# The new Bakoon HPA-01M portable amp



## Mimouille

Anounced on their facebook page:
  
_"Continuing our love of head-fi, we've overcome several difficult design challenges to create this HPA-01M! Pocket sized at 140 x 95 x 17.5 mm, it marks our smallest amplifier ever produced. We put exactly the same HPA-01 circuit inside that everybody loves and with its internal Li-ion rechargeable batteries, you can carry it anywhere and enjoy our current and voltage driving technologies, up to 10 hours!!"_
  


  
 This will be perfect for the Hugo


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## Lorspeaker

Plastic or metal? How much?


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## Mimouille

That's all I know so far!


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## warrior1975

Weird looking thing, but I've read nothing but good about the other bakoon amp. IIRC, this is overkill for IEMS?


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## Mimouille

warrior1975 said:


> Weird looking thing, but I've read nothing but good about the other bakoon amp. IIRC, this is overkill for IEMS?


Nothing is overkill when you... just need to have it


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## warrior1975

LMAO, thanks Mike, Your Not helping!!!


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## superjohny

subbed....what's this?can it replace my ever waiting cavalli portable?


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## SMBuscemi

Can't wait to buy this. I almost bought the bigger brother several times. I love these things!


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## rudi0504

Looks Great Michael 
Now I own Bakoon japan HDA 5520 look classical design 
The Bakoon international Korea HPA 01 M look modern design 

Sofar my Bakoon HDA 5520 is one of my best sounding amp .
Can drive from iem to hard to drive headphone like abyss 1266 

I am waiting my friend will import this Bakoon International HPA 01 M and will compare these two amps 






Size Comparison Bakoon HDA 5520 with others amps 
Ko Jo KM 01 > mass ko Bo > Wagnus epsilon S > Bakoon HDA 5520


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## zachchen1996

warrior1975 said:


> Weird looking thing, but I've read nothing but good about the other bakoon amp. IIRC, this is overkill for IEMS?


 
  
 For lower tier IEMs, most likely.
 For TOTL IEMs, probably not due to scalability.


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## zachchen1996

I have a gut feeling that the larger Bakoon HDA-5520 will have better SQ than the smaller Bakoon HPA-01M.


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## rudi0504

zachchen1996 said:


> I have a gut feeling that the larger Bakoon HDA-5520 will have better SQ than the smaller Bakoon HPA-01M.




From the thread Bakoon HPA - 01 their desktop amp look like not do big power , I got the feeling like you Zach the portable version HPA - 01 M could be has smaller power 
Who know ?


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## Mimouille

Seems to have similar footprint with the Hugo....


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## audionewbi

I'll wait this one out. Not even wagnus could improve on chord Hugo......but define improve?


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## zachchen1996

audionewbi said:


> I'll wait this one out. Not even wagnus could improve on chord Hugo......but define improve?


 
  
 It's not that the Wagnus could not 'improve' on the Hugo, but rather it was a combination of poor synergy & the hugo's poor line out (not even a true line out either) imo. It's not the wagnus' fault.
  
 But I am _very_ curious as to how this amp & the eventual cavalli portable amp will compare with the wagnus.


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## Mimouille

Again from the Bakoon FB page:

"We've just finished one HPA-01M prototype ready for an event during next weekend. The prototype's case is still an engineering sample and unfortunately the current one does not meet our quality standards, but connected to Astell & Kern AK240 and Audeze LCD-X, it surely brings out great sound!!"







"In order to make it as small as possible, the HPA-01M is thoroughly calculated, designed down to 0.01mm tolerance and precisely CNC machined from a single block of aircraft grade aluminum. We are currently considering silver color as well. Do you guys like this?"










Indeed a great size match with Hugo...


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## rudi0504

^^^
I Dont like the input at the Site , it is difficult to manage the ICs cable as i,can see at the picture above use Lshape Connector 
It is Cool DESIGN except the Connector on the Site 
IMO


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## tmac7balla

sub'd


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## mscott58

Love my HPA-21. Wonder how this will stack up against its bigger brother?


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## DanBa

lorspeaker said:


> Plastic or metal? How much?


 
  
 €1000 according to 6moons:
 http://6moons.com/audioreviews2/bakoon2/1.html


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## warrior1975

A little pricey... On my list of possibilities for my AK240.


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## Ultrainferno

I have one incoming. I loved the Current Out on the HPA-21.
 I've listened to a HPA-01M prototype already and I liked it with my Audeze's


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## Shini44

does it have an adapter? so we be able to use our CIEMs on the Desktop rig as well, that would be really nice.

 can't wait to hear more about the sound , i hope it will be a good amp compared to the Hugo's Amp section and worth getting.


 i heard that the HPA-21 desktop version is little on the warm side and with less dynamic on the Treble, hope this one be more on the Neutral side and more Transparent than the Hugo's amp section, and ofc without sacrificing the well known musicality of the HPA amp series. 


 someone correct me please in case i had some wrong information, it was like more than a year since i did read anything about the HPA serious, maybe 1.5 years.


