Best opamp for Xin Supermacro III and E-500
Nov 2, 2007 at 9:36 AM Post #16 of 17
AD8397 is harsh and unfriendly sounding, no matter what people say. The treble is slightly veiled. It does sound good in other ways, like it has a very good soundstage, extremely good slam etc.

If you want a brighter and smoother sound without sacrificing the details, try LM4562=LME49720. It has a nice bottom as well. It's mids are a bit recessed (not by measure, all subjective), and I find it less exciting than the Analog opamps. The output current is low, and it could be a problem driving low impedance headphones with this chip, if not buffered.

AD8066 is also bright and detailed, but it is slightly harsher than LM4562, but like I said, it's more exciting.

Edit: AD8058 is also very smooth and clean sounding, and the mid is subjectivly a bit recessed, and less exciting than AD8066. I think there's a difference in sound signature between bipolar and JFET opamps, but this is controversial.

Both LM4562 and AD8066 are cheap, and they work over a large range of voltage supply.

Mind you, I have no experience with Xin's.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top