OPPO HA-2 Portable Headphone Amplifier/DAC Discussion Thread
Dec 14, 2017 at 5:22 AM Post #4,651 of 4,878
Hello!
New to the Oppo realm. I’m considering the HA-2se for iPhone 6 (foobar2k app) and wondered if my Apple earbuds would still operate correctly when I receive a phone call if still plugged into the phone? Anyone try this?
Thanks!
Hi,
No, I’m afraid they won’t. The HA2 does not support a 2 way signal, so your voice will not be heard and the buttons will not work.
Just a little piece of advice though. I would seriously consider upgrading your earphones before getting a DAC-AMP, you will hear a much bigger improvement with better buds/IEM’s/headphones than you will with getting a device like this.
This is just my opinion, though I am sure others will agree.
Best of luck
 
Dec 14, 2017 at 8:21 AM Post #4,652 of 4,878
Hi,
No, I’m afraid they won’t. The HA2 does not support a 2 way signal, so your voice will not be heard and the buttons will not work.
Just a little piece of advice though. I would seriously consider upgrading your earphones before getting a DAC-AMP, you will hear a much bigger improvement with better buds/IEM’s/headphones than you will with getting a device like this.
This is just my opinion, though I am sure others will agree.
Best of luck

Yeah, I should clarify! I will have some PortaPros, Monk+, M70x or something plugged into the HA-2se via Lighting adapter and the Apple buds plugged into the iPhone 3.5mm port.
Aside...yesterday was the first time I put music on my iPhone and listened via the earbuds, wow it was terrible! LOL.
Instead of travelled with a phone, DAP and Amp I thought about downsizing some, hence a HA-2se purchase.
Thanks again!
 
Dec 14, 2017 at 3:33 PM Post #4,653 of 4,878
Just received my new ha 2 se and it looks beautiful. Build quality is on par with anything I’ve ever owned. It’s charging right now. I have a question for you all, back in the day I used various ray samuels amps with a lod cable out of an iPod classic and what I had was a little shoulder bag that came from headroom with an amp of theirs I bought ages ago. I’ve been around a while! Anyways I like the bag option cuz I don’t like to put this expensive stuff in my pockets and with cables exiting both sides of this rig the pocket isn’t really an option. Anyone have this kind of setup and could recommend like a camera bag that they have that would go over the shoulder? It would need to be of a size that would allow the rig to sit horizontal as I don’t want to put any pressure on either the usb cable or the headphone cable. I liked the old ray samuels stuff that had all the cables on the front so it could sit on it’s bottom without pressure on the cables. Kind of hard to explain but if anyone is using a bag they could recommend I’d appreciate the help. Thanks all!!
 
Dec 25, 2017 at 10:01 AM Post #4,654 of 4,878
I asked the same kind of question when I first started this hobby, actually the rubber bands will automatically affects the navigation on your smartphone's screen unless it has thick bezels like most HTC devices. As a result, I bought some velcroc nylon straps (usually for cable management) and with some DIY, I can attach and detach any amplifier with any dap/smartphone without rubber bands

Reviving thread. Looking for ideas for phones with small bezels!

Pics?
 
Dec 25, 2017 at 2:37 PM Post #4,656 of 4,878
Yes. Just looking for ideas for a Q1 mk2 that's smaller. It seems like with newer phones the bands end up covering too much of the screen.
 
Dec 25, 2017 at 2:47 PM Post #4,657 of 4,878
Yes. Just looking for ideas for a Q1 mk2 that's smaller. It seems like with newer phones the bands end up covering too much of the screen.
20171225_074923.jpg
This is how I have mine. Works well. I can still make phone calls, take pictures, etc. Works out well.
 
Dec 25, 2017 at 2:59 PM Post #4,658 of 4,878
That works well. I don't like those kind of cases, however you gave me idea to sacrifice a regular pixel 2 xl case purpose built for this.
 
Dec 25, 2017 at 4:01 PM Post #4,660 of 4,878
I’ve just returned from a long odyssey into the wilds of iPhone-friendly portable DAC/amps. I was first introduced to the concept via the Sony PHA-1 at a head-fi meet in Troy, MI, by @jude, which used a clever hooked strap that caught rails on the side of the DAC/amp to hold on the iPhone. My with and without comparisons revealed an improvement with the PHa-1, and I became inspired to find the ultimate iPhone DAC/amp.

