On Sunday? Don't think so my friend.
It was delivered last night (at the latest possible route). I was going to post some pictures, but the girlfriend even commented on just how amazed she was by the sound. We ended up listening to the HA-1 though my HE-4, balanced, for a two full hours before she left for bed. Oppo, you have officially gotten the girlfriend seal of approval, and that is one hellofa toughy.
Oneohtrix kinda sealed the deal though. She put the cans on and her jaw instantly dropped.
Oppo, you certainly have a winner on your hands!
Observations and 1st Impressions
Look and Feel
Packing and build quality are top notch
Attention the the little things, like the folding tabs on the top of the box (box stays closed without tape)
It really is heavy
Darn purdy, I can see the appeal of the black model (super stealthy)
Every button feels tactile and sturdy
Never feels like a DIY or startup company (even Schiit's buttons had some wiggle and play)
Changing any settings feels very satisfying for one reason or another (the mute, relay, and clicks feel so tactile)
Sounds
I never got the impression that this was a bright DAC/Amp. Only a few poorly recorded or low res Spotify songs ever came off that way. Music was never grainy but always smooth and very detailed, though never to the point where it felt like details were over-emphasized like on my Audioquest Dragonfly. If I used audiophile jargon it would go something like this: "incredibly revealing, yet still very musical" <--- whatever that means.
I think it is important to note the bass. For me, it may just drive my HE-4s with the perfect quantity and impact. Bass was tight and slammed hard and deep. I plugged in the girlfriend's Grado SR125i (with GCush pads) to see if it was just the HE-4, and to my surprise, that same tight bass kick was still present (but obviously Grados just cannot hit as low as planars do).
Ultimately, mid-bass was never emphasized so the sound was never bloaty, flabby, or too thick.
Balanced
The difference was there, but subtle, yet even the girlfriend noticed a change. It would be easier to say that there was more air or the space seemed more realistic. Ultimately, I don't have a fancy way of explaining it, but the sound felt.... Right.
To wrap up some thoughts, the HA-1 seems like a very detailed, yet smooth amp. It takes away (for me) most of the harsh upper frequencies that normally prevent me from listening above very conservative volumes. Ultimately, I was listening and enjoying the music rather than gear.
Call me impressed. I may have gotten the approval for the girlfriend (she might as well be call the wifey)to go ahead a buy one sooner rather later!
Thanks again, Hastur, for setting this demo up. I think everyone at the meet is going to dig this.
