Thought I'd post it here as well:



I'm not a fan of the hpa-2's build and looks. I prefer a wider than longer chassis, but it's not a big deal. The big volume knob that maxvla put on the hpa-2 was nice though; much better feeling than the one on the vali.

I think that the hpa-2 (LT1364) and the hd800s are a great combo! The hpa-2 provides the extra warmth and body for the hd800s while retaining the hd800's great characteristics in its soundstaging and treble quality. Compared to the vali, the hpa-2 has a bit more warmth to it while the vali was a bit cleaner sounding and livelier. They're both great budget choices, it just depends on what kind of sound you're looking for. The Vali is much cheaper however.

The hpa-2 was too noisy to use with the UERMs. As for the Enigmas, I did a little bit of comparing with them and I found that there was a bit more clarity and bass impact on the vali. Otherwise I didn't notice too many differences between the two. A friend of mine did some comparing and found that he had trouble telling the two apart using the enigmas.

With the hd600s, I found that I preferred the hpa-2s over the vali. The vali makes the hd600s sound really forward due to it's lack of soundstaging depth. It works great for headphones like the hd800s and probably the d880 and k702 but not for intimate headphones.

The dac section on the hpa-2 is a great addition and is very usable while waiting for a better dac. It's certainly better than the dac in the uha-6s mkii but I don't think it was better than the modi or odac. Still, for $30, it's a small price to pay for the added versatility.

Overall, the hpa-2 is a nice budget option as long as you pair it with the right headphones and a nice dac. It's not the prettiest looking unit, nor the most space concious, but it does sound very good for what it is.

Thanks again to maxvla for lending me the hpa-2!