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How good is the 744, when comparing to the AD825? if it is not quite there with the 825, how does it compare with the 8599?
This info request, again, is for the Stax 001 mods, since the 744 has lower power consumption than the 825..... I guess I will get replies from the same people here Thanks a lot for all your help
AD744 is lacking a bit of sound colors which makes him slightly cold, while there is a bit of warm coloration in the AD825's midrange. The AD825's bass is powerful, rather soft, with long reverb and meaty but not hard attack. The AD744's bass is sometimes lacking power but I think more precise. However, the AD825's kind of presentation helps many headphones, especially those with dry or peaky bass presentation.
The trebles... actually most op-amps make this spectrum region colorless, say "white". I think both the AD744 and the AD825 do it, but the AD825's are birghter, like a cleaner kind of white. Actually pleasant to listen to.
The AD744 might win in the field of soundstage, actually I guess it doesn't affect it. It might be surrounding your head, forward, deep but rarely close. The AD825 moves everything closer but preserves the width which actually makes the soundstage perceived as wider because of being closer. It's rather lacking surround abilites, I hardly believe it could show the rear plans properly, as it makes kind of "depth compression". Actually, instead of the AD744 you might try the OPA211 - lower power consumption but bipolar inputs - gotta check if it's an issue with the increased input currents. Sonically - I'd say similar but warmer.
__________________ Cans: recabled Creative Aurvana Live! , Grado GS1000 , Grado RS2 , Sennheiser PX100 Plugs: Sony MDR-EX700LP Portable sources: iRiver E10 , iRiver ifp-799 Home source: modded Technics SL-PS840 -> CS4397 DAC Headphone drive: DIY amp named Moonlight :) Gone 'phones: AKG K324P , Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro , Grado SR325i, Senneheiser HD25-1 II , Sennheiser HD595 , Sennheiser CX300 , Koss KSC35 , Sony MDR-40T , CrossRoads Mylarone X3 , other tiny stuff mp3 players from the past: Teclast T39 , Cowon D2 , iRiver clix2 , Meizu M6 , RAmos RM850 , iRiver T10 2GB, many other tried
Both of these chips reproduce sound with very high accuracy, but none of them are neutral when it comes to overall tonality. It's a matter of personal preference and synergy with other components.
AD744 is slightly thin sounding, snappy and detailed, very impressive yet accurate sound stage. In LISAIII the tonality is balanced by the dark and smooth AD829 in the ground channel. The result is still a slightly lean and snappy amp with great imaging (I've only heard my clone of it, not the real LISA).
AD825 is rather thick sounding with a pronounced midrange. When I use it as ground channel with AD8599 as L/R channels, I get a very neutral tonality, the most neutral opamp combination I've heard.
Sonic comparason, AD825 vs 744?
Thanks a lot for all your help 
Linear Mode
