[grae313]

This is probably a dumb question.

I'm looking to buy a used Oppo HA-2, found one that looks great, well cared for, all original accessories and box, priced in line with older HA2 listings, etc, except it appears the owner lost the original AC adapter and has been using other chargers in its place.

I did a quick check online on whether or not this is safe and it seems like, depending on what AC charger he used, there is the potential to damage the amp.

Can anyone knowledgeable about electronics advise on what you'd recommend in this case? Is it safe to buy (i.e. as safe as things can get online), or is it possible the electronics or battery have been damaged by using a different power charger? Any questions I should ask the seller to clarify the situation further? Should I stay away? Any help is appreciated.

 

[tomb]

This is probably a dumb question.

I'm looking to buy a used Oppo HA-2, found one that looks great, well cared for, all original accessories and box, priced in line with older HA2 listings, etc, except it appears the owner lost the original AC adapter and has been using other chargers in its place.

I did a quick check online on whether or not this is safe and it seems like, depending on what AC charger he used, there is the potential to damage the amp.

Can anyone knowledgeable about electronics advise on what you'd recommend in this case? Is it safe to buy (i.e. as safe as things can get online), or is it possible the electronics or battery have been damaged by using a different power charger? Any questions I should ask the seller to clarify the situation further? Should I stay away? Any help is appreciated.

Ask the current owner the ratings on the chargers he's used. If they don't match Oppo's specs, then don't buy it.

Keep in mind that AC adapters are not something magical. OEMs tend to re-brand them with their own trademarks and logos, but none of them manufacture them on their own. As long as the voltage, AC/DC, and connectors are compatible, there should be no issue. Current ratings are somewhat superfluous. If the adapter doesn't supply enough current that's needed, it won't operate or charge as fast. If the current ratings are too much, there's no harm at all - the Oppo device will only use what it needs. Output voltage and AC vs. DC are completely different, however, and can damage the device if used and are contrary to the Oppo specs..

 

[tansand]

Linear DC out adapters that are not regulated can put out more voltage than they say on the case if they aren't drawing as much current as they're designed for. There's really no way to make this call from here. Either you trust the person when they say it works or not.

 

[tansand]

Oh, this thing charges via usb. I wouldn't worry too much about it. It just uses a power cube like those apple things. There are cheap POS's of those, but they seem pretty safe in general. It sounded like you were talking about the wall wart type.

Either you trust the person when they say it works or not..

 

[ProtegeManiac]

This is probably a dumb question.

I'm looking to buy a used Oppo HA-2, found one that looks great, well cared for, all original accessories and box, priced in line with older HA2 listings, etc, except it appears the owner lost the original AC adapter and has been using other chargers in its place.

I did a quick check online on whether or not this is safe and it seems like, depending on what AC charger he used, there is the potential to damage the amp.

Can anyone knowledgeable about electronics advise on what you'd recommend in this case? Is it safe to buy (i.e. as safe as things can get online), or is it possible the electronics or battery have been damaged by using a different power charger? Any questions I should ask the seller to clarify the situation further? Should I stay away? Any help is appreciated.

It charges via USB. Chances are the original owner already used a different charger on it.

For your part just use a decent USB charger. If a certain brand isn't known for blowing up a smartphone or tablet then get that. Like Belkin or whatever.

 

[grae313]

You can use any USB charger up to 5V 2A to chage the HA2. The charger it came with is a 5V 4A that's unique to Oppo for their, what was considered at the time, quick charge technique which they I believe called VOOC. If you don't need fast charge, you can plug it into most standard USB ports that goes up to 2A. Most computers will have a USB that will charge anywhere from 5V 0.5A, up to 5V 1A. you can plug it in there and charge if you want. It will just take a lot longer to charge but won't harm the device. Just be careful with newer chargers that will charge at more than 5V or more than 2A. Then again, most chargers are designed to charge at 5V1A if it won't support quick charge.

Just wanted to pass along this response from DrunkSaru in the Oppo HA-2 thread where I also asked this question, in case of future readers via search engine. This and the responses here were very helpful, thank you guys.

The owner had been using other 5V usb chargers with the HA2 so it should be just fine. I went ahead and bought the unit and it's shipped and on its way!