The best sounding audio integrated opamps

[leeperry]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Remember it's always a computer soundcard... and that you've got two chips ahead of the Burson... So what's more outstanding in the end? The chips, the Burson, or the combination? All within the limits of a soundcard installed in a PC of course.

hehe, soundcards have evolved since the soundblasters ya know..AK4396 is a good chip(128X oversampling all the way!), and the RMAA measurements of that card look good..it's got good quality caps as well.

well, the LT1124ACN8 provides the Burson(used as final buffer) w/ very good low pass filtering, and then that burson will feed into the external amp that uses monstruous caps/PSU and 2 more discrete op-amps....I can definitely see it working

and atm my headphones are driven by a $0.3 JRC4580, it's already amazing tbh, but this is VERY much holding back the burson's true potential IMO...

Originally Posted by SoNic_real_one

It doesn't "prove" that IC sounds worse that a complete discrete stage.

oh, it's not trying to say that going discrete is a night & day w/ an IC...it's just saying that plugging headphones to a line-out is a very bad idea.

[SoNic_real_one]

Yes it is. But you don't need an obscure testing site to tell you that - just look at the specs published by manufactures and you will see when the limiting of the output ocures for certain chips.
Using that as an argument for "op ampas IC sound bad, discrete sounds better" is just silly. There are buffer IC now days made specific for that - see the BUF line from BB.

[leeperry]

is that what they say on their website? I'll read it again...anyway, I was just saying that the JRC4580 is really an astonishing chip to drive headphones..many high end designs are using it as well.

I don't have a high opinion of the 5532, but the 4580 does the headphones driving job amazingly well.

[SoNic_real_one]

BUF are good for headphone driver (up to 250mA output):

FEATURES
l HIGH OUTPUT CURRENT: 250mA
l SLEW RATE: 2000V/ms
l PIN-SELECTED BANDWIDTH:
30MHz to 180MHz
l LOW QUIESCENT CURRENT:
1.5mA (30MHz BW)
l WIDE SUPPLY RANGE: ±2.25 to ±18V
l INTERNAL CURRENT LIMIT
l THERMAL SHUTDOWN PROTECTION
8-Pin DIP Package
SO-8 Surface-Mount Package
G = 1
®
APPLICATIONS
l VALVE DRIVER
l SOLENOID DRIVER
l OP AMP CURRENT BOOSTER
l LINE DRIVER
l HEADPHONE DRIVER
l VIDEO DRIVER
l MOTOR DRIVER
l TEST EQUIPMENT
l ATE PIN DRIVER

[leeperry]

indeed, a friend of mine bought this thing: HA INFO NG27 - Headphone Amplifier USB - iPod - PCM2702 DAC

and he's really raving about it, his Asus Essence STX is hardly being used anymore

plus it works w/ the third party ploytec USB drivers, so gets bit-perfect KS/ASIO...he's put an OPA2132P and loves it. He might try some LT1028ACN8 soon or later, but they might not be beefy enough to drive headphones..only one way to find out

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by SoNic_real_one

BUF are good for headphone driver (up to 250mA output):

Yup, definitely they are.

[Andrea:]

Originally Posted by SoNic_real_one

The link to the Azuentech sound card is childish as an argument. They are buffering the outputs of the IC OpAmp's to compensate for the low and variable impedance of the headphones. It doesn't "prove" that IC sounds worse that a complete discrete stage. If you look ate their pic you will see the IC OpAmp there.

Ah, so the output of the 4580 is buffered...

Anyway, I'm sure that used properly the 4580 (like my amp's 4570) can sound brilliant. Or the Accuphase DP-400 wouldn't be as good as they say.

I've considered replacing the 4570, but on the sonic side of things, I just don't see a need for taking the risk (because it would be so)...

[Andrea:]

Ha ha, those "clever" head-fi'ers that want to bias their opamps into class A at all costs, even that of sound quality

[SoNic_real_one]

Agree for headphones, but the NJM flavor: NJM4580. 10-20mA in a 32 ohm (13mW) load should be enough for most ears. Who wants more - needs bufferes
Personally, I found that NJM2068 sonds a tad better in a line amplifier.

[scott wurcer]

Originally Posted by leeperry

...I don't really get why that AD op-amps designer talks to us like complete retards, but well nvm

Go for it, but please don't attribute me with YOUR interpretation of my motivations. Again I question my own posting under a real names policy. So ante up in a real situation where you could choose either way, be wrong? How about it?