Oppo have just released the Oppo HA-2 SE which I reviewed yesterday. Click HERE to read the Oppo HA-2 SE review.

However, what you all wanted to know is how does the Oppo HA-2 SE differ to the original award winning Oppo HA-2. First up, check out the video below to see what’s different on the hardware and accessories.

Video Comparison

Sound Quality

So the Oppo HA-2 has the DAC and the HA-2 SE has the new DAC. The new DAC provides a much lower noise floor, which means sensitive IEMs are unlikely to hear any hiss. Also the “SE” now has 32 bit audio instead of 24 bit.

But specs are all well and good, but what matters is the sound quality. So what I did was test both devices using my Oppo PM3 headphones using the 3 tracks below. I have highlighted the audio differences with each song.

Track 1 – Dancing on the Edge, The Louis Lester Band – Down River

The Oppo HA-2 lacks the sparkle in the treble that the HA-2 SE possesses. The HA-2 is more dynamic and provides a slightly wider sound stage.

Track 2 – Bastille – All This Bad Blood – These Streets

The HA-2 SE has better clarity and definition. The original HA-2 feels muddied sometimes. I think the differences I am hearing is due to the lower noise floor, allowed the HA-2 SE to produce better treble and mid range across the track.

Track 3 – Offenbach: Les Contes D’Hoffman (Disk 1) – Prologue: Glou! Glou! Je Suis Le Vin!

The HA-2 SE once again has the edge over the HA-2. The precision in handling all the frequencies and scaling is slight ahead of the HA-2. I also prefer the mid and treble and overall musicality from the HA-2 SE. The vocal parts from this track felt more realistic from the HA-2 SE over the HA-2.

Conclusion

The Oppo HA-2 SE with its new DAC improves the musicality, dynamics, treble, detail and reduces the noise floor too. The Oppo HA-2 SE provides a decent update over the original HA-2 and consequently is highly recommended. I like the HA-2 SE so much over the HA-2 that I spent the whole weekend listening to all my favourite music!

Useful Links

All my Headphone, DAC and Audio Reviews
Oppo HA-2 Review
Sennheiser HD 598 SE headphone review
Oppo PM-3 Headphone review
Oppo PM-2 Headphone review
Oppo HA-2 SE on Amazon UK