# Oppo HA-2 SE



## BLacklWf

Just ordered the new Oppo HA-2 SE from Oppo.com. I will report back here after some break-in period.

https://www.oppodigital.com/headphone-amplifier-ha-2SE/


Not that I find whathifi a super reliable source for reviews, but at least SE got a promising review there.

http://www.whathifi.com/oppo/ha-2-se/review

I also read from the original HA-2 forum that a user preferred the original compared to SE. I don't have the original, so I won't be able to add any value there, but I hope there will be more users who heard the both to provide us with comparisons between two.


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## cannyladdie

Just received mine the day before yesterday.
  
 Currently breaking in. Sounded really rough out of the box. Within several hours already sounding much much better.


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## cannyladdie

The USB to lightning tethering cable is not connecting right. The signal from my iPhone 6SPlus keeps cutting out. I tried my standard-issue iPhone USB/Lightning cable and it works fine with that.


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## BLacklWf

I received mine yesterday, so far I did not have a connection issue with my Ipad.  But, I did notice some weird behavior.  The last night when I connected first to ipad, the volume control in Ipad had an effect - meaning when i move volume up and down from ipad, it was affecting the volumn up and down with HA-2 SE - independently from HA-2 SE's volumn control...  which made me suspect if I was really getting all digital sound from ipad.
  
 But, today, when I connected again for 2nd time - the volume control on ipad does not work at all - meaning it does nothing - not even volume change graphic comes up - which is what I wanted to see.  Anyway - how could the behavior change like this in one night?  I have no idea.
  
 Anyway, so far the sound is good, but I will burn in at least 40-50 h ours before commenting on the sounds.


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## TimeLord

blacklwf said:


> I received mine yesterday, so far I did not have a connection issue with my Ipad.  But, I did notice some weird behavior.  The last night when I connected first to ipad, the volume control in Ipad had an effect - meaning when i move volume up and down from ipad, it was affecting the volumn up and down with HA-2 SE - independently from HA-2 SE's volumn control...  which made me suspect if I was really getting all digital sound from ipad.
> 
> But, today, when I connected again for 2nd time - the volume control on ipad does not work at all - meaning it does nothing - not even volume change graphic comes up - which is what I wanted to see.  Anyway - how could the behavior change like this in one night?  I have no idea.
> 
> Anyway, so far the sound is good, but I will burn in at least 40-50 h ours before commenting on the sounds.




The HA-2/SE behavior is that the volume control on the iDevice will have an impact on the overall volume. Oppo is mapping the iDevice's setting to the HA-2/SE so that the user can fine tune the volume. 

Read the second paragraph of the "Amp" section of this link.


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## cannyladdie

Hi BlackIWf,
  
 Are you using the short length USB/Lightning tethering cable? How is yours working? Mine keeps cutting out.
  
 I'm reserving any judgement on sonics until it breaks in properly. I do notice that the sound improves after warming up. Has that been your experience?


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## BLacklWf

timelord said:


> The HA-2/SE behavior is that the volume control on the iDevice will have an impact on the overall volume. Oppo is mapping the iDevice's setting to the HA-2/SE so that the user can fine tune the volume.
> 
> Read the second paragraph of the "Amp" section of this link.




Today ipad volume control has an effect again. This thing is not reliable.


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## BLacklWf

cannyladdie said:


> Hi BlackIWf,
> 
> Are you using the short length USB/Lightning tethering cable? How is yours working? Mine keeps cutting out.
> 
> I'm reserving any judgement on sonics until it breaks in properly. I do notice that the sound improves after warming up. Has that been your experience?




Im using my other lighting cable, and so far i haven't had cutting off yet.

I like sounds so far but there are not too many high quality music files i have. Im mostly listening tidal hifi saved offline on my ipad, which I think sounds as good many redbook cd players in the transporting job to dac. However even on hifi mode on tidal there are so many crap quality music files that some actually better to listen directly on ipad. For example, i love John Legends, but his album on tidal hifi is so crappyily recorded or converted that using HA-2SE only make it sounds worse.


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## TimeLord

blacklwf said:


> Today ipad volume control has an effect again. This thing is not reliable.




Are you sure it's not the iPad that's causing the issue? I've used the HA-2 and the HA-2 SE with at least three different iDevices and have never seen this behavior. 

To rule out the iPad being the issue, do you have another iDevice to try it with? If not, is there an Apple Store you can take the Oppo to and test it there?

If all that fails, you can return it to Oppo and get a properly working one. I'm interested to hear what you find out. Good luck.


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## BLacklWf

timelord said:


> Are you sure it's not the iPad that's causing the issue? I've used the HA-2 and the HA-2 SE with at least three different iDevices and have never seen this behavior.
> 
> To rule out the iPad being the issue, do you have another iDevice to try it with? If not, is there an Apple Store you can take the Oppo to and test it there?
> 
> If all that fails, you can return it to Oppo and get a properly working one. I'm interested to hear what you find out. Good luck.




I have two ipads and two iphones at home. I will try them at different times to see.


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## BLacklWf

I have tested HA-2 SE with 2 ipads and 2 iphones on the connectivity issue.  
  
 First, the volume control.  On ipads - there were 2 separate occurrences of volume control not working on two separate ipads.  I think I connected maybe around 20 times with these two ipads, and twice there were issues for me.  On iphones, I connected about 7 times so far, and I didn't have the volume control issue yet. At the moment, I have no way to tell whether this is Apple problem or Oppo problem.
  
 Stock Lightening Cable Connectivity - I confirmed that I had similar a problem with cannyladdie above that the connection was cut using the supplied lightening cable by Oppo.  I used this cable only 2 listening sessions so far and noticed that connection was being interrupted time to time for me.  I did not have the same issue with my other lightening cable from Apple so far.
  
 My unit has about 45 hours of use now, so i will try to post the my sound impression in next a few of days.


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## BLacklWf

I have an interesting mini review coming up today.  I always had assumed 'wired' sounds better than 'wireless (or bluetooth)'.  However, I have read rather good reviews of B&W P7 Wireless that some people said it sounds better wireless.  Basically wireless connection uses the headphones' tiny DAC and amplifier of its own and that's why some people said it was better wireless compared using whatever the inferior DAC and amplifier their phones had.  I don't think P7 wireless DAC/amplifier will come any where near the performance of HA-2 SE alongside the bluetooth is compressed already.  Nonetheless, I will run a min test when I receive P7 wireless today and post here.


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## BLacklWf

Wow, this is a surprise!  Please don't get me wrong.  HA-2 SE is better in every aspect compared to the internal DAC and amplification of B&W P7 Wireless.  But, the difference is much smaller than I have ever anticipated.  HA-2 SE is has much blacker background, more extensions on the both ends, more engaging, more texture, which is just as I did expected to be.  However, the gap is much smaller than I had ever thought possible.  I was using Tidal Offline Files downloaded at HiFi, which is about equivalent to the redbook cds.  And, I loved what I heard.  I never heard such a great bluetooth headphone before.  I had tried Senn Momentum Wireless where the wireless had pretty sizable gap in sound quality vs wired in my opinion.  But, with P7 wireless, there is a difference - of course wired being better when used with HA-2 SE, but the difference is much smaller.  At work - where I used to carry HA-2 SE, I don't think I would need it anymore since I don't do a focused listening at work anyway.  P7 in wireless mode is more than adapt for casual/background listening. Just so that people don't set too high of expectation, HA-2 SE is better in every corner.  And, there is some pop in bluetooth connection.  So, it's not perfect by any mean.  However, I can definitely see with upcoming aptX HD bluetooth, the gap between wired vs wireless will be even more narrower than before.
  
 I think I will leave HA-2 SE at home for late night deep listening sessions from now.  Now this sounds like a P7 mini review which doesn't belong here.  My next post will be focused in the sound quality of HA-2 SE.


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## gavinfabl

I have the original HA-2 and am burning in my HA-2 SE. I reviewed the original on my blog, under reviews, audio. I intend to review the new version and do some A to B versus the original. 

I like what I'm hearing so far with the HA-2 SE. Sound wonderful with my Sennheiser HD598 and also my Oppo PM-3.


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## TimeLord

gavinfabl said:


> I have the original HA-2 and am burning in my HA-2 SE. I reviewed the original on my blog, under reviews, audio. I intend to review the new version and do some A to B versus the original.
> 
> I like what I'm hearing so far with the HA-2 SE. Sound wonderful with my Sennheiser HD598 and also my Oppo PM-3.


 

 I compared the original to the SE and posted about it here.
  
 I think the amp section has been improved, but the DAC section of the original is superior.


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## cannyladdie

Good observations BLackIWf.
  
 I think I have a handle on the sound...
  
 Using my HA-2SE with Sennheiser HD 558, HD-650 and HD-700, the sound has transformed, and with not even 20 hours on it I know its going to get better.
  
 I've had to select hi-gain to drive these 'phones, and the sound is pretty neutral. The HA-2SE provides decent headroom and feeds my headphones with enough oomph to drive the rythm forward with good PRaT. 
  
 Bass+ switch is useful when listening to some electronic beat driven processed music. For other types of music, in general I prefer to leave the Bass+ switch to 'off' as it tends to color and weigh down/ thicken the sound a bit.
  
 I listened to a recording of Yes at Lagano (recorded in 2004) Rick W. Steve H., Chris S.(RIP) and Jon A. The HA-2SE did an excellent job of conveying the sense of a lage outdoor space. Plenty of weight and drive to the music. Excellent resolution overall.


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## gavinfabl

timelord said:


> I compared the original to the SE and posted about it here.
> 
> I think the amp section has been improved, but the DAC section of the original is superior.




Interesting read , thanks.

I'm not hearing the same, so far the SE is producing a overall better sound. I need more time though so will report back soon.


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## BLacklWf

gavinfabl said:


> I have my review up on my blog gavinsgadgets of the new Oppo HA-2 SE. Tomorrow I will have a comparison of the HA-2 vs HA-2 SE up. You will also find the review in my review section under reviews, audio.
> 
> In my view, the HA-2 SE sounds better across all genres.
> 
> Anyway, any questions, ask away


 
 I have Dragon Fly Red on my way for the comparison purpose to HA-2 SE.  Have you heard DFR, and if so can you share your findings please?  Thanks.


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## BLacklWf

gavinfabl said:


> I have my review up on my blog gavinsgadgets of the new Oppo HA-2 SE. Tomorrow I will have a comparison of the HA-2 vs HA-2 SE up. You will also find the review in my review section under reviews, audio.
> 
> In my view, the HA-2 SE sounds better across all genres.
> 
> Anyway, any questions, ask away


 
 You have a wonderful blog by the way.  Hopefully yours will become next Gizmodo!


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## gavinfabl

blacklwf said:


> I have Dragon Fly Red on my way for the comparison purpose to HA-2 SE.  Have you heard DFR, and if so can you share your findings please?  Thanks.




I bought the DFR when it got released. You can find my review on my blog gavinsgadgets, reviews, audio, DACS. Its a great sounding DAC but not as user friendly when it comes to mobile devices. On the android phones I tested, its volume was low unless I used the usb audio player app which was not ideal sometimes. Battery drain is faster as it doesn't have its own built in battery. Sound quality is probably close to the HA-2 SE but I never felt the enjoyment on my music as I do with the HA-2 SE. 



blacklwf said:


> You have a wonderful blog by the way.  Hopefully yours will become next Gizmodo!




Cheers


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## Priyajeet

Anyone try the Oppo with an Android device? I just made the switch from iPhone to Google Pixel, so wondering what adapter/connector would I need. Something like the included USB to lightening connector, but USB type C in this case...
 I am guessing something like this should work https://www.amazon.com/TechMatte-Connector-Resistor-Approved-Standard/dp/B0151RKYBG


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## BLacklWf

priyajeet said:


> Anyone try the Oppo with an Android device? I just made the switch from iPhone to Google Pixel, so wondering what adapter/connector would I need. Something like the included USB to lightening connector, but USB type C in this case...
> I am guessing something like this should work https://www.amazon.com/TechMatte-Connector-Resistor-Approved-Standard/dp/B0151RKYBG




I have note 4, and too my ears idevices sounds much better with ha-2 se. Actually,it has been a consistent experience on my end that no matter how much I want to convert to all android/window devices, idevices just sound better for me. I guess the internal of idevices is just more quieter if that makes a sense.

By the way, I'm no way an isheep. I ********* despise the fact idevices do not support aptx yet. But to my ears idevices especially when connected to a dac sounds MUCH better than androids when broth using either stock music apps or tidal.


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## BLacklWf

However I have not tried the new pixel phone, and I hope they r better than Samsung phones.


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## gavinfabl

I have used the Oppo with more phones that you can ever dream of


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## gavinfabl

Also got my HA-2 vs HA-2 SE post up on my blog gavinsgadgets. Amazing to think I bought the original HA-2 over 18 months ago. It's lasted very well.


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## BLacklWf

gavinfabl said:


> I have used the Oppo with more phones that you can ever dream of




Would you agree with sentiment that idevices are generally better when connected to a dac like ha-2? Just wondering.


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## LazerBear

Hello everybody, I read in a review here on the forums that the original HA-2 would charge up from any source connected via micro usb, all the time, including Android devices. Meaning that even though it has an internal battery, it would also deplete any connected Android phone battery quite fast as it would draw full power from the phone in an attempt to charge its internal battery.
  
 Is this also true for the HA-2 SE? It would be quite a deal-breaker for me if this was the case..


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## TimeLord

lazerbear said:


> Hello everybody, I read in a review here on the forums that the original HA-2 would charge up from any source connected via micro usb, all the time, including Android devices. Meaning that even though it has an internal battery, it would also deplete any connected Android phone battery quite fast as it would draw full power from the phone in an attempt to charge its internal battery.
> 
> Is this also true for the HA-2 SE? It would be quite a deal-breaker for me if this was the case..




That happens only if you use a standard OTG cable. Use the one that Oppo provides or an equivalent and that won't be an issue.


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## GridIroN

timelord said:


> That happens only if you use a standard OTG cable. Use the one that Oppo provides or an equivalent and that won't be an issue.


 
  
 Do you know how I could possibly set up an HA2 to work with a Google Pixel or any other Type-C phone? It seems like this isn't possible, at least right now.


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## ClieOS

gridiron said:


> Do you know how I could possibly set up an HA2 to work with a Google Pixel or any other Type-C phone? It seems like this isn't possible, at least right now.


 
  
 Get yourself a new OTG cable, can be found on eBay easily. Look for a seller called 'yourcharger' - got a few OTG cable from him in the past and usually is pretty solid.


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## TimeLord

gridiron said:


> Do you know how I could possibly set up an HA2 to work with a Google Pixel or any other Type-C phone? It seems like this isn't possible, at least right now.




Sorry, I haven't dealt with USB-C yet.


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## Priyajeet

gridiron said:


> Do you know how I could possibly set up an HA2 to work with a Google Pixel or any other Type-C phone? It seems like this isn't possible, at least right now.


 

 I have tried it with the pixel, and it works. The wiring is a nuisance though. You can either get something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0151RKYBG that attaches to the existing cable OR something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E0NC3I4 which is the full cable. I have both, both approaches work and am currently using the latter.

 PS: I have an HA2-SE, not sure about the HA2 but highly doubt that's any different when working with an Android device.


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## LazerBear

That's interesting.. why


timelord said:


> That happens only if you use a standard OTG cable. Use the one that Oppo provides or an equivalent and that won't be an issue.


 
  
 That's interesting, why is it the case? Is the Oppo-supplied micro to micro USB cable not standard?
  


> Originally posted by *GridIroN*
> 
> Do you know how I could possibly set up an HA2 to work with a Google Pixel or any other Type-C phone? It seems like this isn't possible, at least right now


 
  
 I don't have an HA2 yet, obviously, but I can't think of any reason why one of those small micro usb-B to usb-C adapters wouldn't work. I use one regularly to plug my old micro usb cables into my Type-C cellphone for data and charging. Perhaps someone else can confirm this.. 
  
 EDIT: Just realized Priyajeet has just posted this exact solution!


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## TimeLord

lazerbear said:


> That's interesting.. why
> 
> That's interesting, why is it the case? Is the Oppo-supplied micro to micro USB cable not standard?




It was explained in the HA-2 thread better than I can state it, here.


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## LazerBear

timelord said:


> It was explained in the HA-2 thread better than I can state it, here.


 
  
 Very interesting info, thanks.


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## cyrilyoung4ever

hello, i purchased the oppo ha-2 se and happy with it for my audeze lcd-3, el-8 and hd 600 as a portable device. i am looking to purchase a hd 800s and wondering if anyone have the experience of ha-2se with the hd800s. the reason why i am asking is i am trying to decide if i should return it and get a mojo instead. thanks!


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## TimeLord

cyrilyoung4ever said:


> hello, i purchased the oppo ha-2 se and happy with it for my audeze lcd-3, el-8 and hd 600 as a portable device. i am looking to purchase a hd 800s and wondering if anyone have the experience of ha-2se with the hd800s. the reason why i am asking is i am trying to decide if i should return it and get a mojo instead. thanks!


 
  
 From the perspective of being capable of driving the HD800, the HA-2 SE was able to accomplish the task. On a modern recording FLAC with the iPhone set to about 80% and the SE's pot at 4, the volume peaked at 80.6 dB(A). With the iPhone at 100% and the SE volume pot fully turned up, the volume peaked at 108 dB(A); Way too much for listening.
  
 If you're looking to improve the sound, then the Mojo can do that, but the SE is capable of driving the array of headphones you have. If you don't already have a desktop setup, that's where I would tell you to invest instead of portable gear. Given the headphones you own or are about to own, they would benefit from a good desktop setup.


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## cyrilyoung4ever

timelord said:


> From the perspective of being capable of driving the HD800, the HA-2 SE was able to accomplish the task. On a modern recording FLAC with the iPhone set to about 80% and the SE's pot at 4, the volume peaked at 80.6 dB(A). With the iPhone at 100% and the SE volume pot fully turned up, the volume peaked at 108 dB(A); Way too much for listening.
> 
> If you're looking to improve the sound, then the Mojo can do that, but the SE is capable of driving the array of headphones you have. If you don't already have a desktop setup, that's where I would tell you to invest instead of portable gear. Given the headphones you own or are about to own, they would benefit from a good desktop setup.


 
 thanks for the advice TimeLord! I do have a woo audio wa7 with the tube power supply for home use that i am quite happy with (especially with my pre-fazor lcd-3). the ha-2se (or the possible mojo) is just for when i am not at home and use together with my el-8 closed. so far i have been happy with the combo. maybe i will stick with them for now (unless i see a big sale on on mojo, which i doubt..).


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## TimeLord

cyrilyoung4ever said:


> thanks for the advice TimeLord! I do have a woo audio wa7 with the tube power supply for home use that i am quite happy with (especially with my pre-fazor lcd-3). the ha-2se (or the possible mojo) is just for when i am not at home and use together with my el-8 closed. so far i have been happy with the combo. maybe i will stick with them for now (unless i see a big sale on on mojo, which i doubt..).


 
  
 Very nice. I have the WA7 with the tube power as well. That pairs well with the HD800; it calms down the HD800's treble peaks. What tubes are you running? It took me a while to settle on tubes that optimized the Fireflies. When I ordered the WA7, I ordered the tube power purely out of aesthetic reasons because I didn't think that actually made any sound quality difference.
  
 Boy was I happy my shallow aesthetics considerations won that battle when I finally heard a unit with the standard power supply. It made a huge difference in sound. The next revelation was the power cable... I was using a standard 10 amp computer cable. I switched to an Audio Quest NRG-2 cable rated for 15 amps. It was immediately obvious that the sound was constrained with the old cable. Since Woo doesn't pack a power cable with the WA7, I thought I would mention it in case you made the same mistake.
  
 As for portable, I had been carrying the HA-2 or SE. I recently got a pair of EL-8 Titanium so I started carrying my Sony PHA-3 again. The PHA-3 is bigger so I had been avoiding it, but it is a better unit than the Oppo gear and since I'm already carrying the EL-8 instead of just my compact SE846, it makes little difference to add the PHA-3.


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## cyrilyoung4ever

the purchase of the tube power supply was half out of aesthetics concern and the other half out of what woo audio says on its website. they said it would be better and i trusted them lol! i haven't got a chance to hear the standard power supply but now i am curious to find out how much the improvement is. i am currently just using the stock tube on the tube power supply. what do you use and do they make a big impact? i would have thought that the impact would mostly comes from upgrading the tubes for the amp. 
  
 funny that you mentioned the cable! i was initially searching for a shorter cable for the el-8c and one thing leads to another i was looking at the ac power cable. i haven't bought one but the nrg-2 is definitely on the list. again i am hoping there will be a sale on them (unlikely?) do you have other suggestion that might be cheaper? thanks!


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## TimeLord

cyrilyoung4ever said:


> the purchase of the tube power supply was half out of aesthetics concern and the other half out of what woo audio says on its website. they said it would be better and i trusted them lol! i haven't got a chance to hear the standard power supply but now i am curious to find out how much the improvement is. i am currently just using the stock tube on the tube power supply. what do you use and do they make a big impact? i would have thought that the impact would mostly comes from upgrading the tubes for the amp.
> 
> funny that you mentioned the cable! i was initially searching for a shorter cable for the el-8c and one thing leads to another i was looking at the ac power cable. i haven't bought one but the nrg-2 is definitely on the list. again i am hoping there will be a sale on them (unlikely?) do you have other suggestion that might be cheaper? thanks!


 

 Well, Woo was telling the truth about the tube power. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 Me and another Head-fier who is local to me were both investigating the WA7, so we worked together to test all the combinations. Tube power, SS power, multiple tubes for both the amp and the power supply. None of the sound improvements we found made any sense to me from what I thought I understood about electrical principles. What we found was that tube changes to the power supply made as much a difference as the tube changes to the amplifier.
  
 The best sound we found was with these tubes: For the amp, the gold pin Electro Harmonix upgrade tubes that Woo sells sound the best. For the power supply, I got lucky and Woo packed my unit with a pair of Electro Harmonix 12AU7. Apparently they normally pack the unit with RCA tubes. The Electro Harmonix was the best sounding tube in the power supply that we found. I wouldn't call the sound improvement night and day, but it is definitely noticeable in critical listening.
  
 As for the power cable, I discovered it when I was listening to gear with another Head-fier and he had a pair of Kimber PK10 cables and just for giggles I connected it to another amp I have and nearly fell over at the sound improvement. I looked at the specs of that cable and tried to see if I can build it cheaper because it is pricey; I couldn't get the parts to replicate it. So I figured I'd give the NRG-2 a shot and it had the same sound improvement but it was half the price of the Kimber. I settled on it for my other amp. Then I tried it on the WA7 and sure enough there was an improvement on the Fireflies too, so I just got another one for WA7 too. I haven't tried Audio Quest's lower priced cables, but they may have the same improvements at a lower price point.


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## cyrilyoung4ever

i was just looking at the Electro Harmonix 6C45 Gold Plated Pins and it seems they are extremely difficult to find (except for woo audio still have it.) i also came across a post on the bottlehead forum saying that these particular tubes are no longer produced. do you think this is reliable?


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## TimeLord

cyrilyoung4ever said:


> i was just looking at the Electro Harmonix 6C45 Gold Plated Pins and it seems they are extremely difficult to find (except for woo audio still have it.) i also came across a post on the bottlehead forum saying that these particular tubes are no longer produced. do you think this is reliable?


 

 Woo was the only place we could find the gold pin Electro Harmonix. Woo may have well bought out the entire available stock. They were made in Russia so there's no telling what their availability is. eBay, as unreliable as it is, is where I was seeing available tubes.
  
 BTW, we're quite a bit off topic for this thread so we ought to continue the conversation on PM or on the WA7 thread.


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## L0rdGwyn

gavinfabl said:


> I have used the Oppo with more phones that you can ever dream of




Hi Gavin - really enjoyed your review. My ha-2se is in the mail on its way to me, just wondering if you have any experience using it with the galaxy S6. I saw some people were having issues in the original ha-2 thread, and one user mentioned the phone doesn't officially support micro USB OTG audio. Any thoughts? Thanks!


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## gavinfabl

I used it with my S7 just fine, but I did use the USB Audio Player Pro app to get the best possible sound.


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## tigerguy2020

Just checking can anyone confirm that the HA-2SE actually works completely (no sound/power issues) with iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.  I ordered the device to replace the Sound Blaster E5 which does not work well with those phones.  I know there is another thread which tries to address this issue with the iPhone 7 but I can't find anywhere where anyone has actually reported testing these two devices together.  Thanks for any input.


