[goldendarko]

   
Consider Audioengine as well.  The A5+ is a great powered speaker...
 
http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Powered-Speaker-Systems

FWIW, I've owned both the Audioengine A5+ and Emotive Airmotiv 6s speakers and prefer the Airmotivs. Both sell for $399 too, so price isn't a factor, it's mainly a sound preference issue, the Emotiva has more of a hi-fi type sound whereas the Audioengine goes more for the fun factor sound is kind of how I'd describe it. They were great speakers, but overall I think the Airmotiv's just sound better. 

 

[poocaso]

Thanks for the comparison!

 

[duffer5]

Thanks all for the great suggestions.  I am going with the Emotiva's Airmotiva 5s.  Do a lot of the Ha-1 owners use the Ha-1 in conjunction with Active speakers.  I know the HA-1 is designed primarily as a Headphone DAC/Amp but from my perspective it has the ability to be a key component in a mini / office hifi setup?
 
Thanks and happy 2016

 

[goldendarko]

Thanks all for the great suggestions.  I am going with the Emotiva's Airmotiva 5s.  Do a lot of the Ha-1 owners use the Ha-1 in conjunction with Active speakers.  I know the HA-1 is designed primarily as a Headphone DAC/Amp but from my perspective it has the ability to be a key component in a mini / office hifi setup?

Thanks and happy 2016

I know I do. Honestly that's the main reason I keep it around is its versatility. You could probably build just a headphone setup for the same price that would sound better but you would lose all the other capability like being able to use it with active speakers. IMO the HA-1 is the perfect desktop product and it's where I use mine.

 

[duffer5]

I know I do. Honestly that's the main reason I keep it around is its versatility. You could probably build just a headphone setup for the same price that would sound better but you would lose all the other capability like being able to use it with active speakers. IMO the HA-1 is the perfect desktop product and it's where I use mine.

Great feedback.  Thank you.  Mine should arrive next week.  Thanks again for the speaker suggestions. 

 

[Opethian10]

I appreciate the feedback on my earlier post. I ended up sampling the HA-1 with my HE-6 and TH-900 at Oppo's office in Menlo Park (as well as their BD-105, PM-1, and PM-3). They graciously allowed me to sample all of these products and were curious as to what I thought of them. I particularly enjoyed the PM-3 with my DX90. This would be a fantastic mobile rig. They were also really cool about me being there blasting music through my headphones on a normal work day! I felt bad since they were all working and must have been distracted by my music but they did not seem to be bothered.

Since I highly enjoyed it, I decided to purchase a refurbished HA-1 (it looks and feels brand new, and is packaged as such). I don't think one could distinguish it from a brand new unit. I love the interface and customization of the screen and wish this type of interface was used on more products.

I brought it home to my home rig and paired it with my LD VI+ and HE-6 and found the sound to be a bit too bright. Pairing with a warmer amp could help. Coming from a DacMagic as my previous DAC, I heard details in the music that I never knew were there. The HA-1 is very revealing. I also used the TH-900 (balanced) and TH-X00 through the headphone amp of the HA-1. I found the TH-900 slightly bright and analytical as well, but thought the TH-X00 with its smoother treble was an excellent pairing. I sold my HD-650 years ago but I think it would also be a fantastic pairing with the HA-1.

I'm no authority on the subject, but my conclusion is that pairing the HA-1 with a darker headphone is ideal. But when pairing with headphones a bit brighter than neutral, be prepared for a little extra treble sizzle. It was a bit too much for me. Since most of my cans are a detail oriented and a little treble happy, I have decided I will be returning my unit and will start to look for a DA8 or DA8 II. If all or most of my headphones were darker sounding, I would surely be keeping this unit.

 

[zilch0md]

^ I really enjoyed reading your post and I very much agree with your findings.  
 
The HA-1 doesn't work well with my HD800, for example - too bright for an already bright headphone - and its use of negative feedback (found with most amps) creates some distortion artifacts in the low energy signals nearest that reside just above the noise floor - which the HD800 can resolve and does not appreciate. This is nit-picky, as nearly all SS amps with multi-stage gain use negative feedback that ruffles the HD800, disrupting the micro-details that can yield more natural timbres and ambiance.  
 
