an understatement. Everything from a design to a comfort of fitment and its smooth neutral signature put a checkmark next to my headphone requirements. At the same time, it wasn't 100% perfect since connecting it directly to my laptop or my smartphone didn't bring their sound to a full potential and required usb DAC to kick it up a notch in order to bring out more details of upper mids. With majority of my DAPs, either with high power output or using high-gain setting, it was just a pleasure to use PM-3 in a portable on-the-go setup. But in general, it's not just a design and a sound that makes PM-3 so attractive, it's actually their pricing which puts them in a category with a lot of other dynamic headphones where Oppo definitely stands out from a crowd against most of it competition. For a portable (closed back) use, these are the most affordable full size headphones utilizing the cutting edge of planar magnetic driver design, and paired up with Oppo HA-2 portable headphone amplifier - this becomes one serious portable listening combo that can go head-to-head with a more expensive competition, as long as neutral-smooth sound signature with a great detail retrieval is your cup of tea!
I always enjoy reviewing new products that utilize the latest technology trends and find it fascinating when it's released by a newcomer. In my recent review of EL-8C I mentioned how these "young" companies (Audeze, Oppo, Hifiman) became major audio players competing against big audio dinosaurs who have been in business for decades. One of the reasons these companies are in a spotlight because they're pushing boundaries of the technology, exploring new frontiers beyond typical dynamic drivers, and paying close attention not just to a sound but also to a design style. Since I'm partially biased to a portable audio setup, a lot of my headphone reviews are focused on IEMs or closed back full size. But the ability to pack a technology of planar magnetic transducers (drivers) in a portable full size closed back design is something that definitely fascinates me. Though relative to their LCD series, EL-8C was more portable, I didn't find it portable enough for a mobile use. So when an opportunity presented itself, I was very excited to review the latest Oppo PM-3 headphones and their HA-2 portable amp. I felt in love with this dynamic duo right from the start even before receiving these products (from the pictures alone), and this feeling hasn't changed after spending over a week testing them. Here is more to explain my infatuation.
Those who follow high end A/V products are probably familiar with Oppo's popular Blu-Ray players, first released a little over 5 years ago. Otherwise, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about their Smartphones that generated a lot of buzz in the last few years. The birth of their high end headphones and amps happened only a year ago, and their maturity went from 0 to 60 in a record time. In my opinion, this is not a coincidence. A company that perfected the technology of A/V hardware will know a thing or two about sound quality, and being at the cutting edge of smartphone business - you will know for sure how to make a portable audio solution, clearly seen in the design and the functionality of PM-3 and HA-2. As a matter of fact, I couldn't help but to wishfully hope for Oppo R&D to look into Android based DAP combining HA-2 with a smartphone interface. I guess time will tell, and hopefully at the rate of their new releases we won't have to wait for too long to find out what else Oppo is cooking in their lab, but in a meantime let me start with PM-3 review, and then follow it with a separate HA-2 review.
There is no surprise that PM-3 arrived in an elegant packaging with just a minimalistic name logo of a company on the top - such gift box presentation distinguishes a product and makes you feel like you got something special in the box. You won't find any flashy artwork, or a spec, or a list of accessories, so if you are not familiar with a product, this only enhances a surprise of the unboxing experience . Under the cover of the box, you will find an envelope with documentation and everything else inside of a headphone case wrapped in a protective bag.
Unboxing.
Considering PM-3 has a removable cable design, the accessories include 2 sets of cables - 3m extended audio cable and 1.2m portable cable with smartphone controls (compatibility choice of either iOS or Android). Both of the cables are very similar with a slim metal connector housing, a nice strain relief, and a rubbery slim cable jacket/shielding with minimum microphonics. Audio cable also has a threaded end to accommodate the included 1/4" adapter. On the earcup side Oppo made a wise decision to use a standard 3.5mm connector. Though you will need one with a slimmer housing, it shouldn't be a show stopper for many aftermarket cables. As a matter of fact, I tested a few of my upgrade cables and found that sound scales up a bit with a higher quality wires, and I will talk more about it later in a sound analysis section.
Regarding smartphone controls, I received one for Android phone with a single universal control button and a mic. I'm guessing that iPhone version will probably have a volume control which is not compatible with Android, but universal control button should work with any phone for Play/Pause/Call with a single click and Skip with multi-clicks. The in-line remote was placed close enough to the face for a better voice pickup during calls. I did like its sturdy plastic design with a metal button in the middle which is easy to find by sliding a finger across concave side of the remote. All these little details make one big difference in how enjoyable it was to use these headphones, and undeniably everything about PM-3 is full of such details.
But without a doubt a "star" of accessories in here is the case!!! Portable headphone is meant to be transported and could sustain damage if not adequately protected. Why so many companies ignore this fact and include a draw string pouch to protect their products is beyond me. I raise this question in a lot of my reviews, and always mention that consumers would even buy a form fitted case as an add-on accessory. Here, Oppo included a hard shell zippered case, made with a fancy Selvedge Denim and a little handle to carry it in style. Inside, the case is lined with a soft material and has an insert (held with velcro side) with a little separator to keep headphones/earpads from rubbing against each other. Of course, the ability of PM-3 earcups to swing 180-deg helps to maintain a flat storage and even allows a little space for a cable inside of the case. Headphone itself has to be stored flat with a cable removed, and the included cable pouch is very convenient to store both cables.
Accessories.
When it comes to a planar magnetic technology used in PM-3, the idea of multi-layer diaphragm with spiral pattern conductors and neodymium magnets is a mouthful that can make you think there is no way it could be fitted in a lightweight portable design, but it actually is. Based on a design of their flagship open back PM-1 headphones, the diaphragm is very thin and ultra lightweight where along with PEM-optimized neodymium magnets Oppo was able to reduce the weight of the transducers while still maintaining a high level of sound quality. In combination with metal/plastic housing and use of artificial leather material, the final weight without a cable is down to 320g - evenly distributed thanks to a balanced design and a comfortable fitment with a perfect clamping force (the first time where I didn't have to use my kids soccer ball to stretch the headband).
