I have not had the chance to hear the famous OPA627. I would have to spend $100 to give it a listen. How about you try the OPA2209 and give us a comparison from your point of view.

Pinnacle is less bias and more hirearchy. Stating that some like center staged and mid focused sound while others like separation and sound-stage is bias because it is a preferential choice between the two. The reason why I gave the discreet opamps (Burson V5 SS and Sparkos) the Pinnacle moinker...

True but they are not that expensive from Mauser or Digi and soldering them yourself is easier than regular chips. I loved the 49713HA which were current feedback but when properly implemented were very very good. The LME49990 were also very nice chips, significantly better than the 49720...

I suppose I should have not been so lazy in my typing and clarified that he should try LME49720HA, the one in the metal can. It tends to have a better presentation as far as I recall. I know that LM4562 LME49720 and LME49860 are supposed to be technically the same but as far as I am concerned...

Burson V5 is another great one to try. Between Sparkos and Burson you are jumping straight into the pinnacle of what opamps can do. The cheaper chip opamps are still fun to roll though and teach you what to listen for in opamps. AD797 and LME49720 and LME49860 are some staples that you should...

I think this really depends on what equipment you are using. I have an Asus Xonar and nothing comes close to what Burson V5 can do there. However, in my headphone amp the OPA2209 is the current king. What equipment are you running?

My SSOP boards finally came yesterday and I soldered up some 1692. I used an aligator clip to hold the chip in place and that made soldering pretty simple. I got a q-tip and put a drop of water on the chip to keep it from overheating and used plenty of flux. I was a bit worried but none of them...

Mouser is out of the 2209 but they are availabe on Digikey last I checked.

I am using the 2209 only in the gain stage of my headphone amp. I am using a Xonar dac with Burson V5. This is a pretty magical mix right now. I can see how having only 2209 could be too bright, but right now I am enjoying a level of transparency I have not heard yet. The soundstage is...

Im feeling a bit intimidated by the VSSOP right now. Thats like trying to solder a sugar ant. Is there a place that sells them pre-mounted on a dip8?

I've been lurking for a while and decided to try the OPA2209. Damn! These are seriously good opamps. They absolutely blow the LME49990 away. I used the song "Within" from Daft Punk to AB compare and without a doubt the 49990 sounds like it has a grey hole in the soundfield compared to the 2209...

Here is an affordable 9038. https://hifimediy.com/DACs/ready-made-dacs/uda38pro-usb-dac-es9038pro

My guess is they are fakes. HDAM is an acronym for - hyper dynamic amplifier module - a term used by Marantz to describe their pre opamp circuits. SS3601/2 is a Sparkos designation for their opamps. And the PHILPS at the bottom does not inspire any more confidence. Most likely rebranded...

The 49990 is more detailed and also has better bass. There is a mod that you need to try with it. You need to put a Silmic 10uf capacitor onto its power pins. The easiest way is to use another socket. The Silmic must have 100 hours burn in. It sounds fantastic for the first 2 hours, then sounds...

You beat me to it! Two new V6 to choose from. One is supposed to more dynamic and detailed than the V5 and the other more musical? This will be interesting. Now we will have to start playing with the correct placement of each opamp. Which one for buffer vs I/V?

The 49990 is more balanced in its presentation. More detail and more pleasant than the 4562. Makes the 4562 feel overly bright and shouty in comparison. The 49990 is a step up.

LME49990 is very good. A must try.

Agreed. Compared to the discreet they are just chip opamps. After going discreet it is actually impossible to go back to chips. I am stuck on the V5 and have no upgrade path left. My next project is to build a better headphone amp. Then what?

I agree about the V5i being pretty terrible until thoroughly burned in. My experience was the same with them being bloated in the bass and muddled treble. Waiting for them to burn in was worse than almost any other component I have tried. But once burnt in they are better than any chip opamp...

Hi raoultrifan I used to think that there is a strict separation between signal path and power supply side too. However this just is not the case. To put it in cooking terms, the circuit is the recipe but the power supply is the ingredients. If the recipe calls for carrots you can used canned...

Panasonic fm is not an audio grade capacitor. It does not have a big soundstage and it produces an unpleasant treble that some mistake for detail. AD797BRZ is a nice opamp and deserves better than a Panasonic FM. Elna Silmic is the best imo and 10uf is enough. If it is unstable in your circuit...

Try putting a capacitor across the power pins. That may do the trick.

I would guess that the sonic signature is dependent on the equipment. Others have come to different conclusions based on different setups. One relative constant finding though seems to be that the Sparkos opamps are currently top dog. Canthearyou - consider also removing the other 4 nichicon...

Hey Mike!   damn it.. you are talking me into spending 300 bucks to satisfy a curiosity itch. I hope my wife does not read this thread.    If your PB2 does not benefit from the Silmics then there is absolutely no reason to use them. When I first started playing around with the capacitors it...

Hey Mike I want to test the Sparkos as well. Discreet vs discreet. This is much more fun than lme49720 vs opa827. Look how far this hobby has come. I recently went a month without the V5 SS just testing out different chip opamps again for various reasons. Chips are so bad in comparison. I felt...