[germay0653]

   
Why do you want to get Oppo HA1 ? I thought Fostex HP-A8C was as good as or better than HA1. You are not really getting any benefit going in balanced with TH900, unless you have other headphone like HD800.

Canadian411, why do you think there is no benefit for going balanced with the TH900?  I agree that if you're using the HP-A8C, which is not balanced and only has SE outputs, that would be the case.  However the OPPO HA-1, on the other hand, is fully balanced internally, from DAC to the outputs, and the benefits are better separation (no crosstalk), better soundstaging, better common-mode noise rejection, improved signal quality and more power, although the TH900 doesn't require the extra power.

 

[Canadian411]

 
Canadian411, why do you think there is no benefit for going balanced with the TH900?  I agree that if you're using the HP-A8C, which is not balanced and only has SE outputs, that would be the case.  However the OPPO HA-1, on the other hand, is fully balanced internally, from DAC to the outputs, and the benefits are better separation (no crosstalk), better soundstaging, better common-mode noise rejection, improved signal quality and more power, although the TH900 doesn't require the extra power.

Ya technically you are right, I am just saying because people who up to balanced mode didnt hear much difference.
I had Denon D7000 in balanced mode and didnt hear any difference, so for me it was not necessary.
 
I believe Oppo HA1 outputs less voltage in balanced mode for the lower ohms.
 
Also, both are single DAC, so you are still sharing left and right channels.

 

[germay0653]

  Ya technically you are right, I am just saying because people who up to balanced mode didnt hear much difference.
I had Denon D7000 in balanced mode and didnt hear any difference, so for me it was not necessary.
 
I believe Oppo HA1 outputs less voltage in balanced mode for the lower ohms.
 
Also, both are single DAC, so you are still sharing left and right channels.

Everyone hears differently.  All I'm saying is that there are potential benefits for going balanced.  If you didn't hear any difference then it makes no sense for you to go down that path but for someone else it may work.  Just be careful about stating there are no benefits.
 
I'm curious about what DAC and headamp were you using with the D7000s? 
 
The internal signal path of the associated equipment should be balanced also.  The majority of DAC chips made today are balanced.  The Sabre chip in the OPPO is one of those.  Regarding power, OPPO's literature states "The balanced headphone output provides twice the voltage and four times the power of the single-ended output".

 

[Canadian411]

 
Everyone hears differently.  All I'm saying is that there are potential benefits for going balanced.  If you didn't hear any difference then it makes no sense for you to go down that path but for someone else it may work.  Just be careful about stating there are no benefits.
 
I'm curious about what DAC and headamp were you using with the D7000s? 
 
The internal signal path of the associated equipment should be balanced also.  The majority of DAC chips made today are balanced.  The Sabre chip in the OPPO is one of those.  Regarding power, OPPO's literature states "The balanced headphone output provides twice the voltage and four times the power of the single-ended output".

 
For D7000 and TH900, I used SR71b+CLASdb (balanced end to end), Burson HA-160DS and Oppo HA1.
Best of three was Oppo HA1. My HE6 really shine with Oppo
 
Nothing really special about the SR71b amp, CLASdb was good but not as good as HA1.
Burson amps are too colored IMO, big disappointment. 

 

[germay0653]

   
For D7000 and TH900, I used SR71b+CLASdb (balanced end to end), Burson HA-160DS and Oppo HA1.
Best of three was Oppo HA1. My HE6 really shine with Oppo
 
Nothing really special about the SR71b amp, CLASdb was good but not as good as HA1.
Burson amps are too colored IMO, big disappointment. 

Thanks for the info.  Nice equipment BTW!

 

[the-kraken]

Why do you want to get Oppo HA1 ? I thought Fostex HP-A8C was as good as or better than HA1. You are not really getting any benefit going in balanced with TH900, unless you have other headphone like HD800.

That's not quite accurate. The hp-a8c puts out about 700mW into 32ohms, but the th900's will take up to 1800mW/1.8W in. The Oppo ha-1 in single ended mode provides only 500mW into 32 ohms, but 2000mW/2W balanced. That's an appreciable difference in power.

Since I've already heard the th900's out of a Burson conductor (2.4W @32ohms respectively), I know how the extra power helps the th900's. That was an a/b with the Fostex and conductor for about two weeks. Also, I'm not really in agreement that the Burson amps are "too colored" - the sabre backed conductor was much more neutral vs. the AKM Fostex (which features a warm signature).

Plus, I use the HA-A8C as a DAC only in my office 2.1 setup - so I need something for my bedside rig. If it put out 1400mW/1.4W @32 ohms I'd feel differently.

 

[Whazzzup]

Why do you want to get Oppo HA1 ? I thought Fostex HP-A8C was as good as or better than HA1. You are not really getting any benefit going in balanced with TH900, unless you have other headphone like HD800.