Starting with headband, it's leather wrapped with a nice soft cushioning on the inner side which comfortably rests on top of your head. The height adjustment has a nice click mechanism and expandable steel part of the band attaches to a uniquely shaped yoke connected to earcups that swing full 180-degrees. One interesting detail I noticed, inside of yoke there was 2 tiny rubber feet/stoppers to prevent tilting earcups from touching the alloy metal frame. Also, the left end piece where yoke is attached to the headband had a little id bump underneath of clearly labeled "L" so you can easily determine a correct side even in the dark by sliding a finger. The same Left earcup also houses 3.5mm headphone jack.
Earpads are soft and plush with an opening large enough to comfortable fit my medium/average size ears without actually touching the driver. Of course, fitment will differ for people with bigger ears or larger size head, but I was pleased with a fitment and was able to achieve a good seal and a decent isolation despite an even thickness of earpads. With some headphones you do need angled earpads to achieve a good level of seal, while here it worked perfectly as is. As a matter of fact, even so they had an artificial leather material, my ears never got hot or sweaty ever after hours of continuous use.
Design.
Fitment.
As I mentioned in my EL-8C review, the principle behind planar magnetic design has been around for over 40 years under different names, but due to a progress in research and development to make it more lightweight and efficient, we are seeing more releases utilizing this fascinating technology. Nevertheless, I still recommend to read Tyll's article about the history and the background of planar magnetic drivers: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content...SG6IEbqKEBw.97. Also, Oppo product page has a lot of interesting info if you want to get more into the details of the technology behind the design: http://oppodigital.com/headphones-pm-3/
Before my sound evaluation of PM-3, I put these headphones through 100+ hours of standalone burn in to condition drivers to their full potential, though to my surprise the change only affected the low end of the spectrum while mids/treble remained the same. Still, I'm a strong believer in standalone burn in to avoid a brain burn-in when you listen out of the box. The next observation came about source dependency and how PM-3 pairs up with DAPs, laptop, and my smartphone. Yes, PM-3 has 26 ohm nominal impedance and efficient 102 dB sensitivity, but I found a sound to scale up not only with a volume but also with a driving power. When I say "scale up", I really mean the clarity of upper mids and lower treble. There is no problem driving PM-3 loud with a portable source, but if you want to have a better retrieval of details - you need to juice them up with extra power.
As an example, I had no problem driving PM-3 with my Galaxy Note 4, and bass had a great slam, but mids were slightly veiled. Pairing it up with HA-2 took a sound to a whole new level! With AK120ii bass quality and extension improved, and mids became clear but not as detailed, more on a smoother side. The same with Fiio X5ii and Cayin N6 in low gain setting, but in high gain they scaled up very nicely with a noticeable improvement in detail retrieval. QLS QA360 pair up was a notch above everything else with an articulate low end and detailed organic mids and even improved airiness in treble. N6 in high gain came very close to that as well.
Cable "rolling" was another source of sound improvement. Stock cable yields a deep low end, clear mids (baseline clarity), and slightly rolled off treble (lacks air). Switching to ASEN OFC cable (it has a slim connector extension), I hear a touch less sub-bass, and a little smoother mids. Next, with Lunashops slim connector silver-plated cable I also found a touch less sub-bass, mids being a little brighter but at the same time loosing a little details. The most significant improvement was with Linum cable using a short (0.8m) interconnect I had for test purpose - a very articulate tight bass response, a detailed bright mids, and a treble that came out to play! I wanted to try my Pure silver cable as well, but the connector was not slim enough.
Going back to a stock cable and using QA360 as my source, I hear PM-3 sound as neutral-smooth with a warm detailed signature. These headphones have an excellent low end extension, organic smooth mids with a great retrieval of details, and a nice smooth treble with a slight roll off. All this makes a perfect combination of clear detailed sound wrapped in warm smooth blanket.
In more details, low end is rather articulate with an excellent extension down to a delicately textured sub-bass rumble underneath of a slightly enhanced mid-bass hump. Mid-bass has an average speed (not too aggressive, but also not too slow), and an average decay. Bass is not super tight, but it's well controlled without spilling into lower mids.
Lower mids have a nice full body, contributing to organic nature of the sound. Upper mids are smooth, clear, detailed - there is no artificial brightness or harsh peaks, and a sound is very natural, but not super detailed. Both female and male vocals are organic and smooth, detailed, and at the same time a little laidback.
Treble is also smooth, detailed, not as extended (a little bit rolled off), but still with enough clarity to give a good sound definition. There is not as much airiness or crispy edge, so it's perfect for non-fatigue extended listening.
Soundstage has an average width and depth, not super spacious, thus creating a more intimate slightly expanded feeling which is pretty good for closed back headphones. Despite this staging intimacy, the positioning and imaging is actually not bad; not exactly 3D, but convincing enough to envision accurate placement of instruments. Due to a warmer smoother nature of a sound, instruments and vocals separation is just average. I mean, you can easily distinguish instruments and vocals, but the layering effect is not as clear as in some bright sound signature headphones.
Since my exposure to planar magnetic drivers started with Audeze EL-8C headphones, they would be my first comparison example. As a matter of fact, I got quite a few requests asking me about this comparison since both headphones are closed back and intended for a portable/mobile use. Here in more details how they stack up against each other.
PM-3 vs EL-8C: EL sound is brighter and has less body; bass is more neutral in comparison, lower mids are a lot thinner and upper mids are more detailed and brighter, treble is crispier and more extended. Sound has more airiness and slightly bigger soundstage in both width/depth, while PM-3 feels more intimate in comparison. So the biggest difference is EL being brighter, thinner, more analytical, and slightly more spacious while PM-3 is being warmer, more natural/organic, smoother, and more intimate. PM-3 is more portable since it's lighter, smaller, easier to wear outside. Both have the same level of passive noise isolation. Also, a standard 3.5mm removable cable is a big plus for PM-3. Furthermore, from a pricing perspective, PM-3 + HA-2 combined in price equal to EL-8C. In my opinion, these headphones don't really compete, but rather compliment each other with their differences. The only thing they have in common is planar magnetic drivers and closed back design, and a preference for either high-gain DAP setting or external amping. Everything else is distinct to help you make a decision based on your sound preference and your intended application.
Comparing to some of the other headphones I have or tested in the past, here is what I found.
PM-3 vs MH40: MH40 bass is slower and not as articulate, it doesn't have the same sub-bass extension, lower mids are a touch thinner and upper mids sounds a bit hollow and a little artificial (in comparison) with less details and clarity, while treble is very similar. MH40 staging has more depth, but overall sound is more veiled and not as refined. Earcups are shallow and not as comfortable. Both have a unique luxurious design, but MH is definitely heavier. MH is not as picky about the source or the driving power.
