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Discrete Op-Amps Discussion Thread
Mar 26, 2017 at 2:57 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 26
Yethal

Yethal

Headphoneus Supremus
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Discrete opamps were discussed on several different threads but always in context of a specific device they were installed in. We didn't have a dedicated thread to gather all the impressions, reviews and tutorials for this relatively obscure class of audio devices so here it is!
I'll keep adding content to this post so revisit it regularly for more... well, content.
 
Reviews (I'll keep adding them once original authors grant their permission)
 
Yethal's SS3601 review
Yethal's SS3602 review
mbyrnes's SS3601 and SS3502 review
gr8soundz's SS3602 impressions
 
peter123's v5i review
cleg's v5i review
h2rulz's v5i review
Yethal's v5i review
gr8soundz's v5i review
Lickumm's v5i review
Evshrug's v5i review
gwompki's v5i review
uncola's v5i review
ph0n6 v5i review
YoYo Joker's v5i review
raoultrifan's v5i review
killerline's review
 
No reviews so far.
 
No reviews so far.
 
No reviews so far.
 
Device compatibility
 
Two singles and two duals are required.

Sparkos Labs SS3601 - fits inside with no issues
Sparkos Labs SS3602 - fits inside but requires the back cover to be off
Burson v5i (both versions) - fits inside but requires the back cover to be off
 
Two duals are required

Burson v5i - fits inside with no issues
 
one dual is required

Burson v5i - fits inside with no issues
Burson v5 - does not fit, requires an adapter in order to be able to close the lid
 
three duals are required

Burson v5i - first two opamps fit with no issues, theird one require nearby capacitors to be bent slightly in order to fit
 
one dual is required

Burson v5i - requires nearby capacitors to be bent in order to fit
 
uses two duals or four singles

Burson v5i - fits in two duals configuration, does not fit in four singles configuration due to DIP-8 sockets being too close to each other
 
uses one dual

Burson v5i - fits with no issues
 
Uses two singles and two duals

Burson v5i - fits with no issues
 
Troubleshooting
 
<placeholder>
 


 
Let me be perfectly clear, other op-amp manufacturers are free to submit their own dank memes to this thread.
 
Mar 29, 2017 at 3:28 PM Post #3 of 26
Info on some of those is ridiculously hard to find. Last post I've found on John Hardy opamps is from 2003.
 
Mar 29, 2017 at 5:25 PM Post #5 of 26
This thread reminded me I hadn't posted about the Sparkos SS3602 swap I did some months ago (not intended as a review but more a log of the swap):
 
Both dual opamps were purchased from the manufacturer via eBay at a discount. They worked fine despite being packed only in bubble wrap, arriving with bent pins on the extenders (which I didn't use; unlike Bursons which are packed in foam lined, hard plastic shells).
 
The pcie card is an AIM SC808 with a Wolfson WM8741 chip. I swapped two of the card's three opamps as only the RCA line out was used and the third opamp only applies to it's headphone jack.
 
The Sparkos are quite a bit taller (and wider) than the stock JRC 4580D opamps so I used some longer 10mm bolts and 8x5mm lock nuts to keep the card's shield a few millimeters clear of them (though the shield isn't required for the card to work). The nuts clear all other components by at least 1mm and have a plastic washer at the center so there's no chance of shorting anything. I also put some electrical tape inside the shield above the Sparkos for extra measure. The shield now encroaches a bit on the next motherboard slot so anyone using multiple cards inside their PC may need to forgo the shield entirely. Height of the Sparkos may be less of an issue with other devices like external amps but make sure there's enough surrounding space to fit their wider size.
 
Sound-wise, at the time I noted the Sparkos SS3602 greatly increased soundstage width with more treble presence and more impactful bass (though looser bass compared to the Burson V5i).
 








 
Apr 3, 2017 at 1:30 PM Post #6 of 26
gr8soundz said:
  This thread reminded me I hadn't posted about the Sparkos SS3602 swap I did some months ago (not intended as a review but more a log of the swap):
 
Both dual opamps were purchased from the manufacturer via eBay at a discount. They worked fine despite being packed only in bubble wrap, arriving with bent pins on the extenders (which I didn't use; unlike Bursons which are packed in foam lined, hard plastic shells).
 
The pcie card is an AIM SC808 with a Wolfson WM8741 chip. I swapped two of the card's three opamps as only the RCA line out was used and the third opamp only applies to it's headphone jack.
 
The Sparkos are quite a bit taller (and wider) than the stock JRC 4580D opamps so I used some longer 10mm bolts and 8x5mm lock nuts to keep the card's shield a few millimeters clear of them (though the shield isn't required for the card to work). The nuts clear all other components by at least 1mm and have a plastic washer at the center so there's no chance of shorting anything. I also put some electrical tape inside the shield above the Sparkos for extra measure. The shield now encroaches a bit on the next motherboard slot so anyone using multiple cards inside their PC may need to forgo the shield entirely. Height of the Sparkos may be less of an issue with other devices like external amps but make sure there's enough surrounding space to fit their wider size.
 