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## tigerguy2020

One more thing about the HA-2SE, the website states that it is compatible with these phones but the downloadable owners manual does NOT include those phones.  I'm hoping this is just that the manual has not been updated, but I hesitated to order when I saw the mismatched info about the device.


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## TimeLord

tigerguy2020 said:


> One more thing about the HA-2SE, the website states that it is compatible with these phones but the downloadable owners manual does NOT include those phones.  I'm hoping this is just that the manual has not been updated, but I hesitated to order when I saw the mismatched info about the device.



I have an iPhone 7 Plus and both the HA-2 and HA-2 SE work just fine with it.


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## franz12

I drove my HD800S with OPPO HA-2, not SE. I had no complaints about it.


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## fuhransahis

timelord said:


> From the perspective of being capable of driving the HD800, the HA-2 SE was able to accomplish the task. On a modern recording FLAC with the iPhone set to about 80% and the SE's pot at 4, the volume peaked at 80.6 dB(A). With the iPhone at 100% and the SE volume pot fully turned up, the volume peaked at 108 dB(A); Way too much for listening.
> 
> If you're looking to improve the sound, then the Mojo can do that, but the SE is capable of driving the array of headphones you have. If you don't already have a desktop setup, that's where I would tell you to invest instead of portable gear. Given the headphones you own or are about to own, they would benefit from a good desktop setup.


 
 So do you think the Mojo's sound is better than the HA-2SE?


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## TimeLord

fuhransahis said:


> So do you think the Mojo's sound is better than the HA-2SE?




Yes. The Mojo is an improvement over the HA-2 and HA-2 SE. A lot of it comes down to the Mojo having a better DAC section than the Oppo units. On a purely sound quality basis, the Mojo would be my pick. But when you add price and portability convenience, the Oppo units are half the street price and pair with phones (especially iPhone 6/6S/7) better due to their sleek shapes and the decision may become harder.


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## fuhransahis

timelord said:


> Yes. The Mojo is an improvement over the HA-2 and HA-2 SE. A lot of it comes down to the Mojo having a better DAC section than the Oppo units. On a purely sound quality basis, the Mojo would be my pick. But when you add price and portability convenience, the Oppo units are half the street price and pair with phones (especially iPhone 6/6S/7) better due to their sleek shapes and the decision may become harder.




Thanks for the feedback!

That's my current dilemma. I use my Mojo with my S7 but it's definitely a bit clunky... thinking about selling it and getting the HA-2SE for better portability and using the extra funds for a different purchase I'm saving up for.

But, would you say the difference in sound quality justifies the price difference? Based on SQ alone (I know that may be difficult to answer as it can be subjective though).


----------



## TimeLord

fuhransahis said:


> Thanks for the feedback!
> 
> That's my current dilemma. I use my Mojo with my S7 but it's definitely a bit clunky... thinking about selling it and getting the HA-2SE for better portability and using the extra funds for a different purchase I'm saving up for.
> 
> But, would you say the difference in sound quality justifies the price difference? Based on SQ alone (I know that may be difficult to answer as it can be subjective though).




For me the cost of the Mojo is in line with its performance. In fact, its DAC outperforms other systems that cost twice its price. On sound quality alone, I'd stick with the Mojo.


----------



## pfurey89

timelord said:


> For me the cost of the Mojo is in line with its performance. In fact, its DAC outperforms other systems that cost twice its price. On sound quality alone, I'd stick with the Mojo.


 

 Crazy! I have a Mojo on the way, but the Oppo2 was a close second. Glad I splurged. What audible differences have you noticed?


----------



## TimeLord

pfurey89 said:


> Crazy! I have a Mojo on the way, but the Oppo2 was a close second. Glad I splurged. What audible differences have you noticed?




I did a review of the HA-2 SE when it came out. It was in two parts here and here. 

Keeping in mind the descriptions of the HA-2, HA-2 SE, and even the HA-1, the Mojo has a more neutral DAC. Where the HA-2 is a bit dark and the HA-1 and SE are bright and even sibilant at times, the Mojo doesn't commit these mistakes. 

The above statements are from memory since I don't own the Mojo and did not do a fresh side by side comparison. I can tell you the Mojo's DAC outperformed the HA-1 when I tested both of their outputs through the Cavalli LAu.


----------



## j2rock

timelord said:


> I did a review of the HA-2 SE when it came out. It was in two parts here and here.
> 
> Keeping in mind the descriptions of the HA-2, HA-2 SE, and even the HA-1, the Mojo has a more neutral DAC. Where the HA-2 is a bit dark and the HA-1 and SE are bright and even sibilant at times, the Mojo doesn't commit these mistakes.
> 
> The above statements are from memory since I don't own the Mojo and did not do a fresh side by side comparison. I can tell you the Mojo's DAC outperformed the HA-1 when I tested both of their outputs through the Cavalli LAu.




I have not done a formal review but I did just receive the SE today and I have to chime in and try to convey what I hear.

The HA-2 that I own was the first of 3 different units I heard shipped directly from Oppo.. the 2nd was a replacement for an issue with my 1st and the 3rd I purchased then returned.

The 2nd and 3rd units sounded different than my 1st by a noticeable margin. I was somewhat shocked to even consider there to be differences between 3 units with not quite close serial numbers but still.. the difference was easily noticeable. My 1st original unit was just more alive sounding than both subsequent ones. I ended up realizing later that the issue I had was the supplied OTG cable and I have since been using their proprietary 1 ft. and rotating the top of the unit when stacked with my S7E.

Moving on to the SE wasn't nearly as easy of a choice at first because I became in love with my original HA-2 for the past several months and then I read Timelord's comments about how the new ESS DAC is underwhelming and even somewhat imbalanced in the high frequencies.

So considering I had already heard noticeable differences between brand new HA-2's.. I took the plunge on the SE with high hopes. I have to say I am now just that much more excited to hear my music collection now.

Overall the SE that I have does not have sibilance issues nor does it sound underwhelming.. in fact the opposite. It is a matter of less in your face constant almost compression that I attribute to the older DAC in the HA-2 than the added detail and calm demeanor (when called for) that the SE displays.

It seems with less thought through designs, sound is just more compressed resulting in less dynamic range and ultimately a feeling from listening that feels fatiguing.

I can already tell that the SE makes my first HA-2 sound less enjoyable. As Timelord states with his experience and units that his SE is trying to be the HA-1 and doesn't succeed.. I find with my HA-2 that the compression and high frequencies are what I attribute to less enjoyable sound.. and my SE has slightly rolled off but more refined highs, the opposite of what Timelord explained between his units. The bass is also rounder and less bloated between 100-200hz which makes for a much higher appreciation of all the music I've listened to so far.

Understand that the normal gain setting on the SE does not match the HA-2 at the same volume as this was apparently a specific design change for the noise floor adjustment with IEM's.. but high gain is much more matched and in my opinion sounds better anyway on both models.

I hope people who are considering a refurbished HA-2 give the SE a chance first because it seems like they've added depth and less harsh frequencies with this new design.


----------



## j2rock

I might add that I am an audio engineer and have found Master and Dynamic's MH40's (albeit a golden pair) to be the best sounding headphones I've heard under $2,000.

Sennheiser HD800's don't even come close to the accuracy of my MH40's and I take the opinions of anyone with HD800's very lightly.


----------



## McCol

timelord said:


> I did a review of the HA-2 SE when it came out. It was in two parts here and here.
> 
> Keeping in mind the descriptions of the HA-2, HA-2 SE, and even the HA-1, the Mojo has a more neutral DAC. Where the HA-2 is a bit dark and the HA-1 and SE are bright and even sibilant at times, the Mojo doesn't commit these mistakes.
> 
> The above statements are from memory since I don't own the Mojo and did not do a fresh side by side comparison. I can tell you the Mojo's DAC outperformed the HA-1 when I tested both of their outputs through the Cavalli LAu.


 
  
 Having owned the HA2 and Mojo and now the SE version of the HA2, would have to disagree about the sibliance of the SE.  I find none whatsoever, if anything I used to find the Mojo a little shrill on the ears at times.  
  
 The Mojo is the better overall DAC but to my ears there isn't a great deal in it.  One thing in the Oppo's favour is the almost non-existant RFI compared to the Mojo.


----------



## j2rock

One more thing I have to mention... 

I've heard differences between digital cables for years and the proprietary 1ft. HA-2 cables have sounded different to me. I've settled on my favorite 2 out of several I've heard and returned.

Just don't assume cables and their direction don't matter when auditioning something critically that is "simply carrying 1's and 0's."

Even Oppo claims their cable shouldn't change the sound.. fyi.


----------



## TimeLord

j2rock I had not considered that there might be variations between two units of the same model, especially considering Oppo's build quality reputation. I have only had one unit each of the HA-1, HA-2, and HA-2 SE.

My HA-2 is about a year old and I picked up the HA-2 SE right after it came out. 

As my review stated, I don't think the HA-2 SE is worse than the HA-2 in every way. In fact the amp section is better and works better with my ultra sensitive SE846. The noise floor is much better, although not pitch black, with HA-2 SE. But if someone already owns an HA-2, I wouldn't run out and upgrade.


----------



## TimeLord

mccol said:


> Having owned the HA2 and Mojo and now the SE version of the HA2, would have to disagree about the sibliance of the SE.  I find none whatsoever, if anything I used to find the Mojo a little shrill on the ears at times.
> 
> The Mojo is the better overall DAC but to my ears there isn't a great deal in it.  One thing in the Oppo's favour is the almost non-existant RFI compared to the Mojo.




What was your signal chain when you tested the SE and the Mojo?

As for the RFI, I have heard it on the Mojo too, but RFI is not an issue for me since I use a dedicated iPhone in airplane mode as my transport with locally stored FLAC files.


----------



## j2rock

I recently went through 4 pairs of M&D MH40's before settling on my favorite.. and they are not the only audio company with differing sound between identical model units that I've witnessed in my 15 years of critical listening. 

Since the HA-2 is fairly new and the SE does improve the sound, I would not agree with you.. being as picky as I am about playback, having heard multiple monitor controllers for my studio over the past 15 years, the SE is an upgrade people will definitely appreciate over the HA-2.

It's not a matter of subtle difference imo, it is much more noticeable in the entire spectrum and it adds a more 'mastered sound' to everything that I've heard in the little time that I've owned it, clearly due to the DAC and what they changed with the noise floor.

Refined sound is what we all look for in hardware compressors and EQ's (and well designed plugins) so it shouldn't be any different in playback devices.

The SE is a clear step in the right direction for Oppo customers.

TimeLord.. I would consider contacting them and seeing if they could work out a deal where you buy another unit and possibly return your 'not so great' SE in exchange for keeping the new hopefully better one. It's been 30 days so they may not let you but it's worth a shot if you tell them your unit is clearly not as good as your HA-2.


----------



## TimeLord

j2rock
I honestly don't think my unit is defective. For me the SE DAC is brighter but not as good as the HA-2. And the amp is better in the SE than in the HA-2. Overall, one can prefer the SE to the HA-2 and that's fine. 

Also, I meant to ask you about the MH40 since you've mentioned it several times. I remember hearing it some time ago, but I didn't hear anything particularly special about it. Are you using it for mixing? What do you find special about it? I may need to go hear it again.


----------



## j2rock

TimeLord,

I am using them for mixing and mastering.

It was pretty much no contest when I compared them side by side to Oppo PM3 (did not have PM1 to try), B&O H6, Sennheiser (800, 650 and Momentum 2.0), Denon (D7000 and MM400) and Beyerdynamic (DT770.. did not compare to Tesla models).

I say best under $2,000 not having heard many other options but I am fairly confident that higher level planar headphones cannot compete with the bass impact and sheer alive quality the MH40 exhibits with all music. Again, the different units sounded less exciting and slightly harsher with different serial numbers but my current pair is simply sublime.

I told CEO Jonathan Levine about my experience with my seemingly golden pair and he had me send them to their factory to do some testing to see why the pair was superior to 3 other random ones. He did not get specific about what they heard but he did end up sending me a boom mic ($100+) and a headphone stand both for free just because they care. I also tried their Alcantara model (ordered 2 pair and returned) and they immediately lacked the impact and bass response, therefore being harsh, that the leather version inherently has.. so if you do audition them, stay away from those even though they felt amazing on my head.

Apple sells their line of products so you could get a pair and if you don't like them return within 14 days. If you order from M&D, it's a 30 day return.


----------



## j2rock

timelord said:


> j2rock
> I honestly don't think my unit is defective. For me the SE DAC is brighter but not as good as the HA-2. And the amp is better in the SE than in the HA-2. Overall, one can prefer the SE to the HA-2 and that's fine.
> 
> Also, I meant to ask you about the MH40 since you've mentioned it several times. I remember hearing it some time ago, but I didn't hear anything particularly special about it. Are you using it for mixing? What do you find special about it? I may need to go hear it again.




My HA-2 is brighter and harsher in the mids (more 800hz-3khz) than my SE which softens the mids and rolls off what my HA-2 does from 12-16khz. My ears tell me this, not test equipment.

So if we are getting opposite results with the different models, I think it's worth investigating an additional SE unit. If you experience the same with another new one, I guess you must really have a dark sounding HA-2 which I will repeat I experienced with only one of my 2 brand new units that I returned.

I mentioned previously that I now use the 1ft. Oppo cable ever since their normal one was giving me feedback in my first HA-2.. the original defective supplied cable also sounded brighter and a little thin (typically a result with shorter length) and thus did not sound accurate compared to the 1ft.


----------



## j2rock

Forgot to say that I auditioned many different 3.5mm (3-6ft.) audio cables to replace the stock MH40 cable.

I found Sentey's (apparently now unavailable) tinned oxygen free copper "audiophile" braided cable to sound the most impressive for only $9 for 3ft. It is far more accurate than even Audioquest's $100 Big Sur in the same length.

This is it: 

http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/71qSpoyTDoL._SL1500_.jpg

I just checked Sentey's website and could not seem to load the audio page and Amazon, where I originally got several of the cables, seems to not have that model anymore.. only a $4 model that claims to have tinned copper. Can't recommend that one but it may sound good.

The stock MH40 cable isn't bad but it isn't amazing which is probably why you didn't hear much when you first auditioned the headphones.


----------



## DLR Group

I purchased my HA-2 SE about six eeeks ago and I love it. I use it with my iPhone six using both the short cable or a regular cable. I too have experienced the occasional dropping of signal using the shorter cable, however, I feel that is due to the shortness and the tightness you have to make with it if you are stacking the two items together. When using the Oppo with my laptop running JR Media Center the sound is fantastic, at least to me.
The DAC is wonderful and works with every file that I throw at it. It works with the Sennheiser HD 650s which I found quite surprising at 300 ohms. On the 650's I turn it to about 3.5 and it's plenty loud. On my M&D MH 40, i run the Oppo at 2 and it is extremely punchy. Next week I'll receive my new HD700's which should actually make a better combo IMO. Of course I'm running the amp on high gain.


----------



## TimeLord

j2rock said:


> TimeLord,
> 
> I am using them for mixing and mastering.
> 
> ...




I think you should audition more headphones before concluding the MH40 is the best headphone under $2000. For bass impact, you'd be hard pressed to find a better headphone than the Audeze LCD-X and a lot of sound engineers are using them. 

I would audition the following headphones that are all under $2000: Audeze LCD-X, Focal Elear, and the Oppo PM-1 (which doesn't have a lot of bass, but takes EQ very well).

From what I recall of it, the MH40 isn't as good as any of the three headphones above. 

One other thing I'm curious about: what are sound engineers looking for in a headphone? In the past they have gravitated toward headphones like the Sony MDR-7506 and the Beyerdynamic DT770. I don't find those to be particularly good headphones, so what's the appeal? Lately, I have been seeing the LCD-X used and that makes sense to me so was it that in the past there wasn't as many options?


----------



## DLR Group

I have the MH 40's. They are not as good as most mentioned. They have great bass and punch, but IMO, they completely fail within the mids to low treble. I have to bump up the eq starting between 400k to 2k. Then other boosts between 3.5-6k.
I would not buy them again. To me, that are a muddy mess.


----------



## j2rock

dlr group said:


> I have the MH 40's. They are not as good as most mentioned. They have great bass and punch, but IMO, they completely fail within the mids to low treble. I have to bump up the eq starting between 400k to 2k. Then other boosts between 3.5-6k.
> I would not buy them again. To me, that are a muddy mess.




Unfortunately there were more than obvious differences between identical model MH40's that I heard and thus went through several pairs before settling on my favorite.. as I do not hear what you are hearing with yours on my pair DLR Group.

What the MH40 achieves in bass impact and smooth treble cannot be matched in headphones in the $500 and below range. The accuracy of my golden pair is on par with a $5,000 pair of Manley Labs ML10's and Crown Studio Reference II. I have the Benchmark DAC2 for my main studio work and the Oppo uses similar DAC architecture but does not quite sound the same.

I have considered spending $1,500 for headphones when I purchased the HD800's and was so underwhelmed by them knowing they've gotten such great reviews that it shunned me from ever spending that much on cans again.

For the money, a "good pair" of MH40's are a step above everything else.


----------



## j2rock

TimeLord,

My first pair of headphones was the 7506.. then I got DT770's.. and I ended up using those for the vocalist in the studio. 

I got the D7000's awhile back when they were new and can't believe now that I ever liked them but they were the latest greatest thing at the time.. I also have owned 3 pairs of HD650's.

Audeze has a reputation now so I may give them a shot soon but I cannot complain about my MH40's with the tinned copper cable by Sentey.


----------



## DLR Group

Hmm.  Any possibility that I just have a really bad pair?  I do love the bass, clean and fast and deep.  But on mine, everything else is not where it's supposed to be.  I even wrote to M&D asking how much they would charge to listen to them and fix if necessary but never received a response. 
 I want to like these but as they are right now I cannot.  Any ideas?


----------



## j2rock

dlr group said:


> Hmm.  Any possibility that I just have a really bad pair?  I do love the bass, clean and fast and deep.  But on mine, everything else is not where it's supposed to be.  I even wrote to M&D asking how much they would charge to listen to them and fix if necessary but never received a response.
> I want to like these but as they are right now I cannot.  Any ideas?




I went to Apple and bought 4 pair and returned 3. If you don't mind spending $1,600 temporarily on a credit card then returning all but one pair that hopefully sounds better, that is what I did.

It turns out my first pair was the best so I got lucky but I was still curious and found the other 3 pair to all have their qualities and failures. You can't truly rely on a random serial number to sound perfect so if I were you, and you don't want to buy more expensive phones, give it a shot and let us know what happens. Unless you want to see how the HD700's sound for you... mixed reviews about those from what I've seen.

M&D most likely didn't respond to you because they are a sensitive group of people and I don't think they take criticism well, at least in my experience with them too.


----------



## DLR Group

Well that's interesting.  You would think a relatively new R&D/Headphone company would react the exact opposite, and want all feedback especially quality issues.  I'm going to try writing or calling them again next week.  I'll let you know the response I get.
 I just purchased a set of the HD-700's, and wanted the MH-40's to work as my closed set if possible.
 Thanks!


----------



## j2rock

DLR Group,

I say sensitive because I sent them my 1st pair when they asked me to do so and all they did, without saying "oh yes your pair does sound spectacular" or "here is what we found with your pair".. was send me a personal hand written note by CEO Mr. Levine himself thanking me for sending them my favorite pair and a boom mic and headphone stand for free.

When I emailed Jared about how the 2 pair of Alcantara models they shipped me didn't sound good at all (very poor bass and way too bright mids and treble).. they basically refused to acknowledge my complaint except that Mr. Levine said "the Alcantara models have different acoustics compared to the leather."

So whatever that means didn't really jive with me.. I really wanted a pair of Alcantara as a backup but they did not sound right.


----------



## j2rock

This is an HA-2SE thread so we should probably PM about your results with M&D.


----------



## DLR Group

Thank you again for your input.  I want these to work with my Ha-2SE so badly cause their so dang dynamic!  I'll let you know.


----------



## DLR Group

Agreed  But everything was started-stating using my HA-2SE.


----------



## tungs10

Anyone using the SE with a pair of IEM's?
 Reason for asking is that I have bought the HA-2 back in September.
 The first thing I got to notice was that perpetual noise when listening to music with my UE-11 at low levels.
 So does the SE perform better in that aspect? Would it be worth upgrading to have that fixed?


----------



## TimeLord

tungs10 said:


> Anyone using the SE with a pair of IEM's?
> Reason for asking is that I have bought the HA-2 back in September.
> The first thing I got to notice was that perpetual noise when listening to music with my UE-11 at low levels.
> So does the SE perform better in that aspect? Would it be worth upgrading to have that fixed?




The amplifier in the SE is much more quite than the HA-2. With my ultra sensitive SE846 (9 Ohms of impedance and 114 dB/mW sensitivity), the noise has not been eliminated, but it is noticeably much much quieter.


----------



## DLR Group

Totally agree, as far as I'm concerned the SE version has a black noise floor compared to the original with my Westone's and other cheaper IEM's..  The HA-2SE is the best 300.00 decision I've made in audio in a long time.  It's a great PC dac/amp and works just fine with my portable rig with an iPhone 6 or iPad Air 2.


----------



## AmusedToD

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and need some help.

I am expecting delivery of the Oppo HA-2SE along with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P7 wireless headphones. Apart from using the Oppo with the headphones, I intend to use it as an external DAC for my audio system which consist of KEF e305 surround hooked up to a Marantz NR1606 slimline receiver. I also ordered an Audioquest 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable in order to connect the Oppo with my receiver. The reason for that is because I expect the Oppo to sound better due to having a superior chip (ESS Saber) to the one used in the Marantz (which is a Burr Brown 1690). I would then bypass the receiver's digital processing through its PURE DIRECT mode and use it only to amplify the signal.

I also have a Sony flagship Android TV (KD-65ZD9) which runs on Android 6.0. I would like to know whether it's possible to connect the Oppo to my tv using a micro USB to USB cable and use the Oppo as an external DAC for my TV? Since the tv is essentially an Android device, I suppose it's not impossible for it to output sound via USB. This is the only possible connection in order to use Oppo as a DAC between the TV and my sound system (due to lack of other inputs on the HA-2SE). Or perhaps an optical out to micro USB adapter if such a device exists?

Opinions?

Thank you.


----------



## fuhransahis

amusedtod said:


> Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and need some help.
> 
> I am expecting delivery of the Oppo HA-2SE along with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P7 wireless headphones. Apart from using the Oppo with the headphones, I intend to use it as an external DAC for my audio system which consist of KEF e305 surround hooked up to a Marantz NR1606 slimline receiver. I also ordered an Audioquest 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable in order to connect the Oppo with my receiver. The reason for that is because I expect the Oppo to sound better due to having a superior chip (ESS Saber) to the one used in the Marantz (which is a Burr Brown 1690). I would then bypass the receiver's digital processing through its PURE DIRECT mode and use it only to amplify the signal.
> 
> ...




I might be wrong but I believe you can't use a DAC with wireless headphones, since the wireless part of their functionality requires that they have a DAC within the actual headphones, so they could convert the Bluetooth signal to actual audio out of your headphones. Furthermore since it is your phone or DAP that is transmitting the signal to your headphones, and not the OPPO, I'm not even sure the the OPPO will be playing any role at all in that scenario.

Not sure about your TV set up esp since I'm not familiar at all with Android TVs.


----------



## AmusedToD

The B&W P7 wireless can be used as wired headphones as well, and that's how I'll be using them with the HA-2SE.

Being the Swiss Army knife it is, I will be using the HA-2SE as an external DAC for my speaker system as well (provided it gives better sound than my Marantz NR1606 receiver).

The final piece of the puzzle is using the HA-2SD with my Android tv, and this is something I have yet to discover. I have no idea how to connect the tv to the Oppo.


----------



## nwavesailor

I know HeadFi doesn't like posting the same question in various forums, but you may want to ask this question in the older Oppo HA -2.
 There are a lot more posts, and I presume, users there.


----------



## AmusedToD

Thanks for the tip, will do so.


----------



## tontb

I just got mine today. It sounds pretty decent. I'm using it with my iPhone 7 and I've been trying to listen to music and make it charge my phone while itself is being charged. Is there any way to achieve so?


----------



## nwavesailor

I asked CS at Oppo this question just a few days ago and they said:

 "Yes, you will just need to press and hold the BATTERY button on the side of the HA-2 until the top most LED glows BLUE. The HA-2SE will now charge the iPod as you use it.
 This will of course lower the battery life of the HA-2SE as the battery is being used for both powering the HA-2SE and iPod."