PM-3 vs B&W P7: P7 has a stronger mid-bass hump which can overpower the sound, lower mids are similar but upper mids sounds a little more colored and less natural, and also treble has a better extension, but it could get a bit crunchy. Soundstage is similar, on a more intimate average level. Both have an excellent build quality with luxurious looks and materials, though I prefer a standard 3.5mm headphone connector vs proprietary 2.5mm under the cup in P7. Furthermore, PM-3 has a more comfortable fitment with a more relaxed (without sacrificing isolation) clamping force. P7 is not as picky about the source or the driving power.
PM-3 vs ATH-MSR7: MSR7 low end has a similar sub-/mid-bass balance but quantity is scaled down. Also, low end is not as articulate. Lower mids are thinner and upper mids are brighter and a little more detailed, though can get a bit harsher. Treble has a much better extension. Staging width/depth are a little better, but overall sound is thinner and less organic, while PM-3 is smoother and with a fuller body. MSR7 is very efficient, easy to drive, and not as picky about the source.
PM-3 vs W60: I know, I'm comparing IEMs to a full size HP, but I just had to add this one for a comparison due to Westone's smooth/warm signature. W60 has a very similar low end, and even some similarities in lower mids as well as treble extension where it also lacks airiness. The difference is in upper mids where W60 is slightly recessed, a little less detailed, and a little smoother. W60 also has a slightly wider/deeper soundstage. Both are picky about the source, though W60 doesn't require any amping.
I already mentioned that I found planar magnetic drivers to require some extra power in order to shine, something that not every source can provide on its own. Thus, here are some of the results testing PM-3 with different portable amplifiers and using Cayin N6 LO as a source.
With Cayin C5 (in low gain): excellent pair up, deep articulate bass, more clarity/details in mids, a little more airiness in treble, soundstage gets more 3D with improved width and depth, also I noticed an improvement in sound separation and imaging.
With FiiO E12A (in low gain): very similar improvement as with C5 (more articulate bass, more clarity and better retrieval of details), but soundstage is not as wide/deep as C5.
With Oppo HA-2 (in low gain): in this pair up the bass doesn't get deeper but becomes tighter and more articulate with a better definition. Mids are more detailed but still remain smooth, treble extension improves and you get more airiness.
In a summary, I like HA-2 pair up better because it doesn't affect sub-bass as much, tightens the bass overall, improves retrieval of details without making sound brighter or harsher. But it can't match C5 soundstage expansion.
With Note 4 vs Note 4/HA-2: HA-2 helps bass to become more articulate, tighter, faster/punchier, mids are clearer and more detailed, and even treble extension improves, becoming more airy.
Conclusion.
To say that I was impressed with PM-3 would be an understatement. Everything from a design to a comfort of fitment and its smooth neutral signature put a checkmark next to my headphone requirements. At the same time, it wasn't 100% perfect since connecting it directly to my laptop or my smartphone didn't bring their sound to a full potential and required usb DAC to kick it up a notch in order to bring out more details of upper mids. With majority of my DAPs, either with high power output or using high-gain setting, it was just a pleasure to use PM-3 in a portable on-the-go setup. But in general, it's not just a design and a sound that makes PM-3 so attractive, it's actually their pricing which puts them in a category with a lot of other dynamic headphones where Oppo definitely stands out from a crowd against most of it competition. For a portable (closed back) use, these are the most affordable full size headphones utilizing the cutting edge of planar magnetic driver design, and paired up with Oppo HA-2 portable headphone amplifier - this becomes one serious portable listening combo that can go head-to-head with a more expensive competition, as long as neutral-smooth sound signature with a great detail retrieval is your cup of tea!
samedi 15 août 2015
Is it possible to access files / pics via fastboot only?
Hello All,
I have following issue and hope that - if possible - someone can help me. I also would like to mention that I am not an
Android expert but did read a lot of articles here in the forum to find out - or better - to get an idea how things are working.
My Z3C had a water damage. Now I only get fastboot mode. Display is broken and does not show anything. I installed Android-SDK
to get ADB and Fastboot. I installed also drivers.
When I connect the device while pushing the "volume down" button the device manager show me a somc flash device with the "volume up" button I see an Android ADB Interface device. However ADB is not working (no device found) only Fastboot does.
I flashed the "Z3c_DooMLoRD_AdvStkKernel_v01_FW-105.img" with Flashtool via fastboot in the hope that I can somehow access
to "sdcard" by blindly navigating to "mount storage" but nothing seem to work.
On my linux device I see that the usb device is recognized but that it is not an mtp device.
Before I continue to spent hours without really knowing what I am doing I thought that if there is a solution I would find it here.
So if there is any way to get access to my files / pics on the device I would be really glad if someone can let me know how or
at least bring me to the right direction.
Thanks a lot in advance!
I have following issue and hope that - if possible - someone can help me. I also would like to mention that I am not an
Android expert but did read a lot of articles here in the forum to find out - or better - to get an idea how things are working.
My Z3C had a water damage. Now I only get fastboot mode. Display is broken and does not show anything. I installed Android-SDK
to get ADB and Fastboot. I installed also drivers.
When I connect the device while pushing the "volume down" button the device manager show me a somc flash device with the "volume up" button I see an Android ADB Interface device. However ADB is not working (no device found) only Fastboot does.
I flashed the "Z3c_DooMLoRD_AdvStkKernel_v01_FW-105.img" with Flashtool via fastboot in the hope that I can somehow access
to "sdcard" by blindly navigating to "mount storage" but nothing seem to work.
On my linux device I see that the usb device is recognized but that it is not an mtp device.
Before I continue to spent hours without really knowing what I am doing I thought that if there is a solution I would find it here.
So if there is any way to get access to my files / pics on the device I would be really glad if someone can let me know how or
at least bring me to the right direction.
Thanks a lot in advance!
samedi 1 août 2015
Better quality Facebook contact pics?
I know this is off topic but I tried to sync up Facebook with my contacts on XL and their profile pics are all very low quality/blurry. Is there any way to get a better quality for my contacts?
Thanks in advance!!!
