NelsonVandal
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2006
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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.
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.