The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by leeperry

I will ask a few EE's, anyway LT1213 has a major lack of definition compared to LT1124....the burson is starved.

Samuel Groner has tested them both and the LT1213's distortion performance is much better, especially in the upper side of the spectrum.

Low distortion is meant to sound non-aggressive, anyway. For instance, the OPA-Earth's aggressive portrayal of detail (especially in the midrange) didn't sound like low distortion, to me.

[Andrea:]

And the LT1469 too is a lower distortion opamp than the LT1124.


BTW, if you like definition that much (even if it means forwardness - at least the chips don't have 1% of THD), why didn't you like the LT1678? The LT1677 had a lot of fine detail resolution indeed, and a lot of airiness too.

[leeperry]

well 1124 sounds very high-def, 1213 is a major step back..and so is 1469 to a lesser extend.

I did try LT1678 in the past, but I gave them a to friend so I won't be able to try them again...they were not as amazing as LT1124 anyway(that I'm gonna roll back in a few mins)

[Andrea:]

If you like it high-resolution you should try a pair of OPA2211

[leeperry]

it's like a dual 211? actually I think I'm more of a LT guy than a BB fan...hopefully OPA228P will prove me wrong tomorrow, but I kinda doubt it. I've already caught majkel saying lot of stuff I disagree w/, so we might just have different set ups/tastes and expectations...not like there's anything wrong w/ that, but saying that the new burson was the same as Moon was utter **.

and I'm still listening to LT1469IN8 as I got lazy, ahhhhhhh SQ is terrible...sounds like a cheap AM radio when fed to the Burson, when a LT1124ACN8 sounded like high-def hifi.

[Andrea:]

The LT1469 is an unforgiving opamp. I don't know in combination with the Burson? Maybe too much.

Well, the OPA2211 (yep, two OPA211 in one package) has a sound that should go well with the discrete opamp, surely quite different from the sonic character of an LT1469. And surely it's very transparent. It only lacked the beautiful tonal quality of the LT1028.

[leeperry]

define "tonal quality" please

that's what OPA Sun-V2 was lacking I think, and even majkel agreed on that.

[Andrea:]

Pleasantly colorful sound, something like that. The OPA211 would've been my favorite opamp if it only had a better tonality. But since fidelity is also tonal fidelity, the LT1028 takes the prize for the most well rounded opamp.

[Andrea:]

CS4398 + LT1028 is really a remarkable combination. It does everything right.

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Pleasantly colorful sound, something like that. The OPA211 would've been my favorite opamp if it only had a better tonality. But since fidelity is also tonal fidelity, the LT1028 takes the prize for the most well rounded opamp.

I hope you aren't confused by my 'definition'... I don't really like to distinguish between a sound that is faithful to the recording and a sound that is pleasing to the ear. These two things are not supposed to be in contradiction with each other by any means! Just in case..