The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by audioman54

Have any of you compared (in your subjective listening tests) the metal can National parts (LME49710/20HA VFB or LME49713HA) to the various plastic parts that you like? To bad NONE of the most recent National parts will ever make it to metal cans with all us high end guys laid off to push for them!

audioman54

Actually, the LME49710HA is one of my favorite -well for certain circuit positions anyway. I have built them into dual channel modules and sent them off to about 10 people and each time I got back favorable results.

They have proven to have a more pleasing sound then their plastic counterparts, well atleast from testing we did anyway. Everybody uses different gear so testing results will vary.
BTW, I appreciate your information.

[leeperry]

@Andrea: what do you say about this? Head-Fi: View Single Post - The Opamp thread

from what I see LT1124ACN8 isn't either(A-VCL that is), and it sounds amazing..

OPA228P and LT1126ACN8 are decompensated, that's a big no-no indeed...so AD797BN/LT1028ACN8 no workee?

[Andrea:]

False, the OPA228 and 2228 should work fine in the intermediate analog stage of your card, because their outputs won't have to drive any capacitive loads (cable capacitance...), and these are specified as stable in unity gain if no capacitive loading is needed. The same would be true for the LME49722.

And also, most probably, for the LT1028. Just check that it doesn't get too hot, as it's only supposed to get a bir warm. If things look hot, then don't use it. The same goes for the AD797.


Different matter for the OPA637 and even worse LT1126, which are more decompensated than all the above.

The LT1124 is unity gain stable.

[Andrea:]

Note that both my DACs' output stages have gains of around +1, and the LT1028 works perfectly stable and performs better than all the rest I've tried so far.

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

They have proven to have a more pleasing sound then their plastic counterparts

Not for me with my SVDAC05. The LME49710HA, as I said, had this metallic glare that took away the natural color of the music more than the LME49710NA did, and you can count that I made sure of this before I removed the sockets & soldered the latter...

Though eventually the LT1028ACN8 came in to stay as it made things sound better than with both the above (like with my other DAC, except that with the Super Pro the LME49720HA was more interesting by comparison).

[leeperry]

oh, 1124 is gain stable? that's not what the PDF says

hehe, yeah...many ppl telling different stories about these chips...it gets odd at some point

[ROBSCIX]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Not for me with my SVDAC05. The LME49710HA, as I said, had this metallic glare that took away the natural color of the music more than the LME49710NA did, and you can count that I made sure of this before I removed the sockets & soldered the latter...

Though eventually the LT1028ACN8 came in to stay as it made things sound better than with both the above (like with my other DAC, except that with the Super Pro the LME49720HA was more interesting by comparison).

I actually just snapped in a set of LT1028ACN8 sound pretty good just from basic testing. I will have to spend more time listening.
We all use different gear so signature will vary to a certain extent.
I have enjoyed the LME49710HA's I don't hear a metallic glare...
Opinions vary I guess.

[leeperry]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Note that both my DACs' output stages have gains of around +1, and the LT1028 works perfectly stable and performs better than all the rest I've tried so far.

Linear Technology - LT1028 - Ultra Low Noise Precision High Speed Op Amps

"The LT1028(gain of –1 stable)/LT1128(gain of +1 stable)"

shouldn't you trade them for 1128 now ?!?!?!

[Andrea:]

There's nothing odd. There wouldn't exist an LT1126 if the LT1124 wasn't compensated for unity gain applications. And also, how could an opamp with 12.5 MHz of GBW and just 4.5 V/us of slew rate be unity gain unstable?

Trust me... even if I haven't read the datasheet in detail

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by leeperry

Linear Technology - LT1028 - Ultra Low Noise Precision High Speed Op Amps

"The LT1028(gain of –1 stable)/LT1128(gain of +1 stable)"

shouldn't you trade them for 1128 now ?!?!?!

Heh, tried the LT1128ACN8 and it wasn't any more stable than the 1028 inside my DACs. Plus, it definitely sounded worse (not as transparent and more dark).

But if you want to feel perfectly safe, just use the LT1128. For me there was no point in reverting to the less brilliant over-compensated (for my application) 1128.