The best sounding audio integrated opamps

Jump to Latest
#1,462
analog_sa said:
I remember and agree. Maybe my standards were too low 🙂 Or maybe the battery supply was the reason.
Click to expand...


I remember being blown away by the quality at the time...
Well I have WM6 PRO with Dolby C.
I "won" it as a refused estimate for repair, what 20 years ago... 😱
It had been connected up directly to a car 12 volts lighter socket... burnt print, DC/DC converter zapped etc.

I must give it a whirl again one day... hope all the "rubbers" are OK
Be interesting to hear how good it really is.
 
#1,463
I like also the Infinity Primus 150, because I can have it for 165 euro shipped, it has metallic woofer and tweeter, has the reflex port on the front (the rear reflex is not very much liked by my room), and lastly was very favorably reviewed by Stereophile. I'd first seen it long ago but...what does it mean. 🙂 Just another idea crossing my mind...
 
Last edited:
#1,467
awesome SQ seems to be back w/ the 1028 on socket, it was sounding muffled when soldered 🙁

tomorrow I'll try to put back the 797B on socket as well...apparently the last buffer always sounds better on socket?!

when I had two burson as DAC LPF, it was the exact same thing w/ a 797B as final buffer, it was sounding muffed and dull when soldered and much more opened on socket...strange world 😱

so I get the improved SS of the 797B soldered, and the mad low end percussion of the 1028A on socket 🙂
 
Last edited:
#1,468
Andrea: said:
I like also the Infinity Primus 150, because I can have it for 165 euro shipped
Click to expand...

Hi Andrea,

if you like Infinity consider also Beta 10, same price on eBay but it's a lot better (originally it costed 270€ a pair...)

Only one problem... rear ported reflex

Uh, another suggestion, change crossover caps with your beloved Solens 😉

A polypropilene cap instead of bipolar elcos makes a big difference with these metallic tweeters...
 
#1,470
if you need a reship to Italy, lemme know Andrea 😉

damn, the 797B also sounds miles better on sockets...very strange...maybe some sort of skin effect on the gold plated sockets(they have a thicker than average plating), or maybe it's got to do w/ the crappy layout of the browndogs.

solution: ADDING MORE SOCKETS!! 😀
 
Last edited:
#1,471
I'll define "miles better" from my previous post...the 1028A have a far more percussive low end bass on sockets, it's dull when soldered.

and the 797B have a much wider center channel and much better stereo interaction...they sound narrow and boring when soldered.

maybe some story of EMI/RFI 😕

audio within a computer is a terrible idea anyway 😀

I also tried to add sockets under the soldered 797B = no dice, still boring.

interferences or these crappy browndogs playing tricks on me? anyhow...lesson learned, op-amps sure have magic to them...and they sound amazing on sockets, it gives a highly detailed 3D'ish SS w/ very slamming low end bass = fair enough 😛

I don't think I'm enjoying oscillation, I doesn't sound "oscillating" 😱
 
Last edited:
#1,472
ClaveFremen said:
Hi Andrea,

if you like Infinity consider also Beta 10, same price on eBay but it's a lot better (originally it costed 270€ a pair...)

Only one problem... rear ported reflex

Uh, another suggestion, change crossover caps with your beloved Solens 😉

A polypropilene cap instead of bipolar elcos makes a big difference with these metallic tweeters...
Click to expand...

Thank you, I considered it but 29 cm of depth and rear port... heh!

Is there really a bipolar electrolytic in the Beta's ? My Polk Audio Monitor 30 (still very good sounding) has a mylar series cap for the tweeter.

Yeah I know... I used to get rid of all bipolar electrolytics in tweeter crossovers. 🙂 For instance (still recently) in the Celestion F10 with its titanium tweeter.

I like the Celestion F18... but costs a bit much for me now, plus it's big with rear reflex. Maybe I should stick with KEF C3, Canton GLE420 (I like this!), ...
 
#1,476
leeperry said:
I'll define "miles better" from my previous post...the 1028A have a far more percussive low end bass on sockets, it's dull when soldered.

and the 797B have a much wider center channel and much better stereo interaction...they sound narrow and boring when soldered.

maybe some story of EMI/RFI 😕

audio within a computer is a terrible idea anyway 😀

I also tried to add sockets under the soldered 797B = no dice, still boring.

interferences or these crappy browndogs playing tricks on me? anyhow...lesson learned, op-amps sure have magic to them...and they sound amazing on sockets, it gives a highly detailed 3D'ish SS w/ very slamming low end bass = fair enough 😛

I don't think I'm enjoying oscillation, I doesn't sound "oscillating" 😱
Click to expand...
I loved the "very tight and percussive" bass of the LT1028CS8 & ACN8 too; however, I like the more relaxed yet still authoritative and quick bass of the OPA1611. Interestingly, these differences seem to 'continue' going up through the spectrum. That's why I call the OPA1611 my favorite, rather than the LT1028.
 
#1,479
Andrea: said:
Thank you, I considered it but 29 cm of depth and rear port... heh!

Is there really a bipolar electrolytic in the Beta's ? My Polk Audio Monitor 30 (still very good sounding) has a mylar series cap for the tweeter.
Click to expand...

You're welcome Andrea.

I don't know it for sure for the Betas, but in my Alphas it was so.
Since Primus are from the same years is likely so also for them.

When swapping the elco remember to add a compensation resistor for the lower impedance (10%-20%) of the film cap, especially if the cap is in parallel with the driver.

Some details more on this here (sorry Italian only, but there's Google translator...)
 
#1,480
The cap I would substitute is in series, not in parallel 🙂 And adding a compensation resistor there would lead to tilted up upper treble, no? 🙂


Anyhow, I heard the Beta 20 (with a very good system: Electrocompaniet amp and Rotel top-line CDP); since it sounded very accurate (although too cold, kind of "light blue" colored, in that case - don't know if it were the speakers themselves), I would expect to find a film cap in the tweeter filter. 🙂
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom