[barbazz]

Couldn't find much info about some opamps that keep popping up in Aliexpress, so I decided to create this thread to know more about them and also understand whether they are worth testing.

There's a big family of hybrid(?) opamps easily recognizable by having a golden enclosure. The brand is called 金色乐厅 (Golden Music Hall).

You can check all family here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004049405669.html

Another brand seems to be HDAM and they claim to have some connection to Marantz's HDAM technology. There's also some different models ranging from DIP8 solid states to hybrid cans.

There's also Oracle. Not sure if they have any connection with Sonic Scientific (https://www.monoandstereo.com/2019/07/sonic-scientific-oracle-02-audiophile.html).

Finally, there are many discrete models from different stores/manufacturers. Here's some of them:

What are your thoughts about any of the them? How do they sound? Worth to try or just avoid them?

 

[MAYA EL]

I've been trying to find info on these as well. I might buy a set of the oraclell ll op amps seeing as they go for about $5 each before shipping and my headphone amp is a Chinese knockoff I can't remember the exact name of the top of my head but it has the number 47 in the name idk what that means but I digress, it uses 2 op amps and came with ne5532's but I'm not really a fan of how they sound so I'm on the hunt for something different

 

[D1N0]

Aliexpress has been throwing these in my view as well. I guess the only way to find out is ordering some.

 

[PushTT]

Oracle was bad, one discrete was bad (for the life of me i forgot the name). Seems like bad copies of available schematics/ic opa. There is also that one which is a copy of sparkos, but it costs about the same so no use wasting money there.

 

[Ufasas]

I have oracle-02, bought it off Ali, could try put in on my Asus Strix Soar PCIe, I mostly keep Burson v5i-D on Soar, and it's fine for me, but could test oracle-02 someday, not very good in explaining what i heard in audiophile jargon though, haha

 

[barbazz]

I jumped on the bandwagon for the Oracle too, but I haven't tried it yet. From all your comments, it seems that I'm not missing too much

 

[Whelkie D]

I bought the Oracle-02 and to me there is a definite improvement in sound quality. I've tried various op-amps and they all have their pros & cons, but I've had the Oracle in for about 3 months now and am happy with the sound. I may swap them out and try other op-amps for comparison and, obviously, it depends on your personal taste as to what style of sound you are looking for, but I like them. I certainly would not simply describe them as "bad".

 

[ExTubeGamer]

I even found these Oracle opamps on amazon germany! Just ordered them. If they dont work, i can simply return them.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

The opamps arrived yesterday and I did put them into my DAC. Two single Oracle-01 and two Oracle-02.

The sound improved in comparison to the stock opamps. It's no huge change. I do really notice that the bass is more prominent and dryer and the highs are softer. Voices are less grating.

 

[Whelkie D]

The opamps arrived yesterday and I did put them into my DAC. Two single Oracle-01 and two Oracle-02.

The sound improved in comparison to the stock opamps. It's no huge change. I do really notice that the bass is more prominent and dryer and the highs are softer. Voices are less grating.

Great. I found they continued to improve for a couple of weeks after putting them in my DAC.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Great. I found they continued to improve for a couple of weeks after putting them in my DAC.

My DAC runs cooler then before it seems.

 

[Elegiac]

There are HDAM's in my MF02s DAP. Might try them.

Oracle and Lessfox also seem like a maybe.

Authorised Oracle dealer (official link from their Facebook): https://www.ebay.com/itm/274945928158

Romi Audio (lessfox): https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/sa200-dual-channel-hdma-opamp

 

[Whelkie D]

There are HDAM's in my MF02s DAP. Might try them.

Oracle and Lessfox also seem like a maybe.

Authorised Oracle dealer (official link from their Facebook): https://www.ebay.com/itm/274945928158

Romi Audio (lessfox): https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/sa200-dual-channel-hdma-opamp

I got my Oracles from here and they arrived really quickly......... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274945928158?var=575225555435

 

[Elegiac]

I got my Oracles from here and they arrived really quickly......... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274945928158?var=575225555435

Yep, that's the one.

You still using them? How are they?

 

[Whelkie D]

Yep, that's the one.

You still using them? How are they?

Yes, I've got them installed in a topping D10s and I've put one in a very old QED digit DAC. They both sound great and I have tried a lot of different op amps but at the moment I'm very happy with the performance of the Oracles. I may swap them out for something different in the future just to do a comparison.