[SNSDluv]

  total noob here.  I know nothing but would like to know if this product would make my basic mp3s which are at 128kps and 192k sound   better on my iphone 5.  I'm using the RHA M750 ear buds.  Also, would it help with live songs ripped from youtube?
 
Thanks

Are you currently unsatisfied with the setup you have?
 
To answer your question, objectively it will be an upgrade and yes it will sound better.
But I am not sure if it's a worth while upgrade for you. Maybe you can try to switch up the in-ears or over ears first? I always find that changing up the headphone provides the more noticeable difference. Also, if you are used to getting your music from Youtube videos, try a different path and get actual MP3 files, it will dramatically improve the sound.

 

[Tangster]

  total noob here.  I know nothing but would like to know if this product would make my basic mp3s which are at 128kps and 192k sound   better on my iphone 5.  I'm using the RHA M750 ear buds.  Also, would it help with live songs ripped from youtube?
 
Thanks

You should probably increase the fidelity of your files. 128/192 is a significant quality drop from 320kbs AAC or mp3. Far more significant I'm certain than any improvement the HA2 can offer. It's a amp/dac, not Jesus.

 

[miceblue]

total noob here.  I know nothing but would like to know if this product would make my basic mp3s which are at 128kps and 192k sound   better on my iphone 5.  I'm using the RHA M750 ear buds.  Also, would it help with live songs ripped from youtube?

Thanks

Heeey, welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet. : p

If you're interested in getting better quality out of your setup, I would firstly recommend getting MP3 files of at least 256 kbps since 128 or 192 kbps are on the low side. Secondly, if you like the way the audio sounds out of your iPhone with the RHA M750 but you would like more refinement, I think the HA-2 would be a nice way to do that. That and the HA-2 would provide you with a pretty good portable digital-analog-converter and amplifier to start your journey into the world of high fidelity sound, for music enjoyment of course.

 

[rogeryung]

thank you all for replying.  I was actually thinking of signing up for Itunes Match so that all my songs would then be at 256k, at least for my non live version of songs that I can only find on youtube.    My music sounds fine to my untrained ears but I'm curious to know if my music could sound a lot better vs just a little, considering the $300 price tag.  
 
Thanks

 

[x RELIC x]

thank you all for replying.  I was actually thinking of signing up for Itunes Match so that all my songs would then be at 256k, at least for my non live version of songs that I can only find on youtube.    My music sounds fine to my untrained ears but I'm curious to know if my music could sound a lot better vs just a little, considering the $300 price tag.  

Thanks

The trouble with getting better gear is that you begin to hear everything that's weak in the audio chain. If your files are low bitrate/quality then better DACs and amps will reveal it. If your files are good but your DAC/amp are poor then you're missing out. If you have great headphones and hardware you'll begin to hear every flaw in the recording that you never knew existed. On the flip side, great recordings can send you into an eargasm! It all ties together.

Go one step at a time and make sure you're using quality source files first, headphones second, and DAC/amp third. Enjoy the journey and learn as you go.

 

[terrosa]

Hi, am a newbie here. Currently I have : iPod 7th Gen 160gb + HP-V1 + HD25-1 II and a HD650 on the way coming and considering to get a 627X too. My question is, if I were to add in a DAC, would this, the HA-2 be a better choice to be used as a DAC than a CLAS? Or a JDS Labs ODAC would be good enough? Or there's a better alternative without spending too much? Thanks.

 

[miceblue]

Thnaks because my A17 already has a nice DAC i will be using it as amp and for my laptop i will be using as DAC, so yes this is the one i will be getting after surveying various amps and how to bring them to mexico this Oppo seems by far the easier way to get my very 1st portable amp

Yup, the Sabre glare seems to go away for the most part when using the line-in option of the HA-2 versus the digital-in.

thank you all for replying.  I was actually thinking of signing up for Itunes Match so that all my songs would then be at 256k, at least for my non live version of songs that I can only find on youtube.    My music sounds fine to my untrained ears but I'm curious to know if my music could sound a lot better vs just a little, considering the $300 price tag.  

Thanks

iTunes is a great start. Their 256 kbps AAC files should be plenty fine. You also get the convenience of cloud storage.

