I finally got my UCD180-AD amp put together and running in my test environment, a well drilled out bud box which has seen many incarnations. I have a nice Par-metal case waiting as a final resting place. I am using the stock modules which include an HG supply and even the Hypex input cables. I have not modded anything...yet
The amp is very much breaking in but is sounding better each session. At first I though "who shrunk the bass!" but slowly it is filling in and is very natural. Detail is very good, actually excellent. There is absolutely no noise, hiss, humm and the backgroup is as black as my battery run Tripath 2020 amp from Autocostruire. Things are going well.
My listening habits will not be much like most of you out there. I listen to headphones only. I use AKG1000 phones which are very inefficient and are built to be connected to a regular amp binding post. These phones just eat amps but the legend is that if you can find an amp that works then these are about the best phones one can buy.
My Tripath amp does very well with the K1000's but that amp has a rising high frequency response into higher impedance loads. Since the AKG's are 120ohms this seems to be a bit of a problem. The amp sounds great but to my ears the spectrum is a bit tilted up with that amp. The other issue is that my Tripath amp only has something like 20w into 6 ohms. Running it into 120 ohms puts it perilously close to clipping with dense choral passages. Tonight I listened to some very powerful Russian choral music with all male voices. The UCD kept all of the detail right into the most demanding climaxes. I got goose bumps. All that extra power was a big help...
The UCD180 evidently does not have this issue into higher impedance and sounds more balanced to me. I am looking forward to even better sound with break-in. Any idea what to expect there? It already sounds more open, has more lower end, and is less restrained.
Thanks Kevin. I hope to post more impressions later.
Best,
Paul
