The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[leeperry]

ok, I've rearranged my PC case and got rid of the dready extension leads...I still had to use two high-grade gold plated risers, though(as the red WIMA caps were getting in the way): http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6924/hd2j.jpg

LT1124 is amazing, I'll put back the Earth later today...just to make sure I'm not imagining things ^^

[Andrea:]

Yeah, try that and report... I'm curious. Surely, the Burson has that nice looking Mundorf cap, while the OPA-Earth has those two Evox MMK that probably aren't as nice (even if they're not fake)...

[leeperry]

yeah SQ is really amazing, SS is so clear and natural....talk about euphonic sound

the LT1124 was recommended by a chinese DAC builder that seems to really know what it's all about. I really don't recall getting this goosebump machine from Earth.

[Andrea:]

I would say the same about my DAC that's now playing the XTC's "Homespun".


Nothing's out of place, everything sounds right and in proper balance with all the rest.

[leeperry]

alright!! after many hours of "OMG THIS CAN'T BE" on the Burson+1124, it was time for an emergency crash landing on Earth...well, did I already kill the suspense altogether?

it sounds terrible...you still have the uber-wide SS, but trebles are distorted and colored to death.

SS is much less natural, trebles are ugly to listen to, bass is also distorted...Earth is clearly killing the LT1124ACN8 grain, the burson was embelishing it like you wouldn't believe.

upgrades have that nasty side effect than any previous one is laughable at best

sound is nice on Earth, especially considering the price...but it lacks the uber-transparency of the Burson, basically the new Burson is like an Earth, but much clearer/natural sounding w/ a much better stereo coherence..there's much less bloat between you and the music.

ok time to roll back! then tomorrow try OPA228P/LT1028ACN8/LT1363CN8, also AD797BN when I'll have them...and the quest will have pretty much reached its end for me(LT1630/1632 will be tried as well)

and don't tell me about 3 burson's, too damn pricey...and I'm not sure they'd sound good as AK4396 LPF, Slash47 told me that they'd give a more analog sound(digitalitis will be cured) but not necessarily more details......I just want one as final buffer to allow a very clean DAC output to blossom into some giant killer plant

[leeperry]

okay, just put back the Burson after several hours of OPA-Earth suffering...OMG, the difference is literally night & day

bass is tighter, SS is more natural and MUCH clearer, voices sound true to life, trebles are very clean..ouch, it hurts

you could compare them as a 10€ cheapo entry-level Champagne bottle against a killer 500€ Veuve Clicquot "Vintage Reserve"...both will get you drunk, but the later will taste FAR better

now I'm thinking about putting three burson's, nasty upgraditis

[Andrea:]

Ah, finally you seem to hear the OPA-Earth just as I did

[leeperry]

Burson says that Audio-GD has been pirating their chip, Chinese copies...you know the deal, the same...just crappier.

Well, I spoke w/ Slash47 and he tells me that 3*Burson's will give high PRAT, but not necessarily more details..

the same way LM4562 likes to bring aloud very tiny details hidden the back, most IC's dig very deep to show you what's hidden...LM4562 is of course an extreme case!

he tells me that some AD797B would do pretty much the same job as DAC LPF, and putting 3 Bursons would require some cap pimping on the card itself to pimp things up.

I'm not convinced by the 4*OPA228P...I guess you read my post on head-fi

I'm getting desynchronized dual mono instead of stereo whenever I use single chips on adapters

[Andrea:]

It makes no sense that you would be getting strange effects from just using two singles instead of one dual... all the more so when the two browndogged singles serve the same channel!

What you're not convinced by must be the somehow awkward soundstage presented by the OPA228.


Regarding the LM4562 and the tiny details, I don't find it digs into them as much as an LT1028. I find it has a dryish sound that at a superficial listen may sound like very detailed (the OPA827 being kind of midway between LM4562 and LT1028 in giving such an impression). The LME49723 sounds better, retaining the detail and adding body and color where due.

[Andrea:]

And yes, 3 Burson's on a PC soundcard would be pretty kitsch, almost grotesque, wouldn't it