Shark vacuum cleaners have been catching our eye for the past couple of years, so it was time to take one for a test drive.

I have been using a cylinder vacuum cleaner designed by a well-known British engineer. It’s done me proud over the past 7 years. However, as always with technology, it has since been bettered – by both its successors and by alternative brands. Shark is one such alternative that has been making waves and a regular at tech shows I attend. The designs are modern and eye-catching, and the company appears to make real-world claims.

Hairy issues

The main issue in my household is hair. I’ve had long hair since my teens, and my girlfriend has shoulder-length hair. Furthermore, we seem to shed. A lot. This means that the regular style spinning bristle brushes found on most cleaners soon get hair wrapped around the barrel which impacts on its cleaning efficiency. It also requires me to unravel and cut the hair out of the bristles, wasting more time.

Thankfully, Shark has an answer with its Anti Hair Wrap system that features on this AZ910UK model, so I put it to the test.

Shark AZ910UK Vacuum design

Firstly, I like that vacs are now allowed to sport funky colours. The Shark upright we have is the kind of purple that Prince would have approved of. 

Putting the device together actually gives you a preview of its nifty superpowers. The Powered Lift-Away part of its moniker means that you can detach the vacuum bit and use it as a handheld vac using the long wand that makes up the upright part of the handle.

Alternatively, you can disengage the handgrip, which then becomes the nozzle. It’s all quite engenious.

I am also digging the LED headlights at the front of the roller brush head. It is this sizeable DuoClean floorhead that also boasts the Anti Hair Wrap Technology, too. The clever bit of engineering actively separates and removes hair with a unique bristle-guard.

The result is a tangle-free bristle brush-roll. Oh yeah, Shark gives the floorhead the DuoClean moniker due to the two motorised brush-rolls which together removes large debris and small particles, as well as stuck-on dust from hard floors and carpets, so Shark tells me.

I have to admit, it’s quite a nice looking thing and really easy to put together.

The Shark AZ910UK in use

My first impression was that it was more substantial than the drag-along vac that I have had in service for several years. You see, I have grown used to waving the hose around while the motor and dust collection was happening in the unit on wheels being dragged behind, now I was pushing and pulling the lot. However, once I had got back into the upright-vac-shuffle, all was well.

I tell you what though, it is excellent at its job. My living room is a mixture of hard-flooring, a thick pile rug and a more hardy close twill rug. It was the cleaning of those rugs that really impressed. Whether it’s the little robot vac or me using my regular yellow sucker, there are generally still little bits suck in the fibres, especially in the black shaggy rug. However, the Shark DuoClean using the correct setting flicked on using the handle switch, got every little bit after a few passes. I really did get the feeling that the rug was the cleanest it had been for a long while.

It gets everywhere

I also liked the 8 meter-long power cord, which meant that I could attack the living room, hallway and stairs in my little London home without having to unplug. It’s been a while since I’ve had to manually coil up a vac cable, but I’ll live. On the subject of stairs, being able to convert the Shark AZ910UK into a more compact machine really does help.

The dust collection/motor section fits well on the stairs and removing the wand means that close work is effortless. Using the same configuration also works wonders for the car too.

Finally, a note about hair tangles. Even after cleaning the trouble areas (in front of the hallway mirror and in the bedroom), the DuoClean head remained tangle-free. Moreover, the easy-to-empty collection bin was full of hair that would have otherwise been left for me to untangle and cut away from the brush head of a regular vacuum cleaner.

Shark AZ910UK review conclusion

The Shark AZ910UK DuoClean Powered Lift-Away with Anti-Hair Wrap Technology might be a long title, but it tells you everything you need to know about this very talented vacuum cleaner.

The DuoClean head does an exceptional job of cleaning and being able to adjust for low pile, deep pile carpets, and hard flooring at the handle means there’s no starting and stopping. The Powered Lift-Away is nothing short of genius and, finally, the Anti-Hair Wrap tech really works.  

If being this excited about a vacuum cleaner is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

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Podspeakers aim to bring some flare and design to the usual boxy Hi-Fi kit that we have come to expect. I have been using the MiniPods for a few weeks. Do they sound as good as they look though?