Thanks in advance!!!
mardi 28 juillet 2015
Review of Audeze EL-8 Closed back planar magnetic portable headphones w/lots of pics!
This is a review of Audeze EL-8C closed back planar magnetic full size portable headphones: https://www.audeze.com/products/el-8...-8-closed-back
The lineup of popular audiophile headphones is filled with legendary names of companies that earned their reputation over decades of consistent flagship releases. There are no shortcuts to join that fraternity, unless you have something truly outstanding to offer right out of the gate. I wouldn't classify Audeze as a newcomer, but relative to other well known audiophile companies you might as well refer to them as one. That is why I find it to be amazing how much headway this company made in their 5+ years, joining the lineup of other audiophile dinosaurs. With my primary focus on portable headphones and audio sources, I haven't been covering as much full size cans unless I know it could be driven efficiently with a gear in my review collection, but that doesn't mean I haven't been lusting after one to review. So when I heard about the new line of Audeze products, EL-8 in open and closed back variation, and their spec favoring portable DAPs and even smartphones - I jumped at the chance to review one of their latest offerings with planar magnetic driver technology.
I was especially curious about the aspect of portable source requirement, either directly from a DAP or a smartphone and maybe with a portable amp, and of course I was interested how Audeze was able to scale down their flagship LCD design. Another decision I had to make was a choice between open back and closed back design. Without a doubt, open back design is the way to go if you're craving an expanded airy sound, but in my mind it defeats the purpose of "portable" use. The consequent action of an open back is a lack of sound isolation and significant sound leakage – in my opinion a total contradiction of portable sound definition where you can’t enjoy listening to a music without distracting others around you and by not being able to isolate yourself from other outside distractions. With all this in mind, I choose to review a closed back version of EL-8 which I will refer to as EL-8C. As a bonus, I was also offered an opportunity to test their new Class A amplifier/DAC, a debut product from Audeze under a model name "Deckard". Now without further ado here is my review of EL-8C and Deckard.
Arrived in a large box, I wasn't surprised since I already expected these headphones to be a plus size. After opening the box and flipping over the magnetic cover flap, I was looking at a folded flat solid design with two oversized metal earcups planted inside of a thick foam cutout including shaped foam pieces going inside of earcups. The first thought that crossed my mind, was it even necessary to have this level of drop protection for something that build like a tank? Apparently it is, and I learned my lesson about planar magnetic headphones where you are no longer dealing with a typical dynamic driver and now need to consider a super-thin diaphragm surrounded by an array of tiny neodymium magnets that create a magnetic field driving this transducer (driver). So no matter how solid EL-8C design appears to be - you need to avoid any drop shock which can damage its internal components. As a matter of fact, I was told that after the initial release, Audeze was diligent enough to go back and to re-enforce their packaging to make sure there are no hiccups during the shipping.
The flip cover of the box has its own storage under another nested flip cover where you find accessories, booklet, and a dated certificate of authenticity hand signed by one of the Audeze technicians. Honestly, I've never seen this level of attention [hand signature] before from any other product I reviewed in the past, and it definitely made my unboxing experience a lot more special. Regarding included accessories, you will find a detachable cable, 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter, and a soft drawstring storage pouch. There is nothing special about the adapter, though it has a nice rubbery grip. Storage pouch is not really intended for a durable headphone protection but rather as scratch and dust shield. I did confirm that Slappa Full Sized hard body Pro case fits EL-8C snuggly and secure, though you can't flip earcups flat. It would have been nice for Audeze to come up with their own hard shell case to take full advantage of fold flat design of these headphones.
I will talk more about the cable a little bit later, but do think that for the price of these headphones it would have been nice to include a second set with a shorter cable and mobile controls. The original included flat cable is rather long at 2m, and considering a suggested mobile application of EL-8C, in my opinion it would have been a good idea to include a bonus 1.3m cable with a universal inline remote/mic with a single control button for Play/Pause/Call to accommodate both iOS and Android users. Audeze already offers as an add-on Apple specific (3-button including volume control), Astell & Kern (2.5mm balanced) and Pono/Sony PHA-3 (dual 3.5mm balanced) cables, so including a shorter universal 3.5mm smart cable would have made sense to complete this rather modest accessory package.
EL-8C unboxing and accessories.
I was a little bit surprised with Audeze decision to use flat cable, but do have to admit it has a nice durable shielding, decent strain relief, and a small rubbery y-splitter. Flat cable is typically tangle free and easy to manage, especially when you are dealing with 2m length, but at the same time it contributes to a little bit of microphonics effects which I found in this case. Nothing too extreme or distracting, though you will notice it a bit, especially when music is idling. Of course, the star of this cable is the connector.
Resembling a shape of apple's "lightning" connector, it has a total of 8 contacts (4 on each side, a secure attachment (actually requires a bit of force to pull it out), and a safety disengagement if extra pulling force is applied to avoid damage of the cable and equipment attached to it. Each connector is labeled with corresponding L/R marking, and the inner blade of the connector is keyed so you can't plug it flipped.
EL-8C cable.
When it comes to a design, Audeze had a helping hand from Designworks - A BMW Group Company. Thus it wasn’t a surprise to me these headphones have a solid masculine design with a touch of "warmth" in a form of a wood veneer accent. I always joke with my friends who drive bimmers about spartan interior design where there is a touch of wood trim just to make it appear more "luxurious" which sometime feels out of place. I know, it's all a matter of a personal taste, but I would have preferred all black design to complement bold look of these full size headphones.
Weighting exactly 500g (according to my digital scale) and another 40g for the cable, EL-8C is the heaviest headphones I have tested, thanks to its all metal construction and planar magnetic drivers. But despite their weight, I found EL-8C to be very comfortable to wear for extended period of time. A plush cushioning of earpads (never got warm) and inner headband's suspended "bridge" make this weight to be distributed without uncomfortable pressure points – definitely a well thought of ergonomic design. Protecting a spring-loaded suspended inner soft cushioning of headband, outside of it is a solid steel band with a decent clamping force. To make it more comfortable, during my week-long burn in of these headphones I kept EL-8C over a soccer ball to stretch the headband. Clamping force became a lot more tolerable, and sound isolation still remained excellent.
