Oppo HA-1 Impressions Thread
Sep 5, 2014 at 6:34 AM Post #1,621 of 5,414
Do annax mod and get Norne cable with 4 pin XLR . I was thinking about letting them go after trying HE-560 but after getting Vanquish cable i have changed my mind


Thanks for that advice. Others have recommended the mod in response to my similar posts, so I finally ordered the materials a couple of days ago...

:D

Just be aware that I prefer partial mod which uses rings only cause installing the green triangle brings sound closer to you while I prefer original version but since it easily reversible you can try every configuration to find what is best for you. But to get best sound using HA-1 balanced cable is needed
 
Sep 5, 2014 at 10:43 AM Post #1,622 of 5,414
Every one knows the black ones are faster..  :wink:

Yes and the silver ones sound brighter. . Lol



OMG Nighmare!
It's good thing I told my GF the real prices before we got in serious relationship lol.

Man, I guess I'm a lucky guy.

I say: "Wife, there's a new Oppo amp I've been waiting for, just released moments ago!"

She says: "You work hard and deserve some relaxation and enjoyment."

I say: " :eek: "

She even ordered it for me as I was at work and didn't have the available time.

:cool:

AMAZING! !

Does she have a sister?
OMG funny!
that's all we do in my job is "sister" jokes :p


Do annax mod and get Norne cable with 4 pin XLR . I was thinking about letting them go after trying HE-560 but after getting Vanquish cable i have changed my mind

+1 I have to agree totally with Oleg findings.
He has very good ears and I trust his perceptions fully.
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 7:05 AM Post #1,626 of 5,414
I am having a problem with my HA-1.
 
 
I recived my USB cable last night, and plugged it into my HA-1, playing music for a couple of hours. Shut it down, and went to bed.
 
But, today, my mac will not find it. I am using Alt + (speaker symbol ) and it will only find Internal speakers or headphone when I have them plugged into it. No Oppo.

 
What is going on? My first thought is the cable is broken? But its a higer end cable, just unpacked. 
 
 
 
Anybody know what is going on?
 
 
Update: I had to restart my mac. Any thoughts on whats going on?
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 7:57 AM Post #1,627 of 5,414
I am having the exact same issue any luck with it yet I can't get my Mac to see it what ever I do?

Update: have tried a few other usb cables with no luck and tried on my macbook as well with no luck. Shut down Mac and ha-1 no luck. Up until just yesterday was playing fine and never an issue this morning , nothing zilch ! Everything else on the ha-1 is working fine but nothing I have tried will make the Mac see it!
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 8:18 AM Post #1,629 of 5,414
How long is the USB cable?  The USB 2.0 spec requires a cable to be no longer than 16' and it is possible that an "audiophile USB cable" doesn't comply with the spec.  A cable longer than that will result in signal level drop.  Your Mac might not "see" the DAC at all, or it might not see it when it wakes up.
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 9:06 AM Post #1,630 of 5,414
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. :D

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.
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 9:40 AM Post #1,631 of 5,414
My cable, a Black Cat Silverstar USB, is 1,23 m long.
 
I have done a few things, and it looks like when I change from the OPPO to internal speakers, before I shut down the amp, it will find it again when I turn it back on.
 
 
 
I really dont know what to say about the amp. I am playing lossless music through a Norwegian streaming service called WiMP.
I got a pair of Beyerdynamic T5p from my girlfriend on my birthday, and got this amp as it will allow me "grow into" open headphones and balanced cables later.
So it is my first step into head-fi and hi-fi. But the sound is clear, it sounds like it should. It difficult to say, as I have never tried anything else.
 
What I would venture to guess, is the T5p is noted for playing very natural, no coloration. And, the Oppo as well. No "colouring".. so I guess I am getting a very natural sound. Or to say the way the artist wanted the record to sound? 
 
Its relies heavily on the quality of the record.. 
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 10:48 AM Post #1,632 of 5,414
  My cable, a Black Cat Silverstar USB, is 1,23 m long.
 
I have done a few things, and it looks like when I change from the OPPO to internal speakers, before I shut down the amp, it will find it again when I turn it back on.
 
 
 
I really dont know what to say about the amp. I am playing lossless music through a Norwegian streaming service called WiMP.
I got a pair of Beyerdynamic T5p from my girlfriend on my birthday, and got this amp as it will allow me "grow into" open headphones and balanced cables later.
So it is my first step into head-fi and hi-fi. But the sound is clear, it sounds like it should. It difficult to say, as I have never tried anything else.
 
What I would venture to guess, is the T5p is noted for playing very natural, no coloration. And, the Oppo as well. No "colouring".. so I guess I am getting a very natural sound. Or to say the way the artist wanted the record to sound? 
 
Its relies heavily on the quality of the record.. 

Oppo HA-1 + T5p would be cold/bright for people like me
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 11:05 AM Post #1,633 of 5,414
I have my HA-1 connected to my MacBook Pro (11,3 & Mavericks) via a 10' Belden Gold USB cable through an industrial-grade powered USB hub that connects to my laptop via a 2' cable to the left-side USB port.  (I know that some way the sound might be better if I connected the HA-1 directly to my laptop and used the right-side USB port, but I didn't notice any difference in functionality or sound, perhaps because I have one hefty power supply for the outboard hub). Once in a while the MacBook won't recognize the HA-1 once the HA-1 is turned on, and I have to manually change the output from the laptop's internal speakers to the HA-1.  But that's infrequent.  When I use the HA-1 I always run Audirvana in iTunes integrated mode, and Audirvana will take over the choice, setting the HA-1 as the preferred output choice if it is available.  I haven't noticed any real issues with my laptop recovering from sleep and disconnecting from the HA-1 if it was selected beforehand, whether I was running Audirvana or iTunes directly.
 
If your Mac doesn't see the HA-1 as an option, that might be related to your power settings and sleep behavior, battery vs. AC power, etc.  There are issues with peripherals and Mavericks with FireWIre drives not sleeping, and external drives being disconnected under USB 3.0.  There are some apps (like AudioMate and AudioSwitcher) that control audio input/output choices and even sampling rates from the menubar, but I haven't seen the need for them on my setup; from what I could see this morning from several of those apps' descriptions, they don't constantly poll the system to see if something new is added or available, but only check when started up.  You might see if one of those apps helps find the HA-1 when the Mac wakes up or is started.
 
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:21 PM Post #1,634 of 5,414
Can someone please help... I'm debating either the HA-1 or the Chord Hugo for my PM-1 headphones. I have no opportunity for a demo, unfortunately.
 
They are both the same price over here in the UK.
 

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