Amazing Op Amp or Audiofoolery? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: synth-dude
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 03:55:28 pm
content: Hi,I found these novel op amp drop in replacement boards while looking for something else on eBay.At $140 a pair of op amps I must get in on this separating good money from the wallets of audiofools.http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/V4-Dual-SS-discrete-Opamp-x-2-beat-OPA627-NE5534-LME49990-LME49710-OPA2604-/111879938079Thanks,Synth-Dude

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 04:16:37 pm
content: QuoteYou may end up surprised who the fool really is,

author: JimRemington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 05:25:27 pm
content: Well, just read the specs for that replacement op amp!Quote

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:03:41 pm
content: There are some VERY good op amps out there, certainly better than the 5532. Low noise, rail to rail, low distortion, take a look through the 'Amplifiers' section on the Analog Devices website and be amazed at what's now available. I see what these folk are trying to achieve because, even on the same wafer, there will be differences between resistors and transistors inside an IC, but I doubt that going discrete is the way to solve the problem.Good results can be obtained by modifying any decent audio amplifier by a) replacing every ceramic capacitor in the signal path with a foil equivalent to eliminate microphonics b) replacing every capacitor on the power supply rails with low-ESR devices and c) making sure that the speaker connections are tight. A search for dry joints helps as well.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:13:59 pm
content: Analog Devices solved the silicon variability problem in their ADCs using laser trimming, 30 years ago. They may also use it for some of their op amps.

author: Kalvin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:15:13 pm
content: Quote from: JimRemington on January 24, 2016, 05:25:27 pmThese combined with the $$$ tube amplifier will probably be the ultimate high fidelity experience.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:34:55 pm
content: http://www.ssaudio.com.au/lycan-op-amp-test-bench/2.2W & 16Ohm for 250$ is kinda... cheap as f**k im buying 2 of those supreme headphone amplifiers.they even come with open enclousre so it can break easily and get dusted if you carry it around, and for 250$ you cant even get schematics for this DIY headphone amplifier!

author: Kalvin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:46:09 pm
content: OPA1612 and LME49860 are a bit cheaper.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 07:02:01 pm
content: Quote from: ZeTeX on January 24, 2016, 06:34:55 pmI wonder why they bothered to publish the specifications as they just suck. Especcially like "Seperation" in percents, not db, likely would seem too ridiculously awful. 99%, c'mon, that's -40db, SNR is just laughable too, any decent headphone amp IC will beat it. Though they didn't mention measurement conditions which makes those figures pretty useless.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 07:15:35 pm
content: Yes, it's an audiophool product. Discrete transistors will have inferior matching to those fabricated on the same die and the price is ridiculous.I made a thread about this sort of thing awhile ago.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/more-audiophoolery-discrete-op-amps-better-than-ics!/msg516653/#msg516653