raymond555 did you compare V6 Vivids with AD827SQ I\V, Signetics NE5534N Buffer setup for ZXR??
Last edited:
Asus STX II Vs Creative ZXR
- Thread starter raymond555
- Start date
deafmutelame
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 11, 2004
- Posts
- 233
- Likes
- 73
Have you had the chance to test these soundcards against the Dragonfly Red by Audioquest?
CoryGillmore
Headphoneus Supremus
I bought the ZxR back at launch in I believe 2014, after switching my PC focus to home theater and 2 channel stereo and just using the HDMI out from my GPU to pass through audio to an A/V receiver I eventually took the ZxR out of my PC.
Well a few weeks ago I renewed my interest in music with the discovery of Tidal desktop streaming and my “discovery” of Radiohead and how much I freaking love them. So I pulled out my dusty DT880 250ohm and plugged them into the headphone out on my A/V receiver. After feeling nothing but sadness and disappointment from the thin sound I was hearing, I remembered my old ZxR. It literally took me almost a full week to even find it in my house.
So I dusted it off and popped back into my motherboard. Since I’m still gonna be passing through an unprocessed audio signal into my A/V receiver for home theater and two channel stereo listening, I didn’t bother with the daughter board on the ZxR. Got my Tidal Hifi going, plugged the DT880 into the desktop volume potentiometer, cranked the new Coheed and Cambira album that just dropped today and was immediately wondering why the hell I ever took this card out of my PC.
I think the dark bass heavy sound of a stock ZxR pairs perfectly with the bright analytical nature of the DT880. It’s pretty sad that this now $200 PC sound card is the best headphone amp/DAC I even own but damn this thing really does sound amazing. Needless to say the now 4 year old ZxR has earned a spot back on my motherboard as a dedicated headphone amp/DAC.
With all that being said, is switching OP amps a pretty easy process? Is this done with tweezers or something? It doesn’t require a soldering iron or anything, right?
What’s the cost and effort involved in upgrading the ZxR with the “best” OP amps and whatever else is changeable?
Well a few weeks ago I renewed my interest in music with the discovery of Tidal desktop streaming and my “discovery” of Radiohead and how much I freaking love them. So I pulled out my dusty DT880 250ohm and plugged them into the headphone out on my A/V receiver. After feeling nothing but sadness and disappointment from the thin sound I was hearing, I remembered my old ZxR. It literally took me almost a full week to even find it in my house.
So I dusted it off and popped back into my motherboard. Since I’m still gonna be passing through an unprocessed audio signal into my A/V receiver for home theater and two channel stereo listening, I didn’t bother with the daughter board on the ZxR. Got my Tidal Hifi going, plugged the DT880 into the desktop volume potentiometer, cranked the new Coheed and Cambira album that just dropped today and was immediately wondering why the hell I ever took this card out of my PC.
I think the dark bass heavy sound of a stock ZxR pairs perfectly with the bright analytical nature of the DT880. It’s pretty sad that this now $200 PC sound card is the best headphone amp/DAC I even own but damn this thing really does sound amazing. Needless to say the now 4 year old ZxR has earned a spot back on my motherboard as a dedicated headphone amp/DAC.
With all that being said, is switching OP amps a pretty easy process? Is this done with tweezers or something? It doesn’t require a soldering iron or anything, right?
What’s the cost and effort involved in upgrading the ZxR with the “best” OP amps and whatever else is changeable?
My configuration is Muses 8820 in buffer and Sparkos SS3602 in I/V section. Sound is excellent and I had no problem putting the shield back in its place. Sparkos op-amps come with extra dip sockets. Have you tried removing them?
hi guys
long time no see
its me raymond ,the original thread starter,its been a tough year,had no time for music or anything
now I'm back but I forgot my password...
so,back to business
ordered burson V6 classic, orange opamps,
lets say the burson is lifeless and that's about it.
was really suprised with orange dual opamps and I had to share my exprience with you guys
test those on both the ZXR and the STX II, and as time goes by, I can't help but to come to conclusion that the ZXR is the better card hands down,with the right opamps,it just blows the STX II out of the water.
stereo seperation is a lot better,the STX sounds mono next to the ZXR.
