[vnmslsrbms]

@Moogs- If you want to play the highest res like DSD stuff you definitely need USB. I think PCM optical "only" goes up to 24/192.  It also allows the DAC to handle the reclocking. I'm not sure if optical does it too.  

 

[vnmslsrbms]

  I just received my HA-1 today and have had a chance to set it up and use it.I have both the HD800 and the LCD-3F and i am using both of them balanced!I have previously been using my Chord Hugo which i love.
My initial observation was that the HA-1 has more heft,more weight...at the same listening volume it just sounds fuller the bass more pronounced.....i love my Hugo and will undoubtedly use it quite often but i do love the sound of the Oppo...i also can say that my LCD-3F seems to sound better with the Oppo than the Hugo
 
I am curious about something and perhaps somebody can help me out with it....i have read numerous people here speaking of needing to listen to their HD800 or LCD-3F at the high gain and actually turn it up high on high gain.I am listening to both these cans at the normal gain and basically listening between 9-11 o clock....and it is more than loud enough for me....the LCD-3F is a bit louder at the same volume setting.....How is it that so many people require such higher volume settings with the same cans?

Using the balanced output is much more powerful than the single ended one.  That's the main reason I think.  I used to turn it up when I was using single ended, but with balanced I didn't need to.  Though the HD800 has a higher impedance than the LCD-3F so your experience is normal.  It just reinforces my balanced everything approach.  Though for my bedroom I'm thinking of getting a single ended tube/high efficiency speaker setup.  

 

[frodeni]

I visited another thread on the forum
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/736294/gustard-u12-usb-interface-8-core-xmos-chip
 
It is a thread on a USB-SPDIF interface. It is a great thread for information on some of the issues the plauges the digital interfaces. I made some inquires about upgrading the clock chips of the Oppo, and that is not just straight forward.
 
As for the construction of the Oppo, it appears to be well designed on the digital interface. The components generating the clocks, are unknown in accuracy, and they matter a lot. If anyone has a name for me, to someone that might be trusted to upgrade the clock chips for me, please let med know. PM would be great.
 
On the topic of the getting the Gustard U12, it mainly is the topic if the power supply on the Oppo is weak compared the the Gustard, and the accuracy of the clock generators in both. And as always, shielding.
 
Given what it takes to generate a high quality SPDIF signal, in particular the accuracy as in low jitter, the onboard SPDIF of a computer simply fails. This is easier to correct to high end audio needs, by using USB. But USB comes at a price of a lot of included noise, on top of the USB signal. More so than SPDIF. Or at least, that is my break down of the issue so far.
 
The quality of the optical transmission from a PC, is plagued by the interfaces generating the optical signals, as they lack accuracy.
 
So in short

• The signal survives the transmission intact. It probably will decode into the same stream.
• The signal is degregated by the digital interface. In particular jitter is an issue, as in the accuracy of the signal.
• Noise is added on top of signal, and that noise influence the receiving end.

 
Please do not get stuck in point one only.
 
For the Oppo, a good USB cable can help. It helped me a lot. That was the Coffee of Audioquest. If anyone tries something, it would be nice to hear if it works.
 
I will let you know, what I try out, and if it helped in any way.

 

[Jozurr]

Has anyone compared the optical and USB input and compared the differences on the HA-1 itself? the HA-1 has a good USB input.

 

[Moogs]

  Has anyone compared the optical and USB input and compared the differences on the HA-1 itself? the HA-1 has a good USB input.

 
I just switched from optical to USB last night on both OS X and Windows 10 and couldn't discern a difference between the two to be honest. I just used an old USB cable I had lying around as well. I'm not a cable snob and don't necessarily buy into the cable hype. Both sounded very good IMO. This was listening to Pink Floyd in Apple Lossless on both streams.

 

[MRC001]

  Using the balanced output is much more powerful than the single ended one.  That's the main reason I think.  I used to turn it up when I was using single ended, but with balanced I didn't need to.  Though the HD800 has a higher impedance than the LCD-3F so your experience is normal.  It just reinforces my balanced everything approach.  Though for my bedroom I'm thinking of getting a single ended tube/high efficiency speaker setup.  

True. Just today the balanced cable for my LCD2-F arrived. The HA-1 output is 6 dB louder balanced than unbalanced. That's twice the voltage and 4x the power.
 
I knew from the specs that the HA-1 had twice the voltage & 4x the power in balanced mode, but that doesn't necessarily mean the gain is any higher for any given position on the volume knob. Yet in this case, it is. Balanced mode puts out twice the voltage at any given volume knob position.
 
