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Quote:
An op-amp is an IC. Aka, micro-chip, whatever you want to call it. Zilliions of sub-miniature transistors inside. Discrete refers to a circuit that's been planned out with "discrete" electronic components - resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc.
As I'm not familiar with the technical differences, I'll leave that to the ones who can answer, but op-amps are like a tiny package whereas a discrete approach allows the amp designer to manually plan out his circuit. It tends to get a better rep because it allows for more "creative freedom" you could say, rather than building around an op-amp. But op-amp designs can be good too, it really depends on the implementation.
As for the balanced Beta 22, its designer has stated there is no commercial equivalent. As n_maher pointed out, the parts cost alone ranges at around $1.5K. Very few amps on the market are that expensive in parts. While cost doesn't equate performance, there's still something to be said for a price that high. And since the Beta 22 is a DIY project and not a commercial product, there's an inherent cost savings. If it were commercial, you could expect to pay at least double for it due to profit mark-up and such. If the labor is also $1.5K, then add another healthy amount that can be considered production profit - like the $5K figure that n_maher mentioned. Yes it's super expensive, but it's also the only amp of its kind on the market today.
I would also point out the HeadRoom Balanced Desktop for an <$1K amp. Either that or a balanced M^3 or balanced Mini^3. The latter two would require commissioning a builder with the time and patience to do it though, and there isn't exactly a boatload of those people around here.
The closest commercial relatives to a balanced Beta 22 are the HeadAmp GS-X and Singlepower Square Wave XL btw.
| Originally Posted by KarateKid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm, but what are the major differences between opamp vs discrete? What should I expect in a normal case scenerio? |
An op-amp is an IC. Aka, micro-chip, whatever you want to call it. Zilliions of sub-miniature transistors inside. Discrete refers to a circuit that's been planned out with "discrete" electronic components - resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc.
As I'm not familiar with the technical differences, I'll leave that to the ones who can answer, but op-amps are like a tiny package whereas a discrete approach allows the amp designer to manually plan out his circuit. It tends to get a better rep because it allows for more "creative freedom" you could say, rather than building around an op-amp. But op-amp designs can be good too, it really depends on the implementation.
As for the balanced Beta 22, its designer has stated there is no commercial equivalent. As n_maher pointed out, the parts cost alone ranges at around $1.5K. Very few amps on the market are that