[x RELIC x]

The last post I'll make on this topic of what Oppo Digital is as I'd hate to see the topic take over this thread like it did in the PM-1 / HA-1 threads.

Check out these posts to get and idea:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/715547/review-oppo-pm-1-oppo-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/105#post_10510244

http://www.head-fi.org/t/712932/oppo-pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphone-impressions-thread/1800#post_10526091

http://www.head-fi.org/t/699787/new-oppo-ha-1-ces-2014/120#post_10527188

http://www.head-fi.org/t/685704/oppo-pm-1-a-new-planar-magnetic-headphone/1845#post_10538400

http://www.head-fi.org/t/685704/oppo-pm-1-a-new-planar-magnetic-headphone/1845#post_10543975

Each of these posts tells a small part of the 'Who is Oppo?' saga.

 

[kawaivpc1]

How does your HA-1 sound compared to X5 and iPhone then?

I had both of them so I can kinda imagine.

 

[x RELIC x]

How does your HA-1 sound compared to X5 and iPhone then?

I had both of them so I can kinda imagine.

It depends on the headphones. I'll use the LCD-XC as they can be driven by the iPhone and X5 to good volume but they scale well with the HA-1.

I'd say the HA-1 is about 10-15% better than the X5 for clarity and dynamics. The bass has more texture and oomph on the HA-1 and the clarity is very, very good. Natural and detailed. With the X5/e12 combo I use the bass boost. With the HA-1 balanced I don't need to use any EQ or boosts to feel the impact in my music.

Against the iPhone it's no contest for me. I find the iPhone 5s to sound flat and boring with the XC compared to the HA-1. Not surprising as there isn't much power output for these headphones. Like I said, the iPhone can get them loud enough and the sound isn't bad, but in comparison to the HA-1 I am missing the texture and impact in the music. Maybe 20-30% difference. I may be weighing this heavily on what I value in listening to music though.

Using the Vmoda m-100 it makes no difference to me as I find them to sound coloured and heavy in the bass region so I don't really care what I hear them on. They simply can't reproduce the detail of the XC. The drivers just aren't as fast. Similar story with my AKG K550, though less of a difference.

It's always a loaded question because there is more to it than just the amp/DAC. It's like asking how I prefer driving a Ferrari in the city over a civic. Well, within the constraints of the city not that much better. On the track it's a different story.

Edit: This is more of a question for the HA-1 thread so if you'd like to know more you should head over there.

 

[zilch0md]

The last post I'll make on this topic of what Oppo Digital is as I'd hate to see the topic take over this thread like it did in the PM-1 / HA-1 threads.

Check out these posts to get and idea:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/715547/review-oppo-pm-1-oppo-hit-the-nail-on-the-head/105#post_10510244

http://www.head-fi.org/t/712932/oppo-pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphone-impressions-thread/1800#post_10526091

http://www.head-fi.org/t/699787/new-oppo-ha-1-ces-2014/120#post_10527188

http://www.head-fi.org/t/685704/oppo-pm-1-a-new-planar-magnetic-headphone/1845#post_10538400

http://www.head-fi.org/t/685704/oppo-pm-1-a-new-planar-magnetic-headphone/1845#post_10543975

Each of these posts tells a small part of the 'Who is Oppo?' saga.

 
Thanks for this, x RELIC x!
 
Mike

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

How does your HA-1 sound compared to X5 and iPhone then?

I had both of them so I can kinda imagine.

It depends on the headphones. I'll use the LCD-XC as they can be driven by the iPhone and X5 to good volume but they scale well with the HA-1.

I'd say the HA-1 is about 10-15% better than the X5 for clarity and dynamics. The bass has more texture and oomph on the HA-1 and the clarity is very, very good. Natural and detailed. With the X5/e12 combo I use the bass boost. With the HA-1 balanced I don't need to use any EQ or boosts to feel the impact in my music.

Against the iPhone it's no contest for me. I find the iPhone 5s to sound flat and boring with the XC compared to the HA-1. Not surprising as there isn't much power output for these headphones. Like I said, the iPhone can get them loud enough and the sound isn't bad, but in comparison to the HA-1 I am missing the texture and impact in the music. Maybe 20-30% difference. I may be weighing this heavily on what I value in listening to music though.

Using the Vmoda m-100 it makes no difference to me as I find them to sound coloured and heavy in the bass region so I don't really care what I hear them on. They simply can't reproduce the detail of the XC. The drivers just aren't as fast. Similar story with my AKG K550, though less of a difference.

It's always a loaded question because there is more to it than just the amp/DAC. It's like asking how I prefer driving a Ferrari in the city over a civic. Well, within the constraints of the city not that much better. On the track it's a different story.

Edit: This is more of a question for the HA-1 thread so if you'd like to know more you should head over there.

And you have an A-10 walkman or demoed one with the LCD headphones? how does it drives them, or definitvely it needs an amp? (I like the bass impact the A10 gives to my MDR-1R but i feel they can do more out of the A17, my VAIo PC seems to give the 1R better bass imapct)

 

[YtseJamer]

Still no news about the release date ?

 

[tuatara]

Will there be a way to use the HA-2 with a Fiio X3 and by pass the Fiio dac to use the DAC in the Oppo?

 

[gerelmx1986]

  Will there be a way to use the HA-2 with a Fiio X3 and by pass the Fiio dac to use the DAC in the Oppo?

with fiio x3 don't know, maybe thru the micro usb-B to micro usb-B? as i know sony walkmans newer since zx1 have digital audio out, through USB
 
have the fiio x3 too and  an A17 walkman 64Gb + 128GB microSD and the sound is pretty neutral and very detailed, maybe there is a converter form SPDIF to USB for the fiio x3?

 

[HasturTheYellow]

  Still no news about the release date ?

 
Not that I can inform you yet, no. All I can say at the moment is that the HA-2 will be released before the PM-3, and we will have the release before the other territories.

 

[TokenGesture]

Odd. At the "London show" Oppo told me the PM3 were final and would be released "any week".  As I liked what I heard then I'm going to cancel my pre-order in case it isn't going to end up sounding like that.  

 

[lukeap69]

HA-2 review http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/02/oppo-ha-2-portable-dac-and-headphone-amplifier-review/

 

[CJG888]

Has anyone who has heard the PM-3 also heard the ZMF Master V1?

 

[fnkcow]

Now that the pricing of the HA-2 is released, would like a head-to-head comparison especially in sound quality against the JDS Labs C5D (US$249)

 

[money4me247]

HA-2 review http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/02/oppo-ha-2-portable-dac-and-headphone-amplifier-review/

not sure if his $299 price is accurate. thought oppo said $399 or 499 sonewhere earlierqq

 

[lukeap69]

not sure if his $299 price is accurate. thought oppo said $399 or 499 sonewhere earlierqq

Looks like it is accurate as per Hastur's post

"I happy to announce that the tentative pricing for the HA-2 portable headphone amplifier and DAC will be $299.00 and the PM-3 portable planar magnetic headphones will be $399.00. I say "tentative" since the pricing is always subject to final production cost analysis, but I strongly suspect these will be the final MSRPs."