The best sounding audio integrated opamps

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#282
grael said:
Hello guys,
I'm a newbe, waiting for this PCM1796 Poppulse DAC that Andrea looks at.

I've followed this really interesting thread and I'm wondering which mods could be easily applied to this DAC.
There are 3 opamps on this board, two 5532 and an unknown one just before audio out.

What do you think about exchanging 5532 by double LT1028 (like those linked by Andrea : Two-2x-Mono-to-Dual-OPAMP-2x-LT1028--%3E-NE5532 )
And what about the third one, another double LT1028? Or Earth, Burson...

Thanks by advance for your advices!
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Hi,

Good choice. The two Philips NE5532 perform the I/V conversion. They're soldered to the board (at least in the available internal pics), so my guess is that they thought them quite good for that purpose. I probably would not replace them. Also the NE5532 should help keep the sound musical; so...

...you can use a high-resolution opamp to buffer the output, like a pair of LT1028ACN8, or a pair of ADA4627-1, or a pair of OPA1611...
 
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#283
leeperry said:
Andrea, while you still have those Earth around.....get a nice USB DAC like the HA27 I showed you(59 EUR), and roll roll roll!!!! you can get KS/ASIO support for it w/ the ploytec drivers, and you could put 2*LT1028ACN8 + 1*Earth.

Earth is really unmatched for SS separation, width...tell me all that you want, but I've tried a truckload of IC's nothing sounds like that as final buffer(they're known to stink on DAC output, though)...IC's simply cannot sound this creamy, it'd be like comparing a $100 bottle of Champagne w/ the cheapest one you could find.

It's like SS to tube, like audio cassette to CD...R E A L L Y!

I wonder why majkel thought LT1028/AD797B would sound miles better than Earth...prolly because he used a design that's not compatible in the first place. or maybe he's got some grief towards Kingwa, but you simply CANNOT get this SS richness w/ a cheapo IC.

if burson got famous all over the internet w/ those chips, there's a VERY good reason :headshot:

hehe, take your responsibilities 😀

get a whole bunch of samples, and roll!!! :spin:

we don't know how this design works, nor do we have your ears..
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I remember the sound of the Earth well, it was appealing at first, but if you looked closer... That's what majkel must think, too. Ah, that guy is a genius. 😛

Regarding the USB DAC you suggest, it looks good from a quality/price perspective, but has a PCM2702 DAC which is (has to be) much inferior to a PCM1796 + (I/V) NE5532 combination.
 
#286
IF they aren't better sounding than an OPA211AID, though, they won't be better than an LT1028CS8 too. So I don't regret my choice for this DAC I'm using. I'm so happy 🙂


I also have the OPA211ID, BTW. I'm curious about these, too.



Regarding the cmoy...well, it's incredible how good the AD845K performs in there. I guess it's my favorite AD opamp so far, above the classic AD8610 or the AD843, and maybe preferable to the AD797 in low-gain or unity-gain applications, too.
 
#287
Andrea: said:
I remember the sound of the Earth well, it was appealing at first, but if you looked closer... That's what majkel must think, too. Ah, that guy is a genius. 😛

Regarding the USB DAC you suggest, it looks good from a quality/price perspective, but has a PCM2702 DAC which is (has to be) much inferior to a PCM1796 + (I/V) NE5532 combination.
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well, feed it well and it will reward you greatly! and it sucks on DAC output.

but w/ the LT1469, it's AMAZING...basically you wanna feed it w/ the cleanest signal possible.

well about that DAC, it's cheap as hell, you can roll all that you want(2*1028ACN8+Earth), you get ASIO/KS and my friend loves it more than his STX(that has a sandpaper sound anyway)...that was just a suggestion anyway, you both are missing greatly on the Earth as you don't seem to have used it in a fully compatible design.

I'm listening to it as we speak w/ fresh ears, and in a blind test there's no way anyone would believe you that the source is a computer....it sounds so much NOT computer, unlike all those IC's I've tried(like the 1028ACN8 as final buffer).

anyway, you'll never change your mind...keep on thinking that Earth is crap, but in a proper set up it blows up all IC's up in the sky! 😛
 
#288
Why wouldn't I/we have listened to it in a fully compatible design? It's an opamp, it works well at +/- 15V, has FET inputs (non critical), has better output current than chips so it's a good buffer, it even was properly grounded, and had bypass Wima caps added by myself, so...what?

Nah, I don't believe it 😛 I see why you like it, but me, I don't miss it. Everyone favors different things.


Did even Samuel Groner measure it in a non fully compatible design? 😛
 
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#290
leeperry said:
well, what did he have to say about it? 😛

you'll never get this kind of SS from an IC.
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I agree to the second sentence. But I still prefer the chips. To me they're just more truthful...and ultimately more enjoyable. Be careful...that thing might spoil your ears. 😉


BTW I agree... the LT1469 can be amazing. If I were you, I'd think I had found the perfect mid-way opamp for that soundcard. Now you only miss the perfect buffer :headshot:
 
#292
#294
if I'm lucky(I've got no idea of that mundorf cap diameter), I should be able to fit it directly to the soundcard.

several pro's have told me that the new burson improves many things over Earth : vocals/SS/dynamics....can't wait 😀

and I dunno what that cap will do to it, but time will tell.
 
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#296
I find vocals holographic(like on the 1364) and dynamics very good(good enough for headphones at low volume)...yes, it's tubey so there's a bit of a slow dampening effect..but it's so nice to listen to.

as burson says "the way SS should sound" 😉
 
#297
I remember the OPA-Earth bass being a bit weak in stiffness and dynamics as compared to the LT1028 (and not just). But the really bad thing was the lack of midbass. And the lack of midrange color.

If I had to choose an Audio-GD opamp to use, I'd still choose the OPA-Sun V2 (that - guess what - sounded closer to chips). I wonder what this Burson is 🙂
 
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#300
well basically burson was selling the Earth for $100 a pop...quickly, everyone found out they were sourcing it from Kingwa(schematics have been compared by several skilled ppl = 100% identical) 😛

so they came back w/ an improved version, built elsewhere...most ppl will agree that it sounds better than Earth(which isn't perfect, but a far cry from all IC's as final buffer at this point).

and apparently the mundorf gold caps are really killer, can't wait!! 😀

BTW, I'm tempted to try some JRC4580 as AK4396 LPF....this chip is great to drive headphones, I wonder how it'd do on DAC output to feed Earth.
 
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