[gerelmx1986]

which one is better for you guys some have oppo HA-2 some Cayin C5... but why shall be better, one is chinese/US amde and the other is apparently German

 

[RedJohn456]

  which one is better for you guys some have oppo HA-2 some Cayin C5... but why shall be better, one is chinese/US amde and the other is apparently German

I recall reading impressions from Canjam where one said that the C5 was really close to the HA2 at nearly half the cost!

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

  which one is better for you guys some have oppo HA-2 some Cayin C5... but why shall be better, one is chinese/US amde and the other is apparently German

I recall reading impressions from Canjam where one said that the C5 was really close to the HA2 at nearly half the cost!

so the cayin is cheaper than  HA-2 oh, but well deliveries to mexico seem to be only HA-2's... so started saving for it Wooohooo

 

[RedJohn456]

  so the cayin is cheaper than  HA-2 oh, but well deliveries to mexico seem to be only HA-2's... so started saving for it Wooohooo

Penon Audio wont ship there?

 

[Charlie Norwood]

The oppo is a dac/amp and c5 is only amp which can help explain the difference in price. gerelmx1986 you won't be disappointed in the ha-2, it is fantastic. And the leather wrap is sweet don't let the haters fool you!

Fwiw I plan on my set up being MacBook Pro > ha-2 > c5 for desktop and then just ha-2 (or no amp) on the go with iPhone 6.

 

[RedJohn456]

The oppo is a dac/amp and c5 is only amp which can help explain the difference in price. @gerelmx1986 you won't be disappointed in the ha-2, it is fantastic. And the leather wrap is sweet don't let the haters fool you!

Fwiw I plan on my set up being MacBook Pro > ha-2 > c5 for desktop and then just ha-2 (or no amp) on the go with iPhone 6.

is the amp in the HA2 not as good as the c5? Is the Dac the main performer in that package? 

 

[RedJohn456]

I just want to add that even after properly auditioning the IE800 and SE846, I still find the Z5 to be biggest sounding headphone. I can't explain it but it honestly feels like Im wearing over ears when I am listening to my Z5

 

[daniel_hokkaido]

  I just want to add that even after properly auditioning the IE800 and SE846, I still find the Z5 to be biggest sounding headphone. I can't explain it but it honestly feels like Im wearing over ears when I am listening to my Z5

 
Hey yeah re the price also, I mean I got my z5 for $350 open box in Japan (yup the Japanese love returning stuff unused) but the issue as I see it vs the SE846 is all about the innovation Shure used to get more bass out of a BA driver. it took alot it seems and that is what made it a $999 iem. Personally I am ever grateful Sony saw the hybrid as the way to go and let the dynamic (a cheaper and better bass solution imo) do its thing with the BAs doing their thing. Ultimate iem! 
 
The fact too that they dev'd the BAs in house and did not use cross overs is really bad ass imo too ...Sony really are a cool company. They really just don't promote their cool products enough. 
I have since gotten a pair for my brother and have 2/3 friends who all want a pair now after 2min demo on mine. 
 
Next stop Im prob getting a PONO and run these balanced. 

 

[Charlie Norwood]

 
is the amp in the HA2 not as good as the c5? Is the Dac the main performer in that package? 

 
The c5 has a more powerful amp, but hard to say if the ha2 is not as good. The amp in the ha-2 is still really great and might be better sounding to some people depending on what they want. The ha2 certainly doesn't push bass too much on the z5, which seems like a somewhat common complaint on this thread, so it might be a better choice than the cayin. The L shaped EQ on the ha-2 (if you have bass boost on) I think matches the L shape of the z5 very well. 
 
The ha-2 isn't underpowered either, (it just doesn't have as much as the c5) and should probably be used mostly with iem's (it does have hi and lo gain) however I haven't gotten to try the new oppo pm-3 cans with the ha-2 yet and I'm curious to see how it all performs as I think they were basically developed together.

 

[dweaver]

Listening to Sad Clown by Jars of Clay and this song just exemplifies everything I love about the Z5. Wonderful bass, lush mids, wonderful air and completely immersive sound stage.

 

[RedJohn456]

I tried the dragonfly 1.2 yesterday with the Z5 and it definitely made the sound more full and exciting. Midrange seemed fuller to me. If anyone likes the combo and has more experience with it, would love to hear read your thoughts
 
PS or even with the schiit fulla

 

[kergin]

Hello, Thread - I just got my Amazon XBA-Z5s a couple of days ago. A few weeks prior, I bought the EX1000s, and was totally blown away at how spacious and positional the soundstage was. Prior to that, I had some Shure E5Cs, which were replaced by a pair of SE425s under warranty. After using the 425s for around 4 years, I upgraded to the 535s and was totally disappointed: there was very little gain from the 425s, aside from a little bass. I was expecting much more, given the price gap. The EX1000s wholly impressed me compared to the 535s. I'm on the fence with the Z5s so far. The bass is very prominent and positionally forward, sometimes to the detriment of mids. I was wondering if an amplifier would do much good, and was eyeing the Schiit Fulla or the Fiio E10k. The Dragonfly is pretty highly recommended, but I'd rather have a mini \ micro USB female connection over a dongle. Thoughts on an amp that would give a nice mid bump?
 
Thanks!

 

[sardar17]

  Hello, Thread - I just got my Amazon XBA-Z5s a couple of days ago. A few weeks prior, I bought the EX1000s, and was totally blown away at how spacious and positional the soundstage was. Prior to that, I had some Shure E5Cs, which were replaced by a pair of SE425s under warranty. After using the 425s for around 4 years, I upgraded to the 535s and was totally disappointed: there was very little gain from the 425s, aside from a little bass. I was expecting much more, given the price gap. The EX1000s wholly impressed me compared to the 535s. I'm on the fence with the Z5s so far. The bass is very prominent and positionally forward, sometimes to the detriment of mids. I was wondering if an amplifier would do much good, and was eyeing the Schiit Fulla or the Fiio E10k. The Dragonfly is pretty highly recommended, but I'd rather have a mini \ micro USB female connection over a dongle. Thoughts on an amp that would give a nice mid bump?
 
Thanks!

So u mean to say ex 1000>z5??
 
Which set has better balance/neutrality?
Which has bette soundstage??

 

[RedJohn456]

 
So u mean to say ex 1000>z5??
 
Which set has better balance/neutrality?
Which has bette soundstage??

One is not inherently better. I have both of them on hand. Z5 is way more comfortable for me for long periods of listening with no fatigue. It somehow projects the sound around my head much better than the ex1000. The Ex1000 is more neutral than the Z5 but the hot treble ruins the neutrality for me. The soundstage is good for soft acoustic music and indie music type.
 
They are like polar opposites. If you had to pick one, I would say the Z5 is a better all rounder. The ex1000 has pretty hot treble for me. The 7550 might be a better bet.
 I will add one thing, the Ex1000 is one of the airiest headphones I have heard. Live acoustic performances were spectacular. But its strengths are too narrow for me

 

[kergin]

 
So u mean to say ex 1000>z5??
 
Which set has better balance/neutrality?
Which has bette soundstage??

Nah - they're different. The EX1000 sounds more spacious to me. There's clear separation between the channels and you can identify sound positions. The Z5 might do that, but it envelops you with bass, first and foremost. Maybe they underestimated the bass power of that dedicated dynamic driver vs the two BAs? Each one excels in it's own area. Either way, I'm 99% sure the next IEMs for me are gonna be custom. Probably some A12s from 1964.