DC Offset on Input of FET opamps like OPA2134

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hello

I use the ESP Project 113 Headphone Amplifier in my diy master section of my mixing console (D&R Dayner) and it sounds and works really good.
U1A (and U1B) are a OPA2134.

1. Is it correct that opamps with a FET input like the OPA2134 have no DC offset at their input?
2. So can I omit C1L (and C1R) in the circuit of the ESP Project 113? (There is no DC from the source)

Thanks in advance for helping me out

Cheers
Beerzel
 

Attachments

  • p113-f1.gif
    p113-f1.gif
    7 KB · Views: 381
What he meant was that if there is no DC on the input (before C1L or C1R capacitors), then you can safely remove those capacitors and put a bridge instead. Also, make sure that the output of the device you are connecting to this amplifier's input does not have any DC on its outputs.
Bottom line, if you'll be connecting various devices to it, it's better to have those decoupling caps there, or you might end up frying your headphones, the amplifier itself or both. Be careful if you're going to ditch them.
 
Ok I see, thanks. Makes sense that when there is DC, it will be amplified directly to the headphones which seems quite unhealthy...
But in my case it seems to be save:

At the mixbus output stage I have a transformer with two secondarys. One split goes to the output where I connect the AD Converter. The other split goes to the monitor section (with a coupling cap) and also directly to the headphone amp, so I hear the ''sound'' of the Sowter transformer while mixing :-D.
I wanted to omit the cap at the headphone amp to have a place, straight as possible, to listen to the mixbus. So great, my dreams come true ;-)

Cheers
Beerzel
 
FET input amplifiers have extremely low input bias current and input offset current, which are two factors that can determine input DC offset. They still have input DC offset voltage however, depending on how well the input stage is matched or trimmed.

In your input circuit, with the capacitor, this bias current will flow through 23kΩ to create an offset voltage. So, a bipolar op amp like a 5532 with 200nA input bias current would generate 4.6mV of offset, not a huge amount, but more than the 0.5mV typical voltage offset of that amp. By contrast, an OPA2134 has 5pA bias current, producing 0.115 microvolt of offset in addition to its 0.5mV offset voltage. So, with high DC input impedances, input bias currents can be significant DC error sources.

As was said before, this circuit does not amplify DC, so eliminating the 1µF input capacitor will be fine with an OPA2134.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.