[soundbear]

Blasto, you'd better change your call name, from what I've heard Robert has activated some sleeper cells in your neck of the woods and you'd better run for the hills, or maybe you call them mountains out there!! 

  So like Seinfeld says "hello Newwwman"  Robert will say "hello Blaaasto!" 

  Head-fi built the arrow into the legend it was, and Basto tore it down and created a new hero, THE LECKERTON.

   Perhaps you were "too harsh"

on ye old Arrow, my bet is that a fully burned in arrow, over 200 hrs, is much smoother than "harsh" and arrow owners know this.  I picked the arrow on "non-burned in" comparison, but I hope non-arrow owners realize that the arrow is still very much an exceptional amp and definately worth consideration.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

^ I like going to Big Bear....
 
Quote:

I thought you only heard a warped soundstage with crossfeed on?

Read under "Conclusion" and under "Soundstage" in the Arrow audio review section

 

[Sylverant]

How is the dac section brandino? I've been looking for a dac/amp combo and am debating between getting a desktop sized one -best sound quality for the price- versus a portable like the leckerton/Ibasso.
 
No one ever seems to have anything to say about the Leckerton UHA-4's dac section, which makes me wonder whether or not it was an afterthought on this amp. How does it stack up? If it really was an after thought I rather my first dac/amp to be something more relevant to me for years to come. Just don't have the money to upgrade source components so often, srry

 

[Nachkebia]

I have been using ibasso D10 as my main dac for couple of years and I have to admit, I find UHA-4 as good, maybe tiny tiny bit less good but still very good.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

Quote:

How is the dac section brandino? I've been looking for a dac/amp combo and am debating between getting a desktop sized one -best sound quality for the price- versus a portable like the leckerton/Ibasso.
 
No one ever seems to have anything to say about the Leckerton UHA-4's dac section, which makes me wonder whether or not it was an afterthought on this amp. How does it stack up? If it really was an after thought I rather my first dac/amp to be something more relevant to me for years to come. Just don't have the money to upgrade source components so often, srry

If you see my second post in this thread it says "Dac Review" I had planned on comparing the UHA-4 to the Headstage DAC cable or DAC stick, but I doubt he'll sell to me now....
 
 

 

[Sylverant]

Ah...I noticed that, I see now. Thats a shame, really. The arrow is still a great amp. What happened to the Arrow 12HE by the way? I remember back when everyone was praising the original Arrow/1G for being a great straightforward amp. Robert still describes the Arrow as a straightforward amp but I'm learning here on head-fi behind the scenes that he added some op-amp's and removed others, coloring its sound. That or straight forward amp's simply don't actually exist. I don't know. The Fiio E5 is one, but it was built to provide nothing more than volume, bass boost and slight soundstage/detail gains at a rediculously low price through portable daps; it doesn't exactly have the space for any serious electronics.

 

[munkyballz]

Quote:

I have been using ibasso D10 as my main dac for couple of years and I have to admit, I find UHA-4 as good, maybe tiny tiny bit less good but still very good.

 
That's interesting.  I haven't done a lot of critical listening and comparison between the two, but I remember doing a fairly quick A/B and found that the DAC in the D10 was noticeably better, smoother, and more dynamic.  Perhaps not a night and day difference, but I could tell right off, which is perhaps a sign to me, as I usually take more time to differentiate and dissect out subtle differences and characteristics between different variables/sources/'phones, fwiw.  Will do some A/B's later though, just to make sure.

 

[estreeter]

Blasto, you arent the first HeadFier to be blacklisted by an amp maker for giving less-than-glowing feedback on one of their products, and you wont be the last. To me, it comes as a welcome change to see an amp criticised, even if it is within the context of your personal preferences - this is the hype factory and we have to be mindful of how easy it is to amplify (!) the hype around a given product.
 
My advice is to just move on.

 

[lee730]

Did you burn your UHA 4 in before doing this quick comparison? Kinda unfair to compare a new amp to a fully burned in one and base your impressions on that. Can also be miss leading to others who may have considered the amp otherwise. Then again its always gonna go down to sound preference as we all think and hear differently.
 