The Podspeaker brand might not sound familiar, but it’s been around since the early 90s. Its life starts with Danish manufacturer Scandyna and a collaboration with Hi-Fi veterans Bowers & Wilkins. In fact, it was Simon Ghahary and Lawrence Dickie, who were behind their design. Incidentally, these just happen to be the same guys who were also instrumental in the development of the well-known Nautilus series by Bowers & Wilkins.

The striking design really does catch the eye. If you agree, then you are in very good company as the MiniPod Podspeakers have even appeared in the New York MoMA Design Stores.

Podspeakers MiniPod design

The voluptuous shape is formed from injection molded ABS and is available in three colours. The ones I have been sent to review are matte red, but you can also get satin white or matte black.

I really do love how these look. Although they are modern they have a timeless classic style about them.

They are not as small as I thought they would be. However, measuring 210mm x 340mm x 200mm (WxHxD), they are about average for bookshelf speakers.

At the top you will find a 1-inch cloth cone tweeter with a 5.25-inch kevlar main driver taking up the mids and bass. Further low-end is produced by the front-firing air port.

Weight of the speakers are different as I have here one passive and one active with Bluetooth. The passive MiniPod tips the scales at 4.9kgs whereas the active speaker hits 5.6kgs.

Both speakers are fitted with regular speaker posts and, when sat on your desk or shelf are indistinguishable from each other. However, flip the MiniPod Bluetooth over and you’ll find an array of connectivity options.

Here you have AC Power input, USB input port, AUX-In (analogue, mini-jack) and OPT-In (toslink).

The Bluetooth active speaker also has a status light just below the bass port. This shows when it is on and which  connectivity option has been selected.

The passive speaker is fitted with the standard tripod thread for mounting that way if you fancied.

Input source and volume is all controlled by the neat, bundled remote.

Furthermore, the Minipods are customisable. You can swap out the feet and the change the hoop around the bass driver in order to mix and match to suit their surroundings.

Podspeakers MiniPod BT and Passive performance

As well as their unusual styling, they also have different abilities depending on the combination of MiniPods you have. This actually makes them more flexible than standard loudspeakers.

For example, you can run two passive loudspeakers from your Hi-Fi amplifier. However you could also link a Bluetooth and a passive variant together in order to create a self-sufficient system. This is possible as the active loudspeaker has two 25 watt power stages. Furthermore, it even packs a subwoofer output for 2.1 shenanigans!

What if you want to go completely wireless though? Well, grab a pair of the MiniPod Bluetooth speakers and connect the two active MiniPods wirelessly. Nice.

I initially tested the MiniPod Bluetooth MK II and MiniPod MK IV pairing with my main system. These things are actually quite loud and love to be driven. The matte red fitted well with my living room’s red and white decor too. They would have looked even better there on some of the optional ‘Spikes’.

Audio is also clearer and better presented than I was expecting. However, it was with my PC system that these speakers were going to be tested most.

MiniPods in office system

My PC system is what I spend a great deal of my life sat in front. Here are a pair of Q Acoustic 1010 speakers hooked up to a Musical Fidelity V90 stack of the amp, DAC and headphone amp.

I also have a pair of the Roth VA4 Bluetooth speakers which are used with the Elipson Alpha 100 RIAA BT turntable. My plan was/is to hook the Roths up to the MF stack but, I’ve actually had the 2 pairs stacked up on my desk.

The thing is that I get quite antsy about cable management. Also, having some good looking and sounding speakers that could take audio from my PC as well as Bluetooth-packing deck, would clear some desk space too.

Most of the time I’ll just select a Tidal playlist and hit shuffle. This enables me to get on with my work and know that, chances are, I won’t have to skip any tracks as these are playlists I’ve created.

If I’m feeling particularly saucy I might select albums from my NAS to play. The only downside is that some album tracks can be a tad, meh.

Music test

The first track to play on one of my randomised playlists was Chris Jones live playing ‘Soul Storm Comin’. Electro-acoustic guitar, vocals and harmonica. A great first track to test out the MiniPods.

At low volume it was a bit lackluster. But a few taps on the little black remote control and the song came alive. I have to add here that the speakers are connected to my PC directly by optical cable. There is no other DAC in the chain other than what’s in the MK II.

The harmonics played on the guitar are so lifelike. Also when the vocals go lower, the presentation is so rich.