The headband height adjustment is well controlled with a precise click action. Attached to a headband at a joint that swings 180deg (flipping earcups flat on either side), you have a metal half-yoke attached at a single point to earcup which also provides a degree of tilt for adjustment around your ears and head. Back of earcups is all metal, where the inner round piece has a brushed surface finish. Wood veneer piece only goes around the edge perimeter of earcups. Earpads are marshmallow soft with a very nice cushioning and angled shape, sloped up toward the back of your head behind your ears for a better seal and isolation. The 100mm driver size and a large earcup design provides plenty of room for earpads opening which is deep enough to encapsulate your ears completely.
Overall, I'm a bit on a fence classifying EL-8C as truly portable headphones. They are definitely bigger than some of my other 40mm/45mm/53mm full size headphones, though I'm also aware they are not as big as some other planar magnetic headphones. Wearing them around a neck is out of the question, and walking with them for extended period of time will start to feel uncomfortable since 500g of weight is not exactly feather light. Their closed back design and relatively slim footprint (in comparison to other planar magnetic cans) should make them a good candidate for use in the office or maybe during extended commute. But I would personally use them at home, sitting comfortably on the couch rather than dragging them outdoors.
EL-8C design details.
I always feel there are so many sound shaping options when it comes to in-ear headphones, everything from selection of dynamic vs balanced armature drivers or the hybrid combination of both, more common replacement cables, eartip "tip rolling", and so on. With full size headphones you don't have the same luxury, especially when it comes to drivers. But one technology has been making a lot of headways lately - planar magnetics. The principle behind this technology is almost 40 years old and has been seen in other headphones and speaker releases under "orthodynamic" and "electrostatic" names in the past. It evolved over years to a more portable consumer friendly design thanks to thinner diaphragms, smaller magnetic elements, higher efficiency, etc. I will not go into details of the history behind evolution of planar magnetic drivers, but would highly recommend reading of Tyll's excellent article about it: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content...pJ43xJHmiW6.97. Audeze also played an important role with their innovations, specific to EL-8 models with a patent pending Fluxor Magnetic Structure (increasing magnetic flux density to reduce the weight and to improve efficiency) and new Fazor elements and Uniforce diaphragm (improvement in planar magnetic design to reduce distortion and to improve resolution and imaging), all of which you can read about in more details here: https://www.audeze.com/technology/engineering.
There is definitely a lot of info to read about the technology behind the design of Audeze EL-8C 100mm planar magnetic drivers that can handle up to a whooping 15W of power (though for a brief 200ms period), with an optimal power requirements of 200mW to 4W and ultra wideband 10Hz-50kHz frequency response. But at the end of the day I treat any audio gear as a black box where the only thing that counts is the SOUND. I already mentioned that I focus more on portable audio gear, and Audeze made it clear that EL-8C has low 30ohm impedance which can be driven by any portable source, including smartphones, but they also truthfully mentioned that use of external amplifier will produce better results. If you look at their efficiently of 100dB/1mW, this will already give you a clue that you will have to push your volume higher than your typical portable headphones.
Was I able to drive EL-8C from my Galaxy Note 4 smartphone? Sure, without a problem, but I had to push volume to the max and found performance to be on a weaker side. Driving it from HO of my laptop was not a problem and it was loud enough, though a sound wasn’t as resolving due to poor quality of ThinkPad built-in audio interface. I also found that it wasn't really necessary to drive EL-8C from a hefty desktop tube amp, and it had a great synergy even with my portable amplifiers. Along with EL-8/C, Audeze also released their own Deckard desktop amp which I'm going to talk about at the end of my review, but do want to mention that synergy with that amp was really good!
If you are craving a portable stack up to take with you on the road with EL-8C, I found a great solution to make it happen. I have a large number of DAPs in my review collection and went through all of them trying to figure out which one will have a better synergy with these headphones. Prior to that I also tried my Note 4 and to my surprise found sound to be rather smooth but lacking energy, being more on a dry side, and obviously not having enough juice to drive EL-8C to a higher volume. With my other DAPs, using AK120ii, X5ii, QA360, N6, and LP5, I found a better synergy using N6 and LP5 due to their powerful amp section being able to bring EL-8C sound to LIFE with greater dynamics, better low end texture, improved retrieval of details, and smoother upper mids and treble performance. Unfortunately, limited GUI of LP5 and lack of EQ was a deal breaker in this particular case, so I chose Cayin N6 as my best available option to drive EL-8C. Here is my assessment of EL-8C sound analysis straight out of N6 headphone output.
After 200 hrs of burn in (don't jump into conclusion about their brightness until you put it through a burn in pace, it will get smoother!!!), I hear EL-8C as having a neutral-bright signature with a highly revealing sound that has an excellent retrieval of details (on micro-detail level) without crossing a threshold of harsh analytical sig.
Low end has a great extension down to a sub-bass, but its best described in terms of quality rather than quantity. It's slightly north of neutral level, and it greatly benefits from bass boost (more about it later). Mid-bass has a fast punch, and slams with an authority, but at the same time it's well controlled with a surgical precision separation from lower mids.
Lower mids are on a thinner side which takes away a little bit from a body of a sound. Upper mids are bright, crisp, detailed, close to smooth-analytical level. They are pushed slightly forward, in some songs even overpowering low end. With mids being brighter and more analytical, vocals loose a little bit of their organic natural feeling and sound a tad dry.
Treble has fantastic extension, bright, and crisp. At the same time, I'm not sensing any sibilance even considering a slightly mid-forward bright nature of the sound. It's not even harsh or grainy, just a fantastic bright detailed sound.
Depth of soundstage is slightly above the average while the width is phenomenal, expanded way above average to the right/left. Separation and layering effect is excellent, you can easily distinguish and pick every instrument, even in complicated music passages. Due to a wide staging the positioning/imaging is also excellent. I wouldn't call it having a 3D placement, I think closed back design holds it a little back (with slight depth limitation which affects accuracy a bit), but for a closed back headphones it still sounds very good! Just don't expect the same airiness effect as you would find in open back design, something I'm sure EL-8 open back nails with flying colors.
