[FlatNine]

Just wondering why the TTJV Slim doesn't seem to get much action in this forum. I totally love mine! It has great SQ, top quality build, not to mention wonderful support from Todd. I've had it for a month or two now, and my opinion, if anything, has gotten even more positive.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Just wondering why the TTJV Slim doesn't seem to get much action in this forum. I totally love mine! It has great SQ, top quality build, not to mention wonderful support from Todd. I've had it for a month or two now, and my opinion, if anything, has gotten even more positive.

The problem is that it's quite expensive and its performance can be had at quite a bit of a cheaper price tag (UHA4 which also has a DAC at no additional charge). Of course they won't sound exactly the same but they UHA4 is a very smooth and nice sounding amp. I have no regrets at all on my purchase and it runs circles around the arrow at that.

 

[FlatNine]

Quote:

The problem is that it's quite expensive and its performance can be had at quite a bit of a cheaper price tag (UHA4 which also has a DAC at no additional charge). Of course they won't sound exactly the same but they UHA4 is a very smooth and nice sounding amp. I have no regrets at all on my purchase and it runs circles around the arrow at that.

It was expensive, and when I add up what I spent for portable audio, it is over $1200. I probably could have had a decent desktop setup for that.   But, the sound I get is so nice and so much what I personally prefer, that I don't mind. I'm thinking I'll draw the line for portable right here, and get into desktop stuff over the next year or so.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

It was expensive, and when I add up what I spent for portable audio, it is over $1200. I probably could have had a decent desktop setup for that.   But, the sound I get is so nice and so much what I personally prefer, that I don't mind. I'm thinking I'll draw the line for portable right here, and get into desktop stuff over the next year or so.

Same here. My portable set up is approaching $1000.00. UHA4/Hifiman 601/ Silver cable LOD/ FX700 and Silver cabled IE8.

 

[digitalsufi]

How's the UHA4 compared to TTVJ Slim? Heard some good things about the Slim, esp for my JH10x3 pros...seriously considering it, but the UHA4s look tempting at that price..

 

[lee730]

Quote:

How's the UHA4 compared to TTVJ Slim? Heard some good things about the Slim, esp for my JH10x3 pros...seriously considering it, but the UHA4s look tempting at that price..

You'd have to ask someone who owns both. But from what I've read the UHA4 competes with even the Pico Slim (has the sam op amp I think) and is quite cheaper. So going on that I'd say it can compare to the  TTVJ Slim. But the TTVJ Slim is a warmer sounding and laid back amp (Tube like). The UHA4 is more neutral with a hint of Warmth and adds clarity to the mids, without adding coloration. Bass is very nice and controlled as well.

 

[swbf2cheater]

I just recently had all the slims together.  The TTVJ was easily the best in pure sound quality but the most unportable of them all.  Not only is it too long but the input and output jacks are on opposite sides of the amplifier.  A serious design flaw if you want to use it while its in your pocket, you will mess up the audio jacks easily.  It was a broad and wider experience, the best stage presentation of the slim lot and was without question the most punchy sounding.  Lots of kick.  Moderately natural sounding with hints of metallic coloration.  I say that because I had the SR71A at the same time and that amp was the most natural colorless experience out of them all
 
The UHA4 was a good performer for the price but had some harsh highs and lacked a suitable engaging quality for my ears, not enough separation or kick to it.  Was too smooth with its lows and mids and just didn't have the sound quality anywhere near that of the TTVJ.  It was also kind of wide and didn't fit well on top of any of my media players.  Too wide for me. 
 
The Pico Slim was the most fun to use.  Just the right amount of everything, good sound qualities across the board, nothing to complain about except the lack of a large sound.  This is the best choice for iems or earbuds, even small portable headphones that are on ear and easily driven.  It did not mesh well with my HD 598 in the slightest.  My J3s output exceeded that of the Pico slim so it was a bit useless.  Just the Cowan J3 alone provided more volume, but less punch.  The Pico made the sound colder and more punchy at a lower max volume, also had that dumb in and output on opposite ends thing going on which is just so stupid beyond reason.
 