Grover Washington Jr’s ‘Winelight’ was up next and the instrument placement, even when using these speakers as near field monitors, is impressive. The groovy bassline sits near the back until the slap funk break where it steps up. Grover’s sax remains the star of the show though. However, it’s the keys, subtle guitar and percussion that are speaking to me the most.

A bit of David Bowie came up next. ‘Girl Who Loves Me’ from Bowie’s final album can prove taxing to poorly equipped speakers as there’s quite a lot going on. The claustrophobic mix of this track didn’t seem to confuse the MiniPods though.

To round things of, the ‘Young Dr Kirk’ from Boris Blank’s Electrified album and then The Prodigy’s ‘Diesel Power’. The electronica of Blank’s track is so well mixed that it really showed how good a range the MiniPods has. However, it was the dirty b-line of ‘Diesel Power’ that perhaps showed that, although taught and controlled, the MiniPods might lack a little bit of weight in the low end.

[amazon_link asins=’B01N2TTNRZ’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’gadgnews-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=”]So, hastily to one of my favourite bass test tracks, ‘The Package’ from A Perfect Circle’s Thirteenth Step album. Sure enough, the warm roundness of the bass line seems to have been removed. There does still seem to be some sub bass (the pictures on the wall rattled) but the audible thickness of the bass was not there. Perhaps this is why they have a sub out?
 
There is also a chance that the speakers haven’t quite loosened up yet. They have about 30 hours on them so far, I would estimate.
 
Pressing the Bluetooth pair button flicks you between the EQ modes: Optimal->FLAT->Boost. However, during the review, I left it at the default setting, Optimal.
 

Podspeakers MiniPod review conclusion

The MiniPods certainly make a statement in any room they are placed. I really like how they look, but I also realise those that tend to favour boxes but take some convincing.

They sound good, if a little lacking in rich bass, and are really punchy. I reckon pairing these with a decent sub and you’ll have quite a package. That said, listening to them in my office, I really do enjoy them.

MiniPod price and availability

The Podspeakers MiniPods are available to buy now.

The Bluetooth MKII costs €549,00 and the Passive MKIV retails at €369 direct from Podspeakers.co.

Amazon has them at £231 for the passive.

Technical data at a glance

• Shape 2 way reflex, abs cabinet.
• Applications stereo arrangement, AV, 5.1, multi media and web, near field monitoring for studios.
• Frequency Range: (± 3 dB): 58Hz – 22.000Hz
• Frequency Range: (± 6 dB): 48Hz – 22.000Hz
• Sensivity: 86 dB
• Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohm
• Sound compatible with amplifiers from 10w – 100w output.
• Drive units one 5-inch long throw bass/midrange feat. Kevlar piston and 25mm (1-inch) diameter free-mounted high frequency.
   

• Dimensions
• Width: 210mm.
• Height: 340mm, 440mm with spikes.
• Depth: 200mm.

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The iPod Classic was killed off in 2014, now Apple has terminated the two little upstarts known as Shuffle and Nano.

Apple has now discontinued their two most compact music players. Say goodbye to the last of the true iPods – the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.

Apple first introduced the iPad back in 2001 and, even though I was rocking a Creative Juke Box, I can’t deny how the white music player shook up the portable media market.

With this latest cull, you will be left with the iPhone or an iPhone without the phone bit. Sad times.

iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano

The original iPod Nano launched in September of 2005 and the original iPod Shuffle launched in January of 2005.

Apple has now decided to focus on the iPod Touch, simplifying their iPod range.

An Apple spokesperson stated:

Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod Touch, now with double the capacity, starting at just $199, and we are discontinuing the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano,”

Apple have now removed both of these iPods from their retail stores and online.

So if you are looking to get one, you will have to try a third party retailer whilst stocks last.

The post RIP the last true iPods – Nano and Shuffle appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Mighty by name, tiny by nature. This is the latest audio player but it has been built with the sole purpose of squirting Spotify in to your ears when you’re out and about.

Jogging with your phone attached to you can be a bit meh, especially if you’re at the gym and don’t need your phone for emergency calls.

So, what to do? Well, you could get an iPod Shuffle or do what a team consisting of Samsung, Qualcomm and MOG alums did and created Mighty.

