[CyrusJools]

Just bought myself one of these, which I'm feeding with 320Kbs lossless (spotify) and a combo of B&W C5 (new ones) and P7. It's good, especially for mobile, but it's not got that reach in to your head and scoop your heart out awesomeness that I know is possible from my Cyrus / Dyn set up. 
 
One to use for mobile (& PC) for sure, but for PC *only* (with a decent amp), I'd go with the Dragonfly 1.2 at under half the price. 

 

[crashtest33]

I currently own the Hp-p1 and fancy a change. It's really hard to know what to do these days as my Fostex is now very overpriced.
I can stretch to a CLT720 but if the Teac is better than my Fostex I may just save my money.
A side-by-side test of the DACs and Amp stages is what I need.
Has anyone who's heard this Teac also heard the Fostex recently?

 

[ccaz3]

Hey what's the difference between the typical model HA200 and the Japan import model ending in a B? They are priced pretty good thru importers on Amazon ($260ish). Looking at this and the Teac... I kinda like the black and the idea its more neutral in sound.
 
Thanks!

 

[bulabulabanana]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the ‘B’ just means black. Looking at the box I see the code with and without the ‘B’ printed on the bottom. I liked both the TEAC and the Onkyo. The TEAC was more energetic while the Onkyo was more relaxed and rich. Neither of them blew my mind, but they opened up the sound field and made everything sound higher quality. I didn't want to spend over $300 on an amp for my headphones and this was the one I liked the most. I did listen to a few higher priced amps, and they did sound great and they added more passion and emotion to my music, but I felt there wasn't that much gained by spending more money. I love how easy it is to connect to my iPhone. I like the layout of it, the design of it all and the volume knob has a nice weight to it. I don't like that the battery in my iPhone drains faster when I use the amp nor do I like that iTunes in my phone seems to slow down or stutter a little when using this amp. The amp's battery is great - I've been getting over 8 hours of play time. It is definitely a quality product. Overall, I like the Onkyo. I like it a lot.

 

[dac0964]

   
It's based on specs on paper, but the difference isn't much, and there practically is no real-world difference. The Onkyo has 145 mW into 32 ohm while the TEAC has 160 into 32 ohm. That's it. 15 mW is not much of a difference. As I mentioned, from memory, the two sound similar, but I wouldn't be able to tell you pinpoint differences because I have not A/B'ed the two and have only listened to both on separate occasions.

Hi tomscy2000,
 
I'm planning to get an IEM with 16 ohm, 100 dB sensitivity, and max power of 5mW.  Would either of these DAC-Headphone amp be too much or will be just fine?
 
Thanks.

 

[tomscy2000]

I'm planning to get an IEM with 16 ohm, 100 dB sensitivity, and max power of 5mW.  Would either of these DAC-Headphone amp be too much or will be just fine?

 
You'll be okay. The power ratings are done at maximum output volume.

 

[dacari]

   
You'll be okay. The power ratings are done at maximum output volume.

 
Interested in this too, so with sensitive iem you can have enough volume path to make precise adjustements or suddlenly is too much loud? is there any imbalance?
 
Here in EU it is on sale now, in fact, always has been a bit cheaper than his half-brother Teac backwards the rest of the world, maybe for this nearly always it has been recommended the Teac over the Onkyo.

 

[tomscy2000]

  Interested in this too, so with sensitive iem you can have enough volume path to make precise adjustements or suddlenly is too much loud? is there any imbalance?

 
It's fine. There's plenty of play on the volume knob in low gain mode.

 

[BillHew]

Based on your positive review I just purchased the Onkyo HA-200. It's a nice little DAC/AMP and I'm pleased with the warmth, bass extension and sound quality. It's great that it just connects up via a lightning/usb cable to my iPad and iPhone making a neat set for high quality listening while travelling when I use my Klipsch X11 IEMs or Bose QC25. Very relaxing sound quality with this device for long listening without fatigue. For use with my macbook I still prefer the Meridian Explorer 2 going into my Philips Fidelio X2 that offers better sparkle, clarity and timing. DSD has definitely got the edge using Onkyo's HF Player otherwise I'm really enjoying using TIDAL.

