Sunday, November 7, 2010

Asus Xonar Essence STX (Swap Op-amp)

Op-amps

Chime of Tiger




This is a plug and play testing. No compensation done to the op-amps.

Popular op-amps:

LME49720HA - clean and over widen sound stage(headache if listening song for too long like housefly flying around you) more to 2D sound. Hot operating temperature.

LME49720NA - almost same as LME49720HA but operates cooler in temperature, output sound not as clean and details as LME49720HA. Warm operating temperature.

LM4562 - powerful op-amp, wide sound stage, clear, crisp and a bit harsh.

OPA2107AP - narrow sound stage, clear, good in band and low bass, highly recommended for action movies.

OPA2111KP - wide soundstage, sounds natural and smooth bass. Sometimes feel the high a bit mixed up with mid. Would be very nice op-amp if it has the high of LM4562.

OPA2132PA - brings the vocal to the top(may be over coloured for certain people), over warmth sounding.

OPA2277 - wide and weirdest sound staging.

LT1358 - brings the vocal forward, sounds livelier. Warm operating temperature.

LT1364 - brings the vocal more forward, sounds more livelier. Very hot operating temperature.



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(THE BEST among the op-amps I have tried)
LT1028 - Better L/R seperation due to dual mono? Clean sounding overall.

LT1057 - brings vocal higher, wide sound stage and not harsh. Quite easy listening.


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JRC2114 - the best in I/V so far and little harsh sounding
almost no laidback nor weird sound stage to play ALL genres of songs
(especially
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On).
This is why I don't like LME497xx family, you can hear for the difference by yourself. =]
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Current configuration
Differential - LT1028ACN8
I/V - JRC2114
Texas Instruments recommend NE5534 in I/V and LT1028 in Differential for PCM1792.

Here is my dual mono to stereo DIP8 adapter.



Next try would be AD825 and AD797BRZ.
Looking for the replacement of NE5534.

15 comments:

  1. Hi. Good general comparisons.

    Any chance of comparing using these opamps?:

    OPA627
    OPA825

    Thanks.

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  2. Have you tried?
    How does it sound?

    Thanks

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  3. Very good comparison!
    Some chance to compare LME49720HA and 2xLME49710HA on adapter?

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  4. am running 2xAD797BR SOICs adaptor in each I/V and 2xLT1028CS8 SOICs in differential buffer, sounds gooda!

    must say both AD797 & LT1028 r 1 of the lowest noise OP-AMPs around.

    OP627AU sounds sweet & smooth tonal
    LT1028CS8 which has really wide soundstage n much analytical detailsss
    AD797BR forward, basshead & groove

    Try LM6171/2 LT1360/1 also
    LM6171BIM very similar yet abit more bass compared to OP627AU
    LT1360CS8 is airy, bright & 3D really nice for live concert!

    Cheers
    just my non-cents

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  5. yup. LT1028 does sound analytical details. =]

    seems that all LT13xx series are airy, bright and lively. btw, is LT1360 operating hot?

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  6. not too sure as didnt monitor operating temperature inside pc casing chasis

    heard from some cmoy users very good reviews on Muse02 op amp, but they aint cheap...

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  7. I think id buy essence st, I will buy that NE5534(very cheap)in I/V and LT1028s, Right know Id got xtreme music with lm4562 and I can agree it sound clean,wide and crisp but quite harsh in top highs and maybe some unnatural response somewhere mid. Gonna passby the line out capacitors when it greaten x-fi soundwide (crosstalk) very noticible around -105db, essence got ~-85db orginal, dacmagic also around -105.

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  8. both L/R line out capacitors very close to each other?

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  9. Those two alone 1cm seperated right between the rca outs, have you tested more opamps lately? Where I live I cant buy single to dual adaptor for the I/V does that matter?

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  10. Nope. Busy with my studies lately.
    Planning to get a better speaker rather than wasting more money on the opamps. =]

    If not forgotten, the NE5534 is an mono opamp?
    So you need two 'single to dual' adapters for total of four NE5534 to be placed at the I/V stage.

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  11. Yeah. good choice..

    Id stick with one stock opamp instead.

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  12. Pretty sure all those "warm" or "hot" running op-amps
    are oscillating.

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  13. All those op-amps that are "warm" or "hot"
    are oscillating, and that is why they sound different (usuually bright).

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just tried the LME49860 today and i have to say although many people online recommend it over the 49720NA i found it way too scooped around the mids and a little too harsh in character. I am back to the 49720's. Hopefully next week i get my jrc muses01's in the mail.

    ReplyDelete