The iPod Shuffle-sized device allows you to listen to Spotify playlists without having to carry your phone. All you have to do is fire up the companion app, sync those offline playlists to the gadget via Bluetooth or WiFi and you’re good to go.

The 1.5-inch square device clips easily onto clothing or accessories. It’s drop- and water-resistant, holds up to 48 hours of music on a 2GB flash drive, has five hours of playback per charge, and uses an Android base to run the official Spotify app in the background, only instead of a screen, you use the physical buttons for control.

Mighty is housed in a soft-touch rubber shell with a handy clip.

The on-board controls handle all of the usual tasks: track skipping, volume adjustments and play/pause. There’s a tiny button in the top corner that allows you to scroll through playlists. How do you know which one you’re on? Mighty reads the name of the list so you’re not left guessing or waiting for the first song to start.

Inside the Mighty app, you can pair the device with your phone and manage which playlists are synced. When the time comes to make changes, the app sends you over to Spotify but keeps a header across the top of the screen to display memory space and sync status.

Mighty is live on Kickstarter for those willing to pitch in at the crowdfunding stage. A pledge of $79 will get you one, or $70 if you’re quick. They’ll ship in November should the campaign be successful.

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One of the areas I *had* to check out at IFA 2015 was Lenovo’s. I had already been told by my buddy Gareth, of Tracy and Matt fame, that they had rebranded themselves and the first thing to great me was the new Yoga Tab 3 Pro.

Lenovo is calling their Yoga Tab 3 Pro the ultimate video tablet – I have to say, I can see why.

The Yoga Tab Pro is equipped with a rather nice 10-inch display, a built-in 70-inch projector, and four front-facing speakers. Impressive huh?

The projector lives in the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro‘s kickstand. You are able to rotate it through 180-degrees which allows it to spray its video goodness on to a wall or ceiling with equal ease.

The display consists of a 10.1-inch QHD (2560×1600) screen at 299 pixels per inch.

This impressive device is also fitted with a 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Lenovo Tab 3 Pro runs Android 5.1 powered by a Quad-Core Intel Atom x 5-Z8500 processor up to 2.24 GHz. This is mated with 2GB RAM and up to 32GB internal storage which is, of course, expandable via a microSD slot.

If you heard the previous Yoga Tab Pro you’ll be glad to hear that the speakers in the new version are still pretty good. The only reshuffle is that the tablet’s subwoofer has been move up with the JBL front speakers, no doubt to aid some of the jiggery-pokery around the rear redesign. Audio is also enhanced Dolby Atmos.

The Tab 3 Pro rightly deserves its pro designation. Just picking it up you can feel that this is a premium product thanks to the aluminium shell and a leather-like fabric on the back. It tips the scales at a very reasonable 665g.

Lenovo has loaded the Tab 3 Pro with a couple of batteries so that they can honour its 18 hour boast before it needs to see a recharging point.

As with the other Yoga Tabs, there’s multiple ways to use it. You can hold, tilt, stand, and hang it.

The 10-inch Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro will start selling in November for 499 Euros. No official UK pricing has been announced yet so I’d chalk it down to somewhere in the £350-£400 region to be competitive.

An LTE model will also be made available in the future which will most likely hike the price up another £100 if Lenovo follows Apple’s structure.

I must say, I would love one of these. How about you?

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Apple has cunningly used the diversionary tactics of announcing huge iPhones and a swanky wrist-based peripheral in order to kill off one of its classics. Literally. The iPod Classic.

That’s right. Apple has quietly taken the iPod Classic around the back of the company’s Cupertino HQ and ‘discontinued’ it. Permanently.

It’s almost as though the Apple Watch is taking the space left by the original iPod. Such is the cycle of life.

It has been 13 years since the iPod first appeared on the scene and began taking the digital music revolution to the masses (I have to admit that I was actually rocking a Creative Jukebox Zen – I’ve never been one of the cool kids).

The iPod has received a number of refreshes along the way since its launch back in 2001 with the final variant being made in 2007 and staying the same right up until now.

The click wheel-equipped Classic came in 80GB, 120GB and 160GB hard drive versions to store your music and, in later models, videos. There were also people out there doubling the storage capabilities of the iPod Classic!

The iPod Classic still managed to survive in a world where mobile phones could carry music and, more recently, stream it from the cloud. This was often attributed to its ability to keep heavy audio consumers happy, those who like to curate extensive music libraries and playlists all in one place and at a high quality.