----------



## tontb

nwavesailor said:


> I asked CS at Oppo this question just a few days ago and they said:
> 
> 
> "Yes, you will just need to press and hold the BATTERY button on the side of the HA-2 until the top most LED glows BLUE. The HA-2SE will now charge the iPod as you use it.
> ...



Thanks for the info but I tried it and it didn't work. After holding the power button, the blue light glowed and it started to charge my phone but the sound cut off. It seems like it can't do both at the same time.


----------



## nwavesailor

tontb said:


> Thanks for the info but I tried it and it didn't work. After holding the power button, the blue light glowed and it started to charge my phone but the sound cut off. It seems like it can't do both at the same time.


 
  
 I was planning on ordering this Oppo DAC / amp on Tuesday and this was one of the reasons it seemed so worthwhile. The Oppo has much more battery power than my iPod and if I could extend the iPod's play time by using some Oppo battery power, GREAT!
 I guess I will need to contact Oppo CS Tuesday and ask them to confirm that BOTH should be playing even if the other device (iPod in my case) is taking battery power from the HA-2SE.
  
 I read Oppo's reply to this very question as "*t**he battery is being used for BOTH powering theHA-2SE and iPod"*


----------



## tontb

nwavesailor said:


> I was planning on ordering this Oppo DAC / amp on Tuesday and this was one of the reasons it seemed so worthwhile. The Oppo has much more battery power than my iPod and if I could extend the iPod's play time by using some Oppo battery power, GREAT!
> I guess I will need to contact Oppo CS Tuesday and ask them to confirm that BOTH should be playing even if the other device (iPod in my case) is taking battery power from the HA-2SE.
> 
> I read Oppo's reply to this very question as "*t**he battery is being used for BOTH powering theHA-2SE and iPod"*



In my case, I was charging the HA-2SE while I wanted it to provide headphone output and charge my phone meanwhile. If you don't charge the HA-2SE, it can provide headphone output while charging your iPod.


----------



## nwavesailor

tontb said:


> Thanks for the info but I tried it and it didn't work. After holding the power button, the blue light glowed and it started to charge my phone but the sound cut off. It seems like it can't do both at the same time.


 

 OK, I wondered if that was the case after I reread your initial post. For my purpose of extending the play time of the iPod, it should work. I have emailed Oppo at any rate.


----------



## nwavesailor

tontb said:


> In my case, I was charging the HA-2SE while I wanted it to provide headphone output and charge my phone meanwhile. If you don't charge the HA-2SE, it can provide headphone output while charging your iPod.


 

 Yep, this confirms what you found while trying to charge the HA-2SE, play music from the iPhone and also send power from the HA-2 battery to recharge your iPhone:
  
 Yes, you can use the HA-2SE to charge your iPod as you use it for playback back music at the same time. What you can't do is charge the HA-2SE and use it to power another device at the same time.

 Best Regards,

 Customer Service
 OPPO Digital, Inc.


----------



## LazerBear

amusedtod said:


> Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and need some help.
> 
> I am expecting delivery of the Oppo HA-2SE along with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P7 wireless headphones. Apart from using the Oppo with the headphones, I intend to use it as an external DAC for my audio system which consist of KEF e305 surround hooked up to a Marantz NR1606 slimline receiver. I also ordered an Audioquest 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable in order to connect the Oppo with my receiver. The reason for that is because I expect the Oppo to sound better due to having a superior chip (ESS Saber) to the one used in the Marantz (which is a Burr Brown 1690). I would then bypass the receiver's digital processing through its PURE DIRECT mode and use it only to amplify the signal.
> 
> ...


 
  
 On stock Android, it is possible to output audio out through usb, so unless your TV's ROM does not support that, you should be fine. However, the quality of the audio output is not going to be the best, as Android by default processes the audio stream before sending it out to the DAC (yes, it makes no sense), resampling it to 44.1khz. Some specific apps can work around that (UAPP, Neutron, Hiby etc.) but I don't think that's what you are looking for.


----------



## nwavesailor

Just ordered my HA-2SE from Oppo!


----------



## uzairahmed101

Guys I have iPhone 6s+ and i use shure se846 and hifiman he400i plannars so do you think oppo h2a-se is a good buy for me? I also have hifiman hm 650 with minibox amp and it sounds terrific however it doesn't have the required power to drive he400i...i also want to add that I like bass and i think warm sound signature i dont like treble that much thanks


----------



## s002wjh

uzairahmed101 said:


> Guys I have iPhone 6s+ and i use shure se846 and hifiman he400i plannars so do you think oppo h2a-se is a good buy for me? I also have hifiman hm 650 with minibox amp and it sounds terrific however it doesn't have the required power to drive he400i...i also want to add that I like bass and i think warm sound signature i dont like treble that much thanks


 

 whats the ohm rating on those?  I have a 280 pro(the highest ohm I have), which sound fine on my iphone 6+(not as good as my PC but its VERY VERY hard to tell, and only happen with certain music).  unless you need very loud, normal volume should be fine on iphone6+.   iphone6+ use 24/96khz dac, I doubt you can heard difference between 32bit/384khz vs iphone6+ dac given all else are equal. 
  
 however I don't have h2a, after use some desktop dac vs PC dac vs iphone6+ dac, I don't think human can heard the difference (at least I can't).  but ha2se does has amp, which benefit hard to drive headphone.   I probably will get a ha2se in the future to test it out.


----------



## uzairahmed101

s002wjh said:


> whats the ohm rating on those?  I have a 280 pro(the highest ohm I have), which sound fine on my iphone 6+(not as good as my PC but its VERY VERY hard to tell, and only happen with certain music).  unless you need very loud, normal volume should be fine on iphone6+.   iphone6+ use 24/96khz dac, I doubt you can heard difference between 32bit/384khz vs iphone6+ dac given all else are equal.
> 
> however I don't have h2a, after use some desktop dac vs PC dac vs iphone6+ dac, I don't think human can heard the difference (at least I can't).  but ha2se does has amp, which benefit hard to drive headphone.   I probably will get a ha2se in the future to test it out.




93 dB/mW and a nominal impedance of 35Ohm


----------



## Buzzbugs

I just got myself a pair of brand new Oppo PM-3's. I never used a dac/amp before, are they worth it? Would someone with an untrained ear notice a difference?


----------



## TimeLord

uzairahmed101 said:


> Guys I have iPhone 6s+ and i use shure se846 and hifiman he400i plannars so do you think oppo h2a-se is a good buy for me? I also have hifiman hm 650 with minibox amp and it sounds terrific however it doesn't have the required power to drive he400i...i also want to add that I like bass and i think warm sound signature i dont like treble that much thanks




Do you like the HE400i's sound? Because its sound signature is different from the SE846 and what you described as your preferred sound (bass with warm sound and not much treble). The HE400i is the opposite of your preferred sound. Namely, it is bass shy and it over emphasizes treble response. I'm afraid the HA2-SE will enhance those qualities because of its DAC's signature. You can increase the bass of the HE400i by using the bass boost function, but that isn't ideal. 

On the other hand, the SE846 has the exact sound signature you prefer and more over it is a better device than the HE400i. The 846 would benefit from the HA-2 SE. 

As for using a DAC/amp versus just using your iPhone 6S+, it's not just about making the sound louder. Most external DACs and amplifiers do a better job of converting the digital content and amplifying the sound than your phone can. In other words, the sound quality will improve. It's not just about loudness. 
It looks like you're on the path to better understanding sound reproduction and understanding your own preferred sound. To that end, pick out some of your favorite songs and make sure to get a very good copy of them. Preferably at least CD quality (16 bit, 44.1 kHz) in FLAC format. Then pay close attention as you play a song on the 846 and the HE400i. Play the same song on each and compare what you hear. You should be able to hear a difference between them. Once you get a good external DAC/amp, those differences you hear will increase. You will also hear details in the songs that you have likely never heard before. 
Instead of the HE400i, for your preferred sound signature, I would recommend that you try the AKG K7XX. Its MSRP price of $199 is a bit cheaper than an HE400i on sale and I think you'll be happier with it. If you want to take it up a notch in sound quality then go with the Sennheiser HD 650 or HD 6XX. The HD 6XX is the same as the 650, but costs less. The Sennheiser won't have as much bass as the AKG, but it is a better headphone.


----------



## TimeLord

buzzbugs said:


> I just got myself a pair of brand new Oppo PM-3's. I never used a dac/amp before, are they worth it? Would someone with an untrained ear notice a difference?




It will definitely make a difference. If you're casually listening while doing something else and the music is just background noise, I don't know. But if you're listening for music enjoyment and you take the time to hear nuances, you'll hear the improvement and there's no going back. 

You have a choice to take the red pill or the blue pill. If you take the red pill, it'll be a long and hopefully enjoyable journey.


----------



## Buzzbugs

Sounds pretty good  Would you say the HA-2 SE and PM-3 are the best pairing?


----------



## nwavesailor

timelord said:


> It will definitely make a difference. If you're casually listening while doing something else and the music is just background noise, I don't know. But if you're listening for music enjoyment and you take the time to hear nuances, you'll hear the improvement and there's no going back.
> 
> You have a choice to take the red pill or the blue pill. If you take the red pill, it'll be a long and hopefully enjoyable journey.


 

 My HA-2SE arrived today so I guess I took the 'red' pill tonight, TimeLord, and I am enjoying the HA-2SE very much!  I was hoping to gain a degree of detail from a better DAC and I believe the Oppo has delivered. I used it alone and with the line out to a tube amp, both with the step up in detail I had hoped for when deciding to go down the DAC rabbit hole. First use and I already took advantage of the Mobile Power Bank feature when I found my iPod was out of juice from the start!
  
 Nice look and feel to this DAC / amp as well. I believe it is a keeper.


----------



## TimeLord

nwavesailor said:


> My HA-2SE arrived today so I guess I took the 'red' pill tonight, TimeLord, and I am enjoying the HA-2SE very much!  I was hoping to gain a degree of detail from a better DAC and I believe the Oppo has delivered. I used it alone and with the line out to a tube amp, both with the step up in detail I had hoped for when deciding to go down the DAC rabbit hole. First use and I already took advantage of the Mobile Power Bank feature when I found my iPod was out of juice from the start!
> 
> Nice look and feel to this DAC / amp as well. I believe it is a keeper.




That's great to hear. I'm glad you're liking the sound.


----------



## SP Wild

timelord said:


> That happens only if you use a standard OTG cable. Use the one that Oppo provides or an equivalent and that won't be an issue.




Where do you get an equivalent for laptop use so it doesn't drain laptop batteries. How about a longer cable for the phone.

Oppo gimped this on purpose to obtain Apple certification. Damn Apple and Oppo shouldn't yield to Apple.

Other than that the built in DAC has the ability to separate treble from digital upper midrange glare that old school DS dacs used to do. 

The Dac is better than the amp. Highly detailed and with excellent treble extension. Midrange is more full than anticipated, not as good as Mojo. Treble is more extended than Mojo. Good for mid level phones this DAC amp. With HD800S and LCD2 transient smear is very evident out of the DAC amp combo. Alleviate this with a desktop amp. Haven't tested the amp section and don't ever intend to.

If not for this android/laptop draining intentional fault (this is true, they made a USB port just for Apple, where a Spdif input should have gone) ...I may have been put in a better mood and been more enthusiastic about Oppo.

Therefore I am loathed to recommend this, but I do because it sounds good.

For hi end headphone users...I am delighted to recommend a move away from Oppo. The Chord Mojo is unique...It sounds unique in a good way.


----------



## uzairahmed101

timelord said:


> Do you like the HE400i's sound? Because its sound signature is different from the SE846 and what you described as your preferred sound (bass with warm sound and not much treble). The HE400i is the opposite of your preferred sound. Namely, it is bass shy and it over emphasizes treble response. I'm afraid the HA2-SE will enhance those qualities because of its DAC's signature. You can increase the bass of the HE400i by using the bass boost function, but that isn't ideal.
> 
> On the other hand, the SE846 has the exact sound signature you prefer and more over it is a better device than the HE400i. The 846 would benefit from the HA-2 SE.
> 
> ...




Hay there I'd say you're spot on with your observation....as for 846 i dont need loudness I just think they can sound even better as compared to iphone or hm650 I'd like a bit more bass but with improved clarity and separation I dont know its just how audio is lol you keep looking for something better and i picked 400i to have some versatility and I do like them but like you said they are bass shy that's what put me off and in 1 year plus of owning them I have only listened to them like 10 times or so 40 mins session max so they are not even burned lol I want to add a bit more bass to them while keeping mostly everything intact however hd650 is a different route all together and I have a hard time convincing my wife who uses note 4 earphones as daily drivers why i need another pair of headphones while the last one are collecting dust lol. Is there a way i can make se846 reach their max potential and fix bass problem with 400i at the same time with a single device? 

On the side note now you know the kind of sound i prefer what do you think a better dap for me would be an Ak240/380 , Sony zx2 , Questyle q1r1. Hifiman hm901 or something else?


----------



## nwavesailor

sp wild said:


> Oppo gimped this on purpose to obtain Apple certification. Damn Apple and Oppo shouldn't yield to Apple.





>





> *For me, making it work so easily with Apple devices was one reason I bought it. First use and I found the charging of the iPod very useful. Before the Oppo, when I was down on battery, I was done listening*
> 
> 
> Therefore I am loathed to recommend this, but I do because it sounds good.





>





> *I agree, it DOES sound very nice!*





> For hi end headphone users...I am delighted to recommend a move away from Oppo. The Chord Mojo is unique...It sounds unique in a good way.





>





> _*I havn't heard the Mojo but I'm sure it is a great DAC from all the posts and reviews I have read. It is also MSRP 2 x the cost of the HA-2SE so it should be better!*_


----------



## SP Wild

Apple fans rejoice!

Considering the price it's a good unit. I don't own any Apple other than an old iPod. But the HA2 is clearly designed to work flawlessly with iPhone and macbooks.

But it should never come at the expense of draining a Notebook PC and Android batteries. I don't think it was overlooked. Purposefully flawed for Android and PC devices more like it. Which is far worse.


----------



## SP Wild

uzairahmed101 said:


> Hay there I'd say you're spot on with your observation....as for 846 i dont need loudness I just think they can sound even better as compared to iphone or hm650 I'd like a bit more bass but with improved clarity and separation I dont know its just how audio is lol you keep looking for something better and i picked 400i to have some versatility and I do like them but like you said they are bass shy that's what put me off and in 1 year plus of owning them I have only listened to them like 10 times or so 40 mins session max so they are not even burned lol I want to add a bit more bass to them while keeping mostly everything intact however hd650 is a different route all together and I have a hard time convincing my wife who uses note 4 earphones as daily drivers why i need another pair of headphones while the last one are collecting dust lol. Is there a way i can make se846 reach their max potential and fix bass problem with 400i at the same time with a single device?
> 
> On the side note now you know the kind of sound i prefer what do you think a better dap for me would be an Ak240/380 , Sony zx2 , Questyle q1r1. Hifiman hm901 or something else?




The Oppo won't solve the issues you have with your cans. Finding that perfect headphone for everything has been futile for me.

Edit. I remember the bass boost function, might be good for the 400. Although I can't imagine the SE846 needing more bass. As is the Oppo should be a good tonal match for the 846. The extended treble would come in handy here.


----------



## nwavesailor

sp wild said:


> Apple fans rejoice!
> 
> Considering the price it's a good unit. I don't own any Apple other than an old iPod. But the HA2 is clearly designed to work flawlessly with iPhone and macbooks.
> 
> But it should never come at the expense of draining a Notebook PC and Android batteries. I don't think it was overlooked. Which is far worse.


 

  I am new to the HA-2 /HA-2SE forums. Is the draining the batteries of PC and Android devices (not anything Apple) a real deal or just some isolated instances?
  
 Either way, do you honestly think this was a conspiracy on the part of Apple and/or Oppo to favor the Apple users and screw the Android users or simply a design flaw???   
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 " _*Purposefully flawed for Android and PC devices more like it."*_
  
 Perhaps you are right............


----------



## SP Wild

If you're ok with being utterly dependant on a tiny micro USB cable as supplied.

You work around this by sourcing a USB cable that open loops the power wires...I have no idea where to get one. Nevertheless this is user unfriendliness.

Laptop users must never choose this product.
Android users should never choose this product.
Apple owners rejoice. The champ is here!


----------



## TimeLord

sp wild said:


> If you're ok with being utterly dependant on a tiny micro USB cable as supplied.
> 
> You work around this by sourcing a USB cable that open loops the power wires...I have no idea where to get one. Nevertheless this is user unfriendliness.
> 
> ...




I guess I'm in the rejoice camp. I only use the HA-2/SE with iPhones and never with android devices or any laptops. 

Because of this, I haven't looked into getting this specialized OTG cable. I would imagine someone is selling it, but even if they aren't it looks like it is relatively easy to make your own. money4me247 posted the pinout for the cable here. Happy soldering.


----------



## TimeLord

uzairahmed101 said:


> Hay there I'd say you're spot on with your observation....as for 846 i dont need loudness I just think they can sound even better as compared to iphone or hm650 I'd like a bit more bass but with improved clarity and separation I dont know its just how audio is lol you keep looking for something better and i picked 400i to have some versatility and I do like them but like you said they are bass shy that's what put me off and in 1 year plus of owning them I have only listened to them like 10 times or so 40 mins session max so they are not even burned lol I want to add a bit more bass to them while keeping mostly everything intact however hd650 is a different route all together and I have a hard time convincing my wife who uses note 4 earphones as daily drivers why i need another pair of headphones while the last one are collecting dust lol. Is there a way i can make se846 reach their max potential and fix bass problem with 400i at the same time with a single device?
> 
> On the side note now you know the kind of sound i prefer what do you think a better dap for me would be an Ak240/380 , Sony zx2 , Questyle q1r1. Hifiman hm901 or something else?




As for the 400i, I too have a pair of those that get very little usage so understand your dilemma. I don't think there's an easy way to tame the treble and bring up the bass without using granular EQing. A tube amplifier would go a long way towards accomplishing this task, but in my experience that didn't take care of the issue with this can. My advice is to put the 400i up for sale so it can go to a home that appreciates it and switch out to the HD6XX which can be had for $200. That should keep you out of hot water with the wife. :evil:

As for DAPs, I have looked into those for some time now and the convenience of a single unit has always been the motivation, but when I look at the performance they offer versus cost, it doesn't make sense to me. The AK units that cost $2-3k are laughable to me. Someone else may find the value to be there, but I do not. Besides the HA-2 and HA-2SE, for improved performance albeit with a little bit less portability, I use the Sony PHA-3. The way I look at it my iPhone 7S+ with 256GB of storage is a better computing and UI device to serve as a transport than any DAP. By adding an external DAC/amp I'll get better performance as well. The upcoming Cavalli Liquid Spark is what I'm targeting for my next amp to get great portable sound quality. All that said, if you're still interested in a DAP, I think that the major manufacturers have woken up and are putting out products, that AK has long overpriced, at relatively reasonable prices. I would look at the Onkyo DP-X1.

As for the SE846, it would do well with the HA-2SE. I have used that combination for some time now.


----------



## s002wjh

uzairahmed101 said:


> 93 dB/mW and a nominal impedance of 35Ohm


 
 yeah 350ohm gonna need some amp to drive it.  i dont think PC/iphone can provide enough power for it.


----------



## TimeLord

s002wjh said:


> yeah 350ohm gonna need some amp to drive it.  i dont think PC/iphone can provide enough power for it.


 

 It's not 350 Ohms of impedance. The HE400i has 35 Ohms of impedance. But its sensitivity is rather poor and having a planar driver means it will need a lot of current. So, it will sound better if it has an external amplifier.


----------



## uzairahmed101

timelord said:


> As for the 400i, I too have a pair of those that get very little usage so understand your dilemma. I don't think there's an easy way to tame the treble and bring up the bass without using granular EQing. A tube amplifier would go a long way towards accomplishing this task, but in my experience that didn't take care of the issue with this can. My advice is to put the 400i up for sale so it can go to a home that appreciates it and switch out to the HD6XX which can be had for $200. That should keep you out of hot water with the wife. :evil:
> 
> As for DAPs, I have looked into those for some time now and the convenience of a single unit has always been the motivation, but when I look at the performance they offer versus cost, it doesn't make sense to me. The AK units that cost $2-3k are laughable to me. Someone else may find the value to be there, but I do not. Besides the HA-2 and HA-2SE, for improved performance albeit with a little bit less portability, I use the Sony PHA-3. The way I look at it my iPhone 7S+ with 256GB of storage is a better computing and UI device to serve as a transport than any DAP. By adding an external DAC/amp I'll get better performance as well. The upcoming Cavalli Liquid Spark is what I'm targeting for my next amp to get great portable sound quality. All that said, if you're still interested in a DAP, I think that the major manufacturers have woken up and are putting out products, that AK has long overpriced, at relatively reasonable prices. I would look at the Onkyo DP-X1.
> 
> As for the SE846, it would do well with the HA-2SE. I have used that combination for some time now.




Hay thanks for a detailed reply so it seems like there's nothing i can do to the 400i well no worries i will still keep them as they are actually good headphones so whenever i want to try something different i can just plug them in  for me selling and buying stuff is bit difficult as currently i am living in China Beijing and everything is damn expensive here the hd6xx aren't even available there's just one guy over taobao who can get them from states but it will eventually cost 300$ and things that are 300$ there will be 400$ here lol and you're the second person who has recommended onkyo dp-x1 to me so there must be something really nice going on there however i read a review i think it was headphonia or something where they rated it 4 stars and said ak70 was a better deal now price wise they are more or less the same what's your take on this? 

As for hA2-se its going for about 350$ here is it a good buy? And i can get the Ha2 first gen used for about 220$ so should i save some money there? Or the 130$ difference will be really worth it?


----------



## TimeLord

uzairahmed101 said:


> Hay thanks for a detailed reply so it seems like there's nothing i can do to the 400i well no worries i will still keep them as they are actually good headphones so whenever i want to try something different i can just plug them in
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 I pulled out the HE400i and did some testing to see if I could add some more bass to it and try to control the sibilance. Using the Schiit Vali tube amp did very little to add bass or remove sibilance. I moved to plan b, which was trying the bass boost function on the the HA-2 and the HA-2 SE and see which worked better. I found something that I had not noticed before. The HA-2 has a more powerful amplifier than the HA-2 SE. I had to use a dB meter to volume match them because matching the numbers on the volume knobs did not achieve the same volume. So that was interesting.
  
 Both Oppo units were able to improve the bass response using their respective bass boost functions. The HA-2 has a warmer DAC than the HA-2 SE so it was marginally better at suppressing the 400i's sibilance.
  
 Now comes the hard choice you'll have to make: The SE846 and the HE400i have different signatures and you may appreciate the HA-2 SE more with the SE846 and the HA-2 for the HE400i. Then you'll have to consider that the HA-2 SE has a less powerful but also a quieter noise floor for its amplifier, which will work better with the SE-846. So do you want to optimize this purchase for the SE846 or the HE400i?
  
 If I was making this decision, I would go with improving the overall sound of the SE846 since it is the superior piece of gear. But the $130 difference may also be a factor.
  
 As for the $350 price for the SE, that is $50 more than it costs here in the US, but I guess markups are the reality of importing goods into China, so an ~17% markup isn't great but it could definitely be worse. So if price isn't a deal breaker, you should go with the SE, but don't feel like if you get the HA-2 that you're missing out on a lot.
  
 On the topic of DAPs, I have not compared the two units, so I wouldn't be able to say if the AK70 is better or worse than the DP-X1. But looking at their technical specs, the DP-X1 is far and away superior. Starting with the dual Sabre DACs and dual amplifiers for a true balanced design, there is a big difference between the two units. Like I said before, AK consistently overprices their gear so...
  
 I hope this helps.


----------



## Limu Shirin

timelord said:


> I pulled out the HE400i and did some testing to see if I could add some more bass to it and try to control the sibilance. Using the Schiit Vali tube amp did very little to add bass or remove sibilance. I moved to plan b, which was trying the bass boost function on the the HA-2 and the HA-2 SE and see which worked better. I found something that I had not noticed before. The HA-2 has a more powerful amplifier than the HA-2 SE. I had to use a dB meter to volume match them because matching the numbers on the volume knobs did not achieve the same volume. So that was interesting.
> 
> Both Oppo units were able to improve the bass response using their respective bass boost functions. The HA-2 has a warmer DAC than the HA-2 SE so it was marginally better at suppressing the 400i's sibilance.
> 
> ...


