[Badas]

Okay I have been waiting all day to post this. A little nervous as some will not like what I'm going to say.

Three headphones (Audeze LCD3c, LCDX and Senny HD800 modified) and the Oppo HA1 plus Woo WA22.

Not just my opinion but another head- fiier also.

The Woo WA22 with rolled tubes ran circles around the HA-1. It should do being twice the price. No competion. It was the best on all three headphones. With the Woo we could be happy with all three headphones. Oh by the way the WA22 is fitted with $100 worth of NOS tubes. That is all. Tubes don't cost much if you do the research.

With the Oppo. The LCD3 was best, followed by LCDX and you would have to strangle me to recommend the HD800 with the Oppo. Both of us thought it was downright awful. Way too bright.

Speaking of bright. I have said the HA1 is bright. Confirmed by the other head-fier. I didn't bring it up. He remarked "damn this is bright". We both agreed with the Audeze headphone and a bit if EQ we could use it for short listening periods. Exactly what I will use it for.

End the end tho a Audeze product and the Woo was a clear winner. If I was to guess I would say by 15-20%.

I think that is enough said.

 

[Z06_Pilot]

Okay I have been waiting all day to post this. A little nervous as some will not like what I'm going to say.

Three headphones (Audeze LCD3c, LCDX and Senny HD800 modified) and the Oppo HA1 plus Woo WA22.

Not just my opinion but another head- fiier also.

The Woo WA22 with rolled tubes ran circles around the HA-1. It should do being twice the price. No competion. It was the best on all three headphones. With the Woo we could be happy with all three headphones. Oh by the way the WA22 is fitted with $100 worth of NOS tubes. That is all. Tubes don't cost much if you do the research.

With the Oppo. The LCD3 was best, followed by LCDX and you would have to strangle me to recommend the HD800 with the Oppo. Both of us thought it was downright awful. Way too bright.

Speaking of bright. I have said the HA1 is bright. Confirmed by the other head-fier. I didn't bring it up. He remarked "damn this is bright". We both agreed with the Audeze headphone and a bit if EQ we could use it for short listening periods. Exactly what I will use it for.

End the end tho a Audeze product and the Woo was a clear winner. If I was to guess I would say by 15-20%.

I think that is enough said.

I assume when using the WA22 amp, you were using the HA-1 as the DAC in bypass mode?

 

[Badas]

I assume when using the WA22 amp, you were using the HA-1 as the DAC in bypass mode?

Correct. So DAC was the same. Just amplification was different.

Oppo was not in bypass so we could use Oppo as remote volume control.

 

[Smarty-pants]

Badas, you give absolutely no details at all about your findings.
Do you actually have any input as to WHY you think the Woo sounds better?
Do you just like the overall warmer sound?... or can you actually hear more details in the music?

Many others here have said they disagree with the opinion that the HA-1 is "bright".
Most, including myself, feel it's pretty neutral.
However compared to something like your tube amp that gives a warmer sound,
the HA-1 probably would sound really bright when switching between them... a matter of perception I think.

 

[Badas]

Badas, you give absolutely no details at all about your findings.
Do you actually have any input as to WHY you think the Woo sounds better?
Do you just like the overall warmer sound?... or can you actually hear more details in the music?

Many others here have said they disagree with the opinion that the HA-1 is "bright".
Most, including myself, feel it's pretty neutral.
However compared to something like your tube amp that gives a warmer sound,
the HA-1 probably would sound really bright when switching between them... a matter of perception I think.

It's not just the sound signature. It is the whole presentation. Silkier, smoother, lush and more natural sounding.

Not much point me going into more detail. You don't know until you try. That simple.

Both of us agreed. It was no match.

The other head-fier has a even better amp. The WA5. That thing even puts 5% more on the WA22. Talk about wet dream sound.

 

[Smarty-pants]

^ LOL, ok. I think you're laying it on a bit thick when you say the HA-1 sounds like a Walkman. :rolleyes:

I was just wanting to know why you think the Woo sounds better.
"Silky", "smooth", "lush" are all pretty meaningless to me personally.

"Natural" is more of an objective description, and that does peak interest,
but at the same time it depends on the listener's idea of what 'natural' sounds like.