There’s still plenty to chose from in the iPod family though – The iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and iPod Touch. So it’s not like there isn’t plenty of choice for Apple fans to sling their tunes on to.

Goodbye iPod Classic. You were a class act.

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Last year I reviewed the Kingston MobileLite Wireless Reader and it proved to be a handy little device – but here comes the next gen, or G2, version. Has Kingston managed to improve on an already good device?

For those who are unaware, the MobileLite Wireless is basically a mobile storage router. You can attach USB flash drives, hard drives and SD cards to the MobileLite and shift all your precious photos and videos from your phone to a safer, more secure location.

But you can also flip that around. Oh yeah, all those storage media can be accessed by your smartphone or tablet via MobileLite’s Wi-Fi connection which means you can have plenty many gigabytes of video, photos, etc stored on USB sticks or external hard drive which can be viewed upon your smartphone or tablet. All of a sudden your 16GB phone storage leaps to becoming however big your portable drive is.

This also means that you can transfer snaps or video from a flash or HD drive straight to Facebook or other social sites just by using your phone or tablet.

As a little bonus, if you happen to have the device with you but don’t need it for its usual purposes, you can use it to feed whatever battery-life it has left to one of your other mobile devices. So it’s an emergency recharger too!

The G2 offers one major feature the G1 doesn’t: It can act as a travel router.

If you’re at a hotel, for example, you can plug in the room’s Ethernet cable into the device, at which point it will begin sharing the Internet love with up to 5 people. It will also support most mobile 3G dongles, allowing you to go truly wireless while out and about.

The MobileLite app

To make all this happen you first need to download the app from either the App Store, Google Play or even the Amazon App Store.

After installing the app, connecting to the MobileLite Wireless G2 (MLWG2) is as simple as joining a Wi-Fi network. Yes – that means that by connecting to Kingston’s device, you lose Internet access, but that’s only until you log into the MLWG2 and configure Internet access through there.

Using the Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2

The MobileLite Wireless G2 includes a microSD card adapter so, in all, the device supports SD and microSD, and the “HC” and “XC” variants of each. At one of the ends is where the USB and memory storage plugs in.

At the front of the MLWG2 are three status LEDs (charging, Wi-Fi, power-on), the power button, the microUSB port, for charging (micro USB to USB cable supplied), and the device’s name badge. Kingston’s Redhead logo is found front and center on the top (albeit in a more suitable white color).

The MobileLite app isn’t flash or snazzy by any stretch of the imagination but it definitely gets the job done, and it’s clean and easy to navigate.

The photo-viewer and music player both work similarly to other such solutions I’ve used in the past.

These in-built apps work fine but with some limitations. For instance, the photo-viewer can struggle with really large images, in terms of resolution and / or filesize. They’ll look fine once loaded, until you zoom in, which is when some detail will be noticeably lost.

When music is playing, you can hit the newly created icon in the top-right corner to control it, which includes the ability to loop or shuffle. Again, all works well without much fuss and gives you access to those files on your remote storage but they’re obviously not going to win any stand-alone awards.

If you configure the MLWG2 to have Internet access, accessing the network through the mobile device itself (not the app) will feel the same as if you connected to that network directly. This means you can access local network shares without the interesting configuration getting in the way.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a new mobile card reader that will also play nice with USB storage, the MobileLite Wireless G2 has got it sorted.

If you’re looking for a travel router as well as an emergency device charger, Boom! The MLWG2 is there again.

I like the new rounder, and chunkier styling of the G2 too but I would’ve loved it to come with a carry pouch (I have been using the one that came with some Bluetooth headphones) as I’d hate for it to get scratched up and the white to stop being white. The original MobileLite Wireless does feel a little more rugged.

The price has increased over the original but then the original model has less than half of the battery-life and can’t act as a travel router.

You also get a two-year warranty rather than the a one-year of the first gen.

All-in-all the MobileLite Wireless G2 is a great pocket-sized mobile gadget that delivers far above what you’d imagine and performs seamlessly and intuitively.

You can get one from Amazon for £35.

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More news about Apple’s next iPhone seems to have found its way on to the interweblogosphere. Not only the news that the iPhone 6 might pack near field communication (NFC) technology but there’s some rather tasty pics.

