[hemtmaker]

Please OPPO, we want detachable cables from both sides to be used in balanced mode !!!

 

[maricius]

I'm hoping for an Alpha Dog alternative. Maybe not an Alpha Dog Prime competitor due to the latter's price but hey, if OPPO would offer a headphone of the Prime's calibre at the standard Alpha Dog's price, good for all of us.

 

[Sound Eq]

i hope the PM3 will be a fun musical Headphone, as some of us also don't like the flat neutral boring headphones, i hope it will have great bass, and warmth
 
as for the HA2 dam it looks so good when will be released so I don't spend my money on other things
 
the HA2 looks so so dam good, and is now on my watch list, so please give an estimate time when it will be released

 

[Gnawbert]

This is extremely exciting.  I'm really on the fence about getting the PM-1 as a brother to my Beyerdynamic T5P.  I love everything about the design of the PM-1s, and I need portability, however I'm still worried about the isolation.  I need a bit more isolation than a DT-880 due to commute and workplace environments, so this PM-3 sounds fantastic if it can keep the same sound quality of the PM-1.  Mark me down as very interested.

 

[Sound Eq]

this HA 2 is now causing me that feeling when you were a chid waiting for your birthday to get a present.
 
Now again oppo please tell us when we might expect it so that I can be at ease

 

[YtseJamer]

 

Spoiler: OPPO HA-2

1. USB DAC/amp for your computer
2. DAC/amp for your iDevices (NO Apple Camera Connection Kit required)
3. DAC/amp for your Android devices
4. Battery charger for your iDevice/Android device
5. ESS 90182M DAC chip (supports 16/44.1 all the way to 24/384, and DSD up to DSD 256/quad-rate DSD)
6. Class AB amplifier circuit
7. Provides more than enough juice for my 669-ohm, 86 dB/mW AKG K 240 Monitor headphone

^ That's a 24/96 file being played on my iPhone with the Accudio app.












^ on the left is a Nintendo 3DS just for a size comparison


*Note that this device is still a work in progress and the appearance might change for the final release*

 
Wow!

 

[Sound Eq]

HA2 meets everything i look for, looks, size, bass bost, everything dam just release it as is and I will buy

 

[YtseJamer]

  HA2 meets everything i look for, looks, size, bass bost, everything dam just release it as is and I will buy

 
X2.  But I hope that the price will be reasonable.

 

[Smarty-pants]

i hope the PM3 will be a fun musical Headphone, as some of us also don't like the flat neutral boring headphones, i hope it will have great bass, and warmth

as for the HA2 dam it looks so good when will be released so I don't spend my money on other things

the HA2 looks so so dam good, and is now on my watch list, so please give an estimate time when it will be released

Ugh, I hope NOT. That is what an EQ in your DAP is for.

 

[mike7898]

Curious if the ha-2 Will live up to Astell & Kern,I have the pm-1,and just purchase the AK100II a month ago, HA-2 looks beautiful!

 

[DHT 2A3]

i hope the PM3 will be a fun musical Headphone, as some of us also don't like the flat neutral boring headphones, i hope it will have great bass, and warmth


 


+1
Musical is key.

 

[hans030390]

Looks like pictures were already covered on the HA-2, so that saves me some time and effort. Haha. I've got some thoughts to share on the device, but do keep in mind anything could change between now and release (for better or worse). If I don't mention something or don't go into detail about it, there's probably a reason for it and not just something I overlooked. In particular, OPPO didn't want beta testers talking much about sound and tuning yet, as those are the aspects most likely to change by a good bit before launch. Perfectly reasonable and understandable to me. And I do want to give a big thanks to OPPO for getting me involved in this beta test! I'm always eager to try out and analyze products to provide any information and feedback I can to help the community and industry.
 
In terms of looks, feel, built quality, functionality, it's really great. Of course, is that really all that surprising coming from the PM-1/2? I might have thought the PM-1/2 were not quite where they needed to be with absolute or relative sound quality, despite still enjoying them, but, wow, did they excel when it came to presentation! The HA-2 is right up with there in that regard in terms of presentation. For me, I'm really most concerned about sound and functionality, but having a nice looking and high-quality feeling device doesn't hurt.
 