Now back to the orange opamps, bass and mid bass are very warm,very analog,punchy, guitars,vocals are well pronounced ,highs are butter smooth. very smooth and tidy, very musical ,very analog,so many high end opamps just missing this point...being musical.
put those in the I\V section with signetics 5534AN as buffers....just amazing....I'll update soon for more impressions.
speakers set to stereo direct.
long time no see
its me raymond ,the original thread starter,its been a tough year,had no time for music or anything
now I'm back but I forgot my password...
so,back to business
ordered burson V6 classic, orange opamps,
lets say the burson is lifeless and that's about it.
was really suprised with orange dual opamps and I had to share my exprience with you guys
test those on both the ZXR and the STX II, and as time goes by, I can't help but to come to conclusion that the ZXR is the better card hands down,with the right opamps,it just blows the STX II out of the water.
stereo seperation is a lot better,the STX sounds mono next to the ZXR.
Now back to the orange opamps, bass and mid bass are very warm,very analog,punchy, guitars,vocals are well pronounced ,highs are butter smooth. very smooth and tidy, very musical ,very analog,so many high end opamps just missing this point...being musical.
put those in the I\V section with signetics 5534AN as buffers....just amazing....I'll update soon for more impressions.
speakers set to stereo direct.
Last edited:
Did you really try V6 OPAMPS?hi guys
long time no see
its me raymond ,the original thread starter,its been a tough year,had no time for music or anything
now I'm back but I forgot my password...
so,back to business
ordered burson V6 classic, orange opamps,
lets say the burson is lifeless and that's about it.
was really suprised with orange dual opamps and I had to share my exprience with you guys
test those on both the ZXR and the STX II, and as time goes by, I can't help but to come to conclusion that the ZXR is the better card hands down,with the right opamps,it just blows the STX II out of the water.
stereo seperation is a lot better,the STX sounds mono next to the ZXR.
Now back to the orange opamps, bass and mid bass is very warm,very analog,punchy, guitars,vocals are well pronounced ,highs are butter smooth. very smooth and tidy, very musical ,very analog,so many high end opamps just missing these point...being musical.
put those in the I\V section with signetics 5534AN as buffers....just amazing....I'll update soon for more impressions.
speakers set to stereo direct.
Yes I did,they have some wierd,non authentic color to the sound,which I didn't like,the V5 are better in this regard,as they sound very clean but also very sterile.
The orange opamps,feels like sitting in the recording studio.
I did some tests with tracks like bonfire-hold the line,with the burson V6 the sound is kinda fake , especially the highs,while with orange opamps the sound is more flat, revealing,sound has more weight to it.
Queensryche-someone else, the piano is more audible in the orange,more upfront,while in the V6 this track sound a bit compressed to my taste,digital versus analog in the orange.
Both tested with signetics5534an which I found the best for buffers.
Yes I did,they have some wierd,non authentic color to the sound,which I didn't like,the V5 are better in this regard,as they sound very clean but also very sterile.
The orange opamps,feels like sitting in the recording studio.
I did some tests with tracks like bonfire-hold the line,with the burson V6 the sound is kinda fake , especially the highs,while with orange opamps the sound is more flat, revealing,sound has more weight to it.
Queensryche-someone else, the piano is more audible in the orange,more upfront,while in the V6 this track sound a bit compressed to my taste,digital versus analog in the orange.
Both tested with signetics5534an which I found the best for buffers.
After how many hours burn-in did you have this impression about V6?
I gave it about 20 hours of burn in.
Usually I run all my music files through the night and during the day while I'm at work.
Still I didn't notice any change between the first and after 20 hours of playback.
Usually I run all my music files through the night and during the day while I'm at work.
