OPPO HA-2 Portable Headphone Amplifier/DAC Discussion Thread
Apr 10, 2017 at 6:23 PM Post #4,336 of 4,878


Rebooting the phone with the Oppo powered on and plugged into the has not completely solved the problem.

However, once there a few drop outs, if I keep listening, they go away.

Sometimes the drops seem associated with my looking at apps or chrome.

The problem of fuzzing out and slowing down that I had before 10.3.1 is gone.

So one irritation has been replaced with another.

In my experience so far, once I experience a few drops, afterwards everything runs smoothly.
 
Apr 10, 2017 at 7:00 PM Post #4,337 of 4,878
From my take, some iPhones  w/ 10.3.1 are obviously not playing nice with the HA2-SE.

I, thankfully, do not use the Oppo with any phone so I guess it's easy for me to still be a big fan of this device. I'm sure if I was using (or trying to use) it with an iPhone I would not be happy either.


Yes, SOME people are having problems with iOS 10.x and the HA-2/HA-2SE. If you are having problems, contact Oppo Customer Support. The problems have been narrowed down to the iOS10.x USB driver. iOS10.3 and 10.3.1 appear to have worsened the problem, not resolved it.

This seems to be a problem of Apple breaking compatibility with the HA-2 and also certain iFi DACs. I know Oppo is working on the issue, but I don't have an update yet. When/if Oppo gets back to me, I will let you know what they say.

Again, I don't speak for Oppo, just myself.
 
Apr 10, 2017 at 7:03 PM Post #4,338 of 4,878
Then Oppo is lying to either you or me. Based on the symptoms, I'm guessing you. As stated before - a USB driver problem that only occurs when the phone has low coverage, which is repeatable ad infinitum, and that gets fixed if you put the phone in airplane mode just isn't plausible.

Anyway, you think Oppo is awesome, and awesome at CS. Great for you. What they said to me is that it's an interference problem, that they don't think they'll be able to fix it, and they have avoided answering the question as to what they are going to do for customers like me who now have a MFI certified device that won't work with iPhone.

Apparently, with Oppo, YMMV.


Oppo isn't lying to anyone. It's possible that the person you are talking to hasn't received the latest information from Oppo's engineers. It's also possibly I don't have the latest information. We will just have to hear from Oppo.

The explanation I heard from Oppo was what I posted in the thread earlier. I haven't yet heard anything else other than iOS 10.3 appears to have made the problem worse. I know Oppo is looking at the issue and I am waiting on more info from them. I'll post to the thread when I hear more. I am somewhat perplexed from all the antagonism in the thread as all I am doing is attempting to help people who have technical problems that my hardware doesn't even suffer from!
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 2:21 PM Post #4,341 of 4,878
OK -- so I have requested a refund from Oppo via Amazon, where I purchased it.
 
I also left a review about the sudden incompatibility and drops.
 
Assuming I get a refund . . . 
 
Question 1: do you know if any of the following still work after the 10.3.1 update?
Question 2: any recommendations among these? (I'd rather not spend +$500. Under $300 would be better)
Question 3: or do you know of something better that continues to work?
 
All prices from Amazon, except 1 & 2.
1) RHA Dacamp L1 Portable headphone amplifier and DAC $550
2) RAL KEB02iP DAC Headphone Amplifier $350
3) Topping NX4 $110
4) Shanling UP Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier AMP ES9018K2M+MAX97 $150
5) Apple & AudioQuest Preferred Bundle: DragonFly Black v1.5 (USB Preamp, Headphone Amp & DAC) and Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter (CCK 3.0) $138
6) Apple & AudioQuest Preferred Bundle: DragonFly Red (USB Preamp, Headphone Amp & DAC) and Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter (CCK 3.0) $238
7) Lightwish - XDuoo XD-05 Audio Portable DSD DAC Headphone Amplifier with HD OLED-display Support 32BIT / 384KHZ PCM 256 DSD 24BIT / 192KHZ DXD Decoding for Smart Phones HiFi Player $210
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 5:09 PM Post #4,342 of 4,878
Taking my little experiment to the next level, I ordered the copper tape that they use for EMI shielding in guitars.
 