As you have astutely predicted, when used with headphones like the HD650, which I previously owned, or with my LCD-2 rev.1, it just doesn't get much better than the Oppo HA-1 - especially with the power to fully maximize the dynamics and bass control of the LCD-2.  
 
My HA-1 and LCD-2 are BFF, with optical input from a Sony Bravia, I've been using them exclusively for late night watching of movies - way,way better than my modest HiFi system.  
 

 

[fidelioX2]

Just my personal listening experience here - the HD800's must be paired with the Cardas Clear cable. It is a perfect match. No EQ or other shenanigans required.

 

[fidelioX2]

I am lately listening to Keith Greeninger's Blue Coast recordings in FLAC and .wav formats through the Hd800's and the Oppo HA-1. A/B'ing the two versions which are both 96/24 sampled it is striking how much better the .wav files sound on the HD800's. The ruthlessness of the HD800's is friendlier to the higher bitrate and more of the original data without the compression, i.e. a "monitor" headphone shines when the recording being heard is as close as possible to the original recording data and the original studio production is top notch. I have learned a little bit about what truly good recording is with the 800's.
 
http://bluecoastrecords.com/store/keith-greeninger/special-event-21

 

[Paul777]

Is the only way to pass DSD to the HA-1 via the USB//DAC connection? I have a BD-105 connected to the HA-1 via digital coax and this device below suggested by oppo to pass content with DRM via HDMI from the BD-105 and Toslink to the HA-1.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009KAU0WO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

I can get DSD analog output from the BD-105 to the HA-1 through the XLR's, by setting the output to PCM but not the coax or HDMI extractor connection. I don't have a USB/DAC cable to try at the moment.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

[fidelioX2]

I tried the Toslink connection at first, but it was somehow muddier than the USB connection. A tech at Oppo said the USB was thought to be better. I am also using the "voodoo"  Mapleshade "Clearlink" USB cable which sounded better indeed than the generic cable I began with especially after break in.

 

[Paul777]

  I tried the Toslink connection at first, but it was somehow muddier than the USB connection. A tech at Oppo said the USB was thought to be better. I am also using the "voodoo"  Mapleshade "Clearlink" USB cable which sounded better indeed than the generic cable I began with especially after break in.

Yup I figured it out. It only passes DSD through the USB port. Sounds fantastic. 

 

[kkcsm]

I took delivery of an Oppo HA-1 this week and am a bit concerned.  I purchased this for work due to the convenient iPhone connectivity.  Right out of the box I listened with my HE-500s with HifiMan balanced cables.  I did some careful listening and was impressed with the sound and the detail, then went to my usual low volume, long-term listening.  After several hours my head hurt and my ears hurt.  I don't notice any obvious distortion of any kind, but this is very strange.  I listen to these same headphones at home on my Bifrost/Lyr (original) with stock GE tubes for hours without any discomfort (and frequently at much higher volume).  I do have 49-year-old ears, so perhaps there's something going on that I can't really hear but is nonetheless affecting me.
 
Question:  Is there likely any change after some burn in period?  I've always been skeptical of the concept of burn-in for solid state amps, but perhaps that's necessary.
 
Thanks,
 
-Kelly

 

[fidelioX2]

In my personal experience, the HA-1 needs to be burned in. Mine settled down after about about 20 hours of playtime. I am also playing mine through JRiver Media player with all of the PC native sound card and other extraneous effects disabled. JRiver is also configured to allow the Oppo to determine optimum frequency and bitrate for a given recording. Of course, that data displays on the Oppo status screen.

 

[APRisti]

  I am lately listening to Keith Greeninger's Blue Coast recordings in FLAC and .wav formats through the Hd800's and the Oppo HA-1. A/B'ing the two versions which are both 96/24 sampled it is striking how much better the .wav files sound on the HD800's. The ruthlessness of the HD800's is friendlier to the higher bitrate and more of the original data without the compression, i.e. a "monitor" headphone shines when the recording being heard is as close as possible to the original recording data and the original studio production is top notch. I have learned a little bit about what truly good recording is with the 800's.
 
http://bluecoastrecords.com/store/keith-greeninger/special-event-21

nice, what source are you using ?