Still I didn't notice any change between the first and after 20 hours of playback.
that's not enough! read the reviews of V6 opamps on headfi! you must give 100+ hours to complete the burn-in process then you will understand the v6 opas sound signature. can't say anything about classic but the vivids are best op amps I ever tried! it just don't surprise you at first when you first try them but after few weeks later they really do.
Last edited:
Hello guys!
I have Creative ZXR, which I use with Gigaworks s750, on which I have changed the front speakers to Tannoy Mercury V1i.
I came from X-fi extreme music, and when I changed the cards (because I changed the PC, and no more regular PCI slots there), I was not so pleased with the performance of the new card. I read almost every review on that card, and most reviewers suggest to swap opamps for improvement of the sound quality.
So I started with op-amp rolling, and now I am with upc4750 (made by renesans electronics, no nec around here) and jrc 5534.
So now I got AD827AQ and Signetics NE5534AN, made in 1990, and I want to ask you do you now what is the difference between AD827AQ and AD827SQ (operating temperature of SQ is wider than AQ, but musically what's going on I do not know), and Signetics from 1990 and the older ones.
I'm asking the questions because it's difficult to find AD827SQ and the older versions of Signetics 5534 in my country (Bulgaria) and I want to know will there be improvement in sound quality.
Thanks!
I have Creative ZXR, which I use with Gigaworks s750, on which I have changed the front speakers to Tannoy Mercury V1i.
I came from X-fi extreme music, and when I changed the cards (because I changed the PC, and no more regular PCI slots there), I was not so pleased with the performance of the new card. I read almost every review on that card, and most reviewers suggest to swap opamps for improvement of the sound quality.
So I started with op-amp rolling, and now I am with upc4750 (made by renesans electronics, no nec around here) and jrc 5534.
So now I got AD827AQ and Signetics NE5534AN, made in 1990, and I want to ask you do you now what is the difference between AD827AQ and AD827SQ (operating temperature of SQ is wider than AQ, but musically what's going on I do not know), and Signetics from 1990 and the older ones.
I'm asking the questions because it's difficult to find AD827SQ and the older versions of Signetics 5534 in my country (Bulgaria) and I want to know will there be improvement in sound quality.
Thanks!
Last edited:
If you don't have the money go with upc4570 from nec only or signetics 5532 from 84 if you find any.
If you have the money go for orange opamps like I did.
If you have the money go for orange opamps like I did.
The problem with the expensive op amps is what to do with them when you don't like how they sound.
That's why I haven't bought Sparcos, Burson, Orange and etc. So that's why my question is are there any difference in sound quality between AQ and SQ from Analog devices and between Signetics 5534 before '87 and '90.
That's why I haven't bought Sparcos, Burson, Orange and etc. So that's why my question is are there any difference in sound quality between AQ and SQ from Analog devices and between Signetics 5534 before '87 and '90.
Regarding the signetics,the older the better,the older the date,the warmer the sound,less digital,more analog tube like sound.
As for the AQ and SQ that doesn't really matter.
As for the AQ and SQ that doesn't really matter.
Last edited:
hi guys
long time no see
its me raymond ,the original thread starter,its been a tough year,had no time for music or anything
now I'm back but I forgot my password...
so,back to business
ordered burson V6 classic, orange opamps,
lets say the burson is lifeless and that's about it.
was really suprised with orange dual opamps and I had to share my exprience with you guys
test those on both the ZXR and the STX II, and as time goes by, I can't help but to come to conclusion that the ZXR is the better card hands down,with the right opamps,it just blows the STX II out of the water.
stereo seperation is a lot better,the STX sounds mono next to the ZXR.
Now back to the orange opamps, bass and mid bass are very warm,very analog,punchy, guitars,vocals are well pronounced ,highs are butter smooth. very smooth and tidy, very musical ,very analog,so many high end opamps just missing this point...being musical.
put those in the I\V section with signetics 5534AN as buffers....just amazing....I'll update soon for more impressions.
speakers set to stereo direct.
How much you paid for 2 orange amps?
Users who are viewing this thread