That's not quite accurate. The hp-a8c puts out about 700mW into 32ohms, but the th900's will take up to 1800mW/1.8W in. The Oppo ha-1 in single ended mode provides only 500mW into 32 ohms, but 2000mW/2W balanced. That's an appreciable difference in power.

Since I've already heard the th900's out of a Burson conductor (2.4W @32ohms respectively), I know how the extra power helps the th900's.

Plus, I use the HA-A8C as a DAC only in my office 2.1 setup - so I need something for my bedside rig.

I'll get my th900 back on wendsday but on the a8 have it set at gain 15 and vol at 27 and any more I'd blow my ears off. Very full soundstage. Granted do a hugo a8 off as an update after wendsday.

 

[the-kraken]

I'm always surprised when folks simply equate higher power output to MOAR LOUD. If volume was all that I was after, I could just plug the th900's into an iPhone (25mW @32ohms) and crank the volume until my eardrums bled. The additional power enables better bass, control, & finesse at lower listening volumes.

 

[Whazzzup]

Yes I understand and am always surprised that you feel the need to educate me. Of course more powerful dac amps provide saturation at lower volumes, all im suggesting is that the a8 has ample power to provide the th900. No doubt if the concerns were other than th900 I would agree. Interested still in an a8 and hugo off after wendsday for amusement.

 

[Canadian411]

That's not quite accurate. The hp-a8c puts out about 700mW into 32ohms, but the th900's will take up to 1800mW/1.8W in. The Oppo ha-1 in single ended mode provides only 500mW into 32 ohms, but 2000mW/2W balanced. That's an appreciable difference in power.

Since I've already heard the th900's out of a Burson conductor (2.4W @32ohms respectively), I know how the extra power helps the th900's. That was an a/b with the Fostex and conductor for about two weeks. Also, I'm not really in agreement that the Burson amps are "too colored" - the sabre backed conductor was much more neutral vs. the AKM Fostex (which features a warm signature).

Plus, I use the HA-A8C as a DAC only in my office 2.1 setup - so I need something for my bedside rig. If it put out 1400mW/1.4W @32 ohms I'd feel differently.

 
I must be blind, wasn't reading right then !,
The max output on SE for HA1 was 3500mW at 32 ohm as oppose to 3000mW at 32 ohm in balanced.
Should have read the rated output, do you know the difference ?.
 
And I never heard conductor, I meant to say HA-160DS are too colored, I think mine is the burbrown or wolfson dac chip.
I prefer Sabre or AKM chips.

 

[the-kraken]

 
Yeah, it's strange the way Oppo did that... rated output via single-ended @32ohms is 500mW with the max being 3500mW. Single-ended, the HP-A8C puts out more power - so it wouldn't be worth going to the HA-1 if I wasn't willing to go balanced. 
 

RMS wattage ratings (rated output power) are a measure of continuous power — while different manufacturers will use somewhat different methods to come up with these figures, it's usually a more "real-life" rating of your equipment's capabilities. Peak (or maximum) power, on the other hand, doesn't try to reflect realistic operation. It's simply a measure of how much power can be generated or handled for very short bursts.

 
 
I hear you on the difference between the Sabre and Burr Brown DACs though, as the former are generally noted as more neutral, while the latter gets marks for being warm, musical, but less resolving. 
 
SIDEBAR: home stereo manufacturers are notorious for advertising the Peak/Maximum power output of their A/V receivers/amps because it's more impressive. E.G., I have a Marantz A/V receiver that advertises 770 watts total power/110 watts per channel (with seven channels). However, when you dig deeper - you find out that it's ONLY when you run two channels that you get 100w. When you run all seven? About 60w per channel. Thats why I have an external amp to give me a guaranteed 140w to the front L/R speakers, and I let the A/V receiver power the smaller surrounds. 
 
At least Oppo was nice enough to include both RMS and Peak power in their figures. 

 

[Canadian411]

 
 
Yeah, it's strange the way Oppo did that... rated output via single-ended @32ohms is 500mW with the max being 3500mW. Single-ended, the HP-A8C puts out more power - so it wouldn't be worth going to the HA-1 if I wasn't willing to go balanced. 
 
 

 
Yape that chart is confusing me a lot. maybe it could be a typo.

 

[the-kraken]

I sent Oppo an email asking for clarification on that (single-ended 500mW rms @32ohms). It may have something to do with the fact that the HA-1 was designed to be fully balanced internally - but we'll see what they come up with (if anything). 

 

[the-kraken]

Oppo's response:

"Balanced headphone outputs allow for four times the amplification. This is why we you can get much more power out of a balanced output than a single ended output."

Translation: it's not a mistake, we meant it to be that way.

 

[Canadian411]

Oppo's response:

"Balanced headphone outputs allow for four times the amplification. This is why we you can get much more power out of a balanced output than a single ended output."

Translation: it's not a mistake, we meant it to be that way.

Thanks for taking a time to find out!