[StandUp713]

I have the oppo drivers w/ windows 10. works fine on the ha-2. ha-1 & ha-2 uses the same drivers

 


That is good news. Thanks!

 

[HasturTheYellow]

Yeah, the drivers for Windows XP/7/8.1 should work with Windows 10.

 

[Mediahound]

  is there supposed to be a soft transformer like buzzing sound if you put your ear to the top vent? Is this normal?

In addition to the above question I'm also wondering if it's possible for the display screen to ever suffer from burn in by leaving the same thing on the screen for a long period of time while the unit is on?

 

[poocaso]

  Just received my HA-1 and checking it out. Question, is there supposed to be a soft transformer like buzzing sound if you put your ear to the top vent? Is this normal?

I listened for buzzing near the top vent and could not hear any.

 

[Badas]

 
I listened for buzzing near the top vent and could not hear any.

Nothing here also.

 

[Mediahound]

 
I listened for buzzing near the top vent and could not hear any.

 
 

 
Nothing here also.

Interesting. With it on, right? You hear nothing with your ear to the vent?

 

[poocaso]

   
 

Interesting. With it on, right? You hear nothing with your ear to the vent?

Yep, it's been on and in use for a few hours. No buzzing but I did manage to burn the side of my face when putting my ear on the vent!

 

[Badas]

   
 

Interesting. With it on, right? You hear nothing with your ear to the vent?

I have never heard any buzzing ever. I've had mine for a year now as well. It gets used mainly as a pre-amp now.
 
I have just listened. It has been on for about 3 hours. As a pre-amp. No sound at all. Stuck HP's in to make sure. Nothing again.
 
Maybe you have a ground loop.

 

[hodgjy]

A buzzing transformer is often caused by the mount coming lose from the board or from the resin around the windings separating. Could have been damaged during shipping. Contact Oppo and they can advise, including making a shipping claim.

 

[Mediahound]

A buzzing transformer is often caused by the mount coming lose from the board or from the resin around the windings separating. Could have been damaged during shipping. Contact Oppo and they can advise, including making a shipping claim.

Thanks. That seems likely. I'll contact them. 

 

[ngyu]

Just did a comparison between my old stack (Emotiva DC-1/Bryston BHA-1) and the Oppo HA-1 last night on the BHA-1 thread. Figured I'd repost my findings here:
 
JRiver -> Optical -> Emotiva DC-1 -> XLR -> Bryston BHA-1:
Well this setup I've been used to and what I will be using as reference. The DC-1 is a warmer DAC for sure, compared to my previous Schiit Uberfrost and my buddy's Mjolnir. Pair this with the flatline BHA-1 and HD800, I've got an incredible sound. I was pretty much ready to stick with this set for the long run..... until I got enticed by the feature set of the Oppo HA-1. 
 
JRiver -> Optical -> Oppo HA-1 DAC/amp:
Without a doubt as Armaegis was saying, this combo is definitely 'brighter' or edgier than my previous combo. Would I call it flat? I'm not sure, I'm not a scope. But there definitely seems to be less of a low-mid range hump as I've had previously in the DC-1/BHA-1. I listened to it hours on end last night with no fatigue on my HD800. So maybe I'm just less sensitive to highs. But what WAS impressive was the soundstage, it is much wider than anything I've heard to this point. Orchaestral pieces, Lindsay Stirling's Moon Trance, anything with good dimension to it was well reproduced. I then proceeded to listen with the LCD-X, and confirmed there is a slight loss of mid-bass clarity and texture, but the rest is crystal clear. 
 
I played with the other features a little too, the remote is slick, I can play/pause if I'm connected via USB DAC, or BT, but my favorite is the ability to mute preamp outs while leaving headphones on: I finally don't have to reach around my Adam F5s to turn it on/off. Mute! Only fault is the mute button is ONLY on the remote, and not on the unit itself. Guess I'll keep the remote handy.
 
Now that I've tried the combos, time to switch it up to determine the differences in DACs and amps
 
JRiver -> Optical -> Oppo HA-1 DAC -> XLR -> Bryston BHA-1:
So now using the HA-1 purely as a DAC, and the BHA-1 as the amp now, I felt only the slight loss in mid-bass texture, and a slightly less wide soundstage, but I'm nitpicking here and the overall sound is near identical. This was confirmed both on HD800 and LCD-X. hmm. maybe it's the DAC.
 
JRiver -> Optical -> Emotiva DC-1 -> XLR -> Oppo HA-1 amp:
Whoa yep. here we go, that's the biggest difference. The DAC. This sounds almost identical to my original setup. The warmth of the DAC is passed on through the amp, both amps running very transparent. Again the sound stage doesn't seem as wide on this setup for some reason, that I'm not sure why. But as for the mid-range bass drop in the pure HA-1 setup, the drop is nowhere to be found, if anything it feels a bit more accented here. Its nice on the HD800, breathes a little musicality into the heart of the analytical beast. 
 
So.... I conclude for now: the BHA-1 and amp portion on the HA-1 is very very similar. The difference resides mostly in the DAC implementation of the DC-1 and HA-1 then. Slight loss in mid-bass range, but wider soundstage. 
 
But dang yo. The HA-1 runs hot. like..... real hot. The build of the Bryston feels beefier and sturdier than the HA-1. Not to say the HA-1 isn't well built, its just how much of a tank the BHA-1 is.
 


 
 
Thanks!

 

[Mediahound]

 
 but my favorite is the ability to mute preamp outs while leaving headphones on

 
Speaking of this, I really wish I could mute the headphone out but not the preamps. That way, when I want to switch to speakers, I wouldn't have to unplug the headphones each time. 

 

[ngyu]

   
Speaking of this, I really wish I could mute the headphone out but not the preamps. That way, when I want to switch to speakers, I wouldn't have to unplug the headphones each time. 

huh. true that. Didn't hit me that feature wasn't available. Maybe it can be remedied in a future firmware upgrade?

 

[Mediahound]

I just got back from Oppo (I'm lucky to live in the SF Bay Area, they are only an hour a way with no traffic). 
 
They replaced my buzzing HA-1 for me and told me it was the toriodial transformer. Very nice folks there. 
 
The new one is totally silent so thanks all for the input above in letting me know the buzzing was not normal. 
 
Nathan (I think that's his name) at OPPO also reassured me the screen on the HA-1 will not suffer burn in when left on.

 

[StandUp713]

 
Speaking of this, I really wish I could mute the headphone out but not the preamps. That way, when I want to switch to speakers, I wouldn't have to unplug the headphones each time. 

 


I really would like this feature also. I go back an forth between my JBL monitors and my LCD-Xs. This is my only gripe of the HA-1.