New OPPO DAC/Headphone AMP looks impressive

Good points. I'm just looking for a quality DAC for the stereo rig. Doesn't have to be portable. But I do want whatever will sound best overall. The feature that the gate arrays can be reprogrammed/updated is appealing.

You have to wonder to what extent that will happen since Chords (like everyone else's) first order of business is selling new model Chords. But if the Hugo out of the gate is clearly better that's all you need to know.

Looking forward to the day these gate arrayed DACs will have multiple configurations like DSP modes where they can be optimized to diffent system characteristics. More revealing, neutral, warm forgiving etc.

Finally got mine in the mail. Sadly waiting on the speakers so all I have in the house are Sony $60 pr from Walmart speakers. Wouldn't dare comment on SQ given no burn in and speakers. But it's very nicely designed with excel lent build features and design.

Much smaller but feels heavier than 105-D. Love the blu tooth and all other connectivity. Am using straight into a Cary SS amp and has plenty of gain. We'll see about SQ once my Veritys arrive but so far I like it. OPPO knows how to build it right.

The $60 Sony speakers are horrible sounding in general. Irritating tweeters, non-distinct boomy bass, nothing really positive. We're used for temp rear speakers in a 7.1 setup.

But I left the HA-1 to burn in for about 15 hours so far and there are big improvements from out of the box already. Aside from the obviously unrefined sounding tweeters etc, I'm actually getting some excellent depth, well balanced and coherent sound, surprising imaging, etc.

I won't know until the Parsifals show up, but with very little burn in, the preamp section has already improved considerably.

If this has the respectable preamp section I think it will, throw in a lower cost high value speakers and 2 channel amp (and a computer or iPod) and this could be the centerpiece of a very satisfying over performing mid-fi setup.

It might prove to be a weak link for the Cary electronics and Verity Parsifal speakers - but the juries still out. We'll see next week when the Parsifal's come knocking. I have the feeling it might hold its own.

Hi Larry, so what do you think of the oppo as a dac.? I am in the same boat as you. looking for a better DAC. I just got the oppo ha-1 last week and hooked it up to my pre-amp along with my other dac, an inexpensive Dac-magic. When switching inputs I could not hear any difference at all in the sound, I mean none. I thought I would be able to hear something different. I have a pretty good system so I don't think that's the issue. Pass labs XA-100.5 amps. Xp-30 pre and magnepan 3.7s. I was streaming thru a squeezebox touch. I like the features but with no improvement in sound I am sending it back for a refund.

Titanium, probably it needs more burn in time don't you think?