[Badas]

Can't we just all get along  !!! I respect this site alot and every user on it. Masters, Audiophiles, Pros, and NOOBIES like me!!! The HA-1 is a great entry level device for people that are just entering into the hobby and don't know much. Also it takes years to train your ears like the Masters on this site. They are the only ones that can judge because they are judges of sound. 

Yes we can.

I've been experimenting with the Oppo HA-1 today and got a impressive result.

I got a lazy new generation iPod 16G that wasn't doing anything and loaded it up with my favourite headphone music.

I then installed the HA-1 App and a EQ player App. Connected the iPod via Bluetooth and experimented with a bit of EQ.

I got very impressive results. Best I've heard the Oppo and Woo WA22. Just a tad of EQ.

So from the iPod sitting next to me I can choose music, control HA-1, adjust volume using iPod buttons and add a bit of EQ. The Oppo then sends that signal to the Woo. The best of everything. I think this could be my future way to listen to headphones.

Pics below:



IPod connect via Bluetooth, showing music selection.




Shows iPod EQ programe. It also has a soundstage programe that impressed me. Made the Oppo sound the best I've heard.

 

[415906]

Look at what gets our attention these days as corporation names opouuu and shiite are you kidding me!! lol and all the other dumb names they call the over priced equipment. You are right! Most people are stupid driving up the price of everything. Welcome to America 2015!!! Thats why the customer is always right! Because we are so stupid we pay for it. While other people are meeting death from starvation and extremisim! I guess we will all be dining in hell tonight!!

 with our amps and headphones of course!.

 

[dynamics]

I am a recent proud owner of the Oppo HA-1.  This unit is a masterpiece.  It is outstanding.
 
I've owned several DACs and Amps over the years and some that were a lot more expensive.  This is by far my favorite.  There is something about it that just makes the sound addicting.  This thing just sound right!  It is detailed, warm, and balanced.  Music/audio just sounds the way it's supposed to.
 
Oppo HA-1 puts a lot of other DACs/Amps that are a lot more expensive to shame.  I've owned and heard some DACs/Amps which cost a lot more, offer less connectivity options, don't have the same build quality, don't look no where as near as good, and don't have practicality of the OPPO that cost 3-4 times more and some even more.
 
You can go out there and spend a lot more, but this is as good as it gets.  You might find something that's gonna sound different, but better would be subjective.  The truth is in audio you can only hear so much, it's not like you can continually dig into a recording and hear more. You can only hear what's recorded and what the human ear is capable of.  There is nothing more to hear.  Oppo does a great job at revealing that and you don't have to sell your house to afford it.
 
Oppo got everything right with this one and have a released a masterpiece.

 

[korzena]

  I am a recent proud owner of the Oppo HA-1.  This unit is a masterpiece.  It is outstanding.
 
I've owned several DACs and Amps over the years and some that were a lot more expensive.  This is by far my favorite.  There is something about it that just makes the sound addicting.  This thing just sound right!  It is detailed, warm, and balanced.  Music/audio just sounds the way it's supposed to.
 
Oppo HA-1 puts a lot of other DACs/Amps that are a lot more expensive to shame.  I've owned and heard some DACs/Amps which cost a lot more, offer less connectivity options, don't have the same build quality, don't look no where as near as good, and don't have practicality of the OPPO that cost 3-4 times more and some even more.
 
You can go out there and spend a lot more, but this is as good as it gets.  You might find something that's gonna sound different, but better would be subjective.  The truth is in audio you can only hear so much, it's not like you can continually dig into a recording and hear more. You can only hear what's recorded and what the human ear is capable of.  There is nothing more to hear.  Oppo does a great job at revealing that and you don't have to sell your house to afford it.
 
Oppo got everything right with this one and have a released a masterpiece.

 
Recently I have auditioned Oppo HA-1 with LCD-XC and liked it very much. Unfortunately I don't have much experiece with higher-end DACs/amps and can't really evaluate it in comparison to some other gear. I have read that the amp in HA-1 is really good although DAC is a bit less resolving. I don't know, just one or two opinions. I really liked the sound, aesthetics, functionality and most of all the price of this gear. I suspect it does have good synergy with LCD-X. I am really considering Oppo as a DAC/amp solution for this headphone (and future headphone I might buy), but I am still not fully convinced if Oppo can become my end game DAC/amp or I should look further to get the most of LCD-X.

 

[Canadian411]

It's funny how our ears are diffrent, I found TH900 is a great match for ha1.

And I prefer the silver one.

 

[415906]

Just got the Black HA-1!! Listening Now!!! Awesome back in business!!

 

 

[the-kraken]

dynamics, canadian411, (and any others using the ha-1 with th900's): are you running single-ended, or did you re-terminate to balanced? Cheers!

 

[craigp]

Hi all,
 
I've currently got the Audiolab M-DAC which I use to drive HD800 (for classical/brass) and Alpha Primes (for everything else).  I'm actually delighted with the M-DAC sound signature but wonder if I would get even better results from a more powerful amp.  For this reason I started looking around and the Oppo HA-1 has caught my eye.
 
