[Lookout57]

   
Well, seeing as the price was $400 on amazon, I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. Good this I can return it within 30 days if I decide I'm not a fan. It sucks living in the middle of nowhere where I can't audition these..sigh. Oh well, I'm pretty excited! I got tired of waiting for the X5 3rd gen, and honestly the Onkyo is a little over what I was wanting to spend.

I am lucky that I live close to NYC and was able to go to CanJam. I listened to the FiiO X5 3rd gen and was underwhelmed. To me the sound wasn't much different than my FiiO X5 2nd gen. I then went to and listened to the Opus players. The Opus#1 sounded so much better than either FiiO. In addition the Opus UI was significantly better than the FiiO. I just started using the Opus versus on the FiiO I needed help on how to use it. So for the same price the Opus#1 is the winner.

 

[m8o]

Dang, just thought of a question I forgot to ask the good folks at the theBit table ... maybe someone here knows.

How many dB is one increment of the EQ? 0.5? 1? 2? Other?

 

[jono454]

  Man, I am so torn with all of the nice mid-level DAPs! I was initially waiting for the Fiio X5iii, then I was considering the Onkyo Dp-X1a, also the Pioneer XDP-300R, and now I have came across this hidden gem. This is the sound I'm looking for:
 
slightly warm
good bass extension, slight emphasis on mid-bass but not overbearing
staging (I like wide stage, but not really a big deal breaker if it's narrow)
balanced otherwise
 
As weird as it sounds, I may be pairing it with my He-500 from time to time. Does anyone have any recommendations? 2 SD card slots are a must for me currently, but I don't really require wifi or bluetooth. This seems like a good option, especially for 400..

Opus DAP has been compared to the AK240 and Sony WM1Z which are both well over $2500 range.
 
I have not heard either the AK240 or Sony WM1Z but i think if the OPUS is on par or potentially better i think that definitely means something.
 
I own the OPUS DAP and i think it fits all your requirements...especially staging, love a large soundstage.

 

[Podster]

I believe Pinky just said he compares the Opus one to his darling AK120ii (has always been my dream DAP) so he stepped up and ordered the Opus #2

 

[twister6]

I believe Pinky just said he compares the Opus one to his darling AK120ii (has always been my dream DAP) so he stepped up and ordered the Opus #2

 
That was my comparison as well, last year when I reviewed #1, it has all the guts of 120ii and goes head to head in comparison.  Also, when I had a chance to compare 120ii to 240, going by memory, the sound was very similar (both have the same guts as well).
 
Comparing #1 to WM1Z is a stretch, so that's where Opus#2 comes into the picture

 

 

[PinkyPowers]

I believe Pinky just said he compares the Opus one to his darling AK120ii (has always been my dream DAP) so he stepped up and ordered the Opus #2

Yep. Not saying they sound exactly the same. The AK is a touch warmer. But quality of sound is equal, the only exception being the Opus' soundstage is slightly narrower. Still big, just not as big. The 120II, after all, has one of the largest stages around, so there's no shame in falling a little behind.

 

[1ofamillion]

So, I got my Opus#1 today, yea! I am having an issue though....I am having no issues at all using the DAP through my Fiio E12, but when I hook my set of HE-500s directly to the DAP, I only get audio playback on one channel (the left channel). Could it be related to the connector on the cable? Like I said, I am having no issues using the same cable on my portable and desktop amps. I did upgrade to the latest firmware as well.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Are you sure you're plugging into the 3.5mm single-ended headphone out, and not the 2.5mm balanced headphone out?

you should be plugged into the other port than the one you see my Solar connected to.


Also, make sure Balanced is turned OFF in the settings.

 

[haens]

try rotating the plugged connecter. sometimes I have problem like this with 2,5mm input, rotating a little bit always helps.

 

[LoneRanger]

  So, I got my Opus#1 today, yea! I am having an issue though....I am having no issues at all using the DAP through my Fiio E12, but when I hook my set of HE-500s directly to the DAP, I only get audio playback on one channel (the left channel). Could it be related to the connector on the cable? Like I said, I am having no issues using the same cable on my portable and desktop amps. I did upgrade to the latest firmware as well.

 
Not sure if you've checked this but also just make sure you haven't altered the 'balance' setting in the output menu:
 
 

 

[1ofamillion]

Are you sure you're plugging into the 3.5mm single-ended headphone out, and not the 2.5mm balanced headphone out?

you should be plugged into the other port than the one you see my Solar connected to.


Also, make sure Balanced is turned OFF in the settings.

 
It's a 3.5mm connector, so it wouldn't fit even if I wanted it to XD. It's a good thought to ask though, I am not the most intelligent when it comes to audio related equipment. It's not set to balanced either, I can use my cheaper earbuds (also 3.5mm) with no issues.
 

  try rotating the plugged connecter. sometimes I have problem like this with 2,5mm input, rotating a little bit always helps.

 
I did try this, and nothing :\
 

   
Not sure if you've checked this but also just make sure you haven't altered the 'balance' setting in the output menu:
 
 

 
I checked this too, and it's set to 50 50.
 
Thank you for the responses! I am honestly stumped... I just tested my HE-500s on my main amp, and I am having no issues at all. Also, they are working just fine with OPUS when my HE-500s are connected to my FiiO E12, it's just when they are directly hooked up to the OPUS that is causing the issue. Haha I feel so dumb! I fully powered down the device, and that didn't really do anything. I upgraded the firmware as well.
 
Could it be that the connector is not long enough? I mean it looks the same length as my other 3.5mm connectors, but I am sure sure.

 

[1ofamillion]

So I have determined it's the 3.5mm connector on my other cable. I switched over to the stock cable that requires an adapter, and it's working fine. So, I am curious why the other cable isn't working...Regardless, I haven't had much time to test due to work, but from what I have been able to test, this sounds like a winner! Will continue to test later..

 

[PinkyPowers]

It's rare, but some connectors just don't sit well with every port. It shouldn't happen, but it does. Microscopic changes in tolerance.

I plugged no less than six headphones/IEMs into the Opus#1,each with different cables, and all worked fine.

Sorry for your misfortune.

 

[Podster]

Yep. Not saying they sound exactly the same. The AK is a touch warmer. But quality of sound is equal, the only exception being the Opus' soundstage is slightly narrower. Still big, just not as big. The 120II, after all, has one of the largest stages around, so there's no shame in falling a little behind.

Since I have always drooled for the 120ii (I absolutely think its the best looking DAP ever) but never bit on one I can't compare but the Opus#1 has my signature SQ and paired with my LZ A4 I could very well end the never ending journey right here, IMHO I don't think one could get a better sounding setup for under $600

Plus I have not even gotten my new balanced cable here yet and if that improves the SQ as I've read from others this will certainly be rig # uno

 

 
Yet another great suggestion to me from @peter123

(OK, I have to give Pinky, Nik and Alex a little credit as well)

 

[pr0b3r]

 
Since I have always drooled for the 120ii (I absolutely think its the best looking DAP ever) but never bit on one I can't compare but the Opus#1 has my signature SQ and paired with my LZ A4 I could very well end the never ending journey right here, IMHO I don't think one could get a better sounding setup for under $600

Plus I have not even gotten my new balanced cable here yet and if that improves the SQ as I've read from others this will certainly be rig # uno

 

 
Yet another great suggestion to me from @peter123

(OK, I have to give Pinky, Nik and Alex a little credit as well)

Please try the iBasso IT03 with your Opus#1.  If you could or already have, can you tell us your thoughts?  I'm enjoying my pair with my Opus#1 and I've read somewhere that the LZ A4 is close.