NE5532/4 bass sound in a quad package

[georgehifi]

I've always liked the bass of the NE5532's, NE5534's, it has a certain slam that others find hard to achieve, but is outdone by many in the mids and highs.
In my application I'm using quad opamps on the bass only in an active xover, and am trying to find that NE5532 bass sound in a quad.
I've tried all the super chips OPA4134, LT1365, AD713 and even a LF347, and non seem to have the bass slam that the NE5532's give.
Is there something out there that is similar to the NE's in the bass in a quad?

Cheers George

[djk]

http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM837.html

[Leolabs]

http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LM837.html

Does the LM833 share the same characteristics too???

[Samuel Jayaraj]

George, your observations are my experience too. The NE5532 muddles up the mid while the NE5534 creates a "hole" in the mids, the sound stage almost appears to be on a "concave" canvas; both have good bass slam.

You could use 2 x NE5532s on a plug in board to fit the quad socket.

Try the same with LF353s for mids and highs you will like it.

But once you switch over to discrete designs, like DIY Opamps or JFETs you will realise how much the chips rob off the music.

[georgehifi]

Originally posted by Samuel Jayaraj
George, your observations are my experience too. The NE5532 muddles up the mid while the NE5534 creates a "hole" in the mids, the sound stage almost appears to be on a "concave" canvas; both have good bass slam.

You could use 2 x NE5532s on a plug in board to fit the quad socket.

Try the same with LF353s for mids and highs you will like it.

But once you switch over to discrete designs, like DIY Opamps or JFETs you will realise how much the chips rob off the music.

Yes I've found a few people who have said the best opamp for bass is the NE's.
As for the best opamps in the mids and highs, my experience of all the super opamps is "NONE", passive sounds so much better in the mids and highs, it makes even the best opamps in active xovers for mids and highs sound thin and 2D (sterile), instead of fullbodied and 3D in the passive xover case.
This is why I've gone 24db active on the bass up to 160hz and 12db passive on the ESL's from 160hz >.

Cheers George

[djk]

"Does the LM833 share the same characteristics too???"

The 833 is supposed to be the National Semiconductor equivalent to the 5532, and the 837 is the quad version.

"Try the same with LF353s for mids and highs you will like it."

I find the LF353 to sound quite distorted, one of my least favorite opamps. The highs seem thin and brittle, and the midrange a bit recessed.

[Samuel Jayaraj]

Dan,

Your remarks on the mid/high character of the LF353s are right. However, they sound a little more transparent in the mid/high region than the NE5532.

I have already made observations regarding the improved/enchanced sound gained from discretes which implies that the sound of chips are inferior.

[AndrewT]

Hi,
the opa4227 and opa4228 are quad versions of the 227 (unity gain capable) and 228 .
These are upgrades for the op27/37, lt1007/1037.

I don't know how they sound.

[Workhorse]

Originally posted by AndrewT
Hi,

I don't know how they sound.

[Workhorse]

AndrewT