jinschoi
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2008
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I built a cmoy as my first project some time ago, and more recently an extended life version of the mini3. I've been enjoying the mini3 with HD650s from a gamma1 source, but I just went back to the cmoy and found to my surprise that in some ways I like the sound better. In all respects, looking at their data sheets, the LMH6643 should be a better opamp than the Burr Brown OPA2132PA, but the latter just seems to have more impact with certain genres of music. Clearer high frequency transients such as cymbal hits and chimes, better resolution, drumming has more presence... I don't know quite how to describe it, but switching back and forth made it clear that the cmoy isn't entirely subsumed by the mini3, for me.
This is surprising to me because the cmoy is the basic build from tangent's site: doesn't use a rail splitter, has output caps. What could account for this? Maybe it's just personal preference, as the OPA2132PA has been described as having "tubby" bass and I'm just picking up on that. Maybe it's because the op amp has more headroom, being driven from external 12V rather than a 9V battery? Although the LMH6643 should have better output current, and can get plenty loud.
Thoughts?
This is surprising to me because the cmoy is the basic build from tangent's site: doesn't use a rail splitter, has output caps. What could account for this? Maybe it's just personal preference, as the OPA2132PA has been described as having "tubby" bass and I'm just picking up on that. Maybe it's because the op amp has more headroom, being driven from external 12V rather than a 9V battery? Although the LMH6643 should have better output current, and can get plenty loud.
Thoughts?