 

[skingg]

To those with technical backgrounds, would it be sufficed to say that based on specs alone between the Onkyo HA200, Teac HA-P50-B and the Fostex HP-A4, the Fostex would be a better upgrade over the Fiio E18 than the other two? I'm looking to purchase one of the three to go with the HD650 headphone and since I'm on a budget and could afford Tube amps at the moment, would this be a wise choice?
 
My apologies for asking this here but the reason I'm only comparing these three are because they do not require AC. Ofcourse the benefits of the Onkyo and Teac would be portability but I'm looking to use one with the PC.

 

[tomscy2000]

  To those with technical backgrounds, would it be sufficed to say that based on specs alone between the Onkyo HA200, Teac HA-P50-B and the Fostex HP-A4, the Fostex would be a better upgrade over the Fiio E18 than the other two? I'm looking to purchase one of the three to go with the HD650 headphone and since I'm on a budget and could afford Tube amps at the moment, would this be a wise choice? My apologies for asking this here but the reason I'm only comparing these three are because they do not require AC. Ofcourse the benefits of the Onkyo and Teac would be portability but I'm looking to use one with the PC.

No experience with the HP-A4, unfortunately. I haven't really had great experiences with Fostex DACs, however, from experience with the A8C.
 
You're going to want more power than what the HA200/P50 provide, however, if you're going to use it with the HD650. Not necessarily too much more, but a little more at least. I'd stick with the E18, honestly, unless you don't like the TE7022L USB interface, which is its weakest link.

 

[skingg]

 
No experience with the HP-A4, unfortunately. I haven't really had great experiences with Fostex DACs, however, from experience with the A8C.
 
You're going to want more power than what the HA200/P50 provide, however, if you're going to use it with the HD650. Not necessarily too much more, but a little more at least. I'd stick with the E18, honestly, unless you don't like the TE7022L USB interface, which is its weakest link.

I didn't know about the USB receiver holding back the DAC of the E18 until you mention it! Nonetheless, either my iem/earphone don't pair well with the E18's DAC or the soundstage feels kind of "cramped". I'm still relatively new in this hobby as I haven't really own a real headphone yet(currently only have a Shure 535-red iem and Sony MDR-1RBTMK2 headphone) and the HD650 seems to fit the bill after reading tons of reviews about it (I've sampled it at Yodobashi last year as well). 
 
Someone over at the HD650 thread mentioned the E18 drives the headphone pretty decently, but seeing both the HA200 and P50 are slightly above the E18's performance and even you feel they won't provide enough power, I suppose the A4 is my best bet as there doesn't seem to be much choices available in the sub-$500 range of headphone amps. This and I am hoping to source for a better dac+amp with a wider soundstage.
 
Looking at the specs of the A8C, it's DAC are of the Asahi Kasei's AK4399 while A4 is Burr Brown PCM1792A. Any experiences with this particular DAC?

 

[tomscy2000]

  I didn't know about the USB receiver holding back the DAC of the E18 until you mention it! Nonetheless, either my iem/earphone don't pair well with the E18's DAC or the soundstage feels kind of "cramped". I'm still relatively new in this hobby as I haven't really own a real headphone yet(currently only have a Shure 535-red iem and Sony MDR-1RBTMK2 headphone) and the HD650 seems to fit the bill after reading tons of reviews about it (I've sampled it at Yodobashi last year as well).   
Someone over at the HD650 thread mentioned the E18 drives the headphone pretty decently, but seeing both the HA200 and P50 are slightly above the E18's performance and even you feel they won't provide enough power, I suppose the A4 is my best bet as there doesn't seem to be much choices available in the sub-$500 range of headphone amps. This and I am hoping to source for a better dac+amp with a wider soundstage.
 
Looking at the specs of the A8C, it's DAC are of the Asahi Kasei's AK4399 while A4 is Burr Brown PCM1792A. Any experiences with this particular DAC?

 
Maximum output for the E18 is 280 mW into 32 ohm, isn't it? The HA200/P50 are 160 mW into 32 ohms, IIRC.
 
If you feel the E18 is cramped, I wouldn't recommend the HA200/P50 either. They're fairly intimate sounding as well. It's also a function of your earphones/headphones. The SE535LTD, while brighter than the normal version, is still an intimate sounding earphone, no matter what. Can't comment on the Sony. It's possible that the E18 just happens to not do well, but I can't really think of why at the moment --- it should be able to handle decently tough loads, given the gain/buffer design that FiiO always uses.
 
