[howdy]

  I spoke a bit too soon I think. Yesterday I was ill and had just played a very loud show the night before and my hearing was not normal. Now that I have recovered, I could see how folks could desire more bass response. 
 
Was considering an HA-2 as my next audio purchase but so far haven't noticed much of difference between running the PM-3s on my desktop setup and just straight out of my iPhone. Leads me to believe my iPhone does a fine job and I'll save my money for something else. Keeping in mind I just use Apple Music on my phone and don't listen to hi-res music on the go.

I you think you might buy one Im thinking I might sell mine.

 

[520RanchBro]

  I you think you might buy one Im thinking I might sell mine.

Good to know, I've identified some room for improvement and think I would enjoy the bass boost functionality for some tracks too now. I'll be in touch about it!

 

[FiJAAS]

I you think you might buy one Im thinking I might sell mine.

Did you upgrade to a different amp/dac?

 

[howdy]

Did you upgrade to a different amp/dac?

Yeah, I recently got a iDSD Micro.

 

[DroidSkin]

 

  I love the look of your cable!  How many strands is that?  Is that Silver coated OCC Copper?

 

Who are you referring to? If it is I then it is 8. It is the Forza Audio Claire HPC MK2 and it is 7N OCC Copper.

Sorry to link back so far @howdy but would you mind divulging if the insulation on your cable is transparent or the semi-transparent black? Thanks.

 

[kittisiri]

Good to know, I've identified some room for improvement and think I would enjoy the bass boost functionality for some tracks too now. I'll be in touch about it!

Now you know what I mean LOL.

If you finally buy it or have an opportunity to try it, please don't forget to come and tell us a little bit how you feel and how it is compared to your desktop setup, or playing straight from iPhone with Apple Music.

Cheers

 

[FiJAAS]

Yeah, I recently got a iDSD Micro.

Could you compare the two?

 

[520RanchBro]

Now you know what I mean LOL.

If you finally buy it or have an opportunity to try it, please don't forget to come and tell us a little bit how you feel and how it is compared to your desktop setup, or playing straight from iPhone with Apple Music.

Cheers

 
Yeah on my initial listen it sounded so bass heavy (temporary hearing loss and a bad cold will do that to you) I thought anyone who could have craved more bass was just insane. But yeah now I think the sub bass response is pretty solid but there's some tracks I'd like some extra bass bump on.
 
Seriously considering the HA-2 now and would definitely compare it to the desktop setup with my 400i and PM-3. Kind of interested in the Geek Out V2+ as well for the balanced out so my RE-600 wouldn't collect dust. I got a GO 450 on Massdrop and think it sounds quite good but I'd only ever pay for an LH Labs product through a dealer or used, otherwise it'd probably be 2-3 years before I got it.
 
Likely will further look in to the HA-2, looks like a nicer product with more features that I'd use.

 

[howdy]

Sorry to link back so far @howdy but would you mind divulging if the insulation on your cable is transparent or the semi-transparent black? Thanks.

 

I believe it was Semi-transparent. If you inquire Mat at FAW he could help you out, sometimes he is bit slow to reply but he will get back to you. I will tell you that it is a great cable, I have two, one for my PM3s and one for my CIEMs.

 

[silvahr]

Hello all,
 
I have an Oppo Ha-2 for sale.
I bought it new in June 2015 from Custom Cable (London).
It was love at first sight.
But, i like to listen to music essencialy when i workout, so use an amplifier in those circunstances is not a very clever option. 
So, i barely used it and it's like new.
No signs of use.
In the original box with all original accesories.
I can send pictures of it.
If you are interested, please PM me.
 
By the way, listening music with one of these really improves the experience.
It's a wonderful piece of gear.

 

[DroidSkin]

Sorry to link back so far @howdy but would you mind divulging if the insulation on your cable is transparent or the semi-transparent black? Thanks.

 

I believe it was Semi-transparent. If you inquire Mat at FAW he could help you out, sometimes he is bit slow to reply but he will get back to you. I will tell you that it is a great cable, I have two, one for my PM3s and one for my CIEMs.

Thanks @howdy

I got a bit impatient this afternoon and went ahead and ordered the semi anyway! Can't wait to see it in the flesh, they look amazing.

 

[hamza-m]

Just ordered one too...

 

[aldinho878]

I have a Oppo HA-2 and wanted help setting it up with my macbook pro to get the best possible sound.
 
I mainly listen through Tidal streaming flac, which I think is 16/44.1 khz.
I'm wondering what format/sampling rate to choose in the "Audio Midi Setup" in the macbook settings? Should I also set it to 16bit, 44.1kHz to get the most accurate sampling conversion.
 