Here’s a model of the iPhone 6 which matches previous leaks with its rounder iPad-like design and larger all-aluminium body which will make room for a bigger 4.7-inch screen.

The model also features what appears to be a round, single LED as opposed to the dual two-tone LED present on the iPhone 5s.

There has been no word as to whether Apple has managed to incorporate both a white and amber flash inside this single unit, or whether it will use softer LED in order to retain colour accuracy when taking photos.

Also worth noting is the side-mounted power button, supporting previous leaks of a button reshuffle.

NFC to hook up Beats?

The news that Apple looks set to introduce NFC for the first time in its mobile devices starting with the iPhone 6. This will mean mobile payments from the iPhone will become possible as well as NFC pairing to speakers like those made by its allegedly newly purchased Beats Audio group.

The rumour of Apple adding NFC to its iPhone 6 comes from a claim that Apple has reached an agreement with China UnionPay, the country’s only domestic bank card organisation.

Not only does this finally add a function that Android phones have long had, but it makes sense as Apple already sells Beats speakers from its site, which uses NFC to pair. So, if they were to make the next raft of iOS devices compatible with them it could mean a double-win if they have indeed bought Beats Audio.

Saying that though, word is that Beats Electronics is thought to have been bought for its music streaming service that rivals Spotify, something Apple apparently wants to compete with more aggressively.

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There seems to be much pushing and shoving in the headphone arena. Musical Fidelity and NAD have recently sent earphones and headphones out in to the wild and almost every DJ and fashionista has followed Dr Dre‘s path. Oppo have opted not to seek celeb endorsement, instead they’ve chosen to rely on quality for their Oppo PM-1 headphones. Was this a smart move?

The Oppo PM-1 are planar magnetic headphones, which use large, flat drivers rather than the contoured kind used by most headphones. One of the main benefits of planar magnetic headphones is that – like electrostatic headphones – they generally provide very low-distortion sound.

What sets these planar headphones apart from the rest (yes, there are others out there) is that Oppo claims the high sensitivity of the PM-1 with let them perform “without requiring additional amplification”.

At 395g, they’re reasonably heavy by general headphone standards but, as was pointed out, they’re not really built for joggers but for those looking for a very transparent and comfortable listening experience.

Planar speaking

Here’s the science bit. The advantages of planar magnetic technology are based on the fact that in a planar driver, sound is generated by a very thin and light diaphragm that is driven evenly over the entire radiating area.

Sound, entering your ear, has a planar wave front at the so called ear reference point (ERP), with all spectrum components in phase. A typical dynamic headphone driver, due to its phase irregularity, disrupts that. This results in less than perfect signal peak reconstruction, especially of very short impulses.

Unlike dynamic drivers that are driven from the point at which the voice coil is attached (usually near the center), planar magnetic drivers are forced to move over their entire surface. This means they don’t suffer from the modal break-up found on traditional drivers when the cone surface starts wobbling in undesirable ways at higher frequencies.

A resistive load also ensures that any amplifier will drive the headphones without any changes in spectral balance which means that you can use the PM-1 headphones even with your mobile device even without a separate headphone amp.

This headphone tech has been around since the 70s but it has been held back due to the size and weight of the magnets needed and, as cool as neodymium magnets are, they’re still heavy. The weight and size of a planar magnetic headphone driver could make wearing them a chore. Until now.

I hope that’s clear now – or, at least, clearer.

In the box

Once I had got in to the large (and heavy) cardboard box I was faced with a nicer fabric-covered box. The kind you might get if you bought an upmarket dinner set. Once the lid of the fabric-covered box is lifted the opulence of a highly polished, gloss-lacquered, dark wood presentation case with the Oppo logo inset into the case’s top panel greets you. I also dig the nice touch of an inset push-button release catch that facilitates the unlocking of this treasure chest.

Finally, inside the wood presentation case we find the PM-1 headphones plus a velour bag containing the headphones primary signal cables.

Also included is a padded selvedge denim carry case for the PM-1 which contains a set of velour ear cup pads, and a cable for mobile devices.

