MiniMax DAC - best opamps to replace stock ones?

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I tried OPA2604 and LME49720 for I/V stage:



  1. Firstly, I tried the LME49720 and in my opinion there's no comparison with the stock NE5532. The former has better dynamics, punchier and more controled bass, wider and deeper (holographic sound) soundstage, more transparent well defined midrange and higher resolution trebles. However, it does have some drawbacks. The Minimax DAC sounds unforgiving with bad recored files. Many of them sound flat and over bright. Extremely bright actually! Moreover, I miss a bit of body. If all CDs have audiophile quality, I'd be satisfied with LME49720. However, unfortunately it's far from the reality.
  2. Then I replaced the LME by OPA2604. It's warmer, sounds more bodied and more relaxed on mid-highs and highes. Definetely it's more forgiving with bad recordings, but it lacks definition on mids. The first point I percepted was regarding cymbals and percussion instruments that became messy. High frequencies are sweet but this sweetness brought loss of resolution. Other thing I didn't like was the soundstage. It became bi-dimensional and congested. Sumarazing, the DAC sounded average with all CDs.
None of them are perfect, but I prefer the LME. I am wondering if there's a op-amp with the resolution of the LME49720 but that sounds a bit sweeter on top end. I accept a darker sound, but not that much like OPA2604 does. Will AD827, AD825 or AD826 meet my needs? How about OPA827?
 
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I like LME49720 with SILMIC II in psu bypassing role.
Hight registers sound cleaner and sweeter, creamy mids, with added bonus of stronger bass...
SILMICs +LME49720s make a great combo indeed.

Give them a run if You have space for big size caps like SILs are....

ciao

marco
 
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I tried OPA2604 and LME49720 for I/V stage:

Thanks for posting your findings.

I guess as always this comes down to individual preferences and also the circuit into which the swap is taking place in. Any changes should really be backed up with real measurements to make sure the opamp is stable as I indicated right at the start.

The secret with opamps is getting all the conditions right for each and every application. See this thread,

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/196461-different-opamp-compensation-technique.html
 

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  • Stabilising Opamp By Increasing Noise Gain.pdf
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I like exactly that super-detail in high frequency provided by LM4562/LME49720...

Yep I noticed that in having them in my active speakers. I took them out - its MSG, unreal flavour enhancer :p

Cymbals and others similar are not "bright" with them, that is exactly how it should sound if you are next to a real drum set.

I guess its needed for adding back in what your suck-y S-D dac took out - life ;)
 
Will AD827, AD825 or AD826 meet my needs? How about OPA827?

Hi, fist time to post in this thread...
In my experience, from the above list I would try AD827; I have tried also AD826, bu the differences between 827/826 not worth to buy both - they both have pretty much the same sonic signature, AD827 being a slightly more long-term enjoyable. And a bit more "silkier" highs.
I have to point that the DAC used is PMC63P-K based, if that matter.
Also tried OPA827 - an I must say it is excellent for that job, however, probably not that much better to complicate things using SOIC/DIP adapter, socket etc. - which all has its own influence.
 
Yep I noticed that in having them in my active speakers. I took them out - its MSG, unreal flavour enhancer :p
No, your brain add the MSG :)
When you listen all the time to a sucky OpAmp that follows a poor excuse of DAC (TDA :p), your brain starts to compensate for what is not there. Like when you stay all day in a dark, silent basement under a concert hall, your vision and hearing will adapt to that darkness and muffled sounds and compensate to enhance what is missing.
If you are exposed to the real thing, like if you go out in the bright concert hall above, with real instruments playing, suddenly you will think that "the light is too bright", "the sounds are too loud/bright". You are virtually blind and deaf to the new simuli.
If somebody tellsy you that measurements are better, you will dismiss with "measurements cannot catch all, my hearing does". Yep, we cannot measure the filters in your brain, but that doesn't count as subjective measurement, it is valid just for you.

But give the new stimuli time (people with no education say "let the OpAmp burn in" :D) and your brain will adjust and it will be able to really extract the extra information without being overloaded.
This is happening all the time to the kids in the ipod generation. They listen to a FLAC from a good record and they say "what's so special compared with my mp3?". Their ear is way better than mine, but the brain is not able to recognize the new stimuly.
Professional musicians call that "educating the ear".
 
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Hi Marco!

Elna Silmic II or Elna Cerafine, which one would you prefer?
I was thinking of replacing some capacitors. The original ones are Nichicon Muse FW Series.

Thanks for you contribution!



I like LME49720 with SILMIC II in psu bypassing role.
Hight registers sound cleaner and sweeter, creamy mids, with added bonus of stronger bass...
SILMICs +LME49720s make a great combo indeed.

Give them a run if You have space for big size caps like SILs are....

ciao

marco
 
Thanks for you help!
I don't expect average CDs to sound like audiophile records but a bit of sweetness and warmth won't be bad. But just a little bit.

I like exactly that super-detail in high frequency provided by LM4562/LME49720...
Cymbals and others similar are not "bright" with them, that is exactly how it should sound if you are next to a real drum set.
Of course, a bad record will sound as it is... bad.
 
I highly appreciate your tips. I'll read the mentioned file right now. Thank you very much indeed!

Regards,

Thanks for posting your findings.

I guess as always this comes down to individual preferences and also the circuit into which the swap is taking place in. Any changes should really be backed up with real measurements to make sure the opamp is stable as I indicated right at the start.

The secret with opamps is getting all the conditions right for each and every application. See this thread,

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/196461-different-opamp-compensation-technique.html
 
Hi Marco!

Elna Silmic II or Elna Cerafine, which one would you prefer?
I was thinking of replacing some capacitors. The original ones are Nichicon Muse FW Series.

Thanks for you contribution!

Hi A.Maniac

For analog psu bypass stage Silmics are playing in another league... very detailed but sweet in HF, they have a powerful bass till the very first Hz.... but their best is midrange.
With complex music they sound like have less intermodulation distortion...

I like MUSE only in signal inter-stage bypass, but only when strictly needed
( better are films....of course....)


ciao
marco.
 
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