Or would I benefit from selecting the 32 bit setting with a higher sampling, say 96khz?

Also should both the Tidal music player volume and the macbook system volume be set to the maximum and then control the volume from the dac volume knob?
 
Thanks 

 

[brent75]

I got my HA-2 to pair with my PM-3s about a week ago. I use it nightly in the neighborhood when walking the dogs, and some for couch-listening w/ my laptop.
 
I love it! The form factor is awesome, it definitely sounds great, I love all the included cables and of course it's very Apple friendly (which I'm heavy up with).
 
I "should" be done...just be happy with what I have...and enjoy my listening. But there are two things that keep swirling around in my head:
 
(1) I'm so curious what it sounds like compared to the Chord Mojo. From what I've read, the Mojo is just such a musical/fun addition that really fills out the bottom end. It feels like most people would think the Mojo is an improvement over the HA-2...but maybe not a "double the price" improvement? I'd be really curious to hear from people who have auditioned both what differences I might hear. What would be awesome to find out is "you honestly won't notice much of a difference between the two...and certainly not a $300 difference." But until my own two ears would ever get that chance, I'll always be wondering.
 
(2) I actually like the sound of the HA-2 with the bass boost on. It feels like it really helps out the songs that aren't as high quality, whereas the stuff I buy on HDTracks don't really need it. However, this may be me, but for some reason I can't get myself "comfortable" with leaving it on too much. It's a weird psychological thing --- like if I have it switched it on, then I feel it's cheating or not as nice as other options (item #1 above) or something. Is that just a weird OCD thing for me in particular? I don't know why, but I just feel like I'd enjoy it more if I didn't have to engage bass boost. Maybe I'm anti-EQ? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?!

 

[TimeLord]

I got my HA-2 to pair with my PM-3s about a week ago. I use it nightly in the neighborhood when walking the dogs, and some for couch-listening w/ my laptop.

I love it! The form factor is awesome, it definitely sounds great, I love all the included cables and of course it's very Apple friendly (which I'm heavy up with).

I "should" be done...just be happy with what I have...and enjoy my listening. But there are two things that keep swirling around in my head:

(1) I'm so curious what it sounds like compared to the Chord Mojo. From what I've read, the Mojo is just such a musical/fun addition that really fills out the bottom end. It feels like most people would think the Mojo is an improvement over the HA-2...but maybe not a "double the price" improvement? I'd be really curious to hear from people who have auditioned both what differences I might hear. What would be awesome to find out is "you honestly won't notice much of a difference between the two...and certainly not a $300 difference." But until my own two ears would ever get that chance, I'll always be wondering.

(2) I actually like the sound of the HA-2 with the bass boost on. It feels like it really helps out the songs that aren't as high quality, whereas the stuff I buy on HDTracks don't really need it. However, this may be me, but for some reason I can't get myself "comfortable" with leaving it on too much. It's a weird psychological thing --- like if I have it switched it on, then I feel it's cheating or not as nice as other options (item #1 above) or something. Is that just a weird OCD thing for me in particular? I don't know why, but I just feel like I'd enjoy it more if I didn't have to engage bass boost. Maybe I'm anti-EQ? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?!

First off, there's nothing wrong with you except for your bad case of upgraditis. Lol

Your need to turn the bass boost off is likely a manifestation of your search for a neutral presentation of sound.

The HA-2 is a very nice product. It's a departure from the HA-1, which has a neutral and near clinical presentation. The HA-2 on the other hand has a colored presentation. It has a darker sound which can pair well with some cans that are light in the low end, like the PM-3. Having spent only a short time with the Mojo, it too is a colored presentation which is also a departure from the Hugo.

For form factor, it's no contest. The HA-2 is much much better, especially paired with either an iPhone 5S (my setup) or iPod Touch. iPhone 6 also works well, but the HA-2 and the 6 are about the same size, so in a stacking setup it may be difficult to use the volume control. I also have my eye on the Sony NWZ-A17. Its size would be ideal and with a micro SD slot, space will no longer be an issue.

All that said, I would not consider the Mojo for an upgrade over the HA-2. To cure your upgraditis, I would instead look at the Sony PHA-3. It has a neutral presentation implementing a Sabre ES9018 DAC chip. Consequently, it supports 32bit/384 kHz and DSD 5.6 MHz. It also supports balanced output via dual 3.5 mm plugs. The MSRP is $1k, but you can find it on eBay under $600, which puts it in Mojo territory.

That should cure your illness.