The Meier Corda Opera:
Music: Jazz, Rock and Classical
Stuff: VDA-2/VAC-1, Audio Art IC-3 interconnects, Zana Deux amplifier, Cambridge Azur 340C transport.
Headphones: the K701 and the HD650
So what is the Corda Opera?
The Corda Opera is a 3 channel DA/Converter, Headphone Amp and Pre-amp that works in a single-ended configuration. As advertised, it is suppose to deliver most of the benefits of having a “balanced” system without actually having to go through balanced cables and sources.
The Corda is configured with two SE inputs in the back, and two digital inputs: USB and Coaxial (which are changeable with a switch in the back). There is one output in the back, a pre-amp controlled at the front. the Opera provides a standard zero output impedance jack for driving most headphones, and a jack with 120ohm output impedance which can sound better with certain select headphones.There is a gain switch, Low and high. There is an input switch: digital, input one and input two. The Meier cross feed and volume control are, of course, present.
So how does it look?
It’s a very interesting machine. It definitely will never be confused for another headphone amp. It’s got a polished metallic finish, the casing is aluminum, and the nobs are easy to turn, not too but not small either. It stands on four legs, and has a top panel with a whole in it for ventilation. Its configuration makes it nearly impossible to stack things on top of it.
Overall the bulk, weight and build quality of the Opera are impressive. Compared to the GS-X it is actually very heavy, solid and competent for its price class. I could easily feel that I wasn’t going to break it just by moving it around. While I don’t think that it carries the same type of looks and build quality materials of my Zana Deux, it certainly was well beyond anything I’ve seen in the 1000$ price range. One of the best measures for engineering is how efficient it is, and in this case the Opera is one of the best; I’ve never been around a cooler amp.
How was the cross feed?
I grew up on my head-phone journey listening to mostly crossfeed. My first amp was a Meier HA-1 MKII and my second amp was a Meier Headfive. It’s been seven months since I switched to my tube amp, the Zana Deux. Part of crossfeed was going back to something familiar. There is just more “lifelines” at the center of a piece when cross-feed is implemented.
Meier’s crossfeed has always been a miracle of engineering in my opinion. Unlike Headroom’s, I don’t think that the sound quality or the frequency response changes in the least bit when listening to it. Unlike the Head-five, I didn’t detect a noticeable change in gain when the crossfeed on the Opera was turned on.
Overall, Crossfeed isn’t something I regularly partake in anymore. I now have come to believe that once your ears are used to listening to headphones, natural stereo separation becomes far more enjoyable as the clarity, soundstage and dynamics all improve. Crossfeed, in my opinion, was like training wheels.
There are some uses of crossfeed that I still think are useful. Recordings done in the 40s through early 60s have a tendency to talk between L and R speakers, which can result in a very fatiguing and unsatisfactory experience when listening to headphones. In some cases, in some recordings, crossfeed is the only way to save one’s sanity.
How was the Dac?
I’ve heard quite a few dacs in my day and I’m going to be honest: it’s not better than the 1000$ dacs out there, in fact, my VDA-2 over ran it in a number of categories. If I were to position it anywhere on the scale, I think it would be just where the modded Zhaolu 2.5 stand, which is to say, that it will certainly meet the needs of most Head-fiers.
On a straight A/B test this is what I heard. The Opera was much more two dimensional, its soundstage was not nearly as deep, its treble reach was lacking, it’s bass wasn’t as tight, and it sounded far more “noisier” than the VDA-2. In fact, the comparison actually is exactly that of the Ori Zhaolu and the VDA-2. By that, I mean that I heard the same differences between the dacs… except the meier sounded far more natural and tolerable. If it does one thing well, it’s the actual tone, and balance of the dac, which I thought was very smooth and free of glare or mushiness.
The midrange of the Opera’s dac is the most characteristic development. The midrange has a tendency to focus all of it’s resolution and energies into the air surrounding the main instrumentalist… so that it comes off as sounding very detailed….except that much of the detail in the upper and lower ranges isn’t as apparent as on the VDA-2. I guess I can characterize it as a very midrange-centric dac.
Okay, how did the amp sound?
It sounded like a meier amp. If you have been listening/watching the latest developments from Dr. Meier you know what I’m talking about. The Opera is really the “big brother” of the H5, Aria and Arietta. It is the characteristics of these amps taken to a new level of refinement and transparency.
Frequency wise, the amp exhibits a little bit of a roll off at the top, bump in the lower midrange and a tight but not super-tight bass. It doesn’t extend too much into the lower range nor does it take you to the top of the high end, but it certainly does more than most music requires of it.
Tone wise, the amp is warm, almost tube like, yet manages to remain natural and honest to the source’s original intention. This isn’t like a tube amp that sounds like a 6sn7, or a 300b that sounds like a 300b. It is clearly a solid state not “gooey,” as Jocelyn would put it. Overall it is on the warm side, but also very authoritative in its presentation. Nearly every time I switch back to my Zana Deux, I think that the ZD has a little less muscle per note (although much better dynamics).
I think that the Opera’s biggest strength is in omission. It certainly makes some stuff sound better than it has any right to. Overall, the opera has been very useful to me as an “office” type of headphone amp… something I can seemingly listen to for hours without fatigue or even noticing it’s there. It’s so smooth it just works its charm on you without trying to grab your attention. I didn’t notice anything bad in it’s sound and that is certainly a good thing.
There are problems… quite a few actually
If I were to walk up on the street and ask someone how much they would expect a 1000$ amplifier they would seriously want this thing to blow them out of their seats; but the Opera doesn’t do that.
The largest problem the Opera has is with Dynamics. Play any of Mahler’s symphonies and you’ll see the problem: the Opera doesn’t have the power to really expose the great dynamic contrasts in the music. While the problem doesn’t exhibit itself on most rock and pop music, it is slightly there on Jazz and Classical. This problem doesn’t just exist with large musical flourishes but with nearly every note played. It seems as if there is some sanding down or rounding-out of the tones being played. Things just don’t come out or jump out in a way that makes the music what it is; the passion, excitement, energy, and intensity of classical music isn't as apparent.
The amp’s other problems are somewhat minor. The overall background isn’t all that “black,” in fact; it’s a really gray and noisy background… I don’t know what’s going on here…maybe I need better power cables or a power supply? (My infinitely quieter/blacker Zana Deux has a two part power supply that is contained in a separate chassis). The amp also has a very annoying red-blinking light when I don’t send a digital signal to it.
Conclusions:
I actually think the problem I’m having with the Opera is that it’s too polite to slap the listener in the face with the details; it’s not “glassy” enough for my taste. It’s not a problem of performance, nor a problem of “price,” since I’ve heard plenty of transparent 700-1000$ amps, but a matter of what I personally want to hear in an amplifier. I think I’d be happy with this as a back up or work system, but I couldn’t imagine myself immersing myself into the music for a few hours with the Corda Opera… I’d rather just go across the street (or down my block) to Anna’s Jazz Island.
The Opera also ran itself into another problem; it decided to step into rigs that are lined up with some of the best gear in the hobby. But that’s where the audacity and honesty of TTVJ come in. I’m sure it would have been more comforting to send it off to those who have not had much experience, or to those who seriously wanted to buy one, or to “fanboys” (as is the common practice of so many manufacturers these days). Todd did something that’s very hard to do: he sent it off to get real feedback and for that I’m very grateful. Thanks Todd!
