well, my friend just put 2*1363 and 2*1028CS8 on browndogs for me...I'm currently listening to 2*Earth>2*1363, and the 1363 is still killing the Earth SQ.
but at least this time I can feel that it works in dual mono, not narrow stereo...I think dual op-amps are fine when each op-amp takes care of the -/+ polarity, but using a dual chip for stereo is a big no-no.
I've ordered a bunch of LT1028ACN8 and browndogs, so when I will have it all I'll try to find what sounds best between 2*1364/4*1363/4*1028CS8/4*1028ACN8 to feed the Earth
maybe you can try the LT1630/LT1632 and give us your feedback.
so far I'll stick to 2*LT1364>Earth, it sounds amazing
but at least this time I can feel that it works in dual mono, not narrow stereo...I think dual op-amps are fine when each op-amp takes care of the -/+ polarity, but using a dual chip for stereo is a big no-no.
I've ordered a bunch of LT1028ACN8 and browndogs, so when I will have it all I'll try to find what sounds best between 2*1364/4*1363/4*1028CS8/4*1028ACN8 to feed the Earth
maybe you can try the LT1630/LT1632 and give us your feedback.
so far I'll stick to 2*LT1364>Earth, it sounds amazing
I didn't like the OPA-Earth... to me it distorted/saturated/compressed/Idon'tknow vocals audibly, and this was with +/- 15V. It did give an impression of detail though
Plus, it had a certain undesirable emptiness in the midbass region. This though can help the feeling of soundstage (like with the LT1677 among chips)
No, I prefer the accuracy of the regular chip op-amps made for audio. Try the LT1028... I've enjoyed the LT1363 lately, but just for a change. The LT1028 has a superior transparency with no question.
Plus, it had a certain undesirable emptiness in the midbass region. This though can help the feeling of soundstage (like with the LT1677 among chips)
No, I prefer the accuracy of the regular chip op-amps made for audio. Try the LT1028... I've enjoyed the LT1363 lately, but just for a change. The LT1028 has a superior transparency with no question.
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There's no simple answer to this vexing question. Think of it like this - who's the most beautiful woman in the world? Some would say Brooke Shields at her peak, others Angelina Jolie or Elle McPherson. The point is, it's all a matter of personal taste. Brooke and Angelina and Elle are all beautiful, just in different ways. So it is with opamps. Try a few until you find the one that sounds best to YOU in YOUR application in YOUR system, then stick with it. Don't worry about what other people think - they don't have your ears, brain or personal tastes, nevermind your particular combination of source, amp, speakers and room.
Listen to more music, not the opamps. Here endeth the lesson.
Listen to more music, not the opamps. Here endeth the lesson.
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well, I'm currently listening to the LT1364 magic vocals amplified by the OPA-Earth amazing soundstage....this is all I could crave for, anything better than that will be free bonus
but there's no way in hell I could listen to ANY LM/LME National chip...these make me wanna jump off the window
I tried 2*dual Earth(each of them doing the +/- of the same channel) and didn't like it...too natural and rather boring. It didn't have that magic LT1364 touch...but amplifying the 1364 through the Earth is out of this worldI didn't like the OPA-Earth... to me it distorted/saturated/compressed/Idon'tknow vocals audibly, and this was with +/- 15V. It did give an impression of detail though
Plus, it had a certain undesirable emptiness in the midbass region. This though can help the feeling of soundstage (like with the LT1677 among chips)
No, I prefer the accuracy of the regular chip op-amps made for audio. Try the LT1028... I've enjoyed the LT1363 lately, but just for a change. The LT1028 has a superior transparency with no question.
but the Earth at ±9V have never been "distorted/saturated/compressed" whatsoever...the complete opposite actually.
yep, LT1028ACN8/CS8 are on my list, I wonder what the Earth will make out of it...but I'm a LT1364 fanboy so far
I'll also try Sun V2...but everything they say on this page applies to the Earth(which was sold by burson as OEM before they made the new model): http://www.bursonaudio.com/burson_opamp.htm
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I know very well that there's no single "best audio chip". The problem is more down-to-earth for me... find an opamp than doesn't make me tired & wanting of a sonic change after a week!
What I named at the beginning of this thread were & are the ones that come closest for me. That is it.
I'll try to stay with one among LME49720HA, LT1028 and LME49723 (and maybe OPA132UA).
Then there would be that OPA1611 that whispers "try me, try..."
