theBIT unveil their flagship Hi-Res Player – Audio Opus#2

theBit Opus#2

8.9

Sound and Build Quality

9.6/10

Specifications/Features

9.0/10

Value For Money

8.0/10

Pros

• Top tier high spec signature
• Very easy to use and fast boot times
• Competitive Pricing

Cons

• Only has 1 Micro SD Card Slot
• Volume Dial Lock on software would be nice

Sound quality

After my comprehensive coverage of the many DAP features and build, lets get onto the most important bit – how is the sound signature quality!

I will look first and foremost at the sound as it comes direct from the Audio Opus 2. The sound signature that comes from a track dropped onto the DAP and played through the unbalanced 3.5mm headphone output. This is the simplest purest test and surely will be the main use for the majority of aspiring owners. I am guessing that the interest here will be for those looking for a no compromise all in one portable solution. I can, and will add other boxes and cables to the Opus , but there would seem little point in doing this if the sound at the heart of the matter was not to the required standard.

The SQ on the Opus 2 is superb , I am pleased to tell you. I am hearing a linear signature that brings out the character of the dozen or so IEMs and Headphones I happen to have knocking around.

I listen as I write to a review model of RHA’s CL750 IEM. this is an IEM launched on Nov 25th 2016. The premise of the CL750 is that it needs an external amp to provide it with sufficient power to work well. With a sensitivity of 89 dBs and an impedance of 150 Ohms these are not for your smartphones. An impedance of 16 Ohms or less and 100 dBs or more is needed to get an IEM loud enough to work in a normal Smartphone or DAP.

Not so with the Opus 2. The normal character of RHA’s tuning is of a crisp bassy affair which tends to lean towards fatiguing. The Opus 2 shows that RHA have upped their game. There is a great combination of linearity which I have no problem listening to for hours. The CL750s work as well through the DAP directly as they do hooked up to their big brother ; the review sample of RHA’s first ever Dacamp – the D1. In fact , the colouring the D1 gives to the 750s may not be as preferable to the neutrality of the Opus.

The RHA C1 Ceramic does sound better through it’s D1 Dacamp as partner. The balanced cable supplied with the C1 has a large termination which does not fit the Opus 2 so a direct comparison was not possible.

The Opus 2 will take balanced and has a mini balanced alongside the 3.5mm. The C1 goes up a notch with the balanced silver cable and the unbalanced is noticeably below the SQ that the Ceramics can achieve. So lengthy auditioning of the RHA flagship was not worthwhile on the Audio Opus as it was not a fair fight.

The oBravo Erib 2a , an unusually retro looking hybrid neodymium planar IEM has polarised those within the Audio Community who have listened to it. There appears to be a lack of sub bass and a highly forward mids signature at first listen to these down from the ear monitors. The qualities that brought me to buy these quirky phones is there in spades on the Opus and I now have a wider soundstage with a visceral quality to the upper bass and mid range. I could go on at length but maybe there is time for one more example of what the Opus is capable of.

I have plugged in my Sennheiser HD800s to the Opus 2. I have managed to get a 3.5mm cable for them , following my purchase last year of the Chord Mojo. I have heavily modded my 4 year old HD800s with a lambswool and SuperDuPont Resonator Mod.

The Audio Opus drives them perfectly well , at 120 from a possible 150 and in high gain , we just stay out of the red. The HD800 Headphones use the landscape provided to them and do their magic unconcerned they are doing it without using the Chord Mojo as their usual companion.

The Ibasso DX100 was used as my comparison DAP. Still acknowledged by Ibasso as the best sounding DAP they have made to date, this is a much chunkier player than the Opus and has an amp inbuilt which can match the power output of it’s rival and even arguably out power it quite comfortably.

Power is not everything of course, the DX100 shows how far we have come in the Digital world since the player’s introduction in Summer 2012. The DX100 was not as enjoyable an audio experience against the Opus 2 . The sound was not as refined , the micro details were less noticeable , the bass was flabbier and the soundstage was more pulled in when A/B’d with the Audio Opus 2 player.

I have recently been to HighEnd Headphones store in Bedfordshire and they have a variety of some very special players. Of course , I had to try the Astell & Kern AK380 whilst I was there.

Another occasion I had some time with the AK380 was at CanJam London 2015. All in all , I have had 1 glorious hour with this work of art. Whilst it is a time apart , I do not feel that the 380 in sound stakes alone had much if anything to offer over the Opus 2.

I feel I preferred the flatter response of the Opus 2 over the crispness and width of the 380; both are up there in a very select group.

Value for Money

I’m not sure if this is tongue in cheek to discuss the merits of the Opus in terms of it’s current retail price. It is difficult for me to convey to you whether this is worth 3 times the #1. The 2 is certainly not 3 times worse than the AK380 Copper. But how can we quantify whether anything that can be done for £10 can be good value doing the same thing at £1000? Such things are an impossibility. The marketing companies will tell us about volume levels , the R&D budget the marketing budget. These all go into determining the price of any such bespoke product. I realise that the cost to produce each Opus#2 is only a fraction of the cost that needs to be recouped.

To put this into context , some loudspeakers out there are fetching £250 000. At least we are not there yet in the DAP market. I think Astell & Kern would like to keep heading that way , they will bring Sony along for the ride no doubt.There is an adage that you get what you pay for .

It does not always hold true in the consumer electrical market. Quality can be wrapped expensively in designer clothing, but strip that down to the bare essentials and you see nothing more than a phone without it’s call functions.

There will always be room in the market for quality. Real quality that just sounds looks and feels -right. People will pay for quality and it is down to the manufacturer to be clever enough to know where that ceiling is. At £2999 for Astell & Kern’s AK380 has dared raise that ceiling even higher.

There is also a DAP with no internal storage , no screen , and no ability to play anything other than WAV files. With only 1 3.5mm connection. No marketing campaign. No major design changes (improvements) since the original was made. And it has had a big price reduction to bring it to the bargain price of a cool £2504! Welcome to the Altmann Tera Player!

At least we see Opus hasn’t gone completely berserk for their opening gambit. This is a Digital Player which is theBIT’s announcement to the market that they can rub shoulders with the best out there. I think this has a market provided theBIT can find some stockists.

My DX100, very expensive when first introduced onto the market, has a 10 year labour warranty. The Altmann Tera has a 6 year warranty. I would like to see theBIT doing their bit too.

Initial cost is no guarantee of a trouble free digital device. My DX100 went back to China twice last year for battery WiFi and DAC Chip replacement…..

Conclusion

theBIT has produced a DAP that can be cherished. It sounds great, has lots of features which will be updated over time , it is beautifully built and looks like an heirloom should.

It seems to solve most of the all in one problems for the discerning audiophile; even down to getting mean and dirty with bluetooth headphones. I recommend it to those who want the best and be done with it. For those of you, the search may be over….