As for a lot vs a little, it probably won't make a large difference to be honest. The iPhone 5 is pretty darn good by itself as I've read. I'm not sure where abouts you live, but maybe you can try attending a local Head-Fi meet, where you can listen to other people's audio gear and see for yourself if you can hear a difference or not.
http://www.head-fi.org/f/24/local-regional-head-fi-meets-parties-get-togethers

Generally I'd say the speakers/headphone makes the biggest difference in sound. I'd recommend getting a different amp/DAC if you want to fine-tune your audio system once you've got some speakers/headphone you like, or you need other features (inputs/outputs, battery powered, portable vs dektop, etc.).

Hi, am a newbie here. Currently I have : iPod 7th Gen 160gb + HP-V1 + HD25-1 II and a HD650 on the way coming and considering to get a 627X too. My question is, if I were to add in a DAC, would this, the HA-2 be a better choice to be used as a DAC than a CLAS? Or a JDS Labs ODAC would be good enough? Or there's a better alternative without spending too much? Thanks.

Heeey, welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet! : D

Are you talking about using the DAC with your iPod 7th Gen? I don't think the JDS Labs ODAC is compatible with it since it's not a "Made for Apple" or Apple-certified DAC unlike the CLAS or HA-2.

 

[terrosa]

Hi miceblue - yeah, the wallet is rather empty lately.  
 
Oh, so now I know - thank God, I nearly bought the JDS Labs ODAC!
 
So - is the HA-2's DAC any good? The CLAS is rather pricey, any other that's good and yet affordable?  

 

[Sonic Defender]

Heeey, welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet. : p

If you're interested in getting better quality out of your setup, I would firstly recommend getting MP3 files of at least 256 kbps since 128 or 192 kbps are on the low side. Secondly, if you like the way the audio sounds out of your iPhone with the RHA M750 but you would like more refinement, I think the HA-2 would be a nice way to do that. That and the HA-2 would provide you with a pretty good portable digital-analog-converter and amplifier to start your journey into the world of high fidelity sound, for music enjoyment of course.

Second this, 128 is just too low, 256 is fine. When I put mp3s on my portable devices I use 320 and when listening to 320 files even on my main rig headphones, or speakers I find 320 files sound quite good. Not sure if in blind listening I could reliably pick out lossless from 320 mp3s. Perhaps I could, but I'm not certain of this as I have never tested this. But certainly 128 is just too low bitrate for any purpose beyond not caring and having music simply as background noise. Haven't heard the HA 2 yet, although I have a feeling I will be getting one soon, but Oppo is quite respected so I have no reason not to believe it will sound fantastic. My brother has a nice Oppo universal player in his home setup and I always love listening through it.

 

[cristobalroy]

why not get flac files, there may site on the ne like hd tracks, flac files is more better than mp3 files.

 

[Tangster]

why not get flac files, there may site on the ne like hd tracks, flac files is more better than mp3 files.

Storage can be an issue. I keep lossless files on my server, but when loading onto my phone or dap I convert them to 320kbs mp3.

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
why not get flac files, there may site on the ne like hd tracks, flac files is more better than mp3 files.

For home use, perhaps, but I would bet you couldn't tell the difference between a 320 mp3 and a Flac file with any reliability. People think they can because they have never really tested this assumption. And you can't test when you know what type of file you are hearing, it has to be blind testing. Anyway, not to get into this debate, but frankly for portable use 320mp3 files are just fine and I would have no problem with them at home either.

 

[gerelmx1986]

 
why not get flac files, there may site on the ne like hd tracks, flac files is more better than mp3 files.

Agree, pretoclasical.co.uk, chandos, hyperion-records, qobuz also sell flac, i don't care about storage space so i use flac on my portables I have a walkman A17 with a 128GB card on it

 

[IAMBLEST]

Storage can be an issue. I keep lossless files on my server, but when loading onto my phone or dap I convert them to 320kbs mp3.

man i have DSD, wav and 192khz tracks on my phone! 160gb space total on oppo find 7!

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

Storage can be an issue. I keep lossless files on my server, but when loading onto my phone or dap I convert them to 320kbs mp3.

man i have DSD, wav and 192khz tracks on my phone! 160gb space total on oppo find 7!

and wait till sandisk releases it's mamoth microSD card of whopping 200GB