signal splitter

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matej8888

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Joined 2011
#1
I have a not so popular project. I need an audio signal split in 5 times the input signal. I've read some posts on various forums, so the idea is to put in parallel to the input signal as many buffers as I like (seen some schematics on the net that should work) using:
- transistor (JFET preffering due to its sound qualities) as voltage follower/buffer
- op-amp as buffer
The Gain of each buffer/voltage follower has to be 1.
The audio signal would mostly be comming from a laptop, Ipod, DAC, maybe thru an active crossover,....to various tube amplifiers.

Now, my question is which one should I use (J201, OPA27....just shooting versions, but I will consider any kind of high quality suggestion)?

I really do care about sound quality so what i'm looking for is high quality components.

Matej
 
#3
OK, i understand that, but there is difference in sound by using various op-amps, right!? Or are you saying that connected as a unity gain buffer there's no difference in frequency range and/or sound no matter which op-amp I pick? That's what I'm interested in.
 
#5
You may get different answers from different people. The audibility or otherwise of correctly-used op-amps is debated vigourously on here. A unity-gain buffer operating at line level type signal voltages into a relatively undemanding load impedance should minimise any differences that there might actually be, so my advice is to design and build the circuit using a socket. Then you can try as many different chips as you like. I doubt if you will hear much difference, if any.
 
#6
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends how you look at it) in audio world everything is a matter of personal taste. Frankly I'm fed up with statements like "...this op-amp is definitely best sounding...", especially when it comes to question "which one is the best?" (stupid me for asking that). But in reality all I wanted to hear was what you just wrote (I should explain myself better next time) and that is for line level signal just about any op-amp would do the job for there are differeces so small , if any at all.
Any words of wisdom about using the JFET transistor as voltage follower sound-wise?
 
#7
Sorry, never tried it. In theory a JFET makes a bad follower because it has such low gain. The pure second-order (in the ideal case) distortion of a common-source JFET amp is not what happens in a follower. However, second-order will still dominate and there could be lots of it due to the low gain - this may be why some people like it.
 
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