The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[grael]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

BTW, if you manage...why not try the OPA1611.)

They only exist in small factor form, no DIP... If I could find some already soldered on browndog, I'd like to try them.
But anyway, I'm really happy with the LT1028

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by grael

They only exist in small factor form, no DIP... If I could find some already soldered on browndog, I'd like to try them.
But anyway, I'm really happy with the LT1028

You have reason to be

[Andrea:]

BTW, grael, I'm curious... what speakers do you drive with your IN80? I used to have the Epos ES12 when I had mine. It was a great combination.

[Andrea:]

I'd love to have an Atoll integrated here & now, to compare with the Pioneer A-209R ...no, not a joke Just curious.


BTW I think that the A-209R drives the high-impedance headphones (HD650) better than the IN80 did (AKG K240M), from their headphone outs of course. I remember the IN80 turning a bit aggressive with headphones.

[grael]

I'm driving some not very well know floorstanders from 10 years ago (around 900 euros) :
Advance Acoustic MA 33
Similar to this one : Advance Acoustic MA 37 Signature - Hi-Fi > Enceintes acoustiques - Tests de matériel : ON-TopAudio.fr
2 ways, Peerless Tweeter, Beyma Medium/Boomer
Fluid, clear, opened, fast enough, really good combo with the Atoll!
A musical delight.

I changed capacitors in the tweeter filter (medium/bass are not even filtered), with a huge gain (Mundorf Supreme + Ampohm Paper in oil)

Changing signal input capacitors in the Atoll IN80 is impressive too (Mundorf supreme too + small ampohm paper in wax bypass). Everything become much more refined, defined, touching, less aggressive in the highs, while keeping the dynamics of the IN80.
Rewarding modifications!

(I don't use the headphone plug, it's probably not its best part!)

[Andrea:]

Does it have input caps? I thought no.. What exactly were they? I don't remember the IN80 having particularly boutique caps inside.

[Andrea:]

I recognize that Peerless/Coral tweeter... my brother used one that looked the same in a small DIY speaker. It sounded nice. Is yours the chambered version?

[Andrea:]

Sorry for the short posts in quick succession


I wanted to say that my Epos ES12 also had an unfiltered (15 cm) woofer. It's one of the reasons why it was so good. It had just a cap on the aluminium tweeter, too.

[grael]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Does it have input caps? I thought no.. What exactly were they? I don't remember the IN80 having particularly boutique caps inside.

Here :
http://mbaert.free.fr/TWEAK%20ATOLL/in80condo.JPG

Originally Posted by Andrea:

I recognize that Peerless/Coral tweeter... my brother used one that looked the same in a small DIY speaker. It sounded nice. Is yours the chambered version?

Don't know if I understand what you mean by "chambered".
Anyway, it's this tweeter, and with good capacitors, it sounds realy nice :
811815 | Tymphany

And yes, if well designed, unfiltered medium can be a very good thing, nothing to degrade the signal!

Epos ES12 seems to be nice pieces!

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by grael

Here :
http://mbaert.free.fr/TWEAK%20ATOLL/in80condo.JPG

I see... not boutique, in fact. Just a pair of 63V or 100V polyesters. I remember Atoll using that kind of coupling caps in their CD players too, at least some time ago. I'm sure that replacing them must have brought a big improvement (having had a similar experience recently, going from Wima polyester to Solen polypropylene).

Don't know if I understand what you mean by "chambered".
Anyway, it's this tweeter, and with good capacitors, it sounds realy nice :
811815 | Tymphany

It looks like the one that my brother used, except that this has a slightly larger magnet (good thing of course). It's not the chambered version, but resonance frequency is low nonetheless.

And yes, if well designed, unfiltered medium can be a very good thing, nothing to degrade the signal!

Absolutely!! If I had that kind of money, I'd buy an Epos again. I love the M5 which is a little smaller than the ES12 I had.