I'm in the UK so unfortunately the HA-1 is expensive (£1200/$1800) so before making a big investment I wonder if anyone has experience of both the M-DAC and the HA-1 and could give me their view as to whether this is a worthy upgrade (in terms of both the DAC and amplifier).  Alternatively as they are both use the same DAC chip would I be better off just buying an amp?
 
Many thanks!
 
Craig

 

[415906]

  Hi all,
 
I've currently got the Audiolab M-DAC which I use to drive HD800 (for classical/brass) and Alpha Primes (for everything else).  I'm actually delighted with the M-DAC sound signature but wonder if I would get even better results from a more powerful amp.  For this reason I started looking around and the Oppo HA-1 has caught my eye.
 
I'm in the UK so unfortunately the HA-1 is expensive (£1200/$1800) so before making a big investment I wonder if anyone has experience of both the M-DAC and the HA-1 and could give me their view as to whether this is a worthy upgrade (in terms of both the DAC and amplifier).  Alternatively as they are both use the same DAC chip would I be better off just buying an amp?
 
Many thanks!
 
Craig

AWESOME customer service!! I am enjoying it since Jan 13!

 
I am a noobie but the pros know it inside out. Check out the Threads.

 

[dynamics]

the-kraken, I am using single-ended. I use my TH900s and Philips Fidelio X1.

Also, my studio monitors Neumann KH120 connected through XLR.

It is an amazing combination.

 

[drews]

  Hi all,
 
I've currently got the Audiolab M-DAC which I use to drive HD800 (for classical/brass) and Alpha Primes (for everything else).  I'm actually delighted with the M-DAC sound signature but wonder if I would get even better results from a more powerful amp.  For this reason I started looking around and the Oppo HA-1 has caught my eye.
 
I'm in the UK so unfortunately the HA-1 is expensive (£1200/$1800) so before making a big investment I wonder if anyone has experience of both the M-DAC and the HA-1 and could give me their view as to whether this is a worthy upgrade (in terms of both the DAC and amplifier).  Alternatively as they are both use the same DAC chip would I be better off just buying an amp?
 
Many thanks!
 
Craig

 
I replaced my M-DAC with an HA-1, not sure I would do that again...  The M-DAC is pretty great and in some ways more versatile.  Unless you really want balanced headphone output I think you'd be better off adding a Violectric V200 (I was happy with that setup with my HD800s)...
 
Drew
 
P.S. Not that there's anything wrong with the Oppo, it's a nice piece of gear (much larger than the M-DAC though)..

 

[Raptor34]

 
I bought the HA-1 originally to match with TH900s. They don't. At all. Took me 3 boxes from Oppo to figure that out but when I got a good one, it was crystal clear that this was not a good match. I arrived at the same opinion after trying it with my LCD 3's.  I find the 3's to be almost the same as the 2's X's when equally matched all the way around and db adjusted and am befuddled why some others imagine them vastly differently from one another.  Anyway, they all suffered from the same problem I've already stated which I again believe is due to the 9018 simply being a crummy chip if not implemented correctly and matched perfectly with the right amp and HP.  I even tried it with HD800, SR-009 and found it not surprisingly abysmal for those given the impedance issues.
 
I am equally befuddled by those that describe the 9018 with the accolades you stated. I'm not a huge chip fan to begin with and chip to me equals cheap. It's simply a shortcut for doing it right. I get that at some price points it makes sense but you'll always be chasing the latest chip and latest build slaved around that chip. That's not how things are designed in the real world in almost every other industry where form follows function and the cart does not pull the horse.  You are going for analog. Period. The DACs function is relatively simple and should not drive your hearing experience and if it is at all, I submit you are overthinking it.  The best DACs don't use any chips at all and that is where you can really hear the difference.  If you are "hearing" a DAC at all, to me that is a big problem.

Dont ya just love hate mail.   Millwick, I simply don't believe a word of it.  You have, in my opinion an agenda of some kind that goes far far beyond just impressions.  In other words I believe your are just "full of it".  
have a nice day.....

 

[Wurstteppich]

Hi,
 
Quote:

Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus ($500). I own both and they consistently beat the HA-1 on both ends in any double blind tests I've done.
 

 
I tried the DacMagic Plus and in my opinion it was just "OK" for the price. The built quality is great, the sound is good, the volume knob is crap. However I found it too scratchy on treble and it certainly did not provide the soundstage as the HA-1 did. In the meanwhile I also returned the Asus Essence One. Maybe a Violectric would be another solution for me or something higher than 1500€, however I don't want to spent that much for a combined DAC/HAmp. Up till now the HA-1 bet everything I tested (and I am just using single-ended for now with my T1). I know I am just a beginner, but that's my opinion.

 

[adiebear]

Sorry, couldn't resist...

 
Flame wars about Oppo (nothing to do with the HA-1) on another forum resulted in the emoticon.

 

[Smarty-pants]

Dont ya just love hate mail.   Millwick, I simply don't believe of word of it.  You have, in my opinion an agenda of some kind that goes far far beyond just impressions.  In other words I believe your are just "full of it".  
have a nice day.....

Why is it that these type of posters always seem to have a very low post count.
Not that one needs a high post count to have a valued opinion, but, well... you know...