I miss my SR71A after testing all of these.  It was the only amplifier with the most natural sound that was extremely musical.  It did not have the output the TTVJ had, which was significantly more than all of the others.  Much better choice for driving larger cans.  But, the sr71a was clear and crisp enough for me to use with an Edition 8, none of the others could do so.  Again though, it lacked power and is a wise choice for harder to drive IEMS and earbuds, even smaller portables like the DT1350, M80, HD25 II.  Ect ect.
 
Hope that helps.  I no longer use any of them, not one of them justified themselves comboed with my Cowan J3 except the TTVJ.  But then again, its too large and cumbersome for me to consider portable.  

 

[FlatNine]

Quote:

I just recently had all the slims together.  The TTVJ was easily the best in pure sound quality but the most unportable of them all.  Not only is it too long but the input and output jacks are on opposite sides of the amplifier.  A serious design flaw if you want to use it while its in your pocket, you will mess up the audio jacks easily.  It was a broad and wider experience, the best stage presentation of the slim lot and was without question the most punchy sounding.  Lots of kick.  Moderately natural sounding with hints of metallic coloration.  I say that because I had the SR71A at the same time and that amp was the most natural colorless experience out of them all
 
The UHA4 was a good performer for the price but had some harsh highs and lacked a suitable engaging quality for my ears, not enough separation or kick to it.  Was too smooth with its lows and mids and just didn't have the sound quality anywhere near that of the TTVJ.  It was also kind of wide and didn't fit well on top of any of my media players.  Too wide for me. 
 
The Pico Slim was the most fun to use.  Just the right amount of everything, good sound qualities across the board, nothing to complain about except the lack of a large sound.  This is the best choice for iems or earbuds, even small portable headphones that are on ear and easily driven.  It did not mesh well with my HD 598 in the slightest.  My J3s output exceeded that of the Pico slim so it was a bit useless.  Just the Cowan J3 alone provided more volume, but less punch.  The Pico made the sound colder and more punchy at a lower max volume, also had that dumb in and output on opposite ends thing going on which is just so stupid beyond reason.
 
I miss my SR71A after testing all of these.  It was the only amplifier with the most natural sound that was extremely musical.  It did not have the output the TTVJ had, which was significantly more than all of the others.  Much better choice for driving larger cans.  But, the sr71a was clear and crisp enough for me to use with an Edition 8, none of the others could do so.  Again though, it lacked power and is a wise choice for harder to drive IEMS and earbuds, even smaller portables like the DT1350, M80, HD25 II.  Ect ect.
 
Hope that helps.  I no longer use any of them, not one of them justified themselves comboed with my Cowan J3 except the TTVJ.  But then again, its too large and cumbersome for me to consider portable.  

 
Great comparison. Thanks! I agress, the TTJV definitely has some kick, but good kick, as opposed to lifeless cold power. I think it is ideal for my HD650's, and unlike some audio purchases I've made in the past, I'm a happy camper with this setup. I realise how little I actually port this thing around, which is why I'm thinking of getting into desktop gear now. I'd be happy if the sound was equal, *and* I never had to think about battery life again, being that a desktop rig would be AC powered.
 
 

 

[lee730]

swbf2cheater didn't you change the stock op amp on order for the UHA4 amp? With the stock OP amp my UHA4 unit is in no way harsh. It doesn't even add to the top end just refines it. Mids is where its at with this amp as it adds clarity thus making the mids more prominent. Bass is textured but no emphasis added. Pretty much it preserves the sound without colorizing it other than a slight amount of warmth. A very smooth amp IMO.
Quote:

I just recently had all the slims together.  The TTVJ was easily the best in pure sound quality but the most unportable of them all.  Not only is it too long but the input and output jacks are on opposite sides of the amplifier.  A serious design flaw if you want to use it while its in your pocket, you will mess up the audio jacks easily.  It was a broad and wider experience, the best stage presentation of the slim lot and was without question the most punchy sounding.  Lots of kick.  Moderately natural sounding with hints of metallic coloration.  I say that because I had the SR71A at the same time and that amp was the most natural colorless experience out of them all
 
The UHA4 was a good performer for the price but had some harsh highs and lacked a suitable engaging quality for my ears, not enough separation or kick to it.  Was too smooth with its lows and mids and just didn't have the sound quality anywhere near that of the TTVJ.  It was also kind of wide and didn't fit well on top of any of my media players.  Too wide for me. 
 
The Pico Slim was the most fun to use.  Just the right amount of everything, good sound qualities across the board, nothing to complain about except the lack of a large sound.  This is the best choice for iems or earbuds, even small portable headphones that are on ear and easily driven.  It did not mesh well with my HD 598 in the slightest.  My J3s output exceeded that of the Pico slim so it was a bit useless.  Just the Cowan J3 alone provided more volume, but less punch.  The Pico made the sound colder and more punchy at a lower max volume, also had that dumb in and output on opposite ends thing going on which is just so stupid beyond reason.
 
I miss my SR71A after testing all of these.  It was the only amplifier with the most natural sound that was extremely musical.  It did not have the output the TTVJ had, which was significantly more than all of the others.  Much better choice for driving larger cans.  But, the sr71a was clear and crisp enough for me to use with an Edition 8, none of the others could do so.  Again though, it lacked power and is a wise choice for harder to drive IEMS and earbuds, even smaller portables like the DT1350, M80, HD25 II.  Ect ect.
 
Hope that helps.  I no longer use any of them, not one of them justified themselves comboed with my Cowan J3 except the TTVJ.  But then again, its too large and cumbersome for me to consider portable.  

 

 

[swbf2cheater]

Im going to have to disagree strongly with you, I did use the stock opamp on the UHA4 and found it noticeably more sibilant and ugly in the highs vs all of the others on pretty much all my headphones.  Just how my ears picked it up so I guess if you feel differently I cannot say much else
 
<3

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Im going to have to disagree strongly with you, I did use the stock opamp on the UHA4 and found it noticeably more sibilant and ugly in the highs vs all of the others on pretty much all my headphones.  Just how my ears picked it up so I guess if you feel differently I cannot say much else
 
<3

Interesting . Kinda like how I pickup the sibilance on the EX1000s but not many else do. They sound like **** to me due to this.

 

[digitalsufi]

Great review. Really helpful. Pretty much convinced to go with the TTVJ Slim for my JH10X3s. Thanks man
Quote:

I just recently had all the slims together.  The TTVJ was easily the best in pure sound quality but the most unportable of them all.  Not only is it too long but the input and output jacks are on opposite sides of the amplifier.  A serious design flaw if you want to use it while its in your pocket, you will mess up the audio jacks easily.  It was a broad and wider experience, the best stage presentation of the slim lot and was without question the most punchy sounding.  Lots of kick.  Moderately natural sounding with hints of metallic coloration.  I say that because I had the SR71A at the same time and that amp was the most natural colorless experience out of them all
 
The UHA4 was a good performer for the price but had some harsh highs and lacked a suitable engaging quality for my ears, not enough separation or kick to it.  Was too smooth with its lows and mids and just didn't have the sound quality anywhere near that of the TTVJ.  It was also kind of wide and didn't fit well on top of any of my media players.  Too wide for me. 
 
The Pico Slim was the most fun to use.  Just the right amount of everything, good sound qualities across the board, nothing to complain about except the lack of a large sound.  This is the best choice for iems or earbuds, even small portable headphones that are on ear and easily driven.  It did not mesh well with my HD 598 in the slightest.  My J3s output exceeded that of the Pico slim so it was a bit useless.  Just the Cowan J3 alone provided more volume, but less punch.  The Pico made the sound colder and more punchy at a lower max volume, also had that dumb in and output on opposite ends thing going on which is just so stupid beyond reason.
 