Overall, I was happy with a wide-bandwidth detailed sound of EL-8C from N6, but still felt like I didn't push it to their full potential. Next step was to try it with portable external amplifiers, and I looked into my go-to FiiO E12A and Cayin C5. E12A pair up was OK but not as tight as I expected, after all - it's designed for IEMs. But once I paired up N6 with C5 - I honestly couldn't believe my ears!!! This Cayin stack took EL-8C performance to a whole new level! I heard improvement in dynamics of the sound, low end got tighter and better defined, upper mids became smoother, and width/depth/height of soundstage expanded noticeably (especially depth, still closer to intimate side but with addition of 3D imaging). The most impressive improvement happened when I turned on bass-boost - it literally changed neutral bright sound signature into a more balanced smoother warmer sound with a powerful sub-bass rumble, a tighter mid-bass punch, and more body in lower mids. This change brought a more organic feeling to a sound especially when it comes to vocals. In comparison, E12A also has a bass boost but it affects a narrower band of mid-bass while C5 has a wider bandwidth boost covering sub-bass and some lower mids. After experiencing N6+C5 stack up driving EL-8C, I can't imagine driving it with any other source I have now, except maybe with Deckard which also delivered a smooth and warm sound, though it was more transparent relative to a source without too much coloring. If given a choice, for my own personal taste I prefer C5 bass-boost coloring all the way!
Cayin N6+C5 stack up with EL-8C
Since this is my first pair of planar magnetic headphones, I don't have any other ones with a same driver technology for comparison, though I'm planning to look into reviewing and comparing similar offerings from Oppo and HiFiMAN. In a meantime, I wanted to do a quick comparison with a few of my other favorite full size headphones, using EL-8C straight out of N6 HO without "coloration" of C5 enhancement.
EL-8C vs MSR7 - MSR7 has a little deeper sub-bass with more quantity, similar mid-bass punch, warmer lower mids with more body, upper mids are a little less detailed (not the same level of smooth micro-details), and treble with a similar extension but not as smooth as EL-8C. Also, MSR7 soundstage is more intimate in comparison, while EL-8C sounds wider.
EL-8C vs R70x - R70x sound is warmer and a little more balanced, sub-bass and mid-bass have a lot of similarities though not as tight and detailed, mids are thicker, warmer, pushed a little bit back and with less details in comparison. Also, R70x treble doesn't have the same level of extension as EL-8C. Surprisingly, closed back EL-8C had a lot of similarities in soundstage characteristics with an open back R70x, though airiness of R70x has its advantage.
EL-8C vs HP150 - HP150 has a more elevated sub-bass, similar punchy mid-bass, similar thinner lower mids, while upper mids are not as detailed and also warmer and smoother. Treble has a nice extension, but not on a same detailed level as EL-8C. Also, HP150 soundstage doesn't have the same level of width/depth.
Throughout this testing I was especially impressed with how closed back EL-8C performed in comparison to open back ATH-R70x.
Overall Summary.
It’s very exciting to get a chance to test a piece of a new technology, especially when you hear so much about it discussed in audiophile communities. I don’t have much experience, yet, with other planar magnetic headphones, and I can’t compare EL-8C to Audeze flagship LCD series. But I can tell you with certainty that in a right setup these headphones shine with a sound quality like I have never experienced before. Here, Audeze offers an amazing opportunity to take a planar magnetic technology with you on the go in beautifully crafted and durably built closed back headphones that isolate you from outside world while you submerge yourself into the spacious ocean of sounds filled with micro-details and smooth neutral tonality. You can accept this experience as is or enhance it with a slight warm coloring that can transform a sound into a new balanced dimension. Definitely a great audiophile quality product at a consumer friendly price!
The lineup of popular audiophile headphones is filled with legendary names of companies that earned their reputation over decades of consistent flagship releases. There are no shortcuts to join that fraternity, unless you have something truly outstanding to offer right out of the gate. I wouldn't classify Audeze as a newcomer, but relative to other well known audiophile companies you might as well refer to them as one. That is why I find it to be amazing how much headway this company made in their 5+ years, joining the lineup of other audiophile dinosaurs. With my primary focus on portable headphones and audio sources, I haven't been covering as much full size cans unless I know it could be driven efficiently with a gear in my review collection, but that doesn't mean I haven't been lusting after one to review. So when I heard about the new line of Audeze products, EL-8 in open and closed back variation, and their spec favoring portable DAPs and even smartphones - I jumped at the chance to review one of their latest offerings with planar magnetic driver technology.
I was especially curious about the aspect of portable source requirement, either directly from a DAP or a smartphone and maybe with a portable amp, and of course I was interested how Audeze was able to scale down their flagship LCD design. Another decision I had to make was a choice between open back and closed back design. Without a doubt, open back design is the way to go if you're craving an expanded airy sound, but in my mind it defeats the purpose of "portable" use. The consequent action of an open back is a lack of sound isolation and significant sound leakage – in my opinion a total contradiction of portable sound definition where you can’t enjoy listening to a music without distracting others around you and by not being able to isolate yourself from other outside distractions. With all this in mind, I choose to review a closed back version of EL-8 which I will refer to as EL-8C. As a bonus, I was also offered an opportunity to test their new Class A amplifier/DAC, a debut product from Audeze under a model name "Deckard". Now without further ado here is my review of EL-8C and Deckard.
Arrived in a large box, I wasn't surprised since I already expected these headphones to be a plus size. After opening the box and flipping over the magnetic cover flap, I was looking at a folded flat solid design with two oversized metal earcups planted inside of a thick foam cutout including shaped foam pieces going inside of earcups. The first thought that crossed my mind, was it even necessary to have this level of drop protection for something that build like a tank? Apparently it is, and I learned my lesson about planar magnetic headphones where you are no longer dealing with a typical dynamic driver and now need to consider a super-thin diaphragm surrounded by an array of tiny neodymium magnets that create a magnetic field driving this transducer (driver). So no matter how solid EL-8C design appears to be - you need to avoid any drop shock which can damage its internal components. As a matter of fact, I was told that after the initial release, Audeze was diligent enough to go back and to re-enforce their packaging to make sure there are no hiccups during the shipping.
The flip cover of the box has its own storage under another nested flip cover where you find accessories, booklet, and a dated certificate of authenticity hand signed by one of the Audeze technicians. Honestly, I've never seen this level of attention [hand signature] before from any other product I reviewed in the past, and it definitely made my unboxing experience a lot more special. Regarding included accessories, you will find a detachable cable, 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter, and a soft drawstring storage pouch. There is nothing special about the adapter, though it has a nice rubbery grip. Storage pouch is not really intended for a durable headphone protection but rather as scratch and dust shield. I did confirm that Slappa Full Sized hard body Pro case fits EL-8C snuggly and secure, though you can't flip earcups flat. It would have been nice for Audeze to come up with their own hard shell case to take full advantage of fold flat design of these headphones.