 

 Hey man, I have the SE846 and used it with HA-2, but because of the crazy noise floor sold the HA-2. So, how's it with HA-2 SE and Shures?
 Is the background dead silent or again noise follr problem?
 I also would like to know what DAPs you've used with SE846 and share you're experience (noise floor, SQ).
 Thanks


----------



## TimeLord

limu shirin said:


> Hey man, I have the SE846 and used it with HA-2, but because of the crazy noise floor sold the HA-2. So, how's it with HA-2 SE and Shures?
> Is the background dead silent or again noise follr problem?
> I also would like to know what DAPs you've used with SE846 and share you're experience (noise floor, SQ).
> Thanks




Oppo has definitely improved the SE's amplifier. It is much quieter than the original, but here is still clearly audible noise, but nowhere as much as the HA-2. 

I have tested the following portable units: Fiio E11 Kilimanjaro 2, Sound Blaster E5, Beyerdynamic A200p, Centrance Skyn, iBasso Bushmaster D14, Oppo HA-2, Oppo HA-2 SE, Chord Mojo, Sony PHA-3. 

The best one that I have found is the Sony PHA-3. It has the lowest noise floor. In a very quiet environment, if you are paying attention, there is a very subtle hiss. Aside from desktop amps that have a completely silent noise floor, the PHA-3 is the quietest portable unit I have found for the SE846.

I am not counting plugging directly into a phone or using Apple's lightning to 3.5mm adaptor. These also have zero hiss with the SE846...


----------



## Limu Shirin

timelord said:


> Oppo has definitely improved the SE's amplifier. It is much quieter than the original, but here is still clearly audible noise, but nowhere as much as the HA-2.
> 
> I have tested the following portable units: Fiio E11 Kilimanjaro 2, Sound Blaster E5, Beyerdynamic A200p, Centrance Skyn, iBasso Bushmaster D14, Oppo HA-2, Oppo HA-2 SE, Chord Mojo, Sony PHA-3.
> 
> ...


 
 Thanks for the answer. I've recently sold my Schiit Jot and HA-2 (as stated above). Could you recommend
 any desktop amp that goes zero or close to zero noise floor with SE846?
 Since I'm gonna make SE846 my daily driver as desktop and portable.


----------



## TimeLord

limu shirin said:


> Thanks for the answer. I've recently sold my Schiit Jot and HA-2 (as stated above). Could you recommend
> any desktop amp that goes zero or close to zero noise floor with SE846?
> Since I'm gonna make SE846 my daily driver as desktop and portable.




It's hard for me to provide a recommendation on this for couple reasons. First and foremost, I do not use the SE846 at home and therefore my desktop amplifiers are rarely used with it. Second, I'm not sure what price point you want to be at or if you're looking to modify the SE846's sound signature through the use of an amp. 

With the above caveats, I have found three desktop amplifiers that are dead silent with the SE846. They do go in price from entry level to TOTL for what that's worth. 

Massdrop Objective 2 (2.5x/6.5x gain version)
Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies with Tube Power
Cavalli Liquid Gold

I'm sure there are other quite amps out there, I just have not tested them.


----------



## Limu Shirin

timelord said:


> It's hard for me to provide a recommendation on this for couple reasons. First and foremost, I do not use the SE846 at home and therefore my desktop amplifiers are rarely used with it. Second, I'm not sure what price point you want to be at or if you're looking to modify the SE846's sound signature through the use of an amp.
> 
> With the above caveats, I have found three desktop amplifiers that are dead silent with the SE846. They do go in price from entry level to TOTL for what that's worth.
> 
> ...


 

 Thanks for the answer, really helpful. I was actually eyeing the O2 amp for some time.
 But had "worries" about the noise floor. Now I'm gonna pull the plug on it and later maybe get a portable one
 with batteries.


----------



## professor55

My new HA-2 SE, the Cayin C5 Headphone Amp, and my old iPod playing nice with my DT770 250 ohm cans. Great resolution and detail! Sounds great through my iPhone as well. 
I will warn those who like it loud, HA-2 SE might not have the headroom you need for high impedance/less sensitive phones. My DT770 are 250 ohm and they need the C5 with the HA-2 SE. 
Individual results may vary.


----------



## James-uk

Does anyone use the HA-2SE with a mac? I hooked mine up for the first time last night to have a listen to tidal MQA and i can only see 16 or 32 bit options in audio midi. I would prefer for it to be bit perfect and play the files back at 24/96. 
Does anyone know if a) I can make it output 24 bit or b) does it matter that it's converting on the fly to 32bit? 
Thanks, James.


----------



## harishmirror

Does the HA2 upscale low res audio to high res? As seen in PHA3??


----------



## 520RanchBro

harishmirror said:


> Does the HA2 upscale low res audio to high res? As seen in PHA3??


 
 You mean like upsample the bit and sample rate of a file? Say like taking a 16/44.1 256kbps AAC and changing it to 24/96? Just want to make sure that's what you're getting at.
  
 If that is the case pretty sure all it would do is just drain your battery faster, would not make a lick of difference sound-wise.


----------



## psikey

limu shirin said:


> Thanks for the answer. I've recently sold my Schiit Jot and HA-2 (as stated above). Could you recommend
> any desktop amp that goes zero or close to zero noise floor with SE846?
> Since I'm gonna make SE846 my daily driver as desktop and portable.


 
  
 I also got rid of the original HA2 due to hiss with my SE846's.
  
 I now use a Mojo which I detect no hiss but also had a Dragonfly Red and no hiss with that either. Low noise floor with both.
  
 For total value & portability if you don't need absolute best audio quality then I recommend the DFR. Will drive all IEM's and many headphones.
  
 For portable & home use that can drive pretty much anything and best audio sub £1000 go for the Mojo. Shouldn't need an additional amp unless driving some really demanding headphones. Played fine to my ears even to the HD800S I tried, but I prefer IEM's.


----------



## SP Wild

james-uk said:


> Does anyone use the HA-2SE with a mac? I hooked mine up for the first time last night to have a listen to tidal MQA and i can only see 16 or 32 bit options in audio midi. I would prefer for it to be bit perfect and play the files back at 24/96.
> Does anyone know if a) I can make it output 24 bit or b) does it matter that it's converting on the fly to 32bit?
> Thanks, James.




Select 32 bit. It will still be bit perfect, just don't do any sample rate conversion. 

32 bit will allow you to use software volume with no quality loss, in addition to the volume pot, might give better channel tracking for sensitive IEMs.


----------



## SP Wild

I found the SE215 sounds better on high gain. More dynamic, bass seems more dynamic. Transient response seem sharper. 

I think this needs an external amp to drive the likes if HD650 a tad better. Wonder if the FIIO A5 will do here. 

Also, the first time this unit saves you because of a need for a phone charger... You almost forgive oppo for the Android fault. Almost.


----------



## j2rock

sp wild said:


> I found the SE215 sounds better on high gain. More dynamic, bass seems more dynamic. Transient response seem sharper.
> 
> I think this needs an external amp to drive the likes if HD650 a tad better. Wonder if the FIIO A5 will do here.
> 
> Also, the first time this unit saves you because of a need for a phone charger... You almost forgive oppo for the Android fault. Almost.




Sorry but I may be misunderstanding you about the OTG cable situation on HA2 and SE. The supplied 4.5 in. and optional 1ft. OTG cables that Oppo gets from China do not function as a charging cable.

I guess you are using a right angle or 3rd party one which will do that.

Personally I prefer the 1ft. Oppo sound more than the 4.5 in. one and I just rotate the amp 180 degrees when connected.


----------



## SP Wild

j2rock said:


> Sorry but I may be misunderstanding you about the OTG cable situation on HA2 and SE. The supplied 4.5 in. and optional 1ft. OTG cables that Oppo gets from China do not function as a charging cable.
> 
> I guess you are using a right angle or 3rd party one which will do that.
> 
> Personally I prefer the 1ft. Oppo sound more than the 4.5 in. one and I just rotate the amp 180 degrees when connected.




It should function perfectly whilst adhering to universal USB standards. No excuses.


----------



## SP Wild

I have created a new Wifi streaming module add on for the Oppo. 



What do you guys reckon. Fully Cromecast compatible. I should flog this Oppo add on system for about 1K.

My hopes and dreams don't fund themselves unfortunately.


----------



## TimeLord

sp wild said:


> I have created a new Wifi streaming module add on for the Oppo.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The black on black is a bit tough to see in that picture. I can see a Chromecast Audio device. Is it strapped/mounted to the HA-2?


----------



## nugget2013

had the amp for a few days got about 10 hours of use in or so and can't tell that much difference even on tidal hifi. so don't know if i should return or keep, my old amp was fiio e17. 
  
 i did plan on getting some new better headphones down the line in 6-12 months. would it be the better option then to keep the oppo and wait until my headphones can take more advantage of its good sound? i have b&w p5 series 2 atm. possibly look at the p9 signature or el-8 by audeze. or will i hear more improvements after 50 hours or so as people say give it time to break in/adjust to the sound?


----------



## SP Wild

timelord said:


> The black on black is a bit tough to see in that picture. I can see a Chromecast Audio device. Is it strapped/mounted to the HA-2?




That obvious huh? 

You can power the chromecast puck with the charging function of the Oppo. Then route the chromecast dac out to the line in of the oppo. It becomes a self contained, wireless unit all off the oppo battery. 

What would have made this perfect is if oppo had an spdif input, because the chromecast can output optical. Thereby using the oppo dac... Which is a very, very good dac.


----------



## TimeLord

nugget2013 said:


> had the amp for a few days got about 10 hours of use in or so and can't tell that much difference even on tidal hifi. so don't know if i should return or keep, my old amp was fiio e17.
> 
> i did plan on getting some new better headphones down the line in 6-12 months. would it be the better option then to keep the oppo and wait until my headphones can take more advantage of its good sound? i have b&w p5 series 2 atm. possibly look at the p9 signature or el-8 by audeze. or will i hear more improvements after 50 hours or so as people say give it time to break in/adjust to the sound?



You always get much more SQ improvement from upgrading your headphones than your DAC/amp so you should always get the best headphone you can and then work on improving the DAC/amp. In your case, since you already have the HA-2, it's a tougher call. If it won't cost you anything to return it, then do that and upgrade your headphones. 

At the price point you're looking at, there are a lot of choices. So be sure to do a lot of auditioning prior to purchase.


----------



## TimeLord

sp wild said:


> That obvious huh?
> 
> You can power the chromecast puck with the charging function of the Oppo. Then route the chromecast dac out to the line in of the oppo. It becomes a self contained, wireless unit all off the oppo battery.
> 
> What would have made this perfect is if oppo had an spdif input, because the chromecast can output optical. Thereby using the oppo dac... Which is a very, very good dac.




I have tried a similar solution before... when the Chromecast Audio first came out, I paired it with a Sound Blaster E5 and an O2 amp. I used the optical out of the Chromecast to feed the E5's optical input and then used the lineout to go to the O2 for amplification. It was decent when it worked, but the lag was unbearable. The bigger the music file, even on a fast wifi network just didn't work well. Hitting next on the player would cause long pauses while it buffered music. I haven't tied it in a while, maybe they've improved the software by now. 

With the HA-2 not having optical, I wouldn't want to rely on the Chromecast's DAC...


----------



## DLR Group

Based on everything I have read, the answer is a definite yes.  Bob Katz did an excellent article quite a while back describing his experience with the PM-3 and the Oppo HA-2, before the SE version came out.  If you are not familiar with Bob, he is one of the best recording engineers on the planet.  He loved the combination of these two better than even more expensive gear out there.  I have the HA-2 SE version I bought back in December and I love it.  The Oppo dac/amp will make one of the best combos out there for the money with your PM-3's IMO.
  
 You can read that article in it's entirety here:  http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/katzs-corner-episode-11-oppo-explosion#DKw5CyLgpH6TLYkP.97


----------



## j2rock

dlr group said:


> Based on everything I have read, the answer is a definite yes.  Bob Katz did an excellent article quite a while back describing his experience with the PM-3 and the Oppo HA-2, before the SE version came out.  If you are not familiar with Bob, he is one of the best recording engineers on the planet.  He loved the combination of these two better than even more expensive gear out there.  I have the HA-2 SE version I bought back in December and I love it.  The Oppo dac/amp will make one of the best combos out there for the money with your PM-3's IMO.
> 
> You can read that article in it's entirety here:  http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/katzs-corner-episode-11-oppo-explosion#DKw5CyLgpH6TLYkP.97




Bob is known for being a mastering engineer and although he has mastered 3 Grammy winning "albums" (check his Wiki).. I wouldn't consider his opinion of the HA-2 and PM-3 to be necessarily the leading authority .

I have heard PM-3's and they really can't be considered audiophile headphones in my opinion.. they are dark and even with an upgraded cable, not good enough dynamically or sonically. There are better headphones for the same price.

As for him liking the HA-2, so did I. Then I heard the SE and liked it more. Then I heard RHA DACAMP and haven't looked back.

I am being prodded to hear Mojo next but I'm in no hurry to buy another portable after hearing DACAMP.


----------



## geoffalter11

Oppo HA-2se is a fine amp/dac. It goes great with my PM-3s. However, it isn't as resolving as my Leckerton.


----------



## Wiencon

geoffalter11 said:


> Oppo HA-2se is a fine amp/dac. It goes great with my PM-3s. However, it isn't as resolving as my Leckerton.



Which model?

In my country I can get regular HA-2 for about half the price of SE, do You guys think I should save up for SE? I am not really a demanding audiophile, I just want my gear to sound the best I can afford

Also, has anyone paired their HA-2 with iPhone 5/5s? Any pictures maybe? Unfortunately in my local area no one carries such products


----------



## geoffalter11

wiencon said:


> Which model?
> 
> In my country I can get regular HA-2 for about half the price of SE, do You guys think I should save up for SE? I am not really a demanding audiophile, I just want my gear to sound the best I can afford
> 
> Also, has anyone paired their HA-2 with iPhone 5/5s? Any pictures maybe? Unfortunately in my local area no one carries such products




The HA-2 will work perfectly for you. No need to save up. It is designed to work with an Iphone. It is apple certified. Perfect apple mate.


----------



## Tedo

Hi just got the SE version.
Pretty new to IEM

Am connecting the HA-2SE to my iphone 7

Fast check, I am still able to control the volume using the iPhone. 
Is it fauty , I thought it should not be the case.

Please enlighten me.

Thanks


----------



## geoffalter11

tedo said:


> Hi just got the SE version.
> Pretty new to IEM
> 
> Am connecting the HA-2SE to my iphone 7
> ...




Once you connect it to your phone using either the usb to lightning or thru the 3.5mm outputs on top you will want to set your phone volume around 75-80% and then use the Oppo volume controller to set the right volume. Use low gain for IEMs and high gain for headphones. It is a very easy and wonderful little device.


----------



## TimeLord

wiencon said:


> Which model?
> 
> In my country I can get regular HA-2 for about half the price of SE, do You guys think I should save up for SE? I am not really a demanding audiophile, I just want my gear to sound the best I can afford
> 
> Also, has anyone paired their HA-2 with iPhone 5/5s? Any pictures maybe? Unfortunately in my local area no one carries such products


 

 The SE is a small improvement upon the HA-2, so I wouldn't pay double the price for it. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of how the HA-2 and the HA-2 SE pair with multiple iPhone models.
  
 iPhone 5S stacked on top of HA-2 with Zeskit 4" USB to lightning cable:

  
 iPhone 5S side by side with HA-2:

  
 iPhone 5S, HA-2, iPhone 6 paired with HA-2 SE inside a USB/lightning case:

  
 iPhone 5S next to iPhone 6 stacked on top of HA-2 next to HA-2 SE inside USB/lightning case:

  
 iPhone 6 stacked on top of HA-2 next to iPhone 6S Plus for size comparison if you decide to upgrade sizes:


----------



## TimeLord

tedo said:


> Hi just got the SE version.
> Pretty new to IEM
> 
> Am connecting the HA-2SE to my iphone 7
> ...





> geoffalter11 said:
> 
> 
> > Once you connect it to your phone using either the usb to lightning or thru the 3.5mm outputs on top you will want to set your phone volume around 75-80% and then use the Oppo volume controller to set the right volume. Use low gain for IEMs and high gain for headphones. It is a very easy and wonderful little device.


 
  
 Generally, you can just set the volume on the iPhone to 80% and use the HA-2/SE to set the volume where you want it. But that's not absolutely necessary with this unit since Oppo is digitally mapping the volume of the iPhone to allow granular adjustments. In other words, you can use the iPhone to adjust the volume without losing any resolution.
  
 From Oppo:


> For certain IEMs, if at the low gain setting the volume is still too loud, you can adjust the volume control on your playback device. For Apple products connected to the USB A port or playback software that supports USB volume, the HA-2(SE)’s internal 32-bit digital volume control will be used so there will be no loss of resolution or truncation of audio samples.


----------



## Wiencon

@TimeLord
 Wow, thank you so much for these photos, Sir. It's regular HA-2 for me then


----------



## geoffalter11

wiencon said:


> Which model?
> 
> In my country I can get regular HA-2 for about half the price of SE, do You guys think I should save up for SE? I am not really a demanding audiophile, I just want my gear to sound the best I can afford
> 
> Also, has anyone paired their HA-2 with iPhone 5/5s? Any pictures maybe? Unfortunately in my local area no one carries such products


 
 I have the HA-2SE and the Leckerton UHA-6S MK2 as portable amps.  I like them both for different reasons.  The leckerton for its unabashed clarity and resolution.  Good clean power.  I like the Oppo for its functionality, looks and slightly warm sound.  The bass through the Oppo can be a touch loose, but just like their headphones, it really excels with a liquid and beautiful midrange.  You cannot go wrong with the HA-2.  It is 95% of the SE, maybe even 97-98%.  The DAC is a touch better in the SE, but I had to really listen to pick it out.


----------



## dennistdk

I think the only reason for choosing the HA2SE is if you have sensitive iems. On all my ciem's I could hear hissing on the HA2, while close to silent on the new.


----------



## Nixonian

Hello all! 
  
 Does anybody know if HA2SE will support hardware MQA decoding in the near future? I'm new on the forum as well as on the HEAD-FI field so please be empathic


----------



## TimeLord

nixonian said:


> Hello all!
> 
> Does anybody know if HA2SE will support hardware MQA decoding in the near future? I'm new on the forum as well as on the HEAD-FI field so please be empathic




I haven't seen any indication from Oppo that they'll be supporting MQA. Their latest DAC, the Sonica, which talks about its use with Tidal, makes no mention of MQA. So I wouldn't hold out hope that the HA-2SE would get an update to support it. But, you never know...


----------



## psikey

dennistdk said:


> I think the only reason for choosing the HA2SE is if you have sensitive iems. On all my ciem's I could hear hissing on the HA2, while close to silent on the new.




I personally find the SE a nicer, less flat SQ than the standard HA and yes, no hiss now with my SE846's. Nearly identical to the Dragonfly Red.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


----------



## Wiencon

So between HA2 and DFR the latter would be better?


----------



## SP Wild

The more I listen to the HA2 SE the more I appreciate it's qualities. 

Where can I order a longer android cable of the oppo kind and backup cables?


----------



## psikey

I just used my short 10cm silver Penon OTG cable and didn't see any charging light come on the HA2SE.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


----------



## deteugma

Can anyone here weigh in on how the HA-2SE compares to the Xduoo xd 05 (and/or the xduoo + burson v5i opamp)?


----------



## HardstyleLoco96

deteugma said:


> Can anyone here weigh in on how the HA-2SE compares to the Xduoo xd 05 (and/or the xduoo + burson v5i opamp)?


 +1 For a comparison . I have a feeling that Ha2-SE may be a tad clearer but I haven't heard the XD-05.


----------



## arthurl

Has anyone here compared the HA2SE to the Dragonfly Red and can give impressions?


----------



## geoffalter11

sp wild said:


> The more I listen to the HA2 SE the more I appreciate it's qualities.
> 
> Where can I order a longer android cable of the oppo kind and backup cables?


 
 Moon Audio has a great selection.


----------



## JohnSantana

Hi guys,

Any tips for eliminating interference noise when playing music through iPhone and HA2-SE ?


----------



## professor55

johnsantana said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Any tips for eliminating interference noise when playing music through iPhone and HA2-SE ?



You could try airplane mode or separating the two components. I noticed that problem also when I had the HA2 SE. I wound up returning it and buying the Cayin i5 DAP, partially to solve the interference problem.


----------



## eldss

professor55 said:


> You could try airplane mode or separating the two components. I noticed that problem also when I had the HA2 SE. I wound up returning it and buying the Cayin i5 DAP, partially to solve the interference problem.


 Is this a common issue and if so what is the cause?


----------



## TimeLord

eldss said:


> Is this a common issue and if so what is the cause?




Yes, it's a common problem. Have you ever had a cellular phone near a speaker and heard a distinctive noise coming out of the speaker even if the speaker wasn't playing anything at the time? Like your computer speakers for instance.

That's EMI/RFI leaching into the speaker or in this case the HA-2SE. Better shielding of the HA-2SE can block the interference. Or putting the phone into airplane mode turns off the radios in the phone thereby eliminating the interference at its source. Or moving the phone away from the HA-2SE will reduce/eliminate the interference.


----------



## mitsu763

I had the Dragonfly Red and now the HA-2SE. I found the Oppo to have greater clarity.top to bottom and more features. The only thing the Dragonfly Red has going for it is the size and simplicity in my opinion.


----------



## mitsu763

FWIW, I haven't experienced any interference with my HA-2SE.


----------



## nwavesailor

mitsu763 said:


> FWIW, I haven't experienced any interference with my HA-2SE.


 

 Nor have I, but I am also not using it with an iPhone or Android.


----------



## Bullishbear

Do you guys know how to connect HA2SE as a dam+amp to X5ii?, because X5ii dont support otg and only have coax out. Is there any coax out to micro usb input cable?


----------



## Hansolo76

Has anyone tried Beyerdynamic DT880 Premium 600Ω or Fostex T50RP on the Oppo HA-2SE?
  
 I currently have an xDuoo XD-05 with a Burson V5i and it is having huge driver problems with Windows 10 AE.  Never had any issues till now, but it is so bad now that I put it up for sale after a week of trying to "fix" the issues.
  
 What I liked the most about the XD-05 is that it could produce 500 mW at 32Ω and has a line out for running my larger desktop amps.  The Burson V5i upgrade took it over the top until the driver issues have now made it a worthless to me.  I haven't even had it for six months yet and it is done 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 I almost pulled the trigger on a Chord Mojo till I noticed it doesn't have line out either.
  
 Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  
 Thanks


----------



## Peter68

Would anyone be able to compare the sound of the Oppo HA-2SE to the Fostex HP-P1? I have the Fostex and always thought it was pretty good, but seeing as how it's getting a bit old now, I wondered if I might get more out of a newer, (possibly) better DAC, and I've read a lot of good things about the HA-2SE. 

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## dennistdk

hansolo76 said:


> I almost pulled the trigger on a Chord Mojo till I noticed it doesn't have line out either.


 
  
 Hold down the volume buttons when turning on and the output level is set at fixed line level.


----------



## Hansolo76

dennistdk said:


> Hold down the volume buttons when turning on and the output level is set at fixed line level.


 
  
 Hmmmmmm...
  
 I am now more undecided again.
  
 Do you have any experience with using the Line Out to run desktop amps from a PC?


----------



## TimeLord

hansolo76 said:


> Hmmmmmm...
> 
> I am now more undecided again.
> 
> Do you have any experience with using the Line Out to run desktop amps from a PC?




I use the Mojo to run a secondary system. 
Computer USB or Toslink--> Mojo--> Cavalli Liquid Carbon

It works really well. Put the Mojo in Line Out mode and give it external power and you're good to go.


----------



## Hansolo76

timelord said:


> I use the Mojo to run a secondary system.
> Computer USB or Toslink--> Mojo--> Cavalli Liquid Carbon
> 
> It works really well. Put the Mojo in Line Out mode and give it external power and you're good to go.


 
  
 I'm still debating the Mojo now.  I was more set on the Oppo until I found out that the Mojo does have line out.  The new problem is that the Mojo doesn't have line in.  The Oppo HA-2SE has everything I need except the power to effectively drive all my cans by itself.  My phone doesn't support UAC 2.0 via USB OTG yet so I couldn't even use the Mojo while traveling with it.  I could run it off my Surface while on the road, but that is hardly desirable over my phone.  I could also convert the audio out of my phone from USB OTG to optical, but that adds another device in my audio chain.
  
 What to do?
  
