Not sure if the “box” I got was a retail box, so I won’t mark this down as a true “unboxing” post.

Oppo is probably most famous for their PM3 planar magnetic headphone, one of the first planars on the market that was specifically designed for portable use. It was pretty decent though personally I wasn’t that big of a fan.

And then in April of 2018, Oppo announced that they’ll be ending their line of headphones (also their Blu-ray players, but that’s not really relevant here). So while many mourned for the loss of Oppo in the headphone scene, I was part of the quiet few who shrugged and went on with their lives without a care in the world.

Imagine my surprise when the Panda was… well, dropped. A headphone built by Drop in collaboration with THX that’s very clearly inspired by the PM3 (using the same driver too!), with their own spins and twists on the formula that put Oppo on the headphone map.

Now to be clear, I have some very personal love towards planar headphones, mostly revolving around their bass presentations. But I’m also insanely picky, with most of Audeze’s lineup doing nothing for me and only a select few Hifimans being my personal recommendations (sound wise, not build wise). The PM3 wasn’t really my thing back when it was popular, but let’s see if Drop can change my mind.

Product pages:

Indiegogo (launched)

Drop.com

MSRP: $400

Driver configuration: Planar magnetic

This Panda was provided by Drop.