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I would easily acknowledge that the OPA627 and the AD8610 sound far more muffled than the discrete Audio-GD opamps. Fortunately we have much more accurate and musical chips today.
but Andrea, how do you know what the music on the LP or CD REALLY sounds like when you judge these opamps? What are you using as your reference point? It has been proved that human auditory memory is very poor over more than a few seconds so how are you sure you're really hearing these differences over a period of tens of minutes or hours?
What you seem to be doing is manipulating the sound of the music to your taste by changing the opamp. Nothing wrong with that but perhaps you should try a tone control or equaliser?
What you seem to be doing is manipulating the sound of the music to your taste by changing the opamp. Nothing wrong with that but perhaps you should try a tone control or equaliser?
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in a proper design, hoping to get the SQ of discrete op-amps w/ IC's is sheer utopia IMHO
if the burson's sell like hot cakes, there's a very good reason...that's because they sound miles better
in a proper design, hoping to get the SQ of discrete op-amps w/ IC's is sheer utopia IMHO
So how do you control what/how many opamps the music signal has been through before it reaches your discrete design.
So many times opamps (IC's) are just not implemented correctly... and it's folly to think you can just keep swapping them to find "the best". The circuit has to be optimised and sympathetically designed to get the very best from them.
Just my thoughts anyway
I seem to have a particularly acute perception of sonic colors (timbres). Of course I don't know the "color" the recorded music originally had (before passing through microphones etc. etc.); and if I based my fine tunings on a single record I would surely and hopelessly be deceived. The trick is to find the opamp that plays all the records the most emotionally... when this happens (or comes close), I know I'm on the right track. Music should move you, no? Well, this is all that I look for. The difficult part is getting all the different styles of music (and recordings) to be done an equal justice... and the genius lies in achieving this
P.S. When I say "fine tunings" I mean not only opamps, but cables (interconnects, digital too, and speaker cable), even speaker supports (e.g. wood sounds different than metal spikes) ...
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in a proper design, hoping to get the SQ of discrete op-amps w/ IC's is sheer utopia IMHO
if the burson's sell like hot cakes, there's a very good reason...that's because they sound miles better
A discrete design can be good, bad, mediocre...
I have heard bad things about the sound of the Burson opamp, regarding its spectral coherence above all. But I know it's always the fashion to trash the chips on audio forums... because everyone can get the "best chip" so easily
yes, I know some ppl think the 5532 is the best op-amp in the world...because all the music you're listening to has literally gone through hundreds of 5532/5534.
I don't really agree w/ that theory, it'd be like saying that because most studios use NS10M monitors, we should also use them?
anyway, the LT1364 is recognized on many forums, and even by its manufacturer when you ask him for advice as one of their top choice for audio.
this chip is amazing, as they said on an asian forum: Google Translate
well I don't care too much for fashion or anything like that, 2 Earth is not good...flat and boring, but 1 Earth amplifying the LT1364 is just out of this world. I've tried a hell lot of chips as final AK4396 buffer, it crushes them all hands down!A discrete design can be good, bad, mediocre...
I have heard bad things about the sound of the Burson opamp, regarding its spectral coherence above all. But I know it's always the fashion to trash the chips on audio forums... because everyone can get the "best chip" so easily
there's no worst/better op-amp, there's only op-amps used in a proper design...you told me about distortion/muffled sound and stuff, the Earth has always been the complete opposite of all this for me. its SQ is just amazing, all the ** on the burson site is spot-on...it just turns the LT1364 sound into stellar proportions
and the burson's are known to work really well as buffers and pretty poorly as I/V...so again, discrete is not the "be all/end all" but as final AK4396 buffer an Earth is just amazing...can't wait to try Sun V2
BTW, I'll try both the LT1028ACN8 and the LT1363CN8 feeding the Earth....hopefully that'll give!
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That sounds just like a description of: "repair at the wrong spot."
In case of a problem that isn't at the location of the opamp, then repairs at a different spot is indicated.
Perhaps you would enjoy either battery power opamp or the very similar quality of opamp running on discrete regulator power. This is a likely way to improve the performance of the opamps that you already own.
A discrete design can be good, bad, mediocre...
I have heard bad things about the sound of the Burson opamp, regarding its spectral coherence above all. But I know it's always the fashion to trash the chips on audio forums... because everyone can get the "best chip" so easily
Whether discrete or chip, an op amp works like: "Input + Power = Output," so, do you have the best power?