I will talk more about the cable a little bit later, but do think that for the price of these headphones it would have been nice to include a second set with a shorter cable and mobile controls. The original included flat cable is rather long at 2m, and considering a suggested mobile application of EL-8C, in my opinion it would have been a good idea to include a bonus 1.3m cable with a universal inline remote/mic with a single control button for Play/Pause/Call to accommodate both iOS and Android users. Audeze already offers as an add-on Apple specific (3-button including volume control), Astell & Kern (2.5mm balanced) and Pono/Sony PHA-3 (dual 3.5mm balanced) cables, so including a shorter universal 3.5mm smart cable would have made sense to complete this rather modest accessory package.
EL-8C unboxing and accessories.
I was a little bit surprised with Audeze decision to use flat cable, but do have to admit it has a nice durable shielding, decent strain relief, and a small rubbery y-splitter. Flat cable is typically tangle free and easy to manage, especially when you are dealing with 2m length, but at the same time it contributes to a little bit of microphonics effects which I found in this case. Nothing too extreme or distracting, though you will notice it a bit, especially when music is idling. Of course, the star of this cable is the connector.
Resembling a shape of apple's "lightning" connector, it has a total of 8 contacts (4 on each side, a secure attachment (actually requires a bit of force to pull it out), and a safety disengagement if extra pulling force is applied to avoid damage of the cable and equipment attached to it. Each connector is labeled with corresponding L/R marking, and the inner blade of the connector is keyed so you can't plug it flipped.
EL-8C cable.
When it comes to a design, Audeze had a helping hand from Designworks - A BMW Group Company. Thus it wasn’t a surprise to me these headphones have a solid masculine design with a touch of "warmth" in a form of a wood veneer accent. I always joke with my friends who drive bimmers about spartan interior design where there is a touch of wood trim just to make it appear more "luxurious" which sometime feels out of place. I know, it's all a matter of a personal taste, but I would have preferred all black design to complement bold look of these full size headphones.
Weighting exactly 500g (according to my digital scale) and another 40g for the cable, EL-8C is the heaviest headphones I have tested, thanks to its all metal construction and planar magnetic drivers. But despite their weight, I found EL-8C to be very comfortable to wear for extended period of time. A plush cushioning of earpads (never got warm) and inner headband's suspended "bridge" make this weight to be distributed without uncomfortable pressure points – definitely a well thought of ergonomic design. Protecting a spring-loaded suspended inner soft cushioning of headband, outside of it is a solid steel band with a decent clamping force. To make it more comfortable, during my week-long burn in of these headphones I kept EL-8C over a soccer ball to stretch the headband. Clamping force became a lot more tolerable, and sound isolation still remained excellent.
The headband height adjustment is well controlled with a precise click action. Attached to a headband at a joint that swings 180deg (flipping earcups flat on either side), you have a metal half-yoke attached at a single point to earcup which also provides a degree of tilt for adjustment around your ears and head. Back of earcups is all metal, where the inner round piece has a brushed surface finish. Wood veneer piece only goes around the edge perimeter of earcups. Earpads are marshmallow soft with a very nice cushioning and angled shape, sloped up toward the back of your head behind your ears for a better seal and isolation. The 100mm driver size and a large earcup design provides plenty of room for earpads opening which is deep enough to encapsulate your ears completely.
Overall, I'm a bit on a fence classifying EL-8C as truly portable headphones. They are definitely bigger than some of my other 40mm/45mm/53mm full size headphones, though I'm also aware they are not as big as some other planar magnetic headphones. Wearing them around a neck is out of the question, and walking with them for extended period of time will start to feel uncomfortable since 500g of weight is not exactly feather light. Their closed back design and relatively slim footprint (in comparison to other planar magnetic cans) should make them a good candidate for use in the office or maybe during extended commute. But I would personally use them at home, sitting comfortably on the couch rather than dragging them outdoors.
EL-8C design details.
I always feel there are so many sound shaping options when it comes to in-ear headphones, everything from selection of dynamic vs balanced armature drivers or the hybrid combination of both, more common replacement cables, eartip "tip rolling", and so on. With full size headphones you don't have the same luxury, especially when it comes to drivers. But one technology has been making a lot of headways lately - planar magnetics. The principle behind this technology is almost 40 years old and has been seen in other headphones and speaker releases under "orthodynamic" and "electrostatic" names in the past. It evolved over years to a more portable consumer friendly design thanks to thinner diaphragms, smaller magnetic elements, higher efficiency, etc. I will not go into details of the history behind evolution of planar magnetic drivers, but would highly recommend reading of Tyll's excellent article about it: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content...pJ43xJHmiW6.97. Audeze also played an important role with their innovations, specific to EL-8 models with a patent pending Fluxor Magnetic Structure (increasing magnetic flux density to reduce the weight and to improve efficiency) and new Fazor elements and Uniforce diaphragm (improvement in planar magnetic design to reduce distortion and to improve resolution and imaging), all of which you can read about in more details here: https://www.audeze.com/technology/engineering.
There is definitely a lot of info to read about the technology behind the design of Audeze EL-8C 100mm planar magnetic drivers that can handle up to a whooping 15W of power (though for a brief 200ms period), with an optimal power requirements of 200mW to 4W and ultra wideband 10Hz-50kHz frequency response. But at the end of the day I treat any audio gear as a black box where the only thing that counts is the SOUND. I already mentioned that I focus more on portable audio gear, and Audeze made it clear that EL-8C has low 30ohm impedance which can be driven by any portable source, including smartphones, but they also truthfully mentioned that use of external amplifier will produce better results. If you look at their efficiently of 100dB/1mW, this will already give you a clue that you will have to push your volume higher than your typical portable headphones.
Was I able to drive EL-8C from my Galaxy Note 4 smartphone? Sure, without a problem, but I had to push volume to the max and found performance to be on a weaker side. Driving it from HO of my laptop was not a problem and it was loud enough, though a sound wasn’t as resolving due to poor quality of ThinkPad built-in audio interface. I also found that it wasn't really necessary to drive EL-8C from a hefty desktop tube amp, and it had a great synergy even with my portable amplifiers. Along with EL-8/C, Audeze also released their own Deckard desktop amp which I'm going to talk about at the end of my review, but do want to mention that synergy with that amp was really good!
