[lee730]

Finding the FX700s to pair very nicely with UHA4/Hifiman 601. I feel the FX700 are better than the EX1000s (that treble spike is insane on the EX1000). My pure silver cabled IE8s are still up their though with the FX700.

 

[sicksugar]

Quote:

The question is still missing an answer. What op-amp would be more synergetic with W4? Although I understand that W4 is not day and night with amping but I just want to decide it myself. 
 

I would also like to join Fausst in asking this question. I have recently bought a pair of W4's, running from a Cowon X7, i've already noticed significant improvement when amped from my old Xin SuperMini3, and would like to upgrade to a UHA-4, but the opamp question is what's keeping me from pulling the trigger. I've read several opinions saying the 8610 is good for darker phones, and the 627 is great for clear phones, but i found no info on the 209 and haven't found much about synergy with the W4. Anyone?

 

[Anaxilus]

What do you find the W4 lacking?  There is no universal right answer, depends on your tastes, preferences and how you hear your phones.

 

[sicksugar]

Quote:

What do you find the W4 lacking?  There is no universal right answer, depends on your tastes, preferences and how you hear your phones.

Well, i'm coming from a long while with ER4's, and while the W4's are much richer overall, they lack the detail and spark the ety's have. I guess that's what i'm trying to bring out of them.
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Well, i'm coming from a long while with ER4's, and while the W4's are much richer overall, they lack the detail and spark the ety's have. I guess that's what i'm trying to bring out of them.

I'd get the 209 then for detail.  If you want a funner sound on both ends then the 8610 but it's less transparent.  There might be other opamps that work better but I haven't tried them and I'm sticking w/ opamps Nick decided to use and offer for his topology atm.
 

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

The E10 looks like a usb dac/amp rather than portable so unless I'm mistaken it will not have a battery. 
 
The issue I have with other portable dac/amps is the volume control since I only use mine with customs. They usually have one or two issues which is channel imbalance which the UHA4 does not have or that it gets too loud too fast and because of the volume control on the UHA4 I do not get that. It would be nice to have a better dac but with the UHA4 I don't really seem to care anymore..although the E10 would be tempting at the price when it comes out.

The volume pot on the UHA4 is IMO the best in any sub $300 portable amp I have tried. Did I mention I like the volume pot in the UHA4? 

 

 

[lee730]

The volume pot on the UHA4 is IMO the best in any sub $300 portable amp I have tried. Did I mention I like the volume pot in the UHA4? 

 

I like the UHA4 so much that I am so tempted to buy the UHA6s; bye-bye Fiio E9 lol. Think she's going up for sale real soon . How much do extra op amps cost in general. I'd like to have at least 4 so I can change up the sound. Maybe one for a very spacious sound stage. One for mid centric presentation, probably the stock op amp for that.

 

[moodyrn]

the opamp isn't socketed. it will require soldering. so you just can't switch them out and they're also smd(i think) which is why most people send them back to leckerton to have them replaced.

 

[shotgunshane]

The UHA 6 is socketed.

 

[moodyrn]

I misread his post. Thought he was referring strickly to the 4.

 

[lee730]

No I'll keep the 4 just how it is, but for home use I'd love a UHA6. Anaxilus says is superior in every way to the 4 and I already love how the 4 sounds.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

No I'll keep the 4 just how it is, but for home use I'd love a UHA6. Anaxilus says is superior in every way to the 4 and I already love how the 4 sounds.

Except size and channel imbalance at low volumes.  
 
I would actually prefer the UHA4 to reset volume to 0 when switched off.  I didn't like having potentially loud settings retained when switching to more sensitive phones or when ears are more sensitive.  It is nice, not sure I find it better than the Pico Slim pot though.
 

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Except size and channel imbalance at low volumes.  
 
I would actually prefer the UHA4 to reset volume to 0 when switched off.  I didn't like having potentially loud settings retained when switching to more sensitive phones or when ears are more sensitive.  It is nice, not sure I find it better than the Pico Slim pot though.
 

Are you talking about the 4 or 6? Never noticed any significant channel imbalance on the 4. I heard pico suffers from popping when powering on the unit (could potentially damage the IEM).

 

[Anaxilus]

6.
 
Pico does pop, but that's not a pot issue more a design one I believe.  O2 supposedly has a light pop too but it's okay since it's perfect even though the designer critiqued another amp for popping.

 

[lee730]

What I like about the UHA4 is the mute feature, so instead of worrying about the same pop effect I get on the Hifiman601 (even the Sflo2 had it bad) I just press the mute feature until the device is completely powered on. The Sflo2 had it even on the first song played, the Hifiman just on power up.