OEAudio HA2 DAC Review   

Introduction:

Optimization Elements or also known as OEAudio is a portable audio brand that is specialized in portable audio accessories, gadgets and earphones such like MMCX/2Pin Converters, Exchangeable Plugs, Cables, BT modules, In-Ear Monitors and more.

• OEAudio Webpage: www.oeaudio.net/

The OEAudio HA2 that I will now review for you is a DAC/Amplifier dongle that features 2x Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC Chips (Digital to Analog Converters) and is equipped with a 2.5mm Balanced (TRRS) output.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank OEAudio for providing me HA2 DAC/Amplifier for sample purposes. I am not affiliated with OEAudio beyond this review and all these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

Price & Availability:

The actual price of the OEAudio HA2 is about $99.00 USD. More information can be found under the links below;

OEAudio HA2 DAC/AMP

Package and Accessories:

The OEAudio HA2 DAC/Amplifier came in a slim quadrat shaped cardboard box with product brandings and illustration on the top and some product related details at the back side.

Inside the box are the following contents:

1 x OEAudio HA2 DAC/AMP

1 x USB Type-C to Type-C cable (or Type-C to Lightning Cable depends on your purchase)

Design & Build Quality:

The OEAudio HA2 is a portable USB DAC/Amplifier that is equipped with a 2x Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC Chips. Compared to single-chip designs, the design amplifies the output power and at the same time ensures a warm sound with a high density.

The HA2 is able to deliver up to 138mW @ 32 ohm which is pretty good for a Slim and Portable USB DAC/Amplifier, while it warms up a bit when you use it with demanding headphones/earphones.

The body of the HA2 is made of CNC machined Brass material which has a small and slim design with dimensions of about 16.8mm*58mm*6.8mm and weights approx. 26.7grams which gives a nice feel when you hold it in your hand.

The body of the HA2 has a chrome plated surface with a polished mirror like finish, which adds it a premium look and feel, while this makes it also to a fingerprint magnet.

One side of the HA2 features a USB-Type C female port that offers a tight and secure connection.

On the other side of the OEAudio HA2 is the 2.5mm Balanced (TRRS) headphone output.

The OEAudio HA2 comes with a low profile USB Type-C to Type-C connector adaptor cable.

Both connectors do feature a metal housing with a nice silver mirror finish same like the HA2 itself. The low profile cable is pretty flexible and sports a black soft TPU insulation.

The HA2 is a very robust and premium looking portable USB DAC/Amplifier.

Technical Specifications:

• DAC                           : Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 Chip
• SNR                           : 127dB @ 32 ohm 0dBFS
• Output Power            : 138mW @ 32 ohm 0dBFS
• THD+N                      : 0.0005%
• Crosstalk                   : -125dB
• Output Type               : 2.5mm Balanced (TRRS) Headphone Output
• PCM                          : 384kHz/32Bit
• DSD                           : up to Native DSD256
• Dimensions                : 16.8mm*58mm*6.8mm
• ​Weight                       : 26.7g

Connectivity:

The OEAudio HA2 is compatible with operating systems like Android, Windows PC’s and MacOS.It supports plug-and-play which means you doesn’t need to install any driver on Android 7 and above, MAC’s and Windows 8 or 10 computers.

Equipment’s used for this review:

• DAC’s             : OEAudio HA2
• IEM’s              : OEAudio Tita, Final Audio E4000
• Sources         : Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus+, ASUS TUF FX505DU

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Lunatic Soul – The Passage
• Metallica – Sad but True
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
• Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone
• Slayer – Angel of Death
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain
• Lorde – Royal Massive Attack – Angel
• Toutant – Rebirth
• Really Slow Motion – Deadwood
• Massive Attack – Angel
• Muse – The Handler
• Twerl – Lishu
• U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
• Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album
• Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
• Sarah McLachlan – Angel
• Sting – Englishman in New York
• Barry White – Just The Way You Are
• Isaac Hayes – Walk On
• Elton John – Rocket Man
• Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
• Sting – Englishman in New York
• Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers
• Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live)
• Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor
• Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Seasons”

The Sound:

The OEAudio HA2 is a fairly powerful and clean sounding Slim & Portable USB DAC/Amplifier with a mildly warm tonality that offers a pretty good sense of overall resolution and musicality.

This review is written after a burn-in period of 80 hours. My sound impressions bellow are based on my experiences paired with the OEAudio Tita and Final Audio E4000 IEM’s that do show a very good synergy with the HA2 DAC/Amplifier.

Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage & Imaging

The OEAudio HA2 shows a nice synergy with both the OEAudio Tita and the Final Audio E4000, which shows in general mildly warm and fairly smooth/soft tonality. The subbass region of the HA2 shows in general a good sense of depth and intensity when I do listen to the E4000 and Tita in songs like Massive Attack’s “Angel” and Lorde’s “Royals”.

The midbass region on the other hand is a bit more pronounced compared to the subbass area. The HA2 is able to produce a quite impactful and pretty controlled midbass response. The Tita sounds a bit muddy in some bass heavy track, while the E4000 shows a slightly better performance in this regarding when paired with the HA2.

OEAudio HA2 offers a pretty warm and rich midrange presentation with an average level of transparency and airiness. The lower midrange of the HA2 shows a quite soft, sweet and musical vocal presentation when I do pair it with the OEAudo Tita and Final Audio E4000.

Male vocals like Isaac Hayes, Eric Clapton or Sting do sound quite successful and musical, while instruments such like acoustic guitars do sound fairly smooth and emotional.

The upper midrange of the HA2 is moderately highlighted and shows in general a pretty good performance in terms of clarity and detail retrieval. The upper midrange has a smooth yet controlled tuning, with sufficient sense of extension when I do listen to female vocals like Hayley Westenra , Edith Piaf and Aretha Franklin or to instruments such like a violins, pianos or side flutes.

The OEAudio Tita has a soft and forgiving treble presentation that is less dominant than upper midrange and lower frequency region. The transitions from the upper midrange to the treble region are quite controlled.

The treble range of the OEAudio HA2 has a silky smooth and relaxed tuning with a slightly warmer than neutral tonality. The lower treble range has moderate quantity, while the upper treble range is mildly pronounced.

The treble extension is a bit short when I do listen to the Tita with the HA2, while the E4000 shows a better sense of intensity and airiness of this region. The general treble presentation of the HA2 is fatigue free and relaxing that makes it highly successful when I do listen to a wide variety of genres form Pop / Edm or Hip-Hop up to acoustic and jazz music.

The OEAudio HA2 is a pretty successful portable DAC/Amplifier in terms of separation and positioning of instruments and vocals. The soundstage of the HA2 is pretty expansive and shows a sufficient sense of airiness. The wideness of the stage is quite good for a device at this price rage, while the depth is on an average level.

Conclusion:

The OEAudio HA2 is a Portable DAC/Amplifier dongle with a warm tonality and very musical presentation that offers a good level of detail retrieval while listen to both male and female vocals and to a wide variety of instruments. Moreover, it has a plain design that looks and feels pretty esthetic and premium in your hands, while the stock OTG cable shows a very good build quality.

Pros & Cons:

• + Tonality & Timbre
• + Warm & Highly Musical Presentation
• + Good Detail Retrieval (Both with Vocals & Instruments)
• + Clean & Powerful Output
• + Good Build Quality

• – The treble range sounds a bit too relaxed
• – Fingerprint Magnet
• – Warms up when you use it with high demanding headphones/earphones

Thank you for the Read!