2. pc-audio
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Need to replace an Oppo HA-1

Please forgive me up front for computer audio/digital ignorance. I'm an old vinyl and tubes freak who has been recently listening to a small office based system. Also the first time I've used and enjoyed headphones and listened to computer audio through decent components.

The system is:

Computer audio: Spotify (sorry--I know the sound quality is subpar)
Oppo HA-1: now broken and needs replacement
Sugden A21a power amp
Rogers LS3/5A : 15 ohm

This was a fun little office system for a while until the Oppo died.

Can anyone give me a recommendation for a decent little headphone amp/preamp/DAC combo? Remote would be a plus..I'd like to keep it in the $500-$800 range.

Many thanks,

Todd
 

tmw57
freediver
1,364 posts
 

Oh man,nice cans!With those cans an all Solid State,Class A amp will sound excellent BUT if you get the bug & add other headphones, a Hybrid like the xDuoo will allow you to tailor the sound to the headphone with simple tube rolling..For instance a headphone like my HiFiMan Ananda Nano can have a strident,brittle sounding treble with some solid state amps & LOVES a warm tube or HIGH biased Class A Solid State amp,where as something like your LCD-2C’s or my iBasso SR-1’s can sound too syrupy & have flabby bass with too much tube sound...With a hybrid design,a pair of NOS Mullards or new production Genelex Gold Lions would have the warmth wanted for the Nano's & new production Electro Harmonix a brighter sound for the SR-1's or LCD's...
If you really want to explore headphones I suggest head-fi.org...

tmw57 OP
3 posts
 

Thanks man...really appreciated.  I'm sort out of the audio game these days. More into just e-z listening without being too critical of sound quality. I will eventually look into higher rez streaming when I can wrap my head around it..

And after 35 years of having fun tube rolling, I'm done..I think...

 

oldmancraig
1 posts
 

Hi Todd,

I know this is a little late, but I am in process of replacing my Oppo HA1 which I connect to a Sonore ultraRendu (as a Roon endpoint) via USB and also to a PC via a USB to SPDIF converter because there is only one USB port and the ultraRendu occupies that. I really like it both as a pre-amp into active speakers and as a headphone amp, but I need to simplify my desk. The only issue is that the volume stays loud until about 10 minutes of warmup. I'd be happy to sell it to you for $500 plus shipping if you are in the US.

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