[uglijimus]

 
I’ve been on this website for a little while and have read many of your guys’ portable amp reviews and decided after purchasing my own, it was time to give back to the community with a review of my own.
*Note, that I have the Leckerton UHA-6 and not the UHA-6S which has a bunch of bells and whistles that I personally don’t need.  However, I was assured that both of these models have the same SQ.
http://www.leckertonaudio.com/
 
Some Background
I'm using a M3 Meizu DAP, with just a 1/8 inch to 1/8 mini cable connected to the amp, and then I'm going straight out into my D2000.  All of my recordings referenced here are in FLAC format.
 
 
Meets are Good
I had the fortune of attending my first headphone meet in Ann Arbor, MI in January when I first discovered this little gem.  While there, thanks to the generosity of fellow Michiganders, I got to try out several amps like the Ibasso Cobra, the p-51, SR-71B, ALO Rx, the protector (I think that’s what it was)and the Leckerton.
 
Fixing the Problem Tracks
I came to the meet with the intention of buying the P-51.  And when I have my mind set on something, I will convince myself regardless, even if evidence contradicts it, that I must have it.  Having said that, I found myself by the very end of the meet that I was 70% leaning towards the Leckerton.  I first tried the Cobra and knew right away that it wasn’t for me.  It was not bad, in fact, it was good, but not what I was looking for.  I was looking for an amp that could correct what I consider to be 4 problem songs that I use to test out audio equipment.  I don’t expect ANY piece of audio equipment to correct these problems completely, but any improvement to these songs will rank that equipment high on my list.  The first one was Vio-lence’s Oppressing the Masses.  There is a riff where the high hat temporarily buries the guitars in the mix and it has always drove me nuts.  I was looking for something that could kind of pull that out.  I should also add in here which is relevant, that I’ve had a recent scare with Tinnitus.  It’s not bad at all, in fact, it’s quite minor but I’ve blown it out of proportion and now I do my best to listen to my cans at lower listening levels.  I listen at around 63db which is I believe quite low when compared to other head-fiers.  In fact I had trouble listening to the various amps because the conversation in the room at the meet was masking some of the sound.  But that factor made my decision easier. The Leckerton was the only amp that I felt, brought that riff out of the hi-hat chaos it was originally buried in despite the low listening levels.  None of the other amps were able to do that for that particular riff.  Now before everyone jumps down my throat for saying that, the p-51, the ALO RX and the balanced SR-71B were the others that I was on the fence about.  It wasn’t a clear cut decision right off the bat.  I was constantly A-B ing all of these amps constantly, going back and forth, again and again.  The P-51 and the ALO RX were very similar to my ears.  And while they both sounded great, it didn’t get me excited like the Leckerton did.  I think the SR-71B is probably a better amp than the Leckerton but again, it wasn’t what I was looking for.  If I had another round with all these amps again in a quiet room, my decision may be different, but I do NOT regretting buying this Leckerton.
 
 
Balanced 
I haven’t had a lot of time to play with it, but so far I am very impressed.  I should mention that I have the D2000 which I believe to have some heavy lows, a recessed mid-range and a bright high end.  The UHA-6 adds a little bit more fullness to the low end (as if the D2000 really needs it!) pulls up the mids and slightly rolls the high end off giving a more balanced sound.  If you’ve seen any of my previous posts, you may know that I’m an EQ enthusiast.  Ever since using this amp in conjunction with the d2000, I spend less time manipulating the EQ which is nice.
 
 
Incredible Clarity and Definition
Some observations:  again, I was listening to Vio-lence’s Oppressing the Masses  and I noticed something strange. It sounded as if the high hat was slightly off center (60%  left channel, 40% right channel).  And the guitar in the right channel sounds muffled compared to the left.  Oh no…I just spent $229 on this and I’m going to have to send it back.  I couldn’t believe it..it was never on the original recording so it must be the amp.  So I went back and listened to the d2000 WITHOUT the amp.  I listened, and I listened hard.  There it was.  There was a slight favoring of the high hat on the left channel but even though I was waiting for it, trying to hear it, the guitars sounded similar on both left and right channels.  The UHA-6 was able to present new information to me, which I thought was impossible with an album that I know inside and out.  It showed me that each of the guitarists in the band were using different equipment.
 
Recently I popped in Akira Ifukube’s Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995).  The tympani was subterranean.  I really got the sense that this music was composed for a 60,000 ton creature.  I felt it more than I heard it and it was some of the warmest, fullest percussion I have ever heard.  It was a jaw-dropping fullness that I’ve never heard before.  But much like the Vio-lence example, the clarity from the amp revealed a flaw on the part of the recording.  When listening this piece, I could imagine a physical setting where the orchestra members were all sitting, which sounds like a good thing, but I could tell that there wasn’t very many of them which was a bit disappointing.  On a non hi-fi system, the percussion, strings and brass are intertwined into a sound where it’s hard to distinguish the instruments which sounds like a bad thing, but it gives the illusion that all sounds are equal in their power.  But with this amp, it reveals the recording’s true nature:  the tympani make up most of the low end and the brass and strings end up covering the higher mid-range leaving a uncomfortable gap from 250Hz-800Hz. 
 
 
 
Conclusion
My only real complaint with the amp is that the bass could be a little tighter.  Then again, perhaps this amp is just revealing the characteristics of the D2000 which I’ve read countless accounts of the bass flatulence.  I now understand.  I would love to try this amp with a D7000. There is a possibility of switching out op-amps to change the sound, but I’m so happy with the majority of it, I would be afraid to change anything. One of my favorite things about this amp is I am able to listen to my music at low volumes and still have an exciting and engaging experience.  That was a very influential factor in deciding on this amp that I didn't find with others.   I haven’t had too much experience with portable amps, but I sincerely believe for this price tag there isn’t a better amp on the market and I can't recommend it enough.  Here are some pics:
 



 
I should also say that dealing with Nick from Leckerton audio was a pleasure.  He answered all of my annoying question in a timely fashion.

 

[shotgunshane]

By chance did you happen to listen to the UHA-4?

 

[etys rule]

Nice review.  Glad you found an amp you enjoy.  Regardless of other's opinions, the best amp is the one that sounds best to your ears.  I've been considering giving the UHA-6 a try.  Thanks for the effort.

 

[uglijimus]

@shotgunshane,
 
Unfortunately no, it wasn't at the meet.
 
@etys rule
 
I feel the same way.  I knew a lot of those other amps were better or should be, but this is what I liked the best.  You should give the UHA-6 or the 6S a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Since my set up is entirely portable, I didn't need the all the digital features that the 6S comes with, but other people seem to be really impressed by it.