I miss my SR71A after testing all of these.  It was the only amplifier with the most natural sound that was extremely musical.  It did not have the output the TTVJ had, which was significantly more than all of the others.  Much better choice for driving larger cans.  But, the sr71a was clear and crisp enough for me to use with an Edition 8, none of the others could do so.  Again though, it lacked power and is a wise choice for harder to drive IEMS and earbuds, even smaller portables like the DT1350, M80, HD25 II.  Ect ect.
 
Hope that helps.  I no longer use any of them, not one of them justified themselves comboed with my Cowan J3 except the TTVJ.  But then again, its too large and cumbersome for me to consider portable.  

 

 

[swbf2cheater]

Quote:

Interesting . Kinda like how I pickup the sibilance on the EX1000s but not many else do. They sound like **** to me due to this.

Yea, we all hear differently hehe, but I feel confident enough to say if anyone else compares them, the UHA4 highs will be the least clear and most harsh.  But, the lows and mids were very nice, as was the stage.  
 


Quote:

Great review. Really helpful. Pretty much convinced to go with the TTVJ Slim for my JH10X3s. Thanks man


 

Definitely, it is a desk or listening station amp and is fully capable of driving larger cans.  If you dont plan to ever use it in your pocket or inside a bag and want something small that doesn't take up space, I would recommend it all day long.  ( I wouldn't pair it with orthos or anything beyond 250ohm that requires some decent wattage ) but for mid fi sets a'la HD 598, the ultrasones, all the grados ect ect, the TTVJ is wonderful.  Just too big for me and not possible or safe to use in your pocket.  Neither was the Pico Slim despite being small, in and output jacks should NEVER EVER UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EVER...REPEAT** BELLS AND FLASHING LIGHTS** NEVER be placed on opposite sides of the amplifier.  
 
you can easily break your interconnects and the jacks themselves.  They are not even that safe with L style adapters.  It is significantly more safe to have both ends pointing upwards out of your pocket for obvious reasons.  :3
 

 

[lee730]

 
 
Here is a comparison from a previous owner of the TTVJ Slim. I'll also post a link to a review to the UHA4 vs arrow
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/550478/leckerton-audio-uha-4-vs-headstage-arrow-3g-a-comparison-mobile-device-warning

1. bulmanxxi
2. 
3.  
4. offline

1. 227 Posts. Joined 12/2009

This is from memory as I no longer have the shadow or ttvj:

All three are top tier amps.
Detail - almost equal with the shadow seeming more analytical due to sounding a bit dry but only relative to e Ttvj and UHA-4
Mids - ttvj and UHA-4 more lush and musical but shadow is not bad
Highs - all are pretty good and nothing stands apart but shadow is quite clear and maybe just slightly flatter where ttvj and UHA-4 are a bit more music/mid centric
Soundstage - UHA and ttvj deeper and wider than shadow but again shadow is very clear but more two dimensional perhaps

All three are great amps but ttvj and UHA-4 are really really close to each other in SQ whereas the shadow is a rather different but still great. Shadow is very very small and I found it a bit impractical as it was difficult to reach and find and adjust volume in a pocket as it is much smaller than iPod or iPhone.

Ttvj has a very nice volume control although not digital but actually I prefer it over the rocker switches that the UHA and shadow sport but the UHA has a bigger one so it's a bit easier to work than the shadow. The shadow has a crazy long battery life.

Given all of the above and factoring price, I can't justify spending more on the ttvj or shadow over the UHA-4 unless there is some synergy issue related to specific equipment.

Edited by bulmanxxi - 4/2/11 at 7:52pm

 

[FlatNine]

Quote:

Given all of the above and factoring price, I can't justify spending more on the ttvj or shadow over the UHA-4 unless there is some synergy issue related to specific equipment.
 

 
Synergy: TTJV + HD650 = Warm, non-fatiguing, somewhat laid back yet lush and engaging. Very sweet!