PHA-1 with bands.jpg
Sony PHA-1 DAC/amp with hook-on rubber straps for iPhone

I then became briefly enamoured with the V-MODA VERZA with slide-on METALO case for the iPhone 5S, originally designed by Venturecraft. The sound improved very imperceptibly, and the mounting, though clever in concept, was brittle in implementation — the aluminum METALO case would wear down the tabs that made its mounting rails, and a warranty replacement produced an equally fragile case. Like the Sony, it had the advantage of providing a volume control at the top, so you can adjust the volume without taking it out of your pocket.

IMG_3522.JPG
V-MODA VAMP VERZA DAC/amp with METALO case holding iPhone

Being a fan of the CEntrance HiFiM8, I became intrigued by their HiFiSKYN, which enclosed the iPhone in a case that had about 1-1/2” of extra length (and 1/2” of extra thickness) added to hold a great DAC/amp circuit. I bought one, found that it too had its brittle problems (on/off switch failed and I had to have a repair, which really resulted in a replacement). Its sound was better than that of the V-MODE VERZA. However, it relies upon the volume control on the side of the iPhone, which become buried under undersized access holes in the case.

IMG_3989.JPG
CEntrance HiFiSKYN envelopes iPhone with a longer, thicker case.

I also discovered the Beyerdynamic A200p, which is a 1-1/4” square 1/2” deep postage stamp- sized case that you can mount on your belt near your pocket and place the iPhone into your pocket. This unit gives great control of the iPhone’s playing, as it has a large volume control and play/pause/repeat/skip controls, all on the case on your belt. I still have one that I use, and it is my second favorite solution to the iPhones DAC/amp problem. However, it requires a Beyerdynamic proprietary cable at the unit to charge from a USB wall charger.

IMG_3992.JPG
Beyerdynamic A200p mounts on belt and provides volume/transport controls

I loved the sound of the PHA-1, though I didn’t care for its (brittle) method of hooked straps to hold the iPhone (they often sprung loose with surprising elastic throw as you scraped them in putting the unit into your pocket.). Hence, upon the purchase of a pair of balanced headphones (Sony Z7), I bought the Sony PHA-3, which replaces the hooked strap mechanism with a pair of around-case traditional rubber bands. Much better, with great sound and robust mounting, though the stack of PHA-3 with iPhone was too thick for my shirt pocket. This Sony, as well as the PHA-1, have an output impedance of 10 ohms, which alarms the purists that believe that the output impedance of the source should be less than 1/8 that of the headphones (since I use 32 ohm Grado headphones, a 4 ohm source impedance is the maximum).

PHA-3.jpg

Sony PHA-3 offers great sound, balanced output, and robust mounting, but is thick

Finally, I arrived at the Oppo HA-2SE, and here I will remain. The HA-2SE has gorgeous sound, a volume control knob that pokes out of your pocket for easy access, a very thin profile, and like the Sony PHA-3 uses traditional rubber bands to attach the iPhone. Like the CEntrance and the V-MODA, it can charge your iPhone in a pinch. It looks fabulous with its leather sheath and brushed stainless metal. It has a low output impedance, unlike the Sony units, suiting it for Grados and other low impedance headphones. It is The Best!

oppo-ha-2se-debout.jpg

My ultimate solution - the Oppo HA-2SE - svelte, beautiful to ear and eye.
 
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Dec 27, 2017 at 8:25 PM Post #4,663 of 4,878
Hello all, now that I’ve owned my ha2se for a bit of time I thought I’d share some thoughts. I love it. The form factor is perfect for use with my iPhone which is exactly why I bought it. I use a Nero nomad cable, an idea I got from a head fi member, thanks again for that. It’s a perfect cable solution for stacking with my phone and it is well made. I have had no connection issues with my phone whatsoever. I plug it in and turn it on and it works every time. I’m very happy with this little dac amp and I would highly recommend it. The sound is wonderful and a gigantic leap from using the phone by itself. While it lacks the power and ultimate sound quality that the mojo has, the mojo isn’t portable with the cck cable and the mess that creates. Overall it’s been great, sounds great, looks great and feels really solid and like it will last a long time. I strongly feel that this is a great buy for the money. Also wanted to mention it is very silent with all the iem’s I’ve used including the se846 and although I’ve not heard the original ha2 it would appear they have fixed the noise issues it has. I love this dac amp and I’m very impressed with Oppo. Cheers!
 

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