Oppo HA-1 amazing specs at a possible bargain price!

[WishTree]

I guess some of us have seen the page for the upcoming Oppo HA-1. Here is the link for Oppo HA-1

The specs are excellent at many levels. DAC chip is ESS 9018 Sabre32 which is same as my Oppo BDP-105. I know how clean and musical it is.

It looks like the Op-amp / Headphone amp section is full Class A and there are several inputs including an APT-X Bluetooth. There are analog inputs, pre-amp function as well.

It also has a remote control, half form factor (makes it portable for all those travels when you are away from home for several weeks in a month - This is one of the product suggestions that I made to Oppo some time back. It is not that they took my advice, but I am glad to know that they are in alignment with some of the real world requirements)

To top it all, the display is customizable, even you get to set VU Meter on the display 8)

Given the Oppo BDP-105 is pegged at 1199 USD, my guess is that this will be at 499 USD. If my guesstimate is in ballpark, and the performance is closer to Oppo BDP-105 DAC+ pre-amp section then it is a huge bargain and Meridian Explorer, for example. feels like a rip-off.

Anyways, I was considering to buy Merdian explorer for my 4 month trip to USA in 2014, which is a bit trickier to buy at the moment as dealers still have the old stock which can not drive all headphones and I understand it is not easy to differentiate the newer version of the explorer from the older one, just from the packaging :quest:

But now I am lot more excited with this upcoming Oppo launch as I am already familiar with Oppo sound from BDP-105 and fits several requirements that I have !! I wish they add the Network functionality to this and then all my requirements will be met :cheer:

 

[Overdose]

Looks like a nice little unit.

 

[Cypher]

This thing looks awesome. I hope it's $ 499 but I have a feeling it will be a little bit more expensive than that..........

 

[James7]

Looks impressive. I wonder who that leading smartphone and tablet manufacturer might be?

 

[The_Lhc]

Looks impressive. I wonder who that leading smartphone and tablet manufacturer might be?

Puzzled as to why they're labelling this as a headphone amp when it also serves as a pre-amp?

Reading between the lines I'd imagine they're talking about Apple, I can't really imagine Android requiring "authentication". That sounds like a very Apple phrase...

 

[WishTree]

It looks like this will be available by the end of this month as per the latest update

http://www.oppodigital.com/future/

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

Really looking forward to this also, I tested the headphones around the beginning of the year when the main developers paid me a visit and they really were extremely good, being a planar driver I expected them to be good but they were extremely comfortabble also, one area where the Audeze's can be critiised, and apparently they have made some quite significant changes since then.

But it is the amp that I am most excited by as talking to the developers they reckon it will drive everything, even the HiFiMan HE-6's, I was supposed to go to the launch on Friday but can't make it unfortunately but at least by the end of the week we will have the pricing. It is just a guess but I would expect both to be around the £1200 mark, which after listening to the headphones is definately justifiable.

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

More information now on OPPO's website -

http://www.oppo-bluray.co.uk/ecommerce/product/pm-1-planar-magnetic-headphones.aspx

http://www.oppo-bluray.co.uk/ecommerce/product/ha-1-headphone-amplifier.aspx

 

[DocG]

It is just a guess but I would expect both to be around the £1200 mark, which after listening to the headphones is definately justifiable.

See WishTree's link to the Oppo site: 'phones are $699 in the US! Should be very justifiable then!

 

[James7]

It is just a guess but I would expect both to be around the £1200 mark, which after listening to the headphones is definately justifiable.

See WishTree's link to the Oppo site: 'phones are $699 in the US! Should be very justifiable then!

i think Paul may have been referring to the more expensive and already available PM1 headphones priced on the OPPO site at 1099USD. The 699USD 'phones are the newly announced PM2. Even if the PM1 come in at £1099, which I would expect, Paul's comments back up what a guy I know in the States was telling me, that the PM1 is comparable with the altogether more expensive Audeze LCD 3. I am excited too by the headphone amp but more so by the two headphones models, which I think could prove very competitive against the Hifi Man and Audeze alternatives. I am currently thinking very seriously about some serious 'phones and will definitely wait now till both the PM1 and PM2 are available.