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## HiFiRobot

Heard the HPA-01M this weekend. To my ears it was crazy good with the LCD-XC. Perfect balance, airy and detailed but still natural sounding.


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## bmichels

Bakoon says about the HPA-01m " _We put exactly the same HPA-01 circuit inside _..." but I believe that the HPA-01 is advertised as more powerful (1 watt) than the HPA-01m (350 mW) ? ? 
  
 So, while I know that the HPA-01m is really good with the LCD-X, I wonder if the HPA-01 will not be an even better amp for my LCD-X ? 
  
 thanks


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## Ultrainferno

The HPA-01M is great for planars, but the HPA-01 was even better with my LCD2/XC


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## bmichels

ultrainferno said:


> The HPA-01M is great for planars, but the HPA-01 was even better with my LCD2/XC


 
 thanks.   This is all I wanted to know


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## Ultrainferno

Headfonia review is online now btw: http://www.headfonia.com/bakoon-international-products-hpa-01m-for-ears-and-years/
 Headfonics review by Marcus is here: http://headfonics.com/2015/03/the-hpa-01m-portable-amp-by-bakoon/


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## Shini44

did any one pair it with Hugo Chord being the DAC? cause i might for for this pair in the future to use with my CIEMs.


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## Ultrainferno

Have you read the last paragraph of the HFN review?


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## Shini44

ultrainferno said:


> Have you read the last paragraph of the HFN review?


 
 oh cool! yet not sure if he will update the review itself or just add in a new section


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## Jorge Luna

I cant bring my self to pull the trigger on this baby. the price is twice as much as any other piece of equipment I own.
 I would love to see this amp wind up on Massdrop.
 Who's with me?
  
 https://www.massdrop.com/vote/high-end-headphone-amplifier-solid-state


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## Shini44

jorge luna said:


> I cant bring my self to pull the trigger on this baby. the price is twice as much as any other piece of equipment I own.
> I would love to see this amp wind up on Massdrop.
> Who's with me?
> 
> https://www.massdrop.com/vote/high-end-headphone-amplifier-solid-state


 
 i am with you man, but can i use this on the desktop like for hours? with it being plugged ofc,  how does it sound with while being charged? the same?

 not planing to use it as  portable at all so i don't care if my method / usage will bring the portability time down.


 if it will sound the same plugged, the be my guest, i am planing to use it with my Hugo.

 i did already sign up in the mass drop site, and voted for this epic amp ^^


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## Ultrainferno

It can't be used whilst loading. It lasts for about 8 hours on a full charge


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## Shini44

ultrainferno said:


> It can't be used whilst loading. It lasts for about 8 hours on a full charge


 
 still not bad, i am eyeing this amp, or might go with the WA7 + EH tubes before it, but this one is definitely on my wish list.


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## Chickytwinky

I have one.
 It's sound very good .
 I think best in market now for portable headphone amp. 
 And still very good power output , I tried it with LCD-X it's very good matching.


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## 0Melonpan0

Have anyone compared the voltage output on this one with other portable amps (Cypher Labs Duet)? I have read one review saying dynamic headphones can either go to HPA-01m or Duet which make me curious about these two sonic difference with dynamic headphones
  
 I don't have any planar magnetic headphones and have no intention of buying those for awhile, so I might not be using(and benefited from) the current output much...
  
 Actually, No need to be a comparison with Duet, just a comparison of HPA-01m's voltage mode with any other hi-end portable amps is awesome (I really don't have time to audition them...).
  
 Thanks in advance for any helps!


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## donkeanu

any comparison with the wagnus epsilon?...


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## sp3llv3xit

Tried the Bakoon today.  No way is it good enough to drive the X.

 For IEMs, save for that little hiss, it sounds very satisfying though.


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## Ultrainferno

Drives my LCD2 and XC perfectly


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## yugas

I'm enjoying a lot the sound performance of the HPA-01M, the synergy with my Audeze EL-8 it is something remarkable, clean, fast transients and very very musical. Just to make a note, with the EL-8 (open) I like better the pairing with the Bakoon even than my Violectric V100 desktop amplifier, sometimes is not all about power...the best portable amplifier with planar for sure, from my point of view.
  
 There's another can that truly sings with the Bakoon, and this is the Master&Dynamic MH40, in general I prefer the "current" output with planar and also with low impedance dynamic driver headphones, it sounds more linear and precise to my ears, and neutral but in a good musical way, if the synergy is good the sound is completely addictive...


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## NehPets

Aside from the Hugo and Mojo (because I'm already aware of those), are there any other suggestions for a DAC pairing for the HPA-01M? I'm not really interested in a DAP as I already have a transport. Currently I'm taking the headphone output from a Resonessence Concero HP directly into the Bakoon but I'm wondering how much better something else might be. Thanks.


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