Successful Opamp Upgrade

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Joined 2002
I just finished upgrading the opamps in my CD player, I went from NE5553 (?) opamps to Burr Brown OPA2134. I have let it run for about 10 hours now, and I must say that there is a difference. I cant quite put my finger on it, but it just seems easier to listen to. I think it was definitely worth the upgrade.

-Paul
 
Further refinements.

Hi Paul,
I do not know much about your machine. I suggest that after you settle in with your present upgrade you should consider having an external tube amp for the DAC. I cannot say right now ,what you should be doing.
My Rotel 855 was also modified. I used an OPA2134 which improved the sound tremendously. But I also have the ability to connect an external tube gain stage. This surely sounds much nicer than the OPA2134 which by itself is quite good.
So spend some time on the forum looking at what everyone is doing with tubes. I think the effort ( later on ) will be worth it.
the gains are more in imaging , low level sounds and mainly the "voice".
Cheers.
 
Disabled Account
Joined 2002
Yeah, I was considering that route, but being a poor college student I dont really want to shell out the bucks on that, I would rather pursue gains in other departments (speakers) soon. The more I listen to this, the more I can hear the tremendous difference, the cymbols sound soooo much more real, transients sound better as well, and the voice is much nicer, more neutral, warmer, and less jagged.

-Paul
 
Re: overestimating your hearing

zx3chris said:
i myself am a poor college student as well but atleast ive learned enough to know you cant hear the difference in DACs... :rolleyes: ...save ur cash dude
I have not "golden ears" but I can say that a Denon DCD-1500 with LC-filters :nod: compared to my CS4328 DAC (or any modern DAC I suppose?), the difference is not small! If you don't have heard anyhting better than an old CD you won't suffer so much but if you have heard the latest, the old stuff is "old", no charm at all, like tubes.
 
I have also changed the opamps in my CD-player, In fact I think it was the same opamps you changed, NE5553 or something.
And I too used the OPA2134, but later I saw better opamps that I could used instead :dead:
My CD-player is a Sony CDP-XE700, not a very good player, but I heard a big difference, and it was absolutely worth it.

I didn't solder the opamps directly to the print, I used a socket so i could more easily change opamps later.

And the thing about DACs....
I think you can hear major differences between DACs, especially I find many of the 1-bit delta-sigma converters bad.
In fact I'm also planning to build a DAC,hopefully much better than the one found in my current CD-player, it's not a very expensive player so I don't think it will be hard to make a better alternative.

And a question to you Per Anders:
What's the english word for "drivverk"... you know cd drivverk:cannotbe:
 
Re: overestimating your hearing

zx3chris said:
i myself am a poor college student as well but atleast ive learned enough to know you cant hear the difference in DACs... :rolleyes: ...save ur cash dude

whats your major??


-chris

Did you learn this in school or by listening? They tought me that too at the university and old man Nyqvist agreed. Just after that lesson I understood that what they did was teach me a greatly simplified version of the truth that under very specific circumstances could be almost true. Unfortunately it did not have much to do with reality. Shortly after that I listened and noticed the huge differences.

I only wish there was time to tell the truth in school. You learn a lot and then you have to find the real truth yourself.
 
"Old - bad?"

the old stuff is "old", no charm at all, like tubes.

Hi Peranders,
That's a nasty fling. I have both solidstate and tubed outputs. Both are VERY good. But the tube surely sounds different in the midrange - it sounds more real ( less edgy, for lack of a better word).
All tube circuits may not sound good , but many solid state units sound trashy too.
So we are on an even playing ground. Implement them well and they have the potential to sound very good. We have the freedom to pick which ever one is more accurate to our ears - and all ears are different !
Cheers,
Ashok.
 
Re: Re: overestimating your hearing

UrSv said:
I only wish there was time to tell the truth in school. You learn a lot and then you have to find the real truth yourself.

When I was in university one teacher said: It's impossible to make blue LED's (he couldn't even imagine white one :no: but he was right but he didn't say: No it's impossible but maybe not in the future!

Teachers don't teach visions! :no:
 
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