By Stephen Hornbrook on March 16, 2015 in Reference HT Reviews The PM-3 is Oppo’s third planar magnetic headphone, following the PM-1 and PM-2. Unlike the PM-1 and PM-2, the Oppo PM-3 is a closed back design. Not only is outside noise reduced, allowing more of the music to be heard, music leakage from the headphone is also limited. The Oppo PM-3 utilizes a new 55mm round planar magnetic driver featuring much of the technologies pioneered in the PM-1. The lightweight yet durable 7-layer diaphragm and strong Neodymium magnets play a key role in the PM-3’s weight reduction and in turn...
As a lot you know the ABTEC Petone Showroom has been open for 2 years now, but to be honest it feels like it only opened a couple of months ago. So in celebration to this milestone (And the fact ABTEC just turned 22 years old!) I thought I’d write up a little update on how the shop has grown and been updated in the last year. So much has happened over what feels like such a small amount of time that I better start somewhat from the beginning, so lets start with the Showroom! But before talk about the...
It’s that time again, time for the V 4 & Rotary Jamboree Sounds Alive & Extreme Bass Battle Sound Off March 2015 Update! Its hard to believe its been a whole year since I have last competed at a Sound Off or even worked at one too, however this time round I would not be competing but running the show and squeezing in the odd demo here and there… To my surprise everything was already setup (Many thanks to Ashley ‘Madd Bass’ Burrell and Darryl Burrell) when I arrived and most of the competitors had already arrived and were already...
The new Oppo HA-1 is a headphone amp designed for use on the go, or for you easily bring from place to place (home to office, say). It’s got a high-end ESS Sabre Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and a 300 mW amp to get the most out of your headphones. Here are all the details. Before we get going, if you’re curious about the value of high-end headphones, or have questions about headphones in general, first check out Are Expensive Headphones Worth It? and What Are The Best Headphones?. The HA-2 is the latest in Oppo’s push into the high-end headphone market. First was...
At the top of Yamaha’s new PRO line of headphones, the $399.95 (direct) Yamaha PRO 500 is a formidable beast. At first glance, it may appear to take its cues from the Beats school of design, with a focus on glossy plastic and logos. But the PRO 500 is no knock-off, and it sounds flat-out excellent. Armed with a nice array of accessories and a detachable cable that helps extend its value, the PRO 500 is, nonetheless, not a bargain. It’s a luxury and an investment—but its rich bass and wide stereo field earn it our Editors’ Choice award for high-end...
Many months ago now, I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing an awesome home product made by Digital Designs… At this, my ears perked up as I had already been studying up and reading about Digital Designs new powered monitors and was on the verge of requesting a set, when low and behold… Ashley was indeed talking about the DD PM151 powered monitors. Well I can tell you now, not a breath was passed before I eagerly agreed to put these through their paces and write up my own review of them. After thinking about this review...
Firstly a shout out to Ashley at Abtec in Petone, what a great guy, so helpful and friendly. He has also been around in the industry long enough to know a few things and to offer great advice. What kind of guy would let someone listen to his $1200 pair of Oppo headphones! Thanks and I wouldn’t mind borrowing them for the weekend 🙂 I like a variety of music ranging from stuff in the 80s right through to present. I listen to the vast majority off my iPad Air 2 or Galaxy Note 3 on Spotify. On other occasions...
We came, we saw, we conquered… Rocking up at Ardmore it was plain to see, even at 7am, that the day was going to be another scorcher, and test for the competitors equipment. Hanging around awaiting Ashley with the keys going through in my head, the order of the day and watching the show cars slowly roll through the gate, I couldn’t help reflect a little over the past couple of years and be thankful of the support the SPL scene has had from the amazing sponsors of NZ dB Drag. 4 N Rotary, for not only including us in...
In the last three years ABTEC3 (Toyota Vitz) has gone from a everyday company vehicle all the way to being a Ground Pounder (Car audio car that can play very low frequency bass music) and everything in between, in its current setup I can float paper and do what people call Hairtricks (Floating girls hair) so I thought I’d take a little time and write up a little blog around one of my favorite past times. When ABTEC3 was handed over to me as a company vehicle I had been daily driving ABTEC1 (Mitsubishi Pajero) with the mighty DD-Z18 in...
V4 & Rotary Nationals, Saturday January 24th 2015, ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland, Orion XTRPRO122D’s pull 151.6db!! Soon after the arrival of the XTRPRO122D Subwoofers Andrew set his sights on a new goal 🙂 Time to give Orion a go. So with that in hand now to pick an amplifier to suit. The XTR3700.1 was the preferred option and looking back was a great choice. Now, Andrew had always had great success with his box design so it made sense to stay with what had worked in the past and again taking the safe road travelled. See below photo of the...