Now, with the balanced output,  I can do 100% of my listening in low gain mode.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

   
I just switched from optical to USB last night on both OS X and Windows 10 and couldn't discern a difference between the two to be honest. I just used an old USB cable I had lying around as well. I'm not a cable snob and don't necessarily buy into the cable hype. Both sounded very good IMO. This was listening to Pink Floyd in Apple Lossless on both streams.

Well then you need to try Locus Design Cynosure v2 Audiophile Quality USB Cable.  it's 3500 bucks and it will blow your mind.  I'm just kidding of course. Maybe it is awesome I don't know, but like you I'm not a cable believer.  Though my iphone cable that I use at night as been a bit weird.  End story I just need one that works properly.  I'd rather get multiple official or MFi ones than 1 super expensive one that could still break too.  

 

[DaemonSire]

@HasturTheYellow / Anyone else:
 
Is it safe to use an XLR to RCA cable on the Pre-Amp out of the HA-1?  Specifically, this kind of cable: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4784
 
 
I currently have the HA-1 RCA out going to one amp and I would like to use a second amp as well.  Unfortunately, the amp does not have balanced inputs, only RCA.
 
So is it safe to go Balanced RCA to Unbalanced for the Pre-Amp out?
 
 
Thanks

 

[ngyu]

probably better to use an RCA splitter, rather than connecting both the L and R -ve of a balanced connection to ground.

 

[MRC001]

  @HasturTheYellow / Anyone else:
 
Is it safe to use an XLR to RCA cable on the Pre-Amp out of the HA-1?  Specifically, this kind of cable: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4784
 
I currently have the HA-1 RCA out going to one amp and I would like to use a second amp as well.  Unfortunately, the amp does not have balanced inputs, only RCA.

You'll have to ask Oppo. The reason why: some XLR to RCA cables wire the balanced - to RCA ground. This gives a 0 ohm load to the output device driving the balanced - signal. Many balanced output drives are designed to handle this. They shut down the drive for the - while continuing to drive the +. But if the output device is not designed to handle this, it shorts the balanced - drive which can damage the amp or trigger protection circuit and shut down.
 
An alternative is to split the unbalanced RCA output between your two amps. If both amps have high input impedance, it should not be a problem. For example, if each of your amps has a 30 kOhm input impedance (this is typical), the HA-1 would be driving 15 kOhm (both in parallel). This is still high enough to be a safe load. This approach is safer, and can't hurt the HA-1.
 
IMPORTANT: If you're not going to have both of your amps turned on, you should measure the input impedance of each amp when it's turned off. It's possible for it to have lower input impedance when turned off, than it does when turned on. The input impedance spec on the manual is (obviously) measured when it's turned on. THey don't usually say what it is when it's turned off. If it is lower, that would pose a problem.
 
PS overall, this is exactly what NYGU said above. But an RCA splitter isn't always safe because it lowers the load impedance the HA-1 is driving. If use an RCA switchbox instead of a splitter, so only 1 of your 2 amps is connected at any given time, that's always safe.

 

[HasturTheYellow]

We generally recommend using a splitter rather than using an adapter cable/plug when converting XLR to RCA. You do not need to worry about the load or how the cable was soldered for the XLR conversion. But if you must use XLR to RCA as a cable or adapter conversion, we have used a similar cable without any problems to standard amplifiers and pre-amplifiers.

 

[DaemonSire]

Thanks.  I didn't think there would be much of an issue, but if there is some concern, I'll go the splitter route.  Actually I may just build an RCA switch-box.

 

[frodeni]

  Is there a reason why I would choose a USB input vs the optical from my PC/Mac?

 
Yes. For the PC there is. You get ASIO driver with the USB connection, and used correctly that probably will be better than your optical driver.
 
But the answer is probably just to try. There is a lot of people who hates optical. Then again, there are people who find it working just as well as USB.
 
The optical input sort of support a lot of devices, while the USB do not. If both sound the same, opting for USB frees you an optical input.
 
But bottom line is you, and your own experience. My logic would be to follow your own gut.

 

[Moogs]

I just threw on a set of HE500s over the 1/4 and was sorta disappointed. I had to flip to high gain and max the volume and even then I could have gone a little more. Sources were all full. I then tried the same setup on my MM stack and it worked really well. I guess I'll have to get an XLR balanced cable for my phones to use on this amp?

 

[goldendarko]

Yes. Much better power through the XLR output