In total the package contains:

• A fabric-covered outer box.
• A lacquered wood presentation case.
• A set of PM-1 headphones, which ship with a set of beautiful perforated, hand-picked lamb’s skin leather-covered natural silicon ear cup pads installed.
• An alternative set of velour-covered ear pads for “longer listening sessions” or if you just prefer to have fabric against your ears.
• A primary 3 metre long signal cable terminated with a 6.35mm TRS-type headphone plug.
• A 1 metre long signal cable terminated with a 3.5mm mini-jack headphone plug.
• selvedge denim, padded carry case for the PM-1.
• A User’s Manual.

Once the gloriously shiny wooden box is opened you can see the PM-1 nestled inside the padded interior which is lined with a soft fabric. Below the cans is a small oblong box sheathed in a black fabric drawstring bag. Inside that small, oblong box sits the primary signal cables which have been specially made for the PM-1.

The whole opening sequence has obviously been designed to give the consumer a sense of occasion and I do believe that they have succeeded.

So, what’s so special about the Oppo PM-1 headphones?

The main thing that separates the PM-1 from the masses is its driver: a 7 layer planar magnetic design motivated by a FEM-optimised high energy Neodymium magnet system.

To improve performance over “average” planar magnetics, this driver utilises a spiralling pattern of flat conductors which are etched on both sides of the diaphragm, allowing twice as many conductors to be placed within the magnetic field. Oppo states that this leads to improved sensitivity, better damping, and more even application of drive force.

“The PM-1 utilizes a planar magnetic driver that sets it apart from the majority of headphones on the market. In our planar magnetic headphone, sound is generated by a very thin and light diaphragm whose entire surface area is evenly driven. The diaphragm is driven in a symmetric push-pull manner, and the magnetic system and conductor patterns have been optimized for maximum sensitivity and consistency.”

I have recently been made aware of other planar magnetic headphones available at the moment so doesn’t that stand for them as well? Not according to Oppo who states:

“Unique to the OPPO PM-1 is the use of a double-sided diaphragm, which allows us to place twice as many conductors within the magnetic field and eliminated any passive return zones where the conductors do not work. This results in the use of 100% of our conductor length, which in turn results in greater efficiency. In addition, our flat conductor pattern eliminates inductance-related intermodulation distortion, common with dynamic headphones, and the OPPO PM-1’s purely resistive impedance means that sound quality is unaffected by a Headphone amplifier’s output impedance.”

Before I, and you, get bogged down with all this tech talk it is also worth mentioning the materials and build quality of the PM-1.

I have already mentioned the hand-picked lambskin on the headband and ear pads but there is also precision machined aluminium parts. All this has been twisted and stretched in line with Oppo’s strict production tolerances, all of which should all add up to a luxurious feel that will last you years to come.

Of course, for those with a bit less to spend, Oppo did mention that they are aiming to bring another set of headphones to market, the PM-2. While the PM-2’s will boast the same driver and acoustic performance as its big brother, a £699 price tag means “materials and processes that are more suitable for quantity production”, i.e. synthetic leather and presumably a bit more plastic in place of the metal parts.

The nitty gritty

The PM-1 are a circumaural (over the ear), open backed set of headphones and therefore provide little, if any, noise isolation and will be leaky. To be honest, as a spectacle wearer, those closed designs that rely on a tight seal between skull and earpad don’t quite work due to the arms of my glasses anyway.

I am happy to see that the PM-1s use detachable cables and comes bundled with 1 meter and 3m lengths with them terminating in 3.5mm and 6.35mm stereo jacks respectively.

“The OPPO PM-1 combines high sensitivity with low weight, allowing it to be used freely with portable devices without requiring additional amplification.”

The drivers are selected in order to give an equal response and having a cable going to each side also aids with the parity of audio between sides.

First impressions

The PM-1 is remarkably sensitive and very easy to drive. In practice, this means you would choose an amplifier, if indeed you even decide you want to use one, more on the basis of sonic qualities than with an eye toward making sure your amp has ‘enough’ power (with this headphone, just about anything puts out ‘enough’ power).

When I first got ‘ears-on’ with these headphones it was through an Oppo BDP-105EUI Blu-ray player and the yet to be released HA-1 headphone amp. That’s me stood up in the grey striped jacket and pale shirt by-the-way.

Naturally the PM-1 would have to sound wonderful through all of that, especially as all of the gear is from the same company. To say that I was impressed though would be an understatement.