I applied it to one side of the HA-2SE on just one side. Honestly I could have done a better job, but we're going for results, not aesthetics in this round.
On my commute tomorrow I'll try it with either side facing the iPhone and see if it drops in the usual spots, and report my results.
Hopefully if it works, it won't be just a "coincidence" 
rolleyes.gif

 

 
Apr 11, 2017 at 6:09 PM Post #4,343 of 4,878
Montaigne:
"Democritus having eaten figs at his table that tasted of honey, fell presently to considering with himself whence they should derive this unusual sweetness; and to be satisfied in it, was about to rise from the table to see the place whence the figs had been gathered; which his maid observing, and having understood the cause, smilingly told him that “he need not trouble himself about that, for she had put them into a vessel in which there had been honey.” He was vexed at this discovery, and that she had deprived him of the occasion of this inquiry, and robbed his curiosity of matter to work upon: “Go thy way,” said he, “thou hast done me an injury; but, for all that, I will seek out the cause as if it were natural;” and would willingly have found out some true reason for a false and imaginary effect".
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 6:32 PM Post #4,344 of 4,878
  Montaigne:
"Democritus having eaten figs at his table that tasted of honey, fell presently to considering with himself whence they should derive this unusual sweetness; and to be satisfied in it, was about to rise from the table to see the place whence the figs had been gathered; which his maid observing, and having understood the cause, smilingly told him that “he need not trouble himself about that, for she had put them into a vessel in which there had been honey.” He was vexed at this discovery, and that she had deprived him of the occasion of this inquiry, and robbed his curiosity of matter to work upon: “Go thy way,” said he, “thou hast done me an injury; but, for all that, I will seek out the cause as if it were natural;” and would willingly have found out some true reason for a false and imaginary effect".

 
honestly, would you prefer that I not try to find a solution?
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 6:38 PM Post #4,345 of 4,878
I am not *totally* convinced that your results with the aluminum foil were the product of coincidence (although I suspect they were), so I eagerly await the results of your experiment with the copper foil. If the copper shielding eliminates the dropouts, I will be more apt to believe you are onto something . . .
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 7:01 PM Post #4,346 of 4,878
I am not *totally* convinced that your results with the aluminum foil were the product of coincidence (although I suspect they were), so I eagerly await the results of your experiment with the copper foil. If the copper shielding eliminates the dropouts, I will be more apt to believe you are onto something . . .


There's no harm in trying it yourself. Throw some aluminum foil between the phone and amp. If it doesn't work, maybe it's a coincidence. If not, maybe I am onto something.

Copper test is tomorrow. I'll update!
 
Apr 11, 2017 at 7:43 PM Post #4,348 of 4,878
Questions from Oppo to me:
Have you tried using a longer Lightning cable, such as the one that came with your iPhone?

Have you tried setting the HA-2SE to Battery Charge Mode by pressing and holding the BATTERY button on the side of the HA-2SE until the top most LED lights blue?

Have you tried setting the iPhone to Airplane Mode and see if you have the same issue? 

 

Best Regards, 

Customer Service 
OPPO Digital, Inc.  162 Constitution Dr.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
[e-mail address removed] 
Tel: 650-961-1118 
Fax: 650-961-1119
 
*****
 
My response:
 
 
Yes: a 5' Cinnamon cable. 
But if the product needs other accessories, then it isn't working. 
 
Yes: I have used it charging, charged, etc. 
 
Yes: I have tried airline mode and all others. 
 
I have rebooted. Tried other cords and configurations. Still it continually and repeats drops the music and must be restarted. 
 
There seems to be a series issue with the compatibility.
 
***
 
Result: refunded.
 
I hope it all works out for you if you're have problems.

 
Apr 11, 2017 at 9:12 PM Post #4,349 of 4,878
  OK -- so I have requested a refund from Oppo via Amazon, where I purchased it.
 
I also left a review about the sudden incompatibility and drops.
 
Assuming I get a refund . . . 
 
Question 1: do you know if any of the following still work after the 10.3.1 update?
Question 2: any recommendations among these? (I'd rather not spend +$500. Under $300 would be better)
Question 3: or do you know of something better that continues to work?
 
All prices from Amazon, except 1 & 2.
1) RHA Dacamp L1 Portable headphone amplifier and DAC $550
2) RAL KEB02iP DAC Headphone Amplifier $350
3) Topping NX4 $110
4) Shanling UP Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier AMP ES9018K2M+MAX97 $150
5) Apple & AudioQuest Preferred Bundle: DragonFly Black v1.5 (USB Preamp, Headphone Amp & DAC) and Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter (CCK 3.0) $138
6) Apple & AudioQuest Preferred Bundle: DragonFly Red (USB Preamp, Headphone Amp & DAC) and Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter (CCK 3.0) $238
7) Lightwish - XDuoo XD-05 Audio Portable DSD DAC Headphone Amplifier with HD OLED-display Support 32BIT / 384KHZ PCM 256 DSD 24BIT / 192KHZ DXD Decoding for Smart Phones HiFi Player $210


Chord Mojo is *slightly* under $500.  It is one of the DACs du jour and everybody that has one seems to like it.  I haven't heard it yet.
 

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