 How are the Windows drivers for UAC 2.0 on the Mojo?  Does anyone know if the drivers for UAC 2.0 for the HA-2SE have had any issues with Windows 10 AE as well?  I would be ultimately pissed off if I got the Mojo or the HA-2SE and they had the same signed driver issues with Windows 10 AE that I had with my Thesycon drivers for my xDuoo XD-05.  I didn't even have the XD-05 for six months before Microsoft upgraded its WHQL driver standard to the point the XD-05 no longer works with the latest version of Windows from a fresh install.


----------



## dennistdk

hansolo76 said:


> I'm still debating the Mojo now.  I was more set on the Oppo until I found out that the Mojo does have line out.  The new problem is that the Mojo doesn't have line in.  The Oppo HA-2SE has everything I need except the power to effectively drive all my cans by itself.  My phone doesn't support UAC 2.0 via USB OTG yet so I couldn't even use the Mojo while traveling with it.  I could run it off my Surface while on the road, but that is hardly desirable over my phone.  I could also convert the audio out of my phone from USB OTG to optical, but that adds another device in my audio chain.
> 
> What to do?


 
  
 I guess it's about what you want the most. No doubt the Oppo HA-2SE is a feature packed devices that can connect to anything - and it's a great design that packs nicely with a phone - it's sound quality is ok for the price considering the features. If you want something that is mobile and versatile the HA2-SE is great (unless you have an iPhone and travel a lot) .
 However - if you value sound quality over features and have the money for it you should get the Mojo (there is a quite a difference because of it's fpga dac tech - no hiss, wider soundstage, clearer separation - and lots of power - using it with my HD800/6xx's). And if you are going to use it with external amps on the desktop I would get the Mojo - no doubt.
  
 What phone do you have?


----------



## Hansolo76

dennistdk said:


> I guess it's about what you want the most. No doubt the Oppo HA-2SE is a feature packed devices that can connect to anything - and it's a great design that packs nicely with a phone - it's sound quality is ok for the price considering the features. If you want something that is mobile and versatile the HA2-SE is great (unless you have an iPhone and travel a lot) .
> However - if you value sound quality over features and have the money for it you should get the Mojo (there is a quite a difference because of it's fpga dac tech - no hiss, wider soundstage, clearer separation - and lots of power - using it with my HD800/6xx's). And if you are going to use it with external amps on the desktop I would get the Mojo - no doubt.
> 
> What phone do you have?


 
  
 The difference between $300 and $500 for a DAC is not a big deal.  $500 to $1000 is 
  
 I know that there will be a bit of frustration with the Mojo versus the HA-2SE.  I know that the Mojo with a processor versus a DAC chip will sound superior.  I know the Mojo has more than enough power to drive my Fostex T50RP and my Beyerdynamic DT880 600Ω.
  
 What's keeping me on the fence right now is that I don't know what the Oppo can do with my planars and 600Ω cans.  I don't want to buy something that is versatile, yet not usable with all my headphones.
  
 FYI - I have a Microsoft 950 xl.  I know that the Oppo uses UAC 2.0 as well, but it has line in.  I know that it is in the works, but I have no idea when they plan to release UAC 2.0 for Windows 10 Mobile.  My xDuoo XD-05 had line in as well so it wasn't a total wash when I couldn't use USB OTG with it.  When the XD-05 driver support for Windows stopped, it then became useless to me.


----------



## BeatMy808s

I did recently post this in the sponsors HA2SE thread but didn't get a response and Oppo UK unhelpful, so re-posting here in case someone from Oppo sees it.

Yeah, I was well annoyed the HA-2SE was brought out very shortly after I bought the HA-2 and rapidly developed a fault. "Power bank" feature not working and battery failing to charge/depleting within an hour. Need to return it but been in and out of hosp since September including two major abdominal surgeries. Feel punked, would even pay the upgrade fee. Was thinking of getting a pair of PM-3 but considering my options now.


----------



## betula

Hi guys, I have got a new HA2SE for sale, if anyone is interested.


----------



## nwavesailor

beatmy808s said:


> I did recently post this in the sponsors HA2SE thread but didn't get a response and Oppo UK unhelpful, so re-posting here in case someone from Oppo sees it.
> 
> Yeah, I was well annoyed the HA-2SE was brought out very shortly after I bought the HA-2 and rapidly developed a fault. "Power bank" feature not working and battery failing to charge/depleting within an hour. Need to return it but been in and out of hosp since September including two major abdominal surgeries. Feel punked, would even pay the upgrade fee. Was thinking of getting a pair of PM-3 but considering my options now.


 

 I'm sorry to hear about your 2 abdominal surgeries. They are tough, even more so when dealing with 2 in a short time span. Your priority is your health and the Oppo can wait.
  
 New versions, models and upgrades in technology & audio are constant. When the new version comes out, we feel cheated after having just bought the 'old' version, but that's just part of life I suppose.
  
 It sounds like you have some real issues with your HA-2 and Oppo will certainly repair or replace your unit as it is covered for 1 year.
  
 Most importantly, I wish you a good health!


----------



## dennistdk

hansolo76 said:


> What's keeping me on the fence right now is that I don't know what the Oppo can do with my planars and 600Ω cans.  I don't want to buy something that is versatile, yet not usable with all my headphones.


 
  
 I don't think it will have enough power. When I was using it with my 300 ohm HD65xx it was on high gain and turned up quite a bit to get an ok level.
 I wouldn't use it with 600 ohm (I also think they only recommend it for up to 300 ohm headphones).


----------



## nwavesailor

dennistdk said:


> I don't think it will have enough power. When I was using it with my 300 ohm HD65xx it was on high gain and turned up quite a bit to get an ok level.
> I wouldn't use it with 600 ohm (I also think they only recommend it for up to 300 ohm headphones).


 

 Yep, up to 300 ohms:


----------



## PrinceOfEgypt

Guys how does the HA2SE pair with IE800? Will be using my Iphone 7 Plus.
  
 Cheers


----------



## howdy

I had the first iteration and thinking about picking up the SE to go with my PM3s. I have the Mojo but I really dont like the synergy of the Mojo/PM3s.


----------



## hifiaaa

If using the same source (such as Tidal) is there any noticeable quality between using Oppo via an iDevice, android or pc? Which one sounds best?


----------



## Terco

For those who has an ipod classic I both this connector for $3.50 and work perfect! 
  
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/281613096317?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 (*(2) Griffin GC17097 Univ USB Mini Cable & 30 Pin Charge Sync Data -READ FULLY-*)
  
 Also here's another one that I found for $13.99
  
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/152490248605?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 (*Mophie USB Flex Cable Travel Kit - Apple Lightning, 30-Pin & Micro-USB Cables*)
  
 I hope it help somebody!


----------



## Laughin Al

I can't claim to have enough money to try out all kinds of boutique DACs, so I reached way down into my meager pocket book and purchased one of these HA-2SEs.
  
 It's simply awesome. Yesterday I threw the following at it:
  
 Stereo
     24BIT/352.8kHz
     24BIT/192kHz
     24BIT/96kHz
  
 5.1 Surround
     24BIT/96kHz
  
 5.1 Surround
     DSD 64 2.8224Mbit/s
  
 Stereo DSD
     256 11.2896Mbit/s
     128 5.6448Mbit/s
  
 Stereo DSD 64
     2.8224Mbit/s    
  
 It played everything and played it well. I was able to hear the difference between hires and cd quality for the first time in the form of better voice and instrument separation.
  
 The hybrid AB amp sounds really great, and the gain and base-boost buttons aren't just for marketing: they can be used to good effect. I also find the on/off click potentiometer very quiet, smooth, and satisfying. Oh, and did I mention the line output . . . you can feed your amp with this thing and get awesome tone at home. It detects line-out and disables its own volume control - pure DAC and no guff!
  
 Not bad for a portable device that doubles as a charging battery for your android or iPhone.
  
 I think if I return it I will get huge regrets. There may be better, but this suffices for me as I couldn't tell 'better' anyways.


----------



## howdy

laughin al said:


> I can't claim to have enough money to try out all kinds of boutique DACs, so I reached way down into my meager pocket book and purchased one of these HA-2SEs.
> 
> It's simply awesome. Yesterday I threw the following at it:
> 
> ...



I just bought one today and hopefully have it early next week.


----------



## AudioJimmy

I also bought one last week. Should arrive beginning of next week.
I will use it at work. I'm sure it will enhance the the SQ of my phone. (used for Deezer)
Though I'm not sure if it will do any improvement to the sound when connected to the FiiO X3 2nd gen...
Does anyone have any experience with the HA-2 and the X3?


----------



## Roen

If only they had balanced headphone out......I'd be all over this.


----------



## howdy

Are you saying Balanced out into another amp or straight balanced out to a headphone?


Roen said:


> If only they had balanced headphone out......I'd be all over this.


----------



## mitsu763

I've had my HA-2SE for a while now and love it. Waiting on my AEON to arrive and hoping it has enough juice to make them sing.


----------



## SeraphicWings

Been having the HA2-SE for 6 months (since november). It really boosts all of my Japanese Hi-res music to another level of awesome

By the way, can anyone confirm the signal dropout issue in iOS 10.3 been resolved yet?


----------



## Roen

howdy said:


> Are you saying Balanced out into another amp or straight balanced out to a headphone?



Balanced to headphone.

I went with a LH Labs GO2PRO because of that, and I don't regret paying more for balanced output.


----------



## erich6

SeraphicWings said:


> Been having the HA2-SE for 6 months (since november). It really boosts all of my Japanese Hi-res music to another level of awesome
> 
> By the way, can anyone confirm the signal dropout issue in iOS 10.3 been resolved yet?



Still a problem unfortunately.


----------



## claud W

Does this DAC/Amp have enough power to drive HD 600, Fostex Massdrop, Mr. Speakers Ether, in a decent fashion or do I need to get Audaze Sine headphones?


----------



## grig

For those with the Ha 2 SE when u use you're oppo as a DAC on you're PC/MAC the Driver description is OPPO HA2-USB AUDIO or OPPO HA2 SE-USB Audio ?


----------



## davegrendon

grig said:


> For those with the Ha 2 SE when u use you're oppo as a DAC on you're PC/MAC the Driver description is OPPO HA2-USB AUDIO or OPPO HA2 SE-USB Audio ?


The description is OPPO HA-2 USB AUDIO 2.0 DAC. I assume it uses the same windows driver as original HA-2.


----------



## erich6

grig said:


> For those with the Ha 2 SE when u use you're oppo as a DAC on you're PC/MAC the Driver description is OPPO HA2-USB AUDIO or OPPO HA2 SE-USB Audio ?



I get OPPO HA2-USB AUDIO.


----------



## frustin

I've got and ha2-se myself, however when a call comes in and i have it plugged into my iphone 6s, i cant hear anyone.


----------



## halo9

davegrendon said:


> I assume it uses the same windows driver as original HA-2



This is spot on Dave, I asked this question of Oppo late last year and they confirmed it is due to them using the same driver. It shows up on the iPhone as just a HA-2 as well regardless of if you are using the HA-2 or HA-2SE.


----------



## DLR Group

Hey everybody!
Question.  I love my Oppo HA 2 SE amp/dac.  A few months ago, I purchased a Schiit Valhalla 2 amp.  I absolutely love it, so now I am using the Oppo as my DAC.  My question is, does anyone else use this combo, but real question is:  Is it worth getting the Bifrost Multibit DAC?  I just don't know if my Oppo sounds better or worse, or about the same?  I'm willing to sell my Oppo as it seems I never take it anywhere and would prefer the Schiit "stack" since I use it in my home office for listening to my music collections.
Any thoughts if it's worth the upgrade?

Thanks!
David


----------



## howdy

Schitt sells some great Schitt and allthough you would get a great DAC and stack you probaly will end up missing your Oppo. I sold my first iteration and bought the SE a few months back and love it. Me personally would buy the Schitt DAC and also keep the Oppo. This hobby is about spending and collecting.


----------



## DLR Group

howdy said:


> Schitt sells some great Schitt and allthough you would get a great DAC and stack you probaly will end up missing your Oppo. I sold my first iteration and bought the SE a few months back and love it. Me personally would buy the Schitt DAC and also keep the Oppo. This hobby is about spending and collecting.


----------



## DLR Group (Jun 8, 2017)

Thanks Howdy. Although, I may still sell the Oppo as it's being used as a desktop DAC.  I could use the money towards the Bifrost purchase or some new cans. I really wish I knew if I could tell the difference between the Oppo and the Bifrost Multibit, Or, if I would hear No difference. The HA2 SE has a great DAC chip in it, but seriously I doubt I'll be listening to a 32 bit 384 file anytime in the near future.


----------



## TimeLord

DLR Group said:


> Thanks Howdy. Although, I may still sell the Oppo as it's being used as a desktop DAC.  I could use the money towards the Bifrost purchase or some new cans. I really wish I knew if I could tell the difference between the Oppo and the Bifrost Multibit, Or, if I would here No difference. The HA2 SE has a great DAC chip in it, but seriously I doubt I'll be listening to a 32 bit 384 file anytime in the near future.



The Bifrost Multibit is definitely a better DAC than the HA-2 or HA-2 SE. But if you're considering a desktop DAC at the $600 range, then I would suggest that you opt for the Denafrips Ares. I have done direct comparisons of the two DACs and the Ares is better.


----------



## DLR Group

TimeLord said:


> The Bifrost Multibit is definitely a better DAC than the HA-2 or HA-2 SE. But if you're considering a desktop DAC at the $600 range, then I would suggest that you opt for the Denafrips Ares. I have done direct comparisons of the two DACs and the Ares is better.


Wow, ok. So, just looked this up. Do you know of any US distributors? Their website states one sole distributor out of Singapore. Do you happen to own this one?  The build seems really really nice, but I've been burned a few times buying directly from Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong.  If you don't mind let me ask you this:
Schiit,California company with a real US address and 15 day return policy, and five year warranty. Denefrips out of Singapore, other side of world.  Other unknown. The audio quality would have to be extremely far surperior to justify the unknowns to me. I'm open to it, but just not familiar. Thoughts?
Thanks!


----------



## TimeLord

DLR Group said:


> Wow, ok. So, just looked this up. Do you know of any US distributors? Their website states one sole distributor out of Singapore. Do you happen to own this one?  The build seems really really nice, but I've been burned a few times buying directly from Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong.  If you don't mind let me ask you this:
> Schiit,California company with a real US address and 15 day return policy, and five year warranty. Denefrips out of Singapore, other side of world.  Other unknown. The audio quality would have to be extremely far surperior to justify the unknowns to me. I'm open to it, but just not familiar. Thoughts?
> Thanks!



In terms of improvement, this is not a slight upgrade from the Bifrost. It really is a large improvement. To give you an idea with Schiit products, you'll need to get up to the Yggdrasil to match the quality of the Ares. I know it sounds like lofty claims given the price, but I've done extensive testing of this unit. 

As for where to get it, I don't personally own it, but I am seriously considering adding it to my collection for a secondary setup. I do personally know of someone who has bought a unit and did not have any issues with the purchase or subsequent support from the vendor. He bought it from here.


----------



## georgelai57

I have occasional dropouts whether on my iphones 6 or 6S, whether on music stored in the phones or iTunes or Tidal, whether using the Oppo supplied Lightning USB cable or two of my own (Amazon and unknown brand). When it happens, I pause the music and rewind a few seconds and the dropouts disappear

Has anyone had this issue? And would a so-called quality Lightning USB cable (eg Audioquest) help?

Thanks.


----------



## jrprana

georgelai57 said:


> I have occasional dropouts whether on my iphones 6 or 6S, whether on music stored in the phones or iTunes or Tidal, whether using the Oppo supplied Lightning USB cable or two of my own (Amazon and unknown brand). When it happens, I pause the music and rewind a few seconds and the dropouts disappear
> 
> Has anyone had this issue? And would a so-called quality Lightning USB cable (eg Audioquest) help?
> 
> Thanks.



I've been experiencing the same thing with iPod Touch + Oppo combo. At first I thought the culprit was the Onkyo HF Player app that I'm using. But I do not experience any dropout if I listen to the iPod directly.


----------



## Gilles De Rais

This issue has been discussed ad nauseum on the main Oppo Ha 2 topic on this forum https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/o...scussion-thread.755879/page-300#post-13614886. basically this issue is related to itunes/apple and its handing of digital out via the lightening port. There are claims that this may be resolved by ios10.3.3, but given this is only available as a beta, I wouldn't be holding my breath...

regard,

Giles


----------



## Piotr Michalak

Gilles De Rais said:


> This issue has been discussed ad nauseum on the main Oppo Ha 2 topic on this forum https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/o...scussion-thread.755879/page-300#post-13614886. basically this issue is related to itunes/apple and its handing of digital out via the lightening port. There are claims that this may be resolved by ios10.3.3, but given this is only available as a beta, I wouldn't be holding my breath...



Yep, I'd like to confirm that today I've finally upgraded iOS to 10.3.3 and the situation has gotten much, much better! Now it's possible to use the HA2 SE, after such a long break. It may sometimes disconnect, but not so often as before, from what I currently see. It also sometimes loses connection for a microsecond, but plays further on. It has stopped a track for me maybe once or twice, but it was unnecessary to disconnect or turn off the device - I only needed to push "play" again. So I highly recommend upgrading to 10.3.3. 

PS And I am afraid of upgrading to 10.3.4 when it will eventually come out...


----------



## mindoculae

I didn't see any mention of people having driver issues with their HA-2SE. 

I cannot get mine to be seen by either of my computers, one a laptop (Yoga 710) and the other a desktop, both running Win 10. 

What's weird is that I can install the software, see the Audio Control Panel in the systray, but there's nothing in Device Manager.

Anybody else having similar problems ? I emailed Oppo support center. Going back and forth now.


----------



## zek4u

Tried the Chord Mojo quickly with my Sennheiser Momentum 2 headphones. Too much bass, Mojo got too hot and just a little too heavy/bulky for my ultralight travel lifestyle. I remembered my OPPO HA-2 was excellent with the Momentum 2s but I recently gave it away for a guy helping me with an SME tonearm rewire project. Well just got the newer OPPO HA-2SE. Wow!


----------



## swesko

zek4u said:


> Tried the Chord Mojo quickly with my Sennheiser Momentum 2 headphones. Too much bass, Mojo got too hot and just a little too heavy/bulky for my ultralight travel lifestyle. I remembered my OPPO HA-2 was excellent with the Momentum 2s but I recently gave it away for a guy helping me with an SME tonearm rewire project. Well just got the newer OPPO HA-2SE. Wow!



oh wow, i heard so much praise on the mojo i was about to order one. My story: i had the HA-2 until 2 days ago, i was using it witth my S7E but since April i got the S8 and it didnt work so it was just sitting in its box. 2 Days ago i sold mine to a colleague and bought the SE and a new OTG USB C cable. Right after i was offered a 10% discount on the mojo so i decided to visit here before pulling the trigger but seems like i'm gonna be disappointed so i'm hesitating


----------



## zek4u (Aug 31, 2017)

swesko said:


> oh wow, i heard so much praise on the mojo i was about to order one. My story: i had the HA-2 until 2 days ago, i was using it witth my S7E but since April i got the S8 and it didnt work so it was just sitting in its box. 2 Days ago i sold mine to a colleague and bought the SE and a new OTG USB C cable. Right after i was offered a 10% discount on the mojo so i decided to visit here before pulling the trigger but seems like i'm gonna be disappointed so i'm hesitating



I had a Mojo for a short amount of time that I mainly was going to use on a vintage 2 channel system and an AURALiC Aries MINI. I quickly hooked it up to my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 and it was way to bass heavy for me. Well the HA-2 SE was also too bass heavy for the Momentums. Strange. My guess is the those headphone were designed for the iPhone 6 which is bass light. What is strange is the original HA-2 was perfect with the Momentums. Well I didn't want to go back to the older model so I got a pair SONY MDR-1R headphones and planned on also getting a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 CS headphones to compare. Well I'm super happy with the HA-2 SE and the MDR-1R. Not even going to mess with trying out the 598s. I also love the way the MDR-1Rs fold flat in the laptop case, something the 598s can't do. I wanted a closed ear design for work. Noise isolation also seems excellent with the MDR-1Rs, almost feels like noise cancelling. I bet the Mojo would have been amazing in the MDR-1Rs, more vinyl sounding but I think the HA-2 SE is a great compromise, less expensive, lighter, easier to pack, integrated case, long battery life, etc.


----------



## swesko

i'm using the HA-2 with my Westone 40, i'm more into IEMs  but thanks for your feedback


----------



## zek4u (Aug 31, 2017)

swesko said:


> i'm using the HA-2 with my Westone 40, i'm more into IEMs  but thanks for your feedback



You are welcome. Had some JH Audio Angie custom IEMs for half a minute. Bought them last minute at a previous RMAF. I have strange ears and just couldn't handle the whole custom in ear experience. Even a bluetooth headset drives me crazy after a while. For now, Its going to be HD800S for home use and MDR-1R headphones for portable.


On a side note. My older HA-2 seemed to also charge my iPhone. On the HA-2 SE, the charging indicator goes on, then off when I plug in the included small USB to lightning adapter. Seem to think my older HA-2 had an aftermarket cable. Do I need to buy a different cable to make it charge. Any recommendations?  Maybe it is designed this way so the included cable doesn’t train the Oppo.


----------



## Blaze55

How does sound next to the mojo?


----------



## zek4u

Blaze55 said:


> How does sound next to the mojo?



Sorry, I didn't do a direct comparison to the Mojo at the time.  Momentums were way too bass heavy and didn't have an adapter for my HD800S headphones. I would maybe say the Mojo was more powerful and more vinyl/liquid sounding.


----------



## Laughin Al

The OPPO is a very detailed and wonderfully detailed DAC. There are however 3 problems with it:

1) EXPENSIVE

2) does not pass microphone and playback controls to your phone

3) IOS upgrade broke it. IOS USB power handling causes the OPPO to go offline

I'd say drop price $150 and fix the issue, and it will be awesome!


----------



## swesko

I have a galaxy s8 so no ios bug for me and 350 when you buying audiophile gear is not very expensive imo. I just started last year and im already spending hundreds left and right. I had the ha-2 liked it but decided time to upgrade so i ordered the se and from what ive read the sound is more balanced now. Also new Android phoned with usb c dont work properly you need a usb c otg cable


----------



## nwavesailor

Laughin Al said:


> The OPPO is a very detailed and wonderfully detailed DAC. There are however 3 problems with it:
> 
> 1) EXPENSIVVE
> 
> I'd say drop price $150 and fix the issue, and it will be awesome!



Personally I found the HA2-SE to be one of the best $300 purchases I have made in audio..................Yep, one man's opinion!


----------



## X-Frame

What are the chances that there is a HA2-SE successor coming out soon? The SE is 1 year old and it was only a refresh of the HA-2 which I assume has been out for at least another year before that? I've been eyeing this to use with my iPhone but with the way technology moves I was wondering if there was possibly an HA-3 or something coming around the corner ..


----------



## nwavesailor

Yeah, we live in a time when your once latest greatest device is now old news and no longer the shiny object folks can't live without. It's always hard to buy any tech and then the new 'super' tech version of that device comes out a few months or weeks later. We have all been there!


----------



## Mr X

Blaze55 said:


> How does sound next to the mojo?





Laughin Al said:


> The OPPO is a very detailed and wonderfully detailed DAC. There are however 3 problems with it:
> 
> 1) EXPENSIVE
> 
> ...



1 and 2 are correct. 3 is also correct but this issue was fixed with iOS 10.3.3 around 6 weeks ago.

I've had the Mojo then the HA2, then the HA-2SE and then back to the Mojo

For me the Mojo just takes it on sound but for the money the Oppo is an amazing DAC plus I prefer the portable design (also one of the best looking DACS) and the iOS approval.
The biggest issue on both HA-2 and the SE is the radio interference which is unacceptable. It's well documented and such a shame but that's probably the biggest factor why I went back to MOJO.
If you can live with that its a great device.


----------



## swesko

Mr X said:


> 1 and 2 are correct. 3 is also correct but this issue was fixed with iOS 10.3.3 around 6 weeks ago.
> 
> I've had the Mojo then the HA2, then the HA-2SE and then back to the Mojo
> 
> ...



Radio interference in ios onlyim guessing? Never exprienced such thing with my android phones and i very much prefer its portability


----------



## Mr X

swesko said:


> Radio interference in ios onlyim guessing? Never exprienced such thing with my android phones and i very much prefer its portability



I thought it was all devices due to lack of inadequate shielding? If not then great for android users. And yes without doubt the best design - I loved that volume wheel on top!