My initial feelings, which I tapped out in Evernote as I listened to the supplied disc, was that the PM-1’s midrange is rich and revealing, yet smooth with no apparent peaks, rough edges, or signs of overshoot or ringing. The bass is well detailed and decidedly full-bodied without being obtrusive or loose. Highs are also very smoothly dealt with.

What really struck me was the clarity of the vocals on the non-instrumental tracks. They weren’t shoved forward in the mix, nor were they overpowered by the backing. The singers appeared to have their natural stage, just enough front and centre to give them the spotlight, but in a modest and clear way.

Back home, listening to them through my Musical Fidelity V90 rig (above) and a Cambridge Audio CD player I was hoping that the PM-1 would still shine even though my disc spinner is aged and my DAC and headphone amp are not as swish as the Oppo units at the release stations.

Thankfully my fears quickly vanished on the opening of Portishead’s Glory Box. That weighty, controlled, and well-extended bass was still apparent with the mids sitting slightly forward with a warm and full natural sound which works wonders on Beth Gibbon’s vocals. The brass sections were handled with nicely controlled highs.

Slinging on Addicted to that Rush by Mr Big and snapping on the velour earpads the Instruments felt suspended in their own space rather than being pinned to the spot. Charles Mingus playing Boogie Stop Shuffle could have almost been in the room with me. The horns surrounded me and the urgency of the piano and drums had me lost in a smoky cafe. I did feel that the velour cups gave a rounder bass when comparing like-for-like with the leather ones.

Back to the leather cups and Dog Days are Over by Florence and The Machine graced my ears with an Incredibly crisp, clean and natural experience. The PM-1 carry the energy nicely with a very clean and separated sound. At this moment I realised that I didn’t have to ‘work’ at listening to the nuances of these tracks. Everything about the Oppo PM-1, from the physical construction of the headphone to its sound, is as comfortable and naturally relaxing as a sunny weekend with an empty schedule.

Considering how heavy planar magnetic headphones are said to be the comfort factor is amazing and I could see me, should my actual schedule allow, listening to album after album for hours on end.

Conclusion

When was the last time you saw some headphones bearing the Oppo logo? Usually for first-time products coming from companies this is where I’ll start off by saying something like – You have to keep in mind that X has never released a Y before… But not this time!

Even though I’ve not clocked up many hours with the PM-1 I have the distinct feeling that you’ll be reading quite a few positive reviews from more esteemed audio pundits than little ol’ me very soon.

The build quality and all-around fit and finish of these headphones alone are already enough to set them apart from most other brands. Granted, you’d expect no less for the £1100 asking price but the Oppo PM-1 are made of high-quality materials and show a great deal of craftsmanship.

With the high tech planar magnetic drivers on board and a noticeable attention to detail the PM-1 are well worth the asking price, if you can afford them.

If not, perhaps the promise of the PM-2, a pair of headphones that don’t sacrifice audio performance, but comes in at a more affordable price point of £699 would keep you interested?

Should you have the money then I’d also recommend testing out Oppo’s HA-1 headphone amplifier when it’s finally released next month and, with the PM-1, you’d have yourself a top notch personal listening rig.

The PM-1 will retail at £1,099 and will be available “soon” this month and the PM-2 will be available in June at £699.

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It has been a while since I’ve been excited by something that’s actually useful. Sure, amps, cabs and basses will always getting me wanting but a gig bag? Really? But the GigBlade from Gruv Gear is no ordinary bag.

Carrying your bass or guitar from one gig to another can be awkward and sometimes, quite literally, a right pain in the neck but the GigBlade is different.

It is a side-carry bag that slips over your shoulder, so you don’t have to do that little shuffle-dance like when throw on a regular backpack style bag.

Also, the top doesn’t stick up and above you to stop you in your tracks when going through low doorways, under trees, getting on to trains and buses… we’ve all been there, right?

The GigBlade stays by your side, so you can walk naturally. You can wear it on left or right shoulder as well as having the options to wear it like a traditional backpack if you so desire.

I’ve opted for the Black and Orange bass GigBlade and the extra weather cover – well, I live in the UK and been wet through too many times not to take Jay and the gang up on this deal.

Go over and get yours at a special rate in the next few hours whilst the deals are still there!

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