Apologies, but I see no real balanced test process here, no qualified or similar cost parts to compare with, in this case the lowest standard "jellybean" part and an EBay "who knows what the hell it is" probable fake. Then the conclusion, I like the B' (which cost £70+ or so per pair).
There are so many decent to great IC OP Amps out there, many now designed specifically for audio, which can be bought from trusted sellers like Mouser and others for less that a third of that price. I'm skeptical as to the value of any "review" such as this.
There are so many decent to great IC OP Amps out there, many now designed specifically for audio, which can be bought from trusted sellers like Mouser and others for less that a third of that price. I'm skeptical as to the value of any "review" such as this.
Don't try to guess the meaning of "well-respected supplier" or "trusted sellers." Places to buy a manufacturer's parts are listed on the manufacturer's website:
https://www.ti.com/ordering-resources/faqs/purchasing-online/authorized-distributors.html
https://www.ti.com/ordering-resources/faqs/purchasing-online/authorized-distributors.html
After all the warnings on this site year over year, it’s a wonder people still risk their entire audio chain with eBay parts.
Another option is to buy directly from the manufacturer. I recently got a large lot of LM4562s directly from Texas Instruments at a significantly lower cost than any distributor was offering.
I've had great luck with OPA1656, OPA1642, and OPA2132 in the Aiyima A07 and Fosi V3. The 4652/49720 op amps sounded bright to my ears, though I like them in other applications.
These are real parts, obtained from Mouser and Digikey. I soldered my own op amps onto Brown Dog adapters.
Cimarron sells pre-soldered Dip-8 adapters, though for more than the counterfeits found on Ebay or Aliexpress.
They are not so expensive that there is any reason to throw away money on dodgy parts.
These are real parts, obtained from Mouser and Digikey. I soldered my own op amps onto Brown Dog adapters.
Cimarron sells pre-soldered Dip-8 adapters, though for more than the counterfeits found on Ebay or Aliexpress.
They are not so expensive that there is any reason to throw away money on dodgy parts.
I have a socketed NE5532 in the output of my chi-fi AK4490 DAC. My experiences...
LM6172 - one of the best sounds, good overall though the treble is bettered by LT1364
LT1364 - delicate, subtle treble. Overall a good alternative to LM6172, I could use either.
OPA2134 - better than OPA2132 in the DAC output. Good sound though first 2 preferred
LM4562 - impressive detail, but a rather percussive sound, not as smooth as the above, voices unnatural.
OPA2228 - not particularly good in this application.
All subjective, but may be of help in the general picture. Music was jazz, orchestral and opera.
LM6172 - one of the best sounds, good overall though the treble is bettered by LT1364
LT1364 - delicate, subtle treble. Overall a good alternative to LM6172, I could use either.
OPA2134 - better than OPA2132 in the DAC output. Good sound though first 2 preferred
LM4562 - impressive detail, but a rather percussive sound, not as smooth as the above, voices unnatural.
OPA2228 - not particularly good in this application.
All subjective, but may be of help in the general picture. Music was jazz, orchestral and opera.
LM4562 needs thorough decoupling and is prone to high frequency oscillation if not properly decoupled - that could easily account for the "percussive sound" - it has high suspectibility to picking up RF interference too, which means it needs to be shielded from such signals to perform to the datasheet standards.