1. It was not National Semiconductors.
2. The slew rate depends on the overall level of the signal, doesn't it? You appear to be are forgetting that NE5534 is used in preamps and small amps, where its slew rate is more that sufficient. If you follow the preamp with a 20dB gain power amp, all you need is a 5V/us op amp chip -- even if you take the extreme slew rate from the Nelson Pass statement. The sufficiency of the NE534 for all audio applications follows directly from your quote.
Yes, that is was Jan Didden wrote in #38.
All in all I agree that there is very little that could be improved compared to NE5532.
And yes, there is something: rf-noise immunity is worse compared to op-amps with FET-inputs.
But swapping for higher slewrate is a waste of money.
Bro, I agree with everything you say. I use NE5534/32 exclusively in my audio projects.
That's because audio is NOT a priority in part manufacturing. Not because it is a good part for quality audio
I don't know exactly but it started as the TDA1034 from Philips. Then with the acquisition of Signetics it changed to NE5534.
I also have a few Fairchild SE5534's and even some milspec Raytheon RJ5534's
Jan
That's because audio is NOT a priority in part manufacturing. Not because it is a good part for quality audio
I assume that you are kidding. NE3354 is a fantastic chip.
Agreed. I think that high fidelity audio is essentially a solved EE problem and it has been solved for some time. We've known how to design transparent components with very low distortion for several decades.
And last, but not least: hearing capabilities of us old farts did NOT improve over the last decades
I don't know how to prove that components are getting worse, have not been in the hobby long enough. I guess you have more experience and can compare different vintages of audio chips, transistors etc.
But since the problem of HiFi was solved decades ago, it is rational for manufacturers to move resources to other areas and keep manufacturing trusted old audio designs. Big improvements over old audio solutions would be extremely expensive and not worth it, since the good older designs are already transparent.
On a different note -- what makes me sad at the present moment, is the movement away from HiFi by many "artisanal" shops, who push for higher distortion, "tube sound" etc. That is not high fidelity.
For audio? No, it is not. No kidding. As a stand alone it is but if you can get better sound with more parts, why not, that is exactly what you have to do.
To make a good amp we don't pick one best single transistor. We choose the right transistor for the right position.
NE5534 is an all-rounder. If your chain is 10K pot >> Opamp >> 10k amplifier, NE5534 is probably one of the best. But we can do better than that stupid chain. We can use JFET-input opamp buffer before the main opamp. Or BF862 JFET buffer. Then another buffer at the output if the main opamp cannot drive low impedance load as good as NE5534.
In the above case, simpler (chain) is not better.
As I recall, the TDA1034 came out in September of 1977; it was used in the Neve mixing consoles of the time and was a game-changer---it gave state-of-the-art performance in an easier-to-use/less expensive format than the discrete solutions of the day (such as A.P.I.'s 2520 and the Quad Eight designs). It (in its present-day format of the NE5534) has remained at the top of audio quality ever since. It is the best $1 opamp you can get! Sure, there are opamps that perform better spec-wise---the LM4562/LME49720 is the best PDIP-8 available, only surpassed in the bipolar world by the SOIC-only OPA1612. For higher-impedance applications, the FETS rule (the PDIP-8 OPA2134 and the SOIC OPA1642).
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