The best sounding audio integrated opamps

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Andrea:

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Joined 2009
The reason why there was such a change in sonic character with the Audioquest, is that the VDH was kind of its polar opposite: the latter being (comparatively) light and refreshing (coaxial + stranded + silver plated ...no wonder), the former instead being (with burn in) bolder, warmer, with more composure (solid core + symmetric conductors + all copper ...no wonder).

Sure, with the Audioquest there was also an improvement in overall sound quality (as in, more low-level resolution and, thanks to the absence of silver, better tonality), but the more apparent change was that of sonic character... as I focussed better after longer listening.


But :) I'd kept the VDH only a few days before trying the Audioquest. All sonic comparisons (in the Super Pro DAC) were made using the neutral (meaning a sort of average between freq. response & sonic color), if lower in quality than the two above, Sommercable Classique.
 
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A

Andrea:

Member
Joined 2009
Mooly said:
and at those impedances the NE5534 is probably about as good as it gets.
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With low (a couple of Kohm) input impedances, the stock TI NE5534 performed much worse than the LT1357 in my other DAC (Musiland SVDAC05). Congested/screamy upper midrange, small soundstage, lack of bass & treble extension.


Korrah, I was forgetting... for the summer/buffer, you would want to compare LT1357 and AD845. I think the LT1357 is more clynically precise while staying musical and relatively warm, the AD845KN is more relaxed (in detail and pace) and mellow.

The LT1357 is also well suited as a buffer since it drives any capacitive loads (see datasheet).
 
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K

Korrah

Member
Joined 2006
Mooly said:
Interesting... having replaced 5534's myself in a DAC (Micromega Stage 2) I know that OPA604 and AD845 work well for me. I use AD845 for the final buffer. Noise isn't an issue here, and at those impedances the NE5534 is probably about as good as it gets.

There is some evidence to suggest that FET input opamps work better for I/V conversion, possibly because Bipolar input stages "interact" with any HF hash coming from the DAC in a non linear way... hence the OPA604.
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I don't think the output stage acts as an I/V though, since the DAC is a AK4393.

I've bitten the bullet and bought a set of LT1028s. >.> Hope its happy in this circuit...
 
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Andrea:

Member
Joined 2009
leeperry said:
AC sounds noticeably better than C for me...anyway AD797B and LT1028A have become my "de facto" op-amps, luckily either of the two always does wonders wherever I try them :)
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Actually I haven't ever used the CN8. Only ACN8 and CS8. And actually I don't think I heard significant differences, although they were put in two different DACs :eek:


Instead I'd be curious to hear if there's really such a difference between AD797 A and B. That'd be fun :)
 
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Andrea:

Member
Joined 2009
It looks really good, but not quite as good (keeping the JFET inputs) as the much more expensive ADA4627-1.

I'm not crazy about the just 1.8 mA supply current, and the just 30 mA peak output current.


But... I'm pretty sure it will be a better sounding JFET opamp than the likes of OPA627, OPA2107, OPA2111... :)
 
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