Quote:

 
That's interesting.  I haven't done a lot of critical listening and comparison between the two, but I remember doing a fairly quick A/B and found that the DAC in the D10 was noticeably better, smoother, and more dynamic.  Perhaps not a night and day difference, but I could tell right off, which is perhaps a sign to me, as I usually take more time to differentiate and dissect out subtle differences and characteristics between different variables/sources/'phones, fwiw.  Will do some A/B's later though, just to make sure.

 

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

Lee, relax I'm pretty sure the D10 is the superior amp, but it is a different kind of amp, as I've said before it is a more direct competitor with the UHA-6, the D10 cost more than the UHA-4 and is larger, so yeah, I'd expect it to sound better.

 

[munkyballz]

^Actually yeah, both are well burnt in.  When I was doing comparisons with the D10 and UHA-4 as solely a DAC out to my Corda amp, I thought the D10 gave the better sound.
 
I actually was just listening to a couple tracks using the D10 and UHA-4 side by side, just straight up as DAC/Amp respectively, and I would still say the same.  The D10 sounds a tad more refined, smoother; the UHA-4 might arguably sound minimally "cleaner", but is sharper and slightly more "metallic" sounding.  I would also the latter being slightly more aggressive, as well.
 
They both actually sound very good and I would be satisfied with either if I only had one, but to my ears and preferences, I just think the D10 sounds a bit better, especially when it comes to the DAC section.  Which probably is justified, since the D10 does cost a good 80-90 dollars (+40%) more than the UHA-4.

 

[Mad Max]

What DAC does the UHA-4 use?  Or is it using the USB receiver as as both receiver and DAC?  That's what it seems like from having looked at the Leckerton page.

 

[rudi0504]

I have not heard leckerton uha 4 yet, I have heard the head stage 2 G
In my opinion the head stage 2 G is very good amp in term of impact and sound. Quality

There are only 3 potable amp that really can drive my LCD 2 Rev 1 and Rev 2 very well with a lot off bass punch

And very good impact and very good sound in Mid as well :

Step dance I

RSA RS 71 B in full balance mode

Head stage arrow 3 g


You can add as DAC in between your iPhone 4 / IPad Fostex HP 1 or Hifiman HM 801

You can get the best sounding LCD 2 rev 1 and Rev2

These all are my personal experiment with portable amp setting

 

[rudi0504]

I will post comment from some one who own Leckerton UHA 4 :
 
The amp is very neutral and sweet sounding especially with regards to the mids. Very clear and detailed for a portable amp all throughout, without a hint of brightness. It is slightly dark sounding actually. It does not add any bass of it's own - it reflects the true sound of whatever headphones it is driving as evidenced by the synergy it had with my Etymotic ER-4S.

I am not sure if it can drive the LCD 2 rev 1 , but the specs on those beauties say it's only got 60 ohms of impedance, which is less than the 100 ohms of impedance it took to drive the ER-4S, so I would say it should drive it easily as well.
 
 
I like the slim line looking from Leckerton UHA 4 too, but i worry can not drive Ortho Headphone like my LCD2 Rev 2 in very good sound and impact like my friends Head Stage Arrow 2 G
 
Because i have not hear by my self the Leckerton UHA 4
 
Please advise

 

[ubercaffeinated]

you quoted me there without specifying that the amp was upgraded with the opa627. it doesn't sound like that with the ad8610 with regards to sound signature. just to make things clear.
 
Quote:

I will post comment from some one who own Leckerton UHA 4 :
 
The amp is very neutral and sweet sounding especially with regards to the mids. Very clear and detailed for a portable amp all throughout, without a hint of brightness. It is slightly dark sounding actually. It does not add any bass of it's own - it reflects the true sound of whatever headphones it is driving as evidenced by the synergy it had with my Etymotic ER-4S.

I am not sure if it can drive the LCD 2 rev 1 , but the specs on those beauties say it's only got 60 ohms of impedance, which is less than the 100 ohms of impedance it took to drive the ER-4S, so I would say it should drive it easily as well.
 
 
I like the slim line looking from Leckerton UHA 4 too, but i worry can not drive Ortho Headphone like my LCD2 Rev 2 in very good sound and impact like my friends Head Stage Arrow 2 G
 
Because i have not hear by my self the Leckerton UHA 4
 
Please advise