The best way I could describe the looks is classy and high quality. Feels like a nice slab of metal (aluminum?), generally soft matte metal with some shiny/polished accents around the edge, wrapped in an adhered leather cover (may be subject to change). It's roughly the size of a common smartphone with a thin case and, as such, fits and feels great in the hand.
 
As you know, it's a portable DAC/amp, and it can be used in whatever configuration you prefer. Want to use it as just an amp? No problem. Just use the 3.5.mm line-in jack with an existing DAC. Want to use it as just a DAC? No problem. Hook it up to whatever device you want via USB and use the line-out jack. As it happens, the line-in and line-out both share the same jack, which I think is pretty smart and handy. And, yeah, works well as an integrated, portable DAC/amp. Aside from a few expected bugs (it is a beta, after all!), it worked pretty seamlessly with the iPhone 5S and HTC One M7 I tested it with. With the supplied drivers, it worked without a hitch from my desktop and my 8" Windows 8 tablet via its micro-USB out. I do believe the device will include plenty of cables to get you started. On the beta HA-2, the standard USB port is for iOS devices, and the micro-USB port is for other devices and charging the HA-2. Not sure if that will change at all with the final product.
 
As I understand, you can even use the HA-2 as a backup battery to charge your devices via USB. I'm not sure what other similar devices offer this feature, but I think it's a nice touch.
 
You probably noticed the bass boost and gain switches in the pictures. I don't have any issues with bass boosts, as they're good for those that want the option, though it's not a feature I'll ever really use. I'm not sure if OPPO will tweak the bass boost tuning for the final product, so I don't want to speak much on how much it affects the sound.
 
In terms of power and ability to drive headphones, let's just say I can drive stuff like the HD650 to LOUD volumes on low gain. Plenty of power to be had from the amp.
 
Like I said, I don't want to get much into how the device sounds, given that's the thing most likely to change. What I will say is that I think the HA-2 sounds pretty good as just a DAC in the beta state, and this is coming from someone who usually is not crazy about Sabre-based DACs. I think there are still some gains to be had, but it is enjoyable in its current state. A promising sign, IMO. I am most curious to see how the amp section sounds when the HA-2 is finished, but you can at least rest easy knowing it will probably drive everything except the pickiest and most difficult to drive headphones. Yes, I am being vague on purpose.
 
If anyone wants and other specific details on the device or has any questions, let me know, and I'll do what I can to answer based on my beta experience. I think with some expected, further refinement in a few areas, it will be good and solid product worth recommending. I think it already has quite a few things going for it. Pricing remains to be known and will determine its final value.

 

[lukeap69]

Thanks Hans. How's the battery life? Is the battery user replaceable?

 

[miceblue]

Thanks Hans. How's the battery life? Is the battery user replaceable?

As far as these units go, I got around 14.5 hours of battery when using it as just an amp with my iPhone, around 7.5 hours of battery when using it as a DAC/amp with the iPhone.

In both cases, the HA-2 went from fully-charged to fully depleted, driving a V-MODA Crossfade M-100 at a very loud listening level (loud enough for listening to music on a noisy public bus), and playing back a 24/48 Apple Lossless album in the stock Music app.

I haven't had the chance to see how long the battery lasts when using it as a DAC/amp and charging the phone, or how many times the HA-2 can only charge the phone if you were to use it solely as a smartphone charger.

The battery doesn't appear to be replaceable, but I tested that it can charge from 0% battery to 76% battery in about an hour, and to 100% battery in about 2 hours total.

 

[hans030390]

I haven't run battery tests on it, but it will depend on how it's used. I think miceblue has done some battery tests with an iOS device. Maybe they can share their findings. As I understand it, seems comparable to similar devices on the market, if not slightly better with battery life.
 
Battery on the beta unit does not appear to be user replaceable. I'm not actually sure how or if one could even open the HA-2, but maybe there are screws underneath the leather covering? Not sure.