[modwright]

After much research into the unit and paying attention to customer feedback, I have decided to bring in an Oppo HA-1 http://www.oppodigital.com/headphone-amplifier-ha-1/ and see what we can do to offer a mod for this unit!

Headphones are here to stay, and this product has it all!  Oppo has also continued to prove itself to me as a solid, dependable, reliable and innovative company that supports its products well!

Thanks,

Dan

[barrows]

Dan, interested in seeing what you come up with, but I am curious why you might not decide to do even better by just coming up with a ModWright HPA from scratch?  I guess you perceive the market not being there to justify the development time and I can understand that.
Sure would be interesting though, something balanced and fully discrete with, perhaps, a tube or JFET input stage and MOSFET output stage...
I recently got a pair of Audeze EL-8 and am currently looking at HPA choices, but I'll probably end up DIYing something for my own use-I need balanced input though and there are few DIY designs out there which support balanced input (maybe I'll transformer couple)...
Anyway, I look forward to seeing what you come up with for the OPPO.

[modwright]

Hi, I am actually looking at doing our own HP amp also.  At the moment, I am pursuing a number of tube designs.  I have a couple of options that would provide as much as 5W and would suit the needs of ALL of the newer headphones.

The Oppo offers DAC as well as HP capability and fits a need for many.  Please keep in touch as we follow with more details on this and a standalone tube headphone amp from MWI.

Thanks,

Dan

[mav52]

Dan that project could be rather interesting.  I had a OPPO HA-1 for a while just to see how it compared to my Woo WA6-SE, sent the OPPO back as the Woo just sounded a lot better using my HD600 and Audeze LCD-3 headphones. But I like tubes

[steve in jersey]

Dan that project could be rather interesting.  I had a OPPO HA-1 for a while just to see how it compared to my Woo WA6-SE, sent the OPPO back as the Woo just sounded a lot better using my HD600 and Audeze LCD-3 headphones. But I like tubes

I think what holds any "Headphone Amp/DAC" back from sounding as good as a true HP Amp is that the interface between the individual
sections is never as good as it should be.

I don't care for these confused identity HP Amps as a species, but if anyone can tame them Dan appears to have the credentials to turn this into a component with the ability to correctly function at least a Hi-End level.

Good luck Dan (Maybe you could turn the DAC section into a seperate module & then use the space you recover for Power Supply improvements; He,he.he ... any way you could throw a DSD conversion on the fly circuit into my Metrum Hex (not that I could afford it
anyway !)

[modwright]

Hi, I will see how the HA-1 project turns out.  An outboard supply is very likely.  In fact, I may look at removing the entire supply from the HA-1 and moving it into an outboard supply, so that everything is quieter.

As to custom DSD DAC work, I am sorry but I am just too busy.

Thanks,

Dan

[modwright]

OK guys, I brought one in and looked it over and evaluated it.  It is a beautiful piece and sounds great.  However, due to its size and complexity, I have decided to not pursue this as a mod.

I am still looking for a new mod project though....ideas?

Thanks,

Dan

[jackox]

Hello Dan ! I don't know if that's a good idea but I have been working with MiniDSP Dirac Live products for awhile now and I must say these are very interesting products.
Dirac Live is a very powerfull room corrector solution and the implementation done by Mini DSP is really good.

They offer solutions for stereo and home theater up to 8 channels, the software is excellent but the hardware around the DSP unit board is good to average only.
It could be highly improved or replaced by hifi grade.
The casing should be replaced too.

With MiniDSP there is analog to analog versions, digital to digital and DAC like (all with Dirac Live room correction).
The hardware is modular and it might be possible to work a deal involving only the DSP board with Dirac Live licence.

Highend competitors do exist : Accuphase, McIntosh, Trinnov, Lyngdorf (certainly other I do not know of).
No stand alone Dirac Live only unit yet.

For example I use a MiniDSP DDRC22A in order to sove some issues I have in my living room little stereo system.
I replaced the stock external PSU by a highend linear one, shielded digital IC, replaced the internal wirering by some better and few other things.
It did good but a better analog stage should do much much more.

Dirac Live is also a very good room acoustic diagnostic tool ....

[modwright]

Thanks for the suggestion, I will look into it.

Dan