To me the HA-1 is very detailed, accurate, and neutral... which to me is proof that it doesn't 'color' the sound.
If the user wants to obscure the sound signature to a warmer sound, then they can easily add an EQ to do that.
(I kinda wish Oppo had a built in EQ for that option.)

If the Woo has a "warmer" sound, and it's sound signature does color the sound (I don't know if it does),
then I would think it probably has less detail.

That doesn't mean you can't like it better for the subjective attributes that you do like,
and perhaps that is what it's more known for, but labeling it as "better" because of the reasons
you state sounds very subjective to me.)
Maybe that type of opinion is all you were trying to convey in the first place, I don't know.
Perhaps one day I will get a chance to audition the Woo myself and find out.

 

[Vacheron]

The Oppo isnt "bright", its neutral. Thats just my opinion. I find it somewhat similar to the sound my Classe equipment delivers, which to is neutral. 

 

[HI-BIT]

Most tube equipment I have listened to tends to roll off the highs due to the output transformers. With OTL (tubes) I do hear a brighter sound. In my system the output of the HA-1 (for the BE tweeters) is a 300B SE amp. If the recording is bright I can easily hear it especially on 44k recordings. I can upscale to 88k and it sounds a little sweeter but compressed. If you are using USB without an optimized PC the sonics can be grainy and bright. In this case I have preferred Coax over USB.

 

[Canadian411]

Neutral indeed, I really like how my HE6 sounds with HA1.

 

[Badas]

^ LOL, ok. I think you're laying it on a bit thick when you say the HA-1 sounds like a Walkman.

 

 
LOL. I had that posted for 10 seconds and thought I can't post that and removed. You must have seen it in that time. The post was too harsh.
 
I have also listened to the Taurus, Burson and Arcam Solid State amps and DACs.
 
The Oppo is the brightest. Not by a bit but by a lot. It even gets unruly in high treble. Where others keep it controlled.
 
Look when we are talking sound it is hard to turn into words. The Oppo HA-1 in mine and other opinions is not going to team up well with naturally bright headphones. It works well with their own PM1 and PM2, Audeze products and warmer headphones. I just wanted to highlight that to potential new users.
 
I will use mine with the Audeze LCD3 for short listening periods with a tad of EQ to tame the treble harshness.

 

[Raptor34]

 

I think that is enough said.

Amen!
Yet another sales pitch.  Don't you ever get tired of this?   If you posted this in one of the many Woo threads it would be pertinent, maybe, but not here.   Bright?  Walkman?  Get some therapy, will ya.

 

 

[Badas]

  Amen!
Yet another sales pitch.  Don't you ever get tired of this?   If you posted this in one of the many Woo threads it would be pertinent, maybe, but not here.   Bright?  Walkman?  Get some therapy, will ya.

 

Never been a sales pitch. Why would I????? I live on the other side of the world. Crikey I own 5 Oppo products. I love bloody Oppo.
 
Plain and simple Oppo HA1 is bright. Be prepared for it.
 
Also I bagged the Woo WA7 fireflies. If a product doesn't cut the mustard at least I talk about it.
 
Every time I put a slightly negative comment on one aspect of the Oppo you are on my back.
 
It is called a "Impressions Thread". Not tell us what you like only.

 

[Raptor34]

   
   
It is called a "Impressions Thread". Not tell us what you like only.

No, it's called "Oppo HA-1  Impressions" thread.  Who cares about Woo on a Oppo thread!  

 

[Badas]

  No, it's called "Oppo HA-1  Impressions" thread.  Who cares about Woo on a Oppo thread!  

And when I was asked I respond.
 
Also when I say it's bright you are the next post on my back.
 
Bright is a impression.

 

[x RELIC x]

I find comparisons to be worth while in an impressions thread. However, comparisons between a TOTL tube amp and a high value solid state amp/DAC are a little extreme as they are two different animals.

I personally don't find the HA-1 overly bright and I enjoy the amount of micro detail it presents to me. When going back to some less revealing gear I find the other gear to sound flat, slow and dull. But, when not being around the HA-1 for a while and going back I find the Oppo to be brighter with an insane amount of detail. My lowly Pan Am is warm and musical compared to the HA-1 but it doesn't present all the detail the HA-1 does. Depending on my mood I'll choose one over the other.

It's all relative.