The PCM1792A is a flagship-level DAC when used in the right hands. It can sound exceptional, right up there with the AK4399 and ES9018. However, it's what you do with it that counts, such as jitter control (oscillator, reclocking, etc.), I/V conversion, and analog gain and current buffering. The entire chain contributes. I've heard PCM1792 devices sound terrible (Styleaudio Topaz), and have heard them sound pretty good to great. These days, designers flock to ESS or AKM, but I still think the PCM1792 is a top-tier DAC chip. Again, it's what the designer does with it that counts most.
 
I will continue to think of sub-$500 DAC/amps, but my brain doesn't work ATM. Do you absolutely need an iPod/Android compatible DAC/amp device? Or is simpler okay?
 
EDIT: I was going to suggest the Oppo HA-2, but while it's powerful for 16 and 32 ohm loads, I found out that it drops to 30 mW into 300 ohms, which is weaker than the power output of the TEAC/Onkyo at 300 ohms (65 mW).

 

[skingg]

   
Maximum output for the E18 is 280 mW into 32 ohm, isn't it? The HA200/P50 are 160 mW into 32 ohms, IIRC.
 
If you feel the E18 is cramped, I wouldn't recommend the HA200/P50 either. They're fairly intimate sounding as well. It's also a function of your earphones/headphones. The SE535LTD, while brighter than the normal version, is still an intimate sounding earphone, no matter what. Can't comment on the Sony. It's possible that the E18 just happens to not do well, but I can't really think of why at the moment --- it should be able to handle decently tough loads, given the gain/buffer design that FiiO always uses.
 
The PCM1792A is a flagship-level DAC when used in the right hands. It can sound exceptional, right up there with the AK4399 and ES9018. However, it's what you do with it that counts, such as jitter control (oscillator, reclocking, etc.), I/V conversion, and analog gain and current buffering. The entire chain contributes. I've heard PCM1792 devices sound terrible (Styleaudio Topaz), and have heard them sound pretty good to great. These days, designers flock to ESS or AKM, but I still think the PCM1792 is a top-tier DAC chip. Again, it's what the designer does with it that counts most.
 
I will continue to think of sub-$500 DAC/amps, but my brain doesn't work ATM. Do you absolutely need an iPod/Android compatible DAC/amp device? Or is simpler okay?
 
EDIT: I was going to suggest the Oppo HA-2, but while it's powerful for 16 and 32 ohm loads, I found out that it drops to 30 mW into 300 ohms, which is weaker than the power output of the TEAC/Onkyo at 300 ohms (65 mW).

Oh thank you for the time to type those, they were very informative. I do not need an Android compatible solution because I have purchased the E18 primarily for that purpose. I'm occasionally just browsing around and reading off peoples' recommendations and checking if ebay have them as that's where I shop primarily. I've already sourced a couple of folks selling the A4 for under $400 inclusive of shipping which is kind of an attractive deal considering it was some $500 when it launched last year. But I'm still open for other options and recommendations. And since I'm purchasing at this price range for the HD650, I suppose I'm looking at the desktop dac/amp range of line.
 
*Interesting discovery tonight as I try to hook up the E18's amp to my Asus desktop via line out (Realtek HD Audio) and surprisingly the Shure IEM just sounds better or should I say brighter with this pairing than when I used the E18's dac+amp (usb out). 

 

[balcmeg]

I hope someone is still reading this thread. I am in the situation of looking to buy a dac/amp for my iPhone 5s and have been looking into the onkyo/Teak/fiio models mentioned here.
The usage will be only when I am on the move, either via iPhone or while travelling with my macbookair and my IEMs are Shure 325 or 846. At home I use a AMB M3 and Gamma2 combo by the computer and I am happy with the sound profile. Just as I am with my KEF R500 speakers..I mention this just to give an idea of my sound preferences..

Based on this, could anyone give me some thoughts on what to choose, the teac/Onkyo seems to have a definite advantage in battery time but with a heavier and bigger build.. On the other hand they are also directly compatible with the iPhone, while fiio will need a CCK and I read some comments where the fiio desnt seem to work without a powered usb hub, so that could be a disadvantage.

Happy for all comments since I am pretty new to headfi, but been into music for a long time.

/stefan