Sound-wise, at the time I noted the Sparkos SS3602 greatly increased soundstage width with more treble presence and more impactful bass (though looser bass compared to the Burson V5i).
 







Click to expand...


I'll link to that post from the front page.
 
Jul 24, 2017 at 10:50 PM Post #7 of 26
Jul 25, 2017 at 1:47 AM Post #8 of 26
Jul 25, 2017 at 4:25 AM Post #10 of 26
Yethal said:
I have experienced the issues on the I/V stage too. Loud noise is audible through both the headphone and the speaker output with V5i installed.
Click to expand...

Interesting! May i know what DAC that you used to try the V5i on the I/V stage?
 
Jul 25, 2017 at 4:41 AM Post #11 of 26
earfonia said:
Interesting! May i know what DAC that you used to try the V5i on the I/V stage?
Click to expand...
I used the Sound Blaster X7. At first I thought the issue was caused by the X7 itself but it occured only with the v5i duals installed. Neither SS3602 nor the stock opamps had the same problem.
 
Sep 27, 2018 at 4:55 PM Post #13 of 26
Yethal said:
Discrete opamps were discussed on several different threads but always in context of a specific device they were installed in. We didn't have a dedicated thread to gather all the impressions, reviews and tutorials for this relatively obscure class of audio devices so here it is!
I'll keep adding content to this post so revisit it regularly for more... well, content.

Reviews (I'll keep adding them once original authors grant their permission)

Yethal's SS3601 review
Yethal's SS3602 review
mbyrnes's SS3601 and SS3502 review
gr8soundz's SS3602 impressions

peter123's v5i review
cleg's v5i review
h2rulz's v5i review
Yethal's v5i review
gr8soundz's v5i review
Lickumm's v5i review
Evshrug's v5i review
gwompki's v5i review
uncola's v5i review
ph0n6 v5i review
YoYo Joker's v5i review
raoultrifan's v5i review
killerline's review

No reviews so far.

No reviews so far.

No reviews so far.

Device compatibility

Two singles and two duals are required.

Sparkos Labs SS3601 - fits inside with no issues
Sparkos Labs SS3602 - fits inside but requires the back cover to be off
Burson v5i (both versions) - fits inside but requires the back cover to be off

Two duals are required

Burson v5i - fits inside with no issues

one dual is required

Burson v5i - fits inside with no issues
Burson v5 - does not fit, requires an adapter in order to be able to close the lid

three duals are required

Burson v5i - first two opamps fit with no issues, theird one require nearby capacitors to be bent slightly in order to fit

one dual is required

Burson v5i - requires nearby capacitors to be bent in order to fit

uses two duals or four singles

Burson v5i - fits in two duals configuration, does not fit in four singles configuration due to DIP-8 sockets being too close to each other

uses one dual

Burson v5i - fits with no issues

Uses two singles and two duals

Burson v5i - fits with no issues

Troubleshooting

<placeholder>




Let me be perfectly clear, other op-amp manufacturers are free to submit their own dank memes to this thread.
Click to expand...

Not sure if you came across Matrix Audio's M-stage HPA line? I have the M-stage HPA 2 Classic and it comes with an OPA2134. I have tested OPA2604, LM48960, LM4562, OP275, NE5532 and a Burson V6 Vivid. The Sparko Labs dual opamp should work in it too.
 
Sep 28, 2018 at 2:53 AM Post #14 of 26
omegaorgun said:
Not sure if you came across Matrix Audio's M-stage HPA line? I have the M-stage HPA 2 Classic and it comes with an OPA2134. I have tested OPA2604, LM48960, LM4562, OP275, NE5532 and a Burson V6 Vivid. The Sparko Labs dual opamp should work in it too.
Click to expand...
I did not, but it might be a fun device to experiment on if it only uses a single dual opamp
 
Sep 7, 2019 at 12:30 PM Post #15 of 26
In my AK4490 DAC and Lehmann LBC clone headphone amp, I´ve earlier tested and reviewed the Burson V6, that were quite good, and a couple of months ago also SparkoS SS3601/2 - and those were truly fantastic in my BCL amp!

Now, I´m up for testing the NewClassD and soon also from Orange. This far, the NewClassD has only been fitted in the DAC, and it seem´s very promising!

But one small thing is confusing me a bit; Lars Clausen, that were kind to provide me with the NewClassD discrete OpAmp, suggested me to fit some bipolar Mylar caps to each power pins as a complement to the original electrolytic 240uF in the schematic. This should favor the 20kHz and below 200Hz sound. He told me those caps should preferrably be 1nF or at least 0,33uF but 1uF are also ok! But 0,1uF and 0,47uF are not ok!

Why?? Can someone please describe this for me, as it do not seem´s logical!?

However, yesterday I soldered some 2,2uF Vishay KP1830 (all measured 2,1uF) to each V+ and V- pin to ground, totally four caps for single discretes. And to my ears, I believe the sound are now better than before.
 
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