----------



## erich6

X-Frame said:


> What are the chances that there is a HA2-SE successor coming out soon? The SE is 1 year old and it was only a refresh of the HA-2 which I assume has been out for at least another year before that? I've been eyeing this to use with my iPhone but with the way technology moves I was wondering if there was possibly an HA-3 or something coming around the corner ..



What improvements are you looking for in a successor?


----------



## Gilles De Rais (Sep 3, 2017)

X-Frame said:


> What are the chances that there is a HA2-SE successor coming out soon? The SE is 1 year old and it was only a refresh of the HA-2 which I assume has been out for at least another year before that? I've been eyeing this to use with my iPhone but with the way technology moves I was wondering if there was possibly an HA-3 or something coming around the corner ..



Technology moves? Marketing perhaps, but not technology. The HA2SE has the latest ESS Sabre chip - some well known products from FIIO for example are still using the older 9018 chip. Even then the changes are incremental rather than staggering -  most people would argue that the biggest change between the 2 and the 2SE are due to the lowering of the noisefloor - which is due to engineering rather than technology. Current problems with the HA2SE are due to apple and its unbelievably poor usb implementation -  this is pretty much beyond Oppo's capacity to prevent/action.

So the chances of a HA3 anytime soon? Well unless there are new engineering challenges (unlikely) or a quantum change in digital replay, extremely unlikely....

To the best of my knowledge there hasn't been any real jumps in dap/portable dac technolgy for quite some time. Even Chord's FPGA tech has been around for at least a decade. All models rely on a PCM/SPDIF receiver, a dac chip, an output opamp (or separate Filter and I/V gain stages) and a headphone driver (also an opamp). Whilst models change of chips used change the fundamental topology doesn't. All IMO and to my ears etc.

regards,

Giles


----------



## X-Frame

Gilles De Rais said:


> Technology moves? Marketing perhaps, but not technology. The HA2SE has the latest ESS Sabre chip - some well known products from FIIO for example are still using the older 9018 chip. Even then the changes are incremental rather than staggering -  most people would argue that the biggest change between the 2 and the 2SE are due to the lowering of the noisefloor - which is due to engineering rather than technology. Current problems with the HA2SE are due to apple and its unbelievably poor usb implementation -  this is pretty much beyond Oppo's capacity to prevent/action.
> 
> So the chances of a HA3 anytime soon? Well unless there are new engineering challenges (unlikely) or a quantum change in digital replay, extremely unlikely....
> 
> ...



Good point, I used the wrong terminology. And you're right -- from a sound perspective I can't imagine that there'd be anything substantial in terms of the DAC or the Amp (lowering the noise floor is great news for me since I use IEM's on the go).

I suppose your point about the problems with USB and Apple are more of what I was looking for -- maybe more of a design update for better shielding in terms of USB interference? Or possibly adding a bigger or more efficient battery and keeping the size the same? I really don't know, I just assumed that it is due for another refresh soon but I may be wrong since it still is a great portable amp, and it doesn't seem to be going on any significant sales which is usually another hint of an upcoming refresh.


----------



## erich6

I'm quite content with my HA-2SE.  The only improvement I would like to have is support for MQA.  Ideally this would be just a firmware update but the pessimistic side of me tells me that isn't likely so...a HA-3 with MQA would be the next best thing....


----------



## TjPhysicist

Has anyone gotten this to work with USB C phone WITHOUT drawing power constantly frmo said device? Everytime i change the setting to "charge the phone" it changes back to "use this phone to charge"


----------



## swesko

TjPhysicist said:


> Has anyone gotten this to work with USB C phone WITHOUT drawing power constantly frmo said device? Everytime i change the setting to "charge the phone" it changes back to "use this phone to charge"


As long as the oppos charging indicators are off even if the phone says its charging thr usb devicr its not. For the cable look for seller yourcharger on ebay hes selling the correct one


----------



## TjPhysicist (Sep 23, 2017)

swesko said:


> As long as the oppos charging indicators are off even if the phone says its charging thr usb devicr its not. For the cable look for seller yourcharger on ebay hes selling the correct one


charging lights are on in the oppo AND blinking. yourcharger cables are too short. Also: you know..i'd like something in the next month.

Srsly, does EVERY one of you have an apple device or something? what the hell are you guys using this with?


----------



## erich6

[QUOTE="Tj what the hell are you guys using this with?[/QUOTE]

iPhone...and Windows PC desktop and laptop.  Works fine with all of those.  Sorry, but USB-C is a pain to find the right cables and Android is the wild-wild-west when it comes to getting bitperfect audio out to external DACs.   See this article.


----------



## TjPhysicist (Sep 24, 2017)

erich6 said:


> iPhone...and Windows PC desktop and laptop.  Works fine with all of those.  Sorry, but USB-C is a pain to find the right cables and Android is the wild-wild-west when it comes to getting bitperfect audio out to external DACs.   See this article.



OMG THANK YOU: I said a similar statement in /r/pixel (actually it was posed as a discussion about USB and android) and i got "laughed out the door" pretty much. android is just a royal shitfest when it comes to USB anything to be honest. I'd hope usb c would be the end of that, esp when combined with PD2.0 and USB3.1 and the fact that apple decided to use it for their macbooks, and somehow google screwed that one too.


> The Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (Part Number: MJ1K2AM/A) works with the Google Pixel phone to supply power and connect a USB DAC.



WHAT...i literally tried the same thing and it didn't work for me . Also: Android STILL can't even do 96/24..that's just SAD. Honestly if it weren't for the fact that i hate propertry formats and itunes (ALAC) i'd switch to an iphone ASAP.


----------



## Zowie1

I'm currently using Fiio A5 as an portable amp with L3-LOD, iPod Classic 160 GB and Sennheiser HD 650 (and sometimes with IE800). Would the Oppo HA-2 SE be a worthy upgrade compared to A5?


----------



## Gilles De Rais

Zowie1 said:


> I'm currently using Fiio A5 as an portable amp with L3-LOD, iPod Classic 160 GB and Sennheiser HD 650 (and sometimes with IE800). Would the Oppo HA-2 SE be a worthy upgrade compared to A5?


Yes, but hooking it up to a Classic is not the best approach. The benefits from the HA2-SE are best realized when fed a digital signal through its usb b or usb c ports - that when it's Sabre DAC chip comes into play. The Classic can not export a digital signal, so you'd be bypassing all the digital goodness and just using the amp which may not be enough of an upgrade on its own to justify expenditure.

regards,

Giles


----------



## nwavesailor

_Yes, but hooking it up to a Classic is not the best approach. The benefits from the HA2-SE are best realized when fed a digital signal through its usb b or usb c ports - that when it's Sabre DAC chip comes into play. The Classic can not export a digital signal, so you'd be bypassing all the digital goodness and just using the amp which may not be enough of an upgrade on its own to justify expenditure.

regards,

Giles _

Perhaps the iPod classic is different if it will not export a digital signal?
I am using the iPod Nano for a source and am thrilled with the Sabre DAC in the HA2-SE. I also use iPod Nano and then line out from the Oppo and into a tube amp. This also allows me to use the Sabre Dac in the HA2-SE as well as the tube amp. I emailed Oppo to be sure this configuration would work and I would be using the Oppo DAC, not the iPod's DAC.


----------



## Gilles De Rais

nwavesailor said:


> _Yes, but hooking it up to a Classic is not the best approach. The benefits from the HA2-SE are best realized when fed a digital signal through its usb b or usb c ports - that when it's Sabre DAC chip comes into play. The Classic can not export a digital signal, so you'd be bypassing all the digital goodness and just using the amp which may not be enough of an upgrade on its own to justify expenditure.
> 
> regards,
> 
> ...



I know that works as I too have tried that very set-up. My recollection with other pre-lightning systems (Fostex HP-P1, Wadia iDock, Purei20) was that the iPod Touchs/Nanos were optimised for digital output, but that the Classic was not. That is not to say it wouldn't work, it just wouldn't work consistently and required cable workarounds. I guess the best approach would be for the OP, would be to try it and see if it works. he will need a 30pin to usb-b plug and they aren't common anymore. 

regards,

Giles


----------



## erich6

TjPhysicist said:


> WHAT...i literally tried the same thing and it didn't work for me . Also: Android STILL can't even do 96/24..that's just SAD. Honestly if it weren't for the fact that i hate propertry formats and itunes (ALAC) i'd switch to an iphone ASAP.



You can install an app like Onkyo HF player and play 96/24 and even higher resolution FLAC (even DSD) from an iPhone through the HA-2.  The iTunes interface to load music is a bit clunky though.


----------



## Zodler

I just got HA-2SE. I wanted to install the driver on Windows 10. On their site they have 2 drivers, one is a later one for recent windows 10 versions. So naturally I tried that second file. I have bitdefender total security and during installation it blocked not only the installation but also 38 other files from my legitimate software were blocked and deleted. A nightmare. Nothing happened like that before. After restoring, I tried the first driver and things are working now.

Question, on windows I get 192 Khz max in the windows audio settings. Is this normal? The product is advertised as having 384 kHz PCM.

Also it would have been great if you could see on the DAC the sample rate it is playing.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

I have just ordered this and now read its mainly for Apple devices? Will the amp _*and*_ DAC work with my Samsung Galaxy Note 8?

Much obliged for any help. Many thanks.

Ryland


----------



## ekrauss (Oct 19, 2017)

Ryland Johnson said:


> I have just ordered this and now read its mainly for Apple devices? Will the amp _*and*_ DAC work with my Samsung Galaxy Note 8?
> 
> Much obliged for any help. Many thanks.
> 
> Ryland



The HA-2 is not mainly for Apple devices.  It works perfectly with Android devices—the DAC and the amp.


----------



## Ryland Johnson (Oct 19, 2017)

ekrauss said:


> The HA-2 is not mainly for Apple devices.  It works perfectly with Android devices—the DAC and the amp.



Thank you for your kind reply. I am going crazy, its now 02.32am here and I have spent hours trying to resolve another problem I read about. Apparently the Oppo HA 2 does NOT connect and play with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 USB-C? What happens is the Note 8 charges the Oppo!! I am chasing my tail here. The last thing I want is to receive the Oppo in the post next week and find I cant use it. OTG problem or something. HELPPPP.

Is there a cable or connector that does the trick? I don't use ebay but do use all the Amazon outlets in Europe.

Any advise from you guys and gals would again be so much appreciated.

Ryland


----------



## ekrauss

Ryland Johnson said:


> Thank you for your kind reply. I am going crazy, its now 02.32am here and I have spent hours trying to resolve another problem I read about. Apparently the Oppo HA 2 does NOT connect and play with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 USB-C? What happens is the Note 8 charges the Oppo!! I am chasing my tail here. The last thing I want is to receive the Oppo in the post next week and find I cant use it. OTG problem or something. HELPPPP.
> 
> Is there a cable or connector that does the trick? I don't use ebay but do use all the Amazon outlets in Europe.
> 
> ...



The HA-2 works with any Android OTG capable device.  Maybe the Galaxy Note 8 is not OTG capable?  

I suggest you consult the HA-2 manual which is acavailable from Oppo’s website.

I can look into this a little more deeply and see what Oppo has to say.  In the meantime, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet!


----------



## Ryland Johnson

ekrauss said:


> The HA-2 is not mainly for Apple devices.  It works perfectly with Android devices—the DAC and the amp.



The Oppo HA 2 and HA 2 SE does not _play nicely_ with Android devices that have a USB-C connection. The Mobile ends up charging the Oppo?! 
Oppo have been aware of this situation for many months and now sell to the public in the UK a cable that fixes this oddity. I don't live in the UK and cannot purchase such a cable from other sellers. To me, owning the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with its USB-C connection the Oppo is a paper weight. Most unfortunate as I truly want the Oppo.
Thank you for you reply though. 

This situation is very well documented here on this very forum. Some poor owners have purchased 10 cables with no joy? Any fixes appear unsatisfactory and only temporary at best. That's not a situation I value with devices costing this amount of money.

Ryland


----------



## Ryland Johnson

ekrauss said:


> The HA-2 works with any Android OTG capable device.  Maybe the Galaxy Note 8 is not OTG capable?
> 
> I suggest you consult the HA-2 manual which is acavailable from Oppo’s website.
> 
> I can look into this a little more deeply and see what Oppo has to say.  In the meantime, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet!



Like you I don't credit what I read period no matter where I read it however, there are dozens and dozens of threads on this very forum that outline this problem going back many months. The situation is also *known to Oppo*, one member here posted the reply he received from Oppo. 
It appears new mobiles with USB-C connection are having some problems in that the mobile charges the Oppo?! This is of course unacceptable. I have cancelled my order with the third party seller on Amazon until Oppo resolve this situation by supplying a cable in the box.

Regards, Ryland


----------



## ekrauss (Oct 21, 2017)

Ryland Johnson said:


> Like you I don't credit what I read period no matter where I read it however, there are dozens and dozens of threads on this very forum that outline this problem going back many months. The situation is also *known to Oppo*, one member here posted the reply he received from Oppo.
> It appears new mobiles with USB-C connection are having some problems in that the mobile charges the Oppo?! This is of course unacceptable. I have cancelled my order with the third party seller on Amazon until Oppo resolve this situation by supplying a cable in the box.
> 
> Regards, Ryland



I’m not so sure that this is “known to Oppo,” nor do I know whether this is a widespread problem.  I am in a tiny bit better position than most people here to get an answer.  (I mean that seriously—I am in a little bit better position to get information, but not a whole heck of a lot better). I’ll let you know what I find out.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

ekrauss said:


> I’m not so sure that this is “known to Oppo,” nor do I know whether this is a widespread problem.  I am in a tiny bit better position than most people here to get an answer.  I’ll let you know what I find out.



Hi, in one of the threads on this massive forum a member copied and printed the reply he received from Oppo UK stating they now sold a cable to rectify this situation. The price of the cable was listed also P+P. To that end Oppo certainly are aware of this problem.

I use the term wide spread as Samsung et al have sold many millions of flag ship mobiles with USB-C connections. To that end it would be a wide spread problem. I don't claim to understand the problem, I only learned about it here. I then did a small amount of research and for sure many mobile owners mobiles are charging the Oppo rather than the other way around. Amazon.us are selling an adaptor to prevent this happening but its not for sale on any of the EU Amazon sites? 
I really wanted this DAC-Amp. Very sad to have cancelled it.  Now back to the drawing board and looking at the A&K AK70 or AK70 MK11. Both dedicated DAP's Not what I wanted but............

Would be kind of you to investigate further and let us know what you find, Thank you.

Ryland


----------



## ekrauss

Understood about Oppo UK, but that correspondence is from customer service.  I am going to try to dig a little deeper.


----------



## davegrendon

ekrauss said:


> Understood about Oppo UK, but that correspondence is from customer service.  I am going to try to dig a little deeper.



I and others have been posting in the Cayin N3 thread about the issue of the HA2SE drawing power from the N3. I also have the Shanling M1 with same issue. I don't use the HA2SE very much because of this and considering selling it and repurchasing a Chord Mojo. I think Oppo need to make a micro USB to USB c cable that works.


----------



## ekrauss (Oct 21, 2017)

davegrendon said:


> I and others have been posting in the Cayin N3 thread about the issue of the HA2SE drawing power from the N3. I also have the Shanling M1 with same issue. I don't use the HA2SE very much because of this and considering selling it and repurchasing a Chord Mojo. I think Oppo need to make a micro USB to USB c cable that works.


Understood.  Bear in mind that it could be user error, too, as the HA-2 is designed to act as a rechargeable power bank.  By “user error,” I don’t mean that the user has done something dumb, but has unwittingly dove the wrong thing or used the wrong equipment.  I will attempt to get some clarity on this.


----------



## davegrendon

ekrauss said:


> Understood.  Bear in mind that it could be user error, too, as the HA-2 is designed to act as a rechargeable power bank.  By “user error,” I don’t mean that the user has done something dumb, but has unwittingly dove the wrong thing or used the wrong equipment.  I will attempt to get some clarity on this.



Sorry this is nothing to do with user error it's the HA2SE charging from a host device that has a USB  C interface including some Android smartphones, it's becoming a major pain for many users.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

davegrendon said:


> I and others have been posting in the Cayin N3 thread about the issue of the HA2SE drawing power from the N3. I also have the Shanling M1 with same issue. I don't use the HA2SE very much because of this and considering selling it and repurchasing a Chord Mojo. I think Oppo need to make a micro USB to USB c cable that works.



Thank goodness for this forum. I am a newbie to DAP and portable DAC-Amps. I have only used topnotch home HiFi and that is my 'comfort zone'. The world of portable music is a minefield with its own complex jargon and numerous acronyms. I have had to use Google search dozens of times to find out what some posters are talking about. lol Perhaps I am just too old for this..(don't answer that!)

I was amazed when I did just a little research into the Oppo HA2 and HA2 SE to discover the connection problems. I had one on order! I cancelled it and am pleased I did. I am not going to purchase a device that depletes the battery on my Note 8 when one of the Oppo's functions is sold as it can be used as a power bank! I agree with you that as Oppo know off this situation they should add a cable that fixes this phenomena. It should be plug and play. 

Now looking to alternatives for example a dedicated DAP. 

Regards, Ryland


----------



## ekrauss

davegrendon said:


> Sorry this is nothing to do with user error it's the HA2SE charging from a host device that has a USB  C interface including some Android smartphones, it's becoming a major pain for many users.


I am just saying that it is a possibility as historically all kind of inaccurate things have been posted in this thread.  I will investigate and get back to you.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

This is getting absurd. Can't find a DAP I like so have just purchased an iPhone! 
I hope to goodness this Oppo plays nicely with Apple devices if it doesn't you will hear me shouting profanities from here! 
Now I need to purchase the Oppo HA2 SE. What a performance! My own fault. I should have taken my own advice that I have been dishing out for years that being do research months before purchasing. 
I have gone from Oppo-Note 8 to A&K DAP and now on iPhone-Oppo when I can purchase one. Been one hell of a ride working through the plethora of options and what works with what and on what systems etc

Phew, Ryland


----------



## zek4u

ekrauss said:


> I am just saying that it is a possibility as historically all kind of inaccurate things have been posted in this thread.  I will investigate and get back to you.



Popping sounds on my iPhone 6 and it would just cut off while using the Onkyo player app. I got Sony's latest DAP and couldn't be happier. Also use it as DAC feeding my V281 balanced.


----------



## Alson Chua

Hi everyone,

I'm new with DACs, recently decided to get a Oppo HA-2se to pair with my iphone 7 (Using Neplayer) after doing tons of reading on head-fi. One question, i keep hearing this hiss sound on the background.. my audio are all 24bit 96khz buy mostly on HDtracks/Hifitrack. Funny thing is.. some audio has lesser hiss and some audio has more hiss (especially with classical/acoustic/instrumental).

now im wondering.. is my dac problem or its the audio problem? and pairing with computer (Using Foobar) the hiss seems noticeable lesser.. can someone enlighten me is actually normal the have the hiss/piakpiak/or whatever its call noise?


----------



## erich6

Alson Chua said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm new with DACs, recently decided to get a Oppo HA-2se to pair with my iphone 7 (Using Neplayer) after doing tons of reading on head-fi. One question, i keep hearing this hiss sound on the background.. my audio are all 24bit 96khz buy mostly on HDtracks/Hifitrack. Funny thing is.. some audio has lesser hiss and some audio has more hiss (especially with classical/acoustic/instrumental).
> 
> now im wondering.. is my dac problem or its the audio problem? and pairing with computer (Using Foobar) the hiss seems noticeable lesser.. can someone enlighten me is actually normal the have the hiss/piakpiak/or whatever its call noise?



You shouldn’t hear a hiss unless it’s in the original recording. Maybe there’s a gain setting in Neplayer? Are you using hypersensitive IEMs?


----------



## Alson Chua (Oct 24, 2017)

erich6 said:


> You shouldn’t hear a hiss unless it’s in the original recording. Maybe there’s a gain setting in Neplayer? Are you using hypersensitive IEMs?



Im using AKG N40. some albums are clearly lesser and some albums have more with every instrument played. At first I thought was NePlayer issue so I tried on OnkyoHF also same.


----------



## Alson Chua

funny i tried on computer same track i max volume i couldnt find the hiss.. could it be the OTG cable?


----------



## Ryland Johnson (Oct 24, 2017)

After the reply I received from Oppo UK yesterday informing me there is a problem with non Oppo cables and the correct cable is for sale from Oppo uk at some silly price, not to mention P+P, I have cancelled my order for the Oppo.
I am very disappointed with Oppo. It is clear Oppo have known about the charging problem for a long time and have still not rectified this by adding a cable in the box. To that end I have zero intention of paying another 30.00€ (inc P+P) for a cable that should come with the already expensive Oppo sold at 399.00€.

I found an absolute bargain on Amazon.es. The Teac HA-P50-SE for 146.71€ including P+P! On the German Amazon its still listed at 299.00€ PLUS P+P! I snapped the offer up from Amazon.es.

Enough of this nonsense with Oppo already. Lovely product let down by their company's behaviour over a connection cable.

I suspect that no end of users don't even know their mobile is charging the Oppo and think its just 'normal' heavy device battery usage?

Ryland


----------



## RojasTKD

What are the odds there will be some kind of Black Friday deal on the HA-2SE this year?


----------



## dmt (Nov 4, 2017)

Hi.

Just got a new iPhone X and with that running IOS 11.1 there seems to be dropouts in sound with the Oppo.  I have previously owned an iPhone 6 without any problems whatsoever.

Anything to be done about this?
Thanks in advance.


----------



## cnotts6

Hi All - hoping for some help!

I've recently invested in an Oppo HA2SE to drive my oppo pm-3 when I'm on the go (source LG G4 phone & Tidal HiFi).

I have had no problem getting sound to work through the USB OTG connections and the amp is definitely operational as the volume output is significantly higher than when directly connecting the headphones to the phone. However I haven't noticed any improvement in the sound quality via the external DAC as compared to the phones onboard option - I'd even go as far as to argue it's potentially inferior as it seems to get muddy at high volumes.

So my question is - how can I be sure that I am relying purely on the external DAC and that I'm not just using it as an expensive portable amp (I'm suspicious that the phone's DAC is pre-converting the signal before sending out).... I have tried doing USB OTG diagnostics which say that my phone is USB OTG ready but when the HA2SE is connected, it doesn't seem to be recognised by my phone. Should I get some kind of notification when I plug it in? I don't get any.....

Maybe that's a stupid question but I had to ask!

Chris


----------



## RojasTKD

cnotts6 said:


> Hi All - hoping for some help!
> 
> I've recently invested in an Oppo HA2SE to drive my oppo pm-3 when I'm on the go (source LG G4 phone & Tidal HiFi).
> 
> ...


If it outputting via USB it should be a straight digital signal to the external DAC for it to do the conversion. The internal DAC is bypassed completely.


----------



## cnotts6

Right, that's what I thought.

Theoretically this means if I ran Tidal Hifi through the HA2SE to the same headphones from 2 different source phones (LG G4 as before and an iPhone 5) they should sound exactly the same right? Digital signal into DAC, converted and output the same way....

Problem is it doesn't sound the same, there's just something crisper about the sound coming through when the source is the iPhone vs the G4. Especially in the low end & on vocals which as I mentioned before just seem a touch muddy from the G4.

Is it possible the digital signal coming out the G4 is lower res somehow? Is there any way for me to check that?

I'd much prefer to use the G4 as my daily driver (mainly because iPhone is my work phone and I won't get away with streaming a load of data through it!) but I don't want to sacrifice sound quality....


----------



## RojasTKD (Nov 9, 2017)

cnotts6 said:


> Right, that's what I thought.
> 
> Theoretically this means if I ran Tidal Hifi through the HA2SE to the same headphones from 2 different source phones (LG G4 as before and an iPhone 5) they should sound exactly the same right? Digital signal into DAC, converted and output the same way....
> 
> ...


I've aways wondered about that, and assumed the digital source shouldn't matter, in theory. But who knows what other factors might be at play. Noisier USB output? I don't really know


----------



## Ryland Johnson

cnotts6 said:


> Right, that's what I thought.
> 
> Theoretically this means if I ran Tidal Hifi through the HA2SE to the same headphones from 2 different source phones (LG G4 as before and an iPhone 5) they should sound exactly the same right? Digital signal into DAC, converted and output the same way....
> 
> ...