If you are craving a portable stack up to take with you on the road with EL-8C, I found a great solution to make it happen. I have a large number of DAPs in my review collection and went through all of them trying to figure out which one will have a better synergy with these headphones. Prior to that I also tried my Note 4 and to my surprise found sound to be rather smooth but lacking energy, being more on a dry side, and obviously not having enough juice to drive EL-8C to a higher volume. With my other DAPs, using AK120ii, X5ii, QA360, N6, and LP5, I found a better synergy using N6 and LP5 due to their powerful amp section being able to bring EL-8C sound to LIFE with greater dynamics, better low end texture, improved retrieval of details, and smoother upper mids and treble performance. Unfortunately, limited GUI of LP5 and lack of EQ was a deal breaker in this particular case, so I chose Cayin N6 as my best available option to drive EL-8C. Here is my assessment of EL-8C sound analysis straight out of N6 headphone output.
After 200 hrs of burn in (don't jump into conclusion about their brightness until you put it through a burn in pace, it will get smoother!!!), I hear EL-8C as having a neutral-bright signature with a highly revealing sound that has an excellent retrieval of details (on micro-detail level) without crossing a threshold of harsh analytical sig.
Low end has a great extension down to a sub-bass, but its best described in terms of quality rather than quantity. It's slightly north of neutral level, and it greatly benefits from bass boost (more about it later). Mid-bass has a fast punch, and slams with an authority, but at the same time it's well controlled with a surgical precision separation from lower mids.
Lower mids are on a thinner side which takes away a little bit from a body of a sound. Upper mids are bright, crisp, detailed, close to smooth-analytical level. They are pushed slightly forward, in some songs even overpowering low end. With mids being brighter and more analytical, vocals loose a little bit of their organic natural feeling and sound a tad dry.
Treble has fantastic extension, bright, and crisp. At the same time, I'm not sensing any sibilance even considering a slightly mid-forward bright nature of the sound. It's not even harsh or grainy, just a fantastic bright detailed sound.
Depth of soundstage is slightly above the average while the width is phenomenal, expanded way above average to the right/left. Separation and layering effect is excellent, you can easily distinguish and pick every instrument, even in complicated music passages. Due to a wide staging the positioning/imaging is also excellent. I wouldn't call it having a 3D placement, I think closed back design holds it a little back (with slight depth limitation which affects accuracy a bit), but for a closed back headphones it still sounds very good! Just don't expect the same airiness effect as you would find in open back design, something I'm sure EL-8 open back nails with flying colors.
Overall, I was happy with a wide-bandwidth detailed sound of EL-8C from N6, but still felt like I didn't push it to their full potential. Next step was to try it with portable external amplifiers, and I looked into my go-to FiiO E12A and Cayin C5. E12A pair up was OK but not as tight as I expected, after all - it's designed for IEMs. But once I paired up N6 with C5 - I honestly couldn't believe my ears!!! This Cayin stack took EL-8C performance to a whole new level! I heard improvement in dynamics of the sound, low end got tighter and better defined, upper mids became smoother, and width/depth/height of soundstage expanded noticeably (especially depth, still closer to intimate side but with addition of 3D imaging). The most impressive improvement happened when I turned on bass-boost - it literally changed neutral bright sound signature into a more balanced smoother warmer sound with a powerful sub-bass rumble, a tighter mid-bass punch, and more body in lower mids. This change brought a more organic feeling to a sound especially when it comes to vocals. In comparison, E12A also has a bass boost but it affects a narrower band of mid-bass while C5 has a wider bandwidth boost covering sub-bass and some lower mids. After experiencing N6+C5 stack up driving EL-8C, I can't imagine driving it with any other source I have now, except maybe with Deckard which also delivered a smooth and warm sound, though it was more transparent relative to a source without too much coloring. If given a choice, for my own personal taste I prefer C5 bass-boost coloring all the way!
Cayin N6+C5 stack up with EL-8C
Since this is my first pair of planar magnetic headphones, I don't have any other ones with a same driver technology for comparison, though I'm planning to look into reviewing and comparing similar offerings from Oppo and HiFiMAN. In a meantime, I wanted to do a quick comparison with a few of my other favorite full size headphones, using EL-8C straight out of N6 HO without "coloration" of C5 enhancement.
EL-8C vs MSR7 - MSR7 has a little deeper sub-bass with more quantity, similar mid-bass punch, warmer lower mids with more body, upper mids are a little less detailed (not the same level of smooth micro-details), and treble with a similar extension but not as smooth as EL-8C. Also, MSR7 soundstage is more intimate in comparison, while EL-8C sounds wider.
EL-8C vs R70x - R70x sound is warmer and a little more balanced, sub-bass and mid-bass have a lot of similarities though not as tight and detailed, mids are thicker, warmer, pushed a little bit back and with less details in comparison. Also, R70x treble doesn't have the same level of extension as EL-8C. Surprisingly, closed back EL-8C had a lot of similarities in soundstage characteristics with an open back R70x, though airiness of R70x has its advantage.
EL-8C vs HP150 - HP150 has a more elevated sub-bass, similar punchy mid-bass, similar thinner lower mids, while upper mids are not as detailed and also warmer and smoother. Treble has a nice extension, but not on a same detailed level as EL-8C. Also, HP150 soundstage doesn't have the same level of width/depth.
Throughout this testing I was especially impressed with how closed back EL-8C performed in comparison to open back ATH-R70x.
Overall Summary.
It’s very exciting to get a chance to test a piece of a new technology, especially when you hear so much about it discussed in audiophile communities. I don’t have much experience, yet, with other planar magnetic headphones, and I can’t compare EL-8C to Audeze flagship LCD series. But I can tell you with certainty that in a right setup these headphones shine with a sound quality like I have never experienced before. Here, Audeze offers an amazing opportunity to take a planar magnetic technology with you on the go in beautifully crafted and durably built closed back headphones that isolate you from outside world while you submerge yourself into the spacious ocean of sounds filled with micro-details and smooth neutral tonality. You can accept this experience as is or enhance it with a slight warm coloring that can transform a sound into a new balanced dimension. Definitely a great audiophile quality product at a consumer friendly price!
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