[hotfever]

wondering if you will do apex glacier.........as we know it is 1 of the top-tier amp out there

 

[average_joe]

My Leckerton UHA-6S MKII amp review has been published to the 2nd post in this thread.  Please let me know what you think of the review.
 
Quote:

I knew I wasn't crazy for liking the Q7 this much

 
When it is good, it is really good!  Not crazy
 
Quote:

wondering if you will do apex glacier.........as we know it is 1 of the top-tier amp out there

 
Added to my "wish list" for future reviews.

 

[Bazirker]

Great review of the Leckerton.  Based on the CIEM's you have, do you have a feel for how it might play with UM Merlins?  I'm looking for an amp that provides more of a fun, exciting sound than analytical. 
 
PS - I think you have a typo at the end of the review in the note where you may have double-pasted the comment off of Leckerton's site.

 

[shotgunshane]

@Bazirker, I really liked the UHA-6 with opa209 in conjunction with the Merlin. Since the Merlin was already a fun sig, I thought the Leckerton helped with low level detail resolution and treble articulation. It was certainly a better match for the Merlin than the Arrow 4g and O2 amps I also had at the time.

 

[Bazirker]

@Bazirker, I really liked the UHA-6 with opa209 in conjunction with the Merlin. Since the Merlin was already a fun sig, I thought the Leckerton helped with low level detail resolution and treble articulation. It was certainly a better match for the Merlin than the Arrow 4g and O2 amps I also had at the time.

Thanks! Do you have an opinion on whether the AD8610 reviewed here would be better or worse than the OPA209 for my purposes?

 

[shotgunshane]

Thanks! Do you have an opinion on whether the AD8610 reviewed here would be better or worse than the OPA209 for my purposes?

I never tried the 8610 in mine. Based upon the ears of someone I trust who did (and can't post at head-fi) it's sounds different enough that I'd not recommend it without having tried it first.

Worth noting the 209 picks up a lot of interference from cell phones. That's why Nick stopped using it as his default.

According to two people, the ad4627 is the ultimate opamp in the UHA-6 but I've not heard that one either.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Great review of the Leckerton.  Based on the CIEM's you have, do you have a feel for how it might play with UM Merlins?  I'm looking for an amp that provides more of a fun, exciting sound than analytical. 
 
PS - I think you have a typo at the end of the review in the note where you may have double-pasted the comment off of Leckerton's site.

 
I can't really say, but it performed well with most CIEMs and SS answered!  I think the key is the op amp and how much cell phone interference you are willing to accept.
 
Quote:

@Bazirker, I really liked the UHA-6 with opa209 in conjunction with the Merlin. Since the Merlin was already a fun sig, I thought the Leckerton helped with low level detail resolution and treble articulation. It was certainly a better match for the Merlin than the Arrow 4g and O2 amps I also had at the time.

 
Good to know, thanks!
 
Quote:

I never tried the 8610 in mine. Based upon the ears of someone I trust who did (and can't post at head-fi) it's sounds different enough that I'd not recommend it without having tried it first.

Worth noting the 209 picks up a lot of interference from cell phones. That's why Nick stopped using it as his default.

According to two people, the ad4627 is the ultimate opamp in the UHA-6 but I've not heard that one either.

 
I do want to try the 209, but now I also want to try the 4627 (and some others I have laying around).  Now, if I can only find the time...

 

[thegunner100]

Nice to see the UHA-6S stacking well against amps of its price range. How much of a difference would you say a portable amp really makes with CIEMs, when paired with a high end dap like the dx100 or the likes? I plan on probably selling off my arrow 4g after getting the ibasso dx50. 
 
I know you said you dont have any portable balanced amps, but have you ever tried any at a head-fi meet or such before?

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Nice to see the UHA-6S stacking well against amps of its price range. How much of a difference would you say a portable amp really makes with CIEMs, when paired with a high end dap like the dx100 or the likes? I plan on probably selling off my arrow 4g after getting the ibasso dx50. 
 
I know you said you dont have any portable balanced amps, but have you ever tried any at a head-fi meet or such before?

 
It all really depends on the CIEM as the DX100 drives many CIEMs quite well, but there is still room for improvement from some of the top amps I have such as the FSM-02 and 627.  For example, the Music One sounds its best from the FSM-02, and the Arrow 4G sounds quite good with the amp as well, bringing out performance the internal DX100 amp doesn't.  The 4G might just be a good match with the DX50.
 
I have listened to a limited number of balanced amps, but without A/Bing, it is difficult to really note the differences between SE and balanced.  I did compare SE with balanced for the 801 and found that it was dependent on the CIEM paired with the circuit.

 

[zachchen1996]

Why are there 3 different rows of data for the uha-6s mkii's sound quality ratings?

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Why are there 3 different rows of data for the uha-6s mkii's sound quality ratings?

 
First row = as an amp only, second row = amp + DAC, third row = DAC only (line out to another amp).

 

[Ari33]

Great reviews/comparisons average_joe,  
 
From reading the comparison, choosing the FSM-02 seems a no brainer... but just how close is it to the 627 in terms of SQ?  A small gap or is it just the FSM-02's multi functionality that earns it such a high score?
 
I currently have TF10's and a few other iem's but I'm planning on getting some HD650's or possibly even the HD800's (both 300 Ohms) if I get my bonus at the end of the year... In your opinion what amp would be the best option for me?
 
 
Thanks. 

 

[zachchen1996]

ada4627's for the uha-6s mkii just came in the mail today, even without any burn in, off the bat, it is quite obvious that the ada4627 is superior to the opa209 for the leckerton. Better note weight, timbre, soundstage, etc. Love it! Average joe, If you ever get a chance, can you re-review the uha-6s mkii with the ada4627 opamp?

 

[myared]

Joe,
 
First off thank you for this tremendous thread...
 
In your opinion, is the "upgrade" in the sound of the HM801 one gets with the Portaphile 607 (with either the GAME or the balanced card and used in conjunction with JH16s) worth the cost of the Portaphile?  Thanks.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Joe,
 
First off thank you for this tremendous thread...
 
In your opinion, is the "upgrade" in the sound of the HM801 one gets with the Portaphile 607 (with either the GAME or the balanced card and used in conjunction with JH16s) worth the cost of the Portaphile?  Thanks.

 
If you are referring to the non-freqphase JH16, the 801 is an excellent match with the GAME card.  While the Portaphile 627 does improve the sound, the change isn't as dramatic as with some other CIEMs.  Of course, how much the changes are worth is subjective, so I can't answer if adding the amp is worth the cost for you, but it isn't a combo I would necessarily recommend unless the 627 will be used with other CIEMs/headphones.