The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[wwenze]

Originally Posted by optimationman

When you guys finally settle on what sounds best to you, would you send me all or some of the opamp rejects. I think I might be able to find something in the reject set that might suit my music, my system, my taste etc etc. I would be will to send on the ones I reject!

I'd like some too.

Especially OPA627, 827, and Earth/Sun.

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by grael

Hello guys,
I'm a newbe, waiting for this PCM1796 Poppulse DAC that Andrea looks at.

I've followed this really interesting thread and I'm wondering which mods could be easily applied to this DAC.
There are 3 opamps on this board, two 5532 and an unknown one just before audio out.

What do you think about exchanging 5532 by double LT1028 (like those linked by Andrea : Two-2x-Mono-to-Dual-OPAMP-2x-LT1028--%3E-NE5532 )
And what about the third one, another double LT1028? Or Earth, Burson...

Thanks by advance for your advices!

Hi,

Good choice. The two Philips NE5532 perform the I/V conversion. They're soldered to the board (at least in the available internal pics), so my guess is that they thought them quite good for that purpose. I probably would not replace them. Also the NE5532 should help keep the sound musical; so...

...you can use a high-resolution opamp to buffer the output, like a pair of LT1028ACN8, or a pair of ADA4627-1, or a pair of OPA1611...

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by leeperry

Andrea, while you still have those Earth around.....get a nice USB DAC like the HA27 I showed you(59 EUR), and roll roll roll!!!! you can get KS/ASIO support for it w/ the ploytec drivers, and you could put 2*LT1028ACN8 + 1*Earth.

Earth is really unmatched for SS separation, width...tell me all that you want, but I've tried a truckload of IC's nothing sounds like that as final buffer(they're known to stink on DAC output, though)...IC's simply cannot sound this creamy, it'd be like comparing a $100 bottle of Champagne w/ the cheapest one you could find.

It's like SS to tube, like audio cassette to CD...R E A L L Y!

I wonder why majkel thought LT1028/AD797B would sound miles better than Earth...prolly because he used a design that's not compatible in the first place. or maybe he's got some grief towards Kingwa, but you simply CANNOT get this SS richness w/ a cheapo IC.

if burson got famous all over the internet w/ those chips, there's a VERY good reason

hehe, take your responsibilities

get a whole bunch of samples, and roll!!!

we don't know how this design works, nor do we have your ears..

I remember the sound of the Earth well, it was appealing at first, but if you looked closer... That's what majkel must think, too. Ah, that guy is a genius.

Regarding the USB DAC you suggest, it looks good from a quality/price perspective, but has a PCM2702 DAC which is (has to be) much inferior to a PCM1796 + (I/V) NE5532 combination.

[bichi]

eh?
- no OPA1611 (single) or OPA1612 (dual) tests yet?

Precision Amplifier - Wide Bandwidth - OPA1612 - TI.com

[Andrea:]

I agree... I couldn't anymore, so it's the turn of someone else...

I do have them. Maybe I'll put the OPA1611 in my "cmoy"


I really think that these are some of the most interesting opamps around - surely more than an OPA827.

[Andrea:]

IF they aren't better sounding than an OPA211AID, though, they won't be better than an LT1028CS8 too. So I don't regret my choice for this DAC I'm using. I'm so happy


I also have the OPA211ID, BTW. I'm curious about these, too.



Regarding the cmoy...well, it's incredible how good the AD845K performs in there. I guess it's my favorite AD opamp so far, above the classic AD8610 or the AD843, and maybe preferable to the AD797 in low-gain or unity-gain applications, too.

[leeperry]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

I remember the sound of the Earth well, it was appealing at first, but if you looked closer... That's what majkel must think, too. Ah, that guy is a genius.

Regarding the USB DAC you suggest, it looks good from a quality/price perspective, but has a PCM2702 DAC which is (has to be) much inferior to a PCM1796 + (I/V) NE5532 combination.

well, feed it well and it will reward you greatly! and it sucks on DAC output.

but w/ the LT1469, it's AMAZING...basically you wanna feed it w/ the cleanest signal possible.

well about that DAC, it's cheap as hell, you can roll all that you want(2*1028ACN8+Earth), you get ASIO/KS and my friend loves it more than his STX(that has a sandpaper sound anyway)...that was just a suggestion anyway, you both are missing greatly on the Earth as you don't seem to have used it in a fully compatible design.

I'm listening to it as we speak w/ fresh ears, and in a blind test there's no way anyone would believe you that the source is a computer....it sounds so much NOT computer, unlike all those IC's I've tried(like the 1028ACN8 as final buffer).

anyway, you'll never change your mind...keep on thinking that Earth is crap, but in a proper set up it blows up all IC's up in the sky!

[Andrea:]

Why wouldn't I/we have listened to it in a fully compatible design? It's an opamp, it works well at +/- 15V, has FET inputs (non critical), has better output current than chips so it's a good buffer, it even was properly grounded, and had bypass Wima caps added by myself, so...what?

Nah, I don't believe it I see why you like it, but me, I don't miss it. Everyone favors different things.


Did even Samuel Groner measure it in a non fully compatible design?

[leeperry]

well, what did he have to say about it?

you'll never get this kind of SS from an IC.

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by leeperry

well, what did he have to say about it?

you'll never get this kind of SS from an IC.

I agree to the second sentence. But I still prefer the chips. To me they're just more truthful...and ultimately more enjoyable. Be careful...that thing might spoil your ears.


BTW I agree... the LT1469 can be amazing. If I were you, I'd think I had found the perfect mid-way opamp for that soundcard. Now you only miss the perfect buffer