Mmm, This is complex. I am not new to the world of home HiFi, far from it. I am rather new to the world of portable sound though.
I am in a similar boat to yourself. I have spent 12 months trying to find a portable sound I can live with, tried the Pioneer DAP at its full price and returned it. Some month ago tried it again at a quater its original price still returned it despite it being a very nice DAP especially at its present price.
I then started to think about adding a portable DAC-Amp to my Note 8. Problems. Both the Oppo HA2 SE also the Teac HA-P50SE (also its Onkyo bother) do NOT behave well with some android smart phones namely those with USB-C? Problems are varied but one of them is the DAC's are charged by the smartphone! This runs the battery down on the mobile phone fast.
Got in touch with Oppo who have known about this dilemma for many months (read the numerous threads on this forum about this situation) and the answer they have is to charge customers for the correct cable plus P+P! 
Thought about another DAP from A&K only to find they are very limited in where one finds ones music to play eg, the Pioneer directly linked with all Android sources so one could play music from numerous sources, not the case with the A&K so back to the drawing board.

I now have the Apple 8+ with the Oppo HA-2-SE also the Teack HA-P50SE that I managed to purchase from Amazon.es for just over 130.00€ when it retails in Germany for nearly 300.00€. Neither behave with my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 as the mobile charges the DAC but with the Apple iPhone 8+ they both perform perfectly in terms of powering correctly BUT the Oppo with the iPhone does have these odd cut outs?

I am able to write that using the Teac-Onkyo software (costs an extra 10.00€) the iPhone-Oppo plays superbly and does power my range of head gear including the Sennheiser 650D also the 598 plus other sennheisers both on ear, around ear and in ear.
Now with the Sennheiser 650's I didn't expect the Oppo to drive them at all well considering they are 300ohm impedance, no worries, though they will obviously sound 'different' when played via home amp-DAC. I have now reached my 'smile factor' satisfaction so will start to enjoy the music at last.

Ryland


----------



## RojasTKD

cnotts6 said:


> Right, that's what I thought.
> 
> Theoretically this means if I ran Tidal Hifi through the HA2SE to the same headphones from 2 different source phones (LG G4 as before and an iPhone 5) they should sound exactly the same right? Digital signal into DAC, converted and output the same way....
> 
> ...





Ryland Johnson said:


> Mmm, This is complex. I am not new to the world of home HiFi, far from it. I am rather new to the world of portable sound though.
> I am in a similar boat to yourself. I have spent 12 months trying to find a portable sound I can live with, tried the Pioneer DAP at its full price and returned it. Some month ago tried it again at a quater its original price still returned it despite it being a very nice DAP especially at its present price.
> I then started to think about adding a portable DAC-Amp to my Note 8. Problems. Both the Oppo HA2 SE also the Teac HA-P50SE (also its Onkyo bother) do NOT behave well with some android smart phones namely those with USB-C? Problems are varied but one of them is the DAC's are charged by the smartphone! This runs the battery down on the mobile phone fast.
> Got in touch with Oppo who have known about this dilemma for many months (read the numerous threads on this forum about this situation) and the answer they have is to charge customers for the correct cable plus P+P!
> ...



Could the player being used be sending a slightly different sound signature? Is it the same player, player version, player settings and/or EQ? Or maybe the two devices output different formats, bit rates, resolution?

Also don't the Android and iPhone devices have two different inputs? Android plugs into the MicroUSB port while iOS devices plug into the USB-A port?  That's what I understand (I don't yet have a HA-2 or HA-2 SE.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

RojasTKD said:


> Could the player being used be sending a slightly different sound signature? Is it the same player, player version, player settings and/or EQ? Or maybe the two devices output different formats, bit rates, resolution?
> 
> Also don't the Android and iPhone devices have two different inputs? Android plugs into the MicroUSB port while iOS devices plug into the USB-A port?  That's what I understand (I don't yet have a HA-2 or HA-2 SE.



What smartphone are you using?

In answer to your second paragraph you are correct. I am not sure what you mean in your first paragraph though?

I tried the Teac with the iPhone 8+ late last night just while the Oppo was charging. Dear oh dear, I did NOT expect the much less expensive Teac to sound anywhere near as decent as the Oppo. Wrong. That Teac is simply superb. No need for the base boost and the warmth of sound is staggering, not boomey but crystal clear and so informative. Different sound production to the Oppo that tends to be more analytical even though again simply superb. After 12 months searching for the one set up I now have two! So typical eh.

Neither the Teac nor the Oppo work via OTG with the Note, The note tries to charge both the DAC's? I am waiting for the cable to fix this situation.

Ryland


----------



## dmt (Nov 19, 2017)

fixed the problem, nevermind.


----------



## RiseFall123 (Nov 22, 2017)

Hi,

It's enough to drive well my HD650?

This dac amp seem perfect to pair to my iphone and tidal?


----------



## Ryland Johnson

RiseFall123 said:


> Hi,
> 
> It's enough to drive well my HD650?
> 
> This dac amp seem perfect to pair to my iphone and tidal?




I also use the Sennheiser HD 650 and enjoy the portable sound. To achieve the best possible from the Senn's however one would need to use a home amplification-DAC system. Nothing 'wrong' with the portable system its very good indeed.

I find what is much more important is the source. Not easy to find a good source for classical music. Again, all about compromises as usual!

Ryland


----------



## radiocalm

I am considering purchasing the ha2se for portable use with my iPhone. I have the mojo and love it but with the cck it’s not portable like I believe the ha2se would be. Anyways, could anyone recommend a good usb to lightning cable that is short in length to stack the ha2se on top of my iPhone? I’ve heard the one that comes with it cuts out.


----------



## brad713

dmt said:


> fixed the problem, nevermind.



What did you do to fix out of curiosity?  I also am having the same problems with iPhone X ios 11 with a different dac. Just wondering if it might be the same issue.


----------



## howdy

radiocalm said:


> I am considering purchasing the ha2se for portable use with my iPhone. I have the mojo and love it but with the cck it’s not portable like I believe the ha2se would be. Anyways, could anyone recommend a good usb to lightning cable that is short in length to stack the ha2se on top of my iPhone? I’ve heard the one that comes with it cuts out.


They have nice right angled ones on Amazon for around 6 bucks.


----------



## purehifi192

radiocalm said:


> I am considering purchasing the ha2se for portable use with my iPhone. I have the mojo and love it but with the cck it’s not portable like I believe the ha2se would be. Anyways, could anyone recommend a good usb to lightning cable that is short in length to stack the ha2se on top of my iPhone? I’ve heard the one that comes with it cuts out.



Yes.  The one with the HA2SE cuts out on mine especially when on the go.  I use the regular iPhone cable.  Yes it's long, but it doesn't cut out.  Maybe Apple has a shorter version.


----------



## howdy

purehifi192 said:


> Yes.  The one with the HA2SE cuts out on mine especially when on the go.  I use the regular iPhone cable.  Yes it's long, but it doesn't cut out.  Maybe Apple has a shorter version.


Ive never had any issues with the Zeskit on Amazon. They are $16 now


----------



## purehifi192

howdy said:


> Ive never had any issues with the Zeskit on Amazon. They are $16 now


Was referring to the cable that comes with the Oppo.


----------



## RojasTKD

purehifi192 said:


> Was referring to the cable that comes with the Oppo.



I think he just meant the Zeskit cable was a good alternative.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

radiocalm said:


> I am considering purchasing the ha2se for portable use with my iPhone. I have the mojo and love it but with the cck it’s not portable like I believe the ha2se would be. Anyways, could anyone recommend a good usb to lightning cable that is short in length to stack the ha2se on top of my iPhone? I’ve heard the one that comes with it cuts out.



Anker. Amazon.de. Amazon.uk etc

Works fine for me but so does the one in the box. The reason I use the Anker cable more is its less stiff and slightly longer. I find the one in the box is too short and places strain on both end connections. Anker make quality products.

Ryland


----------



## dmt

brad713 said:


> What did you do to fix out of curiosity?  I also am having the same problems with iPhone X ios 11 with a different dac. Just wondering if it might be the same issue.


Actually it didnt' get fixed,  I tried replacing the cable with the one included in the iPhone X package, and that worked for like a few minutes, but no, back to skips in the audio and nothing has been able to get it fixed afterwards.

So yeah, we are still having problems here with the iPhone X!    Anybody else here?


----------



## Ryland Johnson

dmt said:


> Actually it didnt' get fixed,  I tried replacing the cable with the one included in the iPhone X package, and that worked for like a few minutes, but no, back to skips in the audio and nothing has been able to get it fixed afterwards.
> 
> So yeah, we are still having problems here with the iPhone X!    Anybody else here?




Hi. I am not an Apple basher. I do think the X is in Beta form and considering its the most expensive mass produced mobile on the market I think Apple should have not yet released the X until all its teething problems have been sorted. Never ever seen so many owners returning their X for the 8 or 8 plus? With time and certainly by the second iteration, ie Xs, I would hope the majority of present X problems would have been sorted out.

Ryland


----------



## radiocalm

Thanks all for the advice on cables from everyone, lots of good ideas. I have another question... are people having troubles with this on iPhones with the newest version of iOS? Or is it just with the iPhone X? I have an iPhone 7 Plus and my sole reason for getting a ha2se is to run it off my phone. I do have the latest version of iOS on my phone and I’m not a super tech kind of guy so I don’t want to have to mess with stuff, I just want to plug it in and open tidal Hifi and go. Am I going to have issues? Thanks in advance for any help.


----------



## Tysun

Hi guys,

I have ordered HA2SE through Oppo China. It is appealing to me due to its inviting price in China for around 300usd. Just pay a small fee for a freight forwarder and hopefully it will arrive to my doorstep in Malaysia avoiding import charges (which is most of the time, fingers crossed).

Will be attaching it to OnePlus 5 (USB-C, android 7.1.1) for Tidal HiFi streaming to listen on my RHA T20i/KZ ZS5/Monoprice M1060/Philips SHP9500/Shure 840 and later next year, HD6xx (just joined the drop!)

I will report back if there is any issues on the connection. Cheers.

Hamster


----------



## Tysun (Dec 6, 2017)

Side note,

HA-2SE has power output of 30mW @ 300ohm.
Maximum input power of HD650/HD6xx is 0.5W @ 300ohm, that is 500mW, {17 TIMES} of what ha2se can offer. It definitely will need something beefier than ha2se. Probably will get some DIY portable class A amp to go with it later on when I get the phones.

Can we have more inputs from owners with harder to drive headphones? Do you agree on needing another amp on top of what HA2SE can offer?

I need portable or at least transportable gears due to I don't like to be bound to my PC desk when I am listening to music and I am not stationed in one office for work and I would like to bring my gears when I move about.


----------



## RojasTKD

Tysun said:


> Side note,
> 
> HA-2SE has power output of 30mW @ 300ohm.
> Maximum input power of HD650/HD6xx is 0.5W @ 300ohm, that is 500mW, {17 TIMES} of what ha2se can offer. It definitely will need something beefier than ha2se. Probably will get some DIY portable class A amp to go with it later on when I get the phones.
> ...



I don't know I don't have the HA-2 yet or an HD650/6XX (had an HD600), but that's a MAXIMUM input power of HD650/HD6xx is 0.5W @ 300ohm not a minimum. I'm sure the HS-2 isn't the best gear to drive the HD650 but it MIGHT get you  to a reasonable listening level and sound ok, better than you average smartphone for sure.

Of course better gear more powerful or proper desktop gear will give you better results.


----------



## grayareauk

Hi there,
I have the ha2se and hd580’s. It drives them   Plenty loud enough for me switched to high gains for with the volume set to about 2. I don’t believe they are that electrically different to the 650’s.

Cheers
Anthony


----------



## Tysun

RojasTKD said:


> I don't know I don't have the HA-2 yet or an HD650/6XX (had an HD600), but that's a MAXIMUM input power of HD650/HD6xx is 0.5W @ 300ohm not a minimum. I'm sure the HS-2 isn't the best gear to drive the HD650 but it MIGHT get you  to a reasonable listening level and sound ok, better than you average smartphone for sure.
> 
> Of course better gear more powerful or proper desktop gear will give you better results.



I'm sure they can power it up reasonably loud enough and I'm aware of maximum is not minimum. Maximum input power is the power is the power one phone can handle before it risk of breaking.

But when you are supplying an output power {17 times} less than the maximum power it can handle, it is definitely not performing at its optimal level.

An appropriate analogy, I think, will be, an RC drone, if you supply much less power than what the motor can handle, it might still fly decently, but it surely won't fly as optimally or as fast as it can.

Well, it will be months before I get my hands on the HD6xx (Massdrop and its Massdrop thing) but first thing first I will have to check whether ha-2se will play well with the usb-c port with my OnePlus5. My current little Fiio Q1 dac amp plays very well with it. Just make sure OTG function is turned on, plug it in and power up the Q1 and all audio is taken over by Q1's dac.

Fingers crossed it will be the same smooth ride with ha-2se.


----------



## Ryland Johnson

Tysun said:


> Side note,
> 
> HA-2SE has power output of 30mW @ 300ohm.
> Maximum input power of HD650/HD6xx is 0.5W @ 300ohm, that is 500mW, {17 TIMES} of what ha2se can offer. It definitely will need something beefier than ha2se. Probably will get some DIY portable class A amp to go with it later on when I get the phones.
> ...




I own the Oppo HA 2SE also the Sennheiser HD650, both new last month. The Oppo drives the sennheiser's fine 'for a portable sound'. Of course when the HD650 are connected to a home set up the headphones will obviously give their best.

Please understand though that a portable sound is just that? Can such a quality sound ever be heard or appreciated when outside the home? Aircraft, buse's, trains, cars and walking expose us to so much external noise that the senn's are rather wasted in that respect. 

I can only use about half volume on the Oppo when using the HD650 and very little less when using the HD598 that have half the impedance. 

I was serching for a decent portable sound for nearly 18 months and returned no end of DAC's and other devices. I bought the iPhone 8plus added the Oppo HA2SE also the Teac Ha Se and they both power the HD650's fine for a portable listening experience that I can live with and that also is capable of giving me a positive goose bump test result!

It would be very unwise indeed to expect the sound stage from a portable source nor in car set up to match the multi thousand euro home set up I-We have. Its always going to be a compromise and, of course, personal taste.

I am happy to recommend the 'portable set up' mentioned above. 

Ryland


----------



## Tysun (Dec 7, 2017)

Ryland Johnson said:


> I own the Oppo HA 2SE also the Sennheiser HD650, both new last month. The Oppo drives the sennheiser's fine 'for a portable sound'. Of course when the HD650 are connected to a home set up the headphones will obviously give their best.
> 
> Please understand though that a portable sound is just that? Can such a quality sound ever be heard or appreciated when outside the home? Aircraft, buse's, trains, cars and walking expose us to so much external noise that the senn's are rather wasted in that respect.
> 
> ...



Thank you Ryland for your input. My situation is a little different as I only listen to music through my smartphone (Tidal HiFi) and I work in multiple locations. My workplaces are quiet (hence opens cans like SPH9500, M1060 and HD650 are possible and I leave one pair of them at each offices). But, I can't justify one set of desktop setup for each offices and I would like to be able to just chuck my device into a shoulder briefcase and carry it around when I rotate to different offices.

This bring us to HA-2SE - which I think would suit me the best in my situation. Thanks for letting me know HA2SE can push Hd650 to a loud listening level.

Do you know of any {portable/transportable} amps which I can piggy back against HA2SE to utilize its awesome DAC while pushing with near-destop-amps level of power?


----------



## RojasTKD

Tysun said:


> Thank you Ryland for your input. My situation is a little different as I only listen to music through my smartphone (Tidal HiFi) and I work in multiple locations. My workplaces are quiet (hence opens cans like SPH9500, M1060 and HD650 are possible and I leave one pair of them at each offices). But, I can't justify one set of desktop setup for each offices and I would like to be able to just chuck my device into a shoulder briefcase and carry it around when I rotate to different offices.
> 
> This bring us to HA-2SE - which I think would suit me the best in my situation. Thanks for letting me know HA2SE can push Hd650 to a loud listening level.
> 
> Do you know of any {portable/transportable} amps which I can piggy back against HA2SE to utilize its awesome DAC while pushing with near-destop-amps level of power?



Another possible option would be a powerful DAP like the the A&K Kann (or something else) or a powerful transportable/portable DAC/AMP like the iFi iDSD Micro (regular or Black Lable version). I have the Black Lable version and it small enough to be transportable, can run off better power and offers LOTS of power to drive almost anything. I'm sure there are other options, these are just want came to mind first.

If you just want a portable AMP to pair with the HA-2 I hear the Fiio A5 has decent power and have seen some good reviews. Personally I'd opt for the iFi iDSD as an all in one solution before stacking a HA-2 and separate AMP as a transportable option, but that's just me.


----------



## Tysun (Dec 7, 2017)

RojasTKD said:


> Another possible option would be a powerful DAP like the the A&K Kann (or something else) or a powerful transportable/portable DAC/AMP like the iFi iDSD Micro (regular or Black Lable version). I have the Black Lable version and it small enough to be transportable, can run off better power and offers LOTS of power to drive almost anything. I'm sure there are other options, these are just want came to mind first.
> 
> If you just want a portable AMP to pair with the HA-2 I hear the Fiio A5 has decent power and have seen some good reviews. Personally I'd opt for the iFi iDSD as an all in one solution before stacking a HA-2 and separate AMP as a transportable option, but that's just me.


Totally agree. I totally drool over Ifi micro black label but I wasn't sure will it be worth it for me to trade the form factor of Ha2SE and double the price of the Oppo - here an Ifi Micro BL cost 640usd vs 300usd for Oppo HA2SE which caused me to make an obvious decision.

Will fill my glass up with some Black Label if ha2se + amp can't satisfy me. But I have also heard good things about a Chinese DIY brand called FineAudio DaMi MG2 portable class A amp with dual 15V inputs and outputs at max of 0.4W @ 300ohm. Costing a mere 150usd. Who knows I might go that route. Let's see.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Symptom-MG2-...ortable-Headphone-Amplifier-amp-/132102253594
(No idea why it is 230usd when it arrives at eBay. Probably a reseller?)

Thanks @RojasTKD !


----------



## Tysun (Dec 7, 2017)

.


----------



## RojasTKD

Tysun said:


> Totally agree. I totally drool over Ifi micro black label but I wasn't sure will it be worth it for me to trade the form factor of Ha2SE and double the price of the Oppo - here an Ifi Micro BL cost 640usd vs 300usd for Oppo HA2SE which caused me to make an obvious decision.
> 
> Will fill my glass up with some Black Label if ha2se + amp can't satisfy me. But I have also heard good things about a Chinese DIY brand called FineAudio DaMi MG2 portable class A amp with dual 15V inputs and outputs at max of 0.4W @ 300ohm. Costing a mere 150usd. Who knows I might go that route. Let's see.
> 
> ...



Yeah, here in the US it goes on sale for $378 every so often Regular price is $549 I think). At that price it's not much more then the HA-2 SE and well worth it unless you need the smaller more portable form factor.


----------



## Hikoki

Hi. I am thinking about getting the Oppo as a DAC to use with chromecast audio and ifi iCan. 
I'd like to ask: is there even an optical in on the Oppo? Can't find this info anywhere. And if yes, is anyone using Chromecast Audio to stream through the Oppo? If yes, is there a substantial improvement in SQ versus using the CCA on its own, utilizing its internal DAc?
Thanks a bunch for any feedback, or even suggestions of a different solution to upgrade the SQ of CCA line out.


----------



## RojasTKD

Hikoki said:


> Hi. I am thinking about getting the Oppo as a DAC to use with chromecast audio and ifi iCan.
> I'd like to ask: is there even an optical in on the Oppo? Can't find this info anywhere. And if yes, is anyone using Chromecast Audio to stream through the Oppo? If yes, is there a substantial improvement in SQ versus using the CCA on its own, utilizing its internal DAc?
> Thanks a bunch for any feedback, or even suggestions of a different solution to upgrade the SQ of CCA line out.



Sorry no optical out with the HA-2. It meant as a potable DAC/AMP to mainly be use with smartphone so optical out isn't in the equation. You need something else for that functionality.


----------



## radiocalm

Hello everyone. I just received my ha2se in the mail. It’s charging right now, can’t wait!! The build quality is pretty top notch. I have a question for you all, I would like a shoulder bag, like a carrying case, camera bag type of thing to use for portable. Anyone have one they could recommend that works with their ha2/ phone setup? Back in the day I used various ray samuels amps with a lod cable and an iPod and it worked so well in a bag that I actually got from headroom, back when they were making amps. With the cables exiting the front and back on the ha2 a pocket isn’t really going to work, I need a bag that will alow the rig to sit flat and horizontal so it doesn’t put pressure on the usb or headphone cable. Any ideas? Thanks for any help!!


----------



## Alexdre119

So I’ve been using my 2SE for a while now with my iPhone and finally figured out that the intermittent cutting out of audio simply comes from the loose connection of the usb jack. Using any lightning cable I can replicate this problem, whether Apple or not. Anytime I wiggle the usb connection it cuts out for a split second. I think the only reason the Oppo cable cuts out more is because it’s smaller and moves more, whereas longer cables have slack to absorb the movement. 

In comparison, the ifi Nano BL also uses usb, but in the inverse. I wonder if Ifi did this on purpose to stabilize the usb connection, because I’ve never had that issue with the Nano. 

I’m going to try to use a lightning to usb-c connector with a converter to usb-micro to see if that has a more stable connection.


----------



## Tysun

Ryland Johnson said:


> After the reply I received from Oppo UK yesterday informing me there is a problem with non Oppo cables and the correct cable is for sale from Oppo uk at some silly price, not to mention P+P, I have cancelled my order for the Oppo.
> I am very disappointed with Oppo. It is clear Oppo have known about the charging problem for a long time and have still not rectified this by adding a cable in the box. To that end I have zero intention of paying another 30.00€ (inc P+P) for a cable that should come with the already expensive Oppo sold at 399.00€.
> 
> I found an absolute bargain on Amazon.es. The Teac HA-P50-SE for 146.71€ including P+P! On the German Amazon its still listed at 299.00€ PLUS P+P! I snapped the offer up from Amazon.es.
> ...



Yes, I can confirm Ha2SE sucks battery out of my USB C equipped phone (OnePlus 5 android 7.1.1)

USB C → OTG cable → HA2SE → headphones.
(Tried 2 OTG cables, same results).


Hamster


----------



## erich6

Hey gang, I think I noted this in the HD6XX thread but for reference I'm finding the HA2-SE pairs very well with these headphones. Occasionally I have come close to not having enough headroom when listening to very quietly recorded classical music but otherwise the HA2-SE drives the HD6XX with plenty of authority on all my rock, blues, metal and jazz music.

It's nice just to have one small and stylish DAC/Amp hooked to my laptop and for that to be all I need to enjoy excellent sound quality in my music.  Perfect setup for Sunday morning in my living room or evenings at the hotel when on travel.  ​


----------



## Tysun

Link to eBay Type C OTG cable to work with ha2-se, will send data but will not charge the dac.


----------



## Tysun

erich6 said:


> Hey gang, I think I noted this in the HD6XX thread but for reference I'm finding the HA2-SE pairs very well with these headphones. Occasionally I have come close to not having enough headroom when listening to very quietly recorded classical music but otherwise the HA2-SE drives the HD6XX with plenty of authority on all my rock, blues, metal and jazz music.
> 
> It's nice just to have one small and stylish DAC/Amp hooked to my laptop and for that to be all I need to enjoy excellent sound quality in my music.  Perfect setup for Sunday morning in my living room or evenings at the hotel when on travel.  ​



"with plenty of authority" may be an overstatement because hd650/6xx are known to scale up with better driving gears. Yes they may be loud enough but it will not bring the best out of 6xx. Ifi idsd BL and Mojo will certainly do a better job in the realm of portable dac amp but at the same time they are also much more expensive comparatively.


----------



## phiemon (Dec 29, 2017)

Hello,

I connected the Oppo HA-2SE to my iPhone and Mac, but it is normal that it is recognized as "Oppo HA-2" and not as "...HA-2SE"?!


----------



## Tysun

phiemon said:


> Hello,
> 
> I connected the Oppo HA-2SE to my iPhone and Mac, but it is normal that it is recognized as "Oppo HA-2" and not as "...HA-2SE"?!



Been answered multiple times before mate. Oppo's official reply to this issue is that this is due to both models utilize the same driver.


----------



## PaisleyBuddies

Hi,
I’m a new member and been reading with interest the info regarding the OPPO PM-3 & HA2SE. 
I’m about to spend some cash on a decent set of headphones for the first time and would appreciate some advice. 
Presently my portable music is on an old iPod, and I have concerns about the ability of that or my iphone SE driving the PM3’s sufficiently. I tested them in store and for me the sound on PM3’s was good, but had very limited volume. 
I THEN LOOKED AT HA2SE, but have concerns regards compatibility with my old iPod which only has a very old version of iOS. 
Any help regards how to get the most out of PM3’s for portable use would be gratefully received. 

Thanks in advance


----------



## torifile

Is the HA-2SE discontinued? I can’t find it new on their site anymore.


----------



## howdy

I just went to their site and see it.


----------



## torifile

howdy said:


> I just went to their site and see it.


I just see it refurbed.


----------



## howdy

That should be good news as maybe something new is coming soon. great price for the refurb however.


----------



## torifile

Double


----------



## MXRaia

Just asking current owners of the HA-2SE since I don't have one, but improvements would you like to see in a newer version?


----------



## torifile

My HA-2SE arrived today. I’m using it out of my iPhone x. The audio keeps cutting out. It’s not a streaming issue because the music is on device. It’s not an app problem because it happens in both iTunes and tidal. And it doesn’t happen with my mojo. I’ve tried a different cable and it’s still happening. 

Any thoughts?


----------



## dmt

torifile said:


> My HA-2SE arrived today. I’m using it out of my iPhone x. The audio keeps cutting out. It’s not a streaming issue because the music is on device. It’s not an app problem because it happens in both iTunes and tidal. And it doesn’t happen with my mojo. I’ve tried a different cable and it’s still happening.
> 
> Any thoughts?


Join the club, Ive had this problem ever since I got the X when it came out last year.

i  have just learned to live with it, from my experience, the audio cuts out less when the battery is around 60% or less.   No amount of different apps, cables or anything seems to help with this issue.   Just live with it unless there's some kind of firmware update or something....


----------



## torifile

dmt said:


> Join the club, Ive had this problem ever since I got the X when it came out last year.
> 
> i  have just learned to live with it, from my experience, the audio cuts out less when the battery is around 60% or less.   No amount of different apps, cables or anything seems to help with this issue.   Just live with it unless there's some kind of firmware update or something....


Well that’s a pisser. Luckily, I just bought it direct from Oppo so it’s going right back. That’s not acceptable to me.


----------



## dmt

torifile said:


> Well that’s a pisser. Luckily, I just bought it direct from Oppo so it’s going right back. That’s not acceptable to me.


Yeah totally unacceptable!

I think you and I are the only Iphone X users on this thread here, I dont know anybody else with this problem.....


----------



## torifile

dmt said:


> Yeah totally unacceptable!
> 
> I think you and I are the only Iphone X users on this thread here, I dont know anybody else with this problem.....


It works fine with my Mac. I will try it with my iPad before I ship it back.


----------



## RPL88

Has anyone tried HA-2 SE with a blackberry keyone, android, which uses a USB C? I have PM 3 and HE 400i currently using a fiio alpen 2 DAC/amp, and would love to order a refurbed HA-2 se but worried about all the connection issues people have mentioned with Iphone. I haven't heard of any issues with android but Blackberry can always get something wrong haha. Pictures of the set-up would be fantastic, so I can drool, I love the Keyone and think the size and colors would look so sharp together with the dac...currently can't really afford it but hopefully in the next month or two  Any other comments at all about how the HA-2 se will work with my phones in comparison to the fiio alpen 2 would be awesome as well.


----------



## pewfish

I feel like it may be the stock cable causing the disruption, has anyone tried anything else?


----------



## hbmorrison

Is anybody using their HA-2 with a Samsung Galaxy S9 with USB-C? I have tried all sorts of cables and adapters and I cannot avoid the phone charging the HA-2. Oppo Digital does a "special" short USB-C cable, which I am trying to get my hands on through a retailer but so far none that I have checked have it.

Going by other posts here and elsewhere, any connectivity between the HA-2 and any USB-C source will be problematic. From what I can tell this is something to do with how OTG works and whether the correct pin is lifted from ground or not on the correct side of the cable. It would be interesting to find out what exactly makes the Oppo Digital cable "special" and why other OTG cables and adapters are not working the way we want.


----------



## torifile

pewfish said:


> I feel like it may be the stock cable causing the disruption, has anyone tried anything else?


Yes. I tried an Apple branded lightning cable and I still had the problem.


----------



## Alexdre119

pewfish said:


> I feel like it may be the stock cable causing the disruption, has anyone tried anything else?


I think it may have something to do with the physical usb port that doesn't maintain a strong connection with the cable itself. I have given up using the HA-2se when I'm moving around because the connection breaks up too much. Now I just use it as a portable dac/amp for work because it has zero issues when on a desk.


----------



## pewfish

Yeah I was thinking that too


Alexdre119 said:


> I think it may have something to do with the physical usb port that doesn't maintain a strong connection with the cable itself. I have given up using the HA-2se when I'm moving around because the connection breaks up too much. Now I just use it as a portable dac/amp for work because it has zero issues when on a desk.



Yeah, I was thinking that too. Pity because I quite liked having this paired with my phone. I wonder if the aftermarket cables might help like these ones
https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=97


----------



## torifile

pewfish said:


> Yeah I was thinking that too
> 
> 
> Yeah, I was thinking that too. Pity because I quite liked having this paired with my phone. I wonder if the aftermarket cables might help like these ones
> https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=97


I have moved on to the fiio Q5. Works great with the iPhone and has a few extra features, too. Slightly more expensive but the Oppo is worth nothing to me if it is so annoying I can’t use it.


----------



## Alexdre119

torifile said:


> I have moved on to the fiio Q5. Works great with the iPhone and has a few extra features, too. Slightly more expensive but the Oppo is worth nothing to me if it is so annoying I can’t use it.


I was thinking of doing the same thing.


----------



## pewfish

torifile said:


> I have moved on to the fiio Q5. Works great with the iPhone and has a few extra features, too. Slightly more expensive but the Oppo is worth nothing to me if it is so annoying I can’t use it.



I was looking at that too, my only reservation is the site relevant to the iPhone. The Oppo just seems to fit so nicely. Do you have any pictures of your setup?


----------



## torifile

pewfish said:


> I was looking at that too, my only reservation is the site relevant to the iPhone. The Oppo just seems to fit so nicely. Do you have any pictures of your setup?


I’ll take some later.


----------



## Alexdre119

torifile said:


> I have moved on to the fiio Q5. Works great with the iPhone and has a few extra features, too. Slightly more expensive but the Oppo is worth nothing to me if it is so annoying I can’t use it.


Also, how does the Q5 compare sound-wise?


----------



## torifile

Alexdre119 said:


> Also, how does the Q5 compare sound-wise?


I know that this is an audiophile forum, but I’m not equipped to answer that. Besides, I couldn’t listen to the Oppo for longer than 10 minutes before getting so annoyed I had to turn it off.


----------



## torifile (Mar 21, 2018)

pewfish said:


> I was looking at that too, my only reservation is the site relevant to the iPhone. The Oppo just seems to fit so nicely. Do you have any pictures of your setup?



My iPhone X with a deck of cards for size reference. I don’t normally use it like this - I have been using Bluetooth and it’s far more convenient than being wired. I haven’t had a chance to do any significant critical listening to determine if there’s any downside to BT over wired.


----------



## torifile




----------



## pewfish

torifile said:


> My iPhone X with a deck of cards for size reference. I don’t normally use it like this - I have been using Bluetooth and it’s far more convenient than being wired. I haven’t had a chance to do any significant critical listening to determine if there’s any downside to BT over wired.



That's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. No issues with it cutting out at all?


----------



## torifile

pewfish said:


> That's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. No issues with it cutting out at all?


Nothing of note. As I said, maybe twice when the device was under some load (quick back and forth across apps when I’m using my phone). And I’m not sure that it wasn’t a Tidal problem anyway since that app kind of sucks.


----------



## Tysun

Phone charging HA2 over USB C: please get aftermarket eBay USB C to micro cable.


----------



## Tysun (Mar 22, 2018)

I moved on to Fiio Q5.


Comparison between Fiio Q5 vs Oppo HA-2SE

*Disclaimer*:
I own Oppo HA-2SE and Fiio Q5 was loaned to me in exchange for an honest review of the unit. This will not be a full review of Fiio Q5 but rather a comparison between those two dac amps as they are similarly priced.

*Phones used for assessment:*
Monoprice Monolith M1060, Philips SHP9500, Shure SRH840, Takstar Pro82, RHA T20, 1more Triple Drivers, KZ ZS6

*Source:*
Tidal HiFi and Spotify from Android to DAC/Amp via USB-C (HA2SE, Q5) or bluetooth (Q5)

*Form Factors:*
Let's start with form factors of both the devices as most of us will use DAC/Amps with our phones, DAPs or laptops while on the go hence form factor matters.

Fiio Q5: It has a very well machined brushed aluminum face and the back is covered by synthetic leather to prevent scratching when stacked against your source device which is a very nice touch and increases the 'premium' feel. Edges are beveled and they feel sharper than that of the HA2SE. Perfect resistence on the volume knob. It is shorter than HA2SE but thicker. Just imagine a thicker iPhone 5C with sharp edges.

HA2SE: It brings the leather game up a notch by having genuine leather wrapped around both front and back of the device. Volume knob is certainly more well built compared to that of Fiio - more sturdy, more clicky. Also, By being thinner and longer, the HA2SE will be less bulging and more pocketable if you decide to stack your smartphone and the DACamp together although Q5 is not far off behind.

TL;DR Form Factor Winner: HA2SE





*Features:*

HA2SE: Line in, 3.5mm Line out, micro USB in, Gain switch 3.5mm SE out, Bass boost, 4000mAh battery with power bank feature.

Q5: Optical / Coaxial / Line in, 3.5mm Line out, Gain switch, Dual micro USB in for charging and source input separately, Bass Boost, Bluetooth AptX, Balanced 2.5mm + 3.5mm SE out, DSD indicating LED, input indicating LED, swappable amp module, 3800mAh battery without power bank feature, auto idling switch off.

As you can see, Q5 definitely has longer and better list of features. I especially like the bluetooth features because when I am out and about I can leave Q5 in one pocket and my Android in another, not having a big ugly bulge while I can still enjoy close to perfect audio with my Android being free. Bluetooth has come a long way. Without having super analytical side by side A/B i really cannot tell the difference whether the source is wired or wireless. Another pro with bluetooth is that the USB ports on Q5 / phone are free and it comes in handy when one of them is low in battery. I can charge and listen to high quality audio at the same time!

Having two USB ports on Q5 is another feature which i applause much since you can use it on a desk with your phone plugged into the bottom port of Q5 and you can charge it up at the same time using the side port. Big plus!

Functions of both USB port can be swapped by software but unfortunately I am unable to test that because I dont have an iDevice on hand. Fiio, when are we getting the Android version of your app??

About that auto-iding off, I think it is a godsent. Tell me about it, there has been too many times I forgot to turn off my HA2SE and the next time I want to use it.... flat battery! No more such issue with Q5. =)

Both devices advertise iDevice compatibility hence you should not have any issues using your iDevice with them. On the other hand Android is a wild jungle that's why Fiio does not openly advertise official Android support but Q5 actually support most of the Android devices out there. With HA2SE I had trouble initially with my Nexus 6P and OnePlus 5 (both USB type C). Once connected my phones would reverse-charge the HA2SE! Irony when you know Oppo advertises it has power bank feature. The problem solved when I ordered a third party short USB C-to-micro OTG cable design to work with HA2SE then only the reverse charging stopped. WIth Q5 there is no issue when official USB C cable is used. 

TL;DR: Features Winner: Q5, by a far margin.

*Sound signatures:*

This is where anyone who reads this cares about and let me tell you, they are both really close. Differences which I am about to tell you are really minute and one will rarely notices without a thorough A/B session. Both has no problem driving all my gears with authority but then again if you look at it non of my cans are hard to drive. It is a shame my HD6xx which I joined the Drop during end of Dec 2017 is still not in my hands yet. I might give an update once I have received my pair. Both sound very neutral and bring up the characteristics of your headphones without overly emphasizing on any particular region in sound spectrum. Below I will be focusing the differences rather than similarities:

Bass Boost:
Both Fiio and Oppo do it exceptionally well with their bass boost switches. I use them to bring up the enamic bass in SHP9500 and both sounded 'right' with no leaks into the mids. They don't slow down the bass response, just the right amount of bass bump. Good work there. I leave the switches off for most of my other cans most of the time except when I'm listening to EDM (DeadMau5, Zomboy, Skrillex etc) and want that extra push in bass section.

HA2SE:
Power: 220mW/32ohm SE.
In short, its sound signature is neutral to slightly bright. Symbals, synthetics snaps etc sound more forward and because of this, there is a perception of more details and stage coming from this DACamp. It will shine if it is paired with darker pair of cans.

Q5:
Power: 150mW/32ohm SE, 400mW/32ohm balanced.
Isn't balanced the 'in' word nowadays? with balanced 2.5mm HP out one can definitely note the power increase compared to HA2SE or its own SE out. I managed to get balanced cables for my M1060 and ZS6 and they both performed well in balanced. It is quite impossible to A/B balanced vs. SE because of volume discrepancy after switching outputs so i will be conservative and say maybe there is not much perceivable differences besides volume increase. I will not switch back to SE though, if you ask me. (for the bragging rights!)

Where Q5 shines over HA2SE is in the mids. Vocals and real instruments sound more 'natural' 
and 'organic'. HA2SE is nowhere bad, but in comparison it sounded more 'cold', 'synthetic' and 'robotic'. Don't get me wrong, these are only in relative terms. Possibly this is due to what everyone is calling "Sabre Glare"? In short, Q5 is neutral to slightly warm/smooth in comparison.

TL;DR:
HA2SE neutral to slightly bright.
Q5 neutral to slightly warm and smooth

*Price points:*

Q5 $350usd vs. HA2SE $310usd
Is Q5 worth the $40 extra? YES, a big yes, for the extra features it offers over HA2SE alone is already worth more than $40. Nice and natural vocal presentations are big bonus.

*Why choose HA2SE: *Form factor (prettier!), sleeker while stacked, for those who don't care about Coax/optical/BT inputs, no hard to drive cans to pair with, and no cans with balanced cables.

*Why choose Q5:* More options, freedom of BT AptX, transforming your analog cans into BT cans, more power to push higher resistance cans, stepping into balanced game.

P/S: Regardless which amp you get, get Fixate gel pad to stack them. This is a much more elegant solution compared to rubber bands or Blue Tac.



That's all I want to say regarding Q5 vs HA2SE. Hope it can help someone out there to make a purchase decision. Thank you! =)


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## hbmorrison

Awesome review.

Can I ask regarding the reverse charging issue: I have been trying various third party USB C cables with my new android phone (Samsung Galaxy S9+) and my HA-2 and no matter which combination I use the phone always ends up charging the HA-2. Do you have a link to the cable you are using?


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## Tysun

It has been shared multiple times in this thread as well has HA2  thread.... Sigh.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/292052970340


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## masterllama

I also own an Oppo HA-2SE and an iPhone X and I am having significant audio cut outs. The problem gets worse when I'm using the phone (navigating using GPS, etc.), and cuts out literally every few seconds.

I emailed Oppo support and confirmed that this is a problem with just the iPhone X (I wasn't able to confirm this myself). 

After waiting a month for a firmware fix, I've decided to return the Oppo and go with the Fiio instead.


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## dmt

lucky you, I have bought this thing a year ago and it's way to late to return for a refund, and i'm pissed every day that i have to live with this thing while having no problems with my previous iphone 6....


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## franz12

Tysun said:


> I moved on to Fiio Q5.
> 
> 
> Comparison between Fiio Q5 vs Oppo HA-2SE
> ...



Overall, bluetooth functionality is a big step up when it comes to convenience, while other added features are more or less relevant.

I have not heard any interesting release from OPPO for a while. They might give up probably in this market.


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## torifile

dmt said:


> lucky you, I have bought this thing a year ago and it's way to late to return for a refund, and i'm pissed every day that i have to live with this thing while having no problems with my previous iphone 6....


You can sell it on amazon. I sold mine for a little more than I paid for it - basically I came out even after shipping costs. Returning it to Oppo would have cost me a little out of pocket. I was happy to break even.


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## dmt

Sold it for alot less on amazon, i'm gonna just use this from now on...


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## candysound

hi there, sry if this was answered already and i have not looked further in this thread mainly cos i do not have much time on hand  ... but i have a chance on a good deal over the the HA2se and since i am an IOS user i am a bit rilactent since i heard the ha2 gives trouble with ios , i run the iphone 7plus latest ios.
is the oppo apple certified ?

thanks


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## goon525

I run precisely that combo - iPhone 7 Plus with HA2se - and, apart from needing to change the provided Oppo cable with something a bit longer, and which makes a better connection - a  very few £ or $ on Amazon - no problems.


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## howdy

candysound said:


> hi there, sry if this was answered already and i have not looked further in this thread mainly cos i do not have much time on hand  ... but i have a chance on a good deal over the the HA2se and since i am an IOS user i am a bit rilactent since i heard the ha2 gives trouble with ios , i run the iphone 7plus latest ios.
> is the oppo apple certified ?
> 
> thanks


Better take that deal, Oppo announced yesterday that that they are going out of business. No more Oppo, I should try and buy some of there gear again.


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## goon525

They’re not exactly going out of business, they’re ceasing production of home cinema products. They are still significant in mobile phones. I’m not sure there’s any clarity yet about headphone gear.


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## ekrauss

goon525 said:


> They’re not exactly going out of business, they’re ceasing production of home cinema products. They are still significant in mobile phones. I’m not sure there’s any clarity yet about headphone gear.


The company that makes the mobile phones, Oppo Electronics, is a different company than the one that makes head-fi and Blu-ray players, Oppo Digital.  Oppo Electronics is an extremely large company headquartered in China, while Oppo Digital is a very small company headquartered in the U.S.


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## alphanumerix1

Pulling the trigger on a ha1se expecting a good pairing with the pm3


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## alvinmate (Apr 27, 2018)

I just bought mine today after some comparison with Fiio Q5... Hard to tell them apart however on some songs like  classical music and vocals are noticeable. Yes it does have little sparkle but its clean and clear sound and maybe little better detail top end...well if you prefer that. Its definitely preference thing and its good to try with your own ears... Me loving it...


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## Audiofiend1

I found a pretty much mint condition HA2 SE with all accessories and box for $175. I already have the ha2 is it worth the upgrade??


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## SLC1966

I have had both SE comes into play if you have super sensitive IEMs. They have different DAC chips. But some lorefer the original version chip and some prefer the SE chip.


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## PWGuy

Can owners confirm the HA-2SE works without issues on iOS 12.1?  My HA-2SE works great with my iPhone SE on 10.3.3 but I don't want to upgrade and run into issues with connecting the DAC via lightning/USB.  Thx


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## corgifall

PWGuy said:


> Can owners confirm the HA-2SE works without issues on iOS 12.1?  My HA-2SE works great with my iPhone SE on 10.3.3 but I don't want to upgrade and run into issues with connecting the DAC via lightning/USB.  Thx


It ran perfectly fine when I ran IOS 12 in beta form. It also worked just fine in IOS 11 for me with both the oppo lightning cable and the regular OE apple one.


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## PWGuy

corgifall said:


> It ran perfectly fine when I ran IOS 12 in beta form. It also worked just fine in IOS 11 for me with both the oppo lightning cable and the regular OE apple one.



Excellent - thanks!


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## Zodler

I also have this among many other DACs. What I love about this is 2 things. First, you can directly connect your iphone to this with one standard lightening cable provided by your iphone. Second, it also works as a power bank. So, sometimes I need to bring an extra battery because I know my battery will go down. Now, I just take this instead, not only it's a battery, it's also a DAC.

Today also I read that Oppo is no longer and they are not going to make any new products. That's sad


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## jlikestofly

I’ve got a 2SE and have no issues on iOS12 thus far.


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## NeroKrycek

Just got my HA-2SE and my god I love this thing it work flawlessly with my Pioneer XDP-100R, Nokia 7 Plus and my laptop which runs Linux. I'm currently using it with my Sennheiser Momentum 2s and they sound pretty damn good. in my laptop I use the Audacious music player which I have set to output directly to the HA-2SE using ALSA, in my Nokia it works best with UAPP and it work fine with the built in app on my Pioneer. One thing I have noticed though is when using it in windows in the sound setting I can only select sample rates up to 192khz yet it states on in the specs that the device supports sample rates up to 384khz. Does anyone know why this is?


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## Slim1970

jlikestofly said:


> I’ve got a 2SE and have no issues on iOS12 thus far.


Same here, I just repurchased this amp to go with my Oppo PM-3's and I've had no connection issues with IOS 12. 

What I'm torn on is the bass boost feature. It's more of a midbass bump than subbass bump, which works well for bass lite headphones. The CEntrance DACPortable's bass boost is implemented better to me because it enhances the subbass. Not only that, the DACPortable offers a treble boost that works well with the Sennheiser HD6xx series of headphones. The DACPortable has more power and is Class A. But they are both good amps and I like them both.


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## keithmarsh

Howdy

Does anyone have a firmware update file for the HA-2SE. v6.77 Or later?

I accidentally installed an older firmware (thinking it was a newer one) and now my HA-2SE doesn’t work


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## mangothehuman

I'm experiencing dropouts on my Macbook Pro every ~5 minutes with my HA-2SE when connected via the USB. If I use the 3.5mm jack it works fine. Any work arounds? Does using the 3.5mm jack negate the DAC?


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## LuckyNat

Yes, it negates the DAC - its just an analogue audio input to the amplifier.


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## LuckyNat (Aug 1, 2019)

NeroKrycek said:


> Just got my HA-2SE and my god I love this thing it work flawlessly with my Pioneer XDP-100R, Nokia 7 Plus and my laptop which runs Linux. I'm currently using it with my Sennheiser Momentum 2s and they sound pretty damn good. in my laptop I use the Audacious music player which I have set to output directly to the HA-2SE using ALSA, in my Nokia it works best with UAPP and it work fine with the built in app on my Pioneer. One thing I have noticed though is when using it in windows in the sound setting I can only select sample rates up to 192khz yet it states on in the specs that the device supports sample rates up to 384khz. Does anyone know why this is?



When I right-click the speaker icon on the taskbar -> open Sound Settings - > Device Properties (make sure Oppo is the device selected in the box above) -> "Advanced" tab....   I see a full range of sample rates to select for use in "shared mode" (whatever that is..)  in 16 bit or 32bit. There's then a test button to check that sample rate works.

Therefore, I dont know why that is  as it works fine for me (Using Win 10 & HA-2[SE])


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## LuckyNat

For anyone looking for a OTG cable for USB-C, I just bought a couple from this seller on ebay and all is working well with the Oppo! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292052970340

Arrived from Hong Kong to UK in 6 days, not too bad for free shipping.


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## ElSteverino

Hay anyone got their HA2's working with Mac OS Catalina? (10.15.x)
I've just got a new Macbook Pro, and it's not being recognized when connecting over micro-USB cable to a CalDigit hub


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## ClieOS

ElSteverino said:


> Hay anyone got their HA2's working with Mac OS Catalina? (10.15.x)
> I've just got a new Macbook Pro, and it's not being recognized when connecting over micro-USB cable to a CalDigit hub



Have you selected "B"?


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## ElSteverino

ClieOS said:


> Have you selected "B"?


Hey, thanks for your quick reply.

Yes, I'm using 'B' input.. Was driving me nuts for the last hour, but I must apologise for a false alarm 
Seems I was using a crappy cable, I cant remember where it was from, probably only wired for charging..
That's what thew me, I could see it charging and assumed it was ok electrically.. I'm normally using a lightning to USB-A for my phone
..tried another micro USB-A and BOOM I'm back in business 

Thanks for the tip anyways!
Cheers


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## MalinYamato

LuckyNat said:


> For anyone looking for a OTG cable for USB-C, I just bought a couple from this seller on ebay and all is working well with the Oppo!
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292052970340
> 
> Arrived from Hong Kong to UK in 6 days, not too bad for free shipping.


I tried that cable but with it the oppo drains power from my galaxy s8.  However, the power line on *OTG  fiio CL06* cable is cut so that no power are transmitter between oppo and the phone, thus wont drain the batter of the phone. I ordered it for 6.99 pound at https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-CL06-...eywords=fii0+cl06&qid=1586510082&sr=8-1-fkmr1


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## MarkParity

Every time I dig out my HA2SE I'm amazed by its musicality. Oppo are so good at audio electronics, to this day its a shame they quit the sector. My 2SE is sticking around for as long as it continues to function.

I'm using Roon via 2Go->2yu->Westone MACH 80 Everything except Roon is battery powered and isolated from mains electricity if that makes any difference.


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