I can see it being neutral bright, which if you remember is what I have been looking for and why I enjoyed the Sundara so much. I find it more comfortable than my 600 ohms as well honestly… idk something about that head clamp imbalancement threw me off a bit. I do love my 990s but I just overall enjoy the 1990s a lot more.
can already say you’ll prolly like the 1990s better than the PM-50s. If you like the brighter / clearer sound sig the PM-50s will throw you for a loop. They’re not super clear and go for a more comforting / full / musical sound than the beyers that I have. Then again I don’t have 1990s so I might just be mouthing off for no reason.
Lemme know what you think after a day of wearing them 
I will be sure to scream AHH MY EARS for the hell of it. Nah I am sure they will be fine and I look forward to giving them a good listen.
Also, fair warning, they definitely have a break in time of at least two days of full listening. I’m a week in and I’m still adjusting. The pads finally got fully comfortable two days ago (like no fatigue / issues wearing them at all). Same with the sound. I find myself reaching for these constantly instead of my Sundaras for almost any song. Prolly cause I like their signature more, which is all personal preference.
Thats fine, I wanted to give each of these at least a 2 day trial period anyway. I know normal burn ins say like 150 hours or some crap but if I use it for 48 hours and I still am not a fan? probably not gonna be the biggest fan after that burn in period either.
Fair enough. After a day of listening I’d say they are judgeable. I wouldn’t say anything before 24 hours had elapsed though.
Imma say again, if you’re looking for a super detailed, crystalline clear headphone, these ain’t it. They are just fucking pleasant to listen to. I can’t wait till I get a real tube amp to drive them. Again, lemme know if you think the same or just think they’re a muddy uncomfortable pos.
lol oh trust me I will be more than glad to let you know how I feel if it’s a pos but I feel thats unlikely… okay you know what no i take that back cause price definitely does not determine quality in this damn hobby. If those are a muddy uncomfortable pos the company needs smacked upside the head for messing up a good pair of planars priced at $500
hahaha, yea. If they were muddy pos’s then I’d prolly hate them too. But I can also see how someone could jump to that conclusion. All depends on preference. I truly believe these are capable headphones for the price (and would gladly pay it again), but there are people who I’m pretty sure would say they are shite because they aren’t the most analytical headphones ever created by man. These cans specifically might be an interesting pill to swallow for some. However, if you like them, I think you’ll really like them.
Also I like how we have two different conversations going in two different threads lol.
I think the two I am currently contemplating the most would be the pm-50s and the Edition xx which ive seen is considered superior to Sundara. The aeons are… definitely different… its the first headphone I will have tried that instead of “pad swapping” the actual pads they give you little inserts that just outright change the sound to your preference plus I do like their design its pretty unique… Looking forward to it… i’ve read for those its a pretty unique sound like a Neutral more catered towards a V signature so I definitely want to sit down and give those some time.
Yea. I definitely want to get my hands on a pair of Dan Clark Audio’s gear. Whether that’s an Ether or an Aeon Open I still don’t know, but they are definitely on the list. I also still have to hear an LCD-X/3 and an Arya at least once before I get another open back planar.
Still don’t know what signature I prefer. The only hints I have are as neutral as possilbe, good dynamics, and slightly warm from the PM-50s and the hardware I have. We’ll see if that holds true when I get a shot at sampling higher end stuff when this shitshow of COVID is over.
I have decided I’d rather an Ananda than an Edition XX already, but that’s prolly premature to actually hearing them lol. I just hate the 4XX headband design. Especially for a headphone that expensive.
I couldnt stand the 400i as the midline was to pronounced front faced and aggressive I felt it overtook most of its sound in most cases. The he4xx I read being somewhat better but was similar… the Sundara was the one that completely blew me away by not only fixing that but taking it a step further. Personally I love V signature as long as its not to potent at the same time I love Neutral yet I am not a big fan of flat. I cant stand some headphones with some dark to them it just didnt sound right to me probably cause it was like a neutral dark sound… meanwhile I love neutral bright its probably my favorite. Neutral with slight V would be very interesting though. Not sure on the overall signature of the pm-50 but you said it has a warmth to it… which will be interesting. each of these headphones sound diff just boils down to finding what I really enjoy most. I had to have the nighthawk carbon its regarded as like one of the best in class of the warmer headphones. I did consider the Ether but I wasn’t sure on them and they are way outside my budget
So another small update, ZMF Ori is 70 x 50 mmm, the ZMF Universe is 71 x 56 mm, the ZMF Eikon is 72 x 51 mm, and the Brainwavz Angled Hybrids is 70mm x 40mm . Depending on when you get your ear measurements, these options could also be something to consider.
The Brainwavz is a tight fit on the ring, it just barely fits, you have to be careful to stretch it out to put it on or just use double sided tape and call it a day. I felt these had a slight sound stage increase and a slight mid bass increase.
I felt that the three ZMF types all had a bit smaller and more intimate sound stage, sharper imaging, and sounds a tad bit closer overall. The perforated Lambskin and Suede all increased the treble from stock. I found the bass to be a bit softer and maybe a bit more messy on the Ori and Eikon.
Of the ZMF grouping, I felt Universe was the best choice for me, the bass was still the same, just some more treble.
Of the pad swaps so far if I had to swap I would lean with the Brainwavz Angled Hybrids or the Dekoni Elite Hybrids if you wanted to retain the original sound the most. Probably the Sheepskin if you wanted a warmer approach to it.
Hmm… I have never been a huge fan of “hybrids” cause I don’t like the feel of them just in general. The 400i had that form of hybrid and good lord did I hate them lmao. However I would be tempted to try the sheepskin. I have an order of perforated from brainwavz like I said but I am pretty sure they are in shipping hell as it’s been 6 days now and they still have yet to ship. If you have the perfs and can try those too do let me know as I am curious… I bought the perfs because it’s a type I tend to like and I wanted to test them out on a different headphone however at this rate I may never get to do that anytime soon due to this damned virus. Thank you so much for the information though! As far as reducing the sound stage that’s not very ideal for me… I like a wide sound stage and good bass.
I currently do not have a pair of perforated leather to try.
The Dekoni Elite Hybrids for Hifiman headphones are generally recommended as the best comfort option while keeping close to the original sound for the Sundara. Also, not all hybrids are made the same. Dekoni sews a tighter weave compared to Brainwaves, for example; this is why BW Hybrids suck and make my ears itch while Dekoni Elite Hybrids feel real nice.
Haven’t bought any dekoni yet… Probably should look more into them. I did get a brainwavz perforate though which aren’t to shabby. Will definitely take your word on the elite hybrids being real good though as dekoni gets a lot of recommendations
Anyone got an opinion on the Oppo Pm3s or THX Pandas? Haven’t auditioned them was wondering how they sound. Going to throw the argon mk3 in here too since IIRC thats a planar as well.
I have a pair of PM3s and with the BrainWaves pleathers they sound Neutral boring but with some Treble harshness. I can’t remember how they sound with stock pads but I’d imagine they had the same problems and not as comfy. Z did a review on them and he didn’t give them a favorable review. I currently have them on BW Angled Sheepskins and it warms up the treble, adds body and soundstage. Still, compared to my MMX300s, my PM3s sound tiny and metallic. I wouldn’t recommend them but Zeos hyped up the Pandas so of course I snagged a pair of those. We’ll see if they are a marked improvement over the PM3s.
hmm, good to know on the pm3 thanks for the insight. Do let me know what you think on the Pandas. I did think of the mmx300s but I already own an amp and dac as well as a ModMic for my setup so I don’t feel I really need an actual headset
Hey there, I just wanted to toss in my two cents. If you have the Sundaras but aren’t a big fan of how small the pads are. If you get yourself a set of the rings like other have suggested. The newer Dekoni Padz Jerzee feels pretty much exactly like the fabric on the stock focus pads. The Jerzee pads for beyerdynamic also fit perfectly on hifiman rings. Gives you a larger opening around your ears and deeper pad so your ears will be less likely to touch the inside. If you like the feel of the fabric on the stock focus pads I highly recommend you try them out.
A second option which is what I’ve personally done with my Sundaras is if you have access to a 3D printer you can print more traditional pad rings. There’s several files already on Thingiverse. I took one that was for 104mm round which is flush with the outer housing and modified it to be 110mm diameter for Brainwavz XL pads and Dekoni premium Audeze pads. I personally use Brainwavz XL perforated pads on my Sundaras, but I have Dekoni Choice(leather & suede) angled audeze pads which both work well, I just prefer the Brainwavz for extended use, they don’t get as warm on my ears.
Edit: I forgot to mention, anyone who joined the HarmonicDyne Helios indiegogo campaign and also opted to get the 10 sets of pads, all of those pads fit perfectly on hifiman rings. There’s two sets of pads in that bundle that work really well with sundaras, the round perforated pads with oval ear openings. One is all protein leather, the other is more like the focus pad where it’s protein leather outer walls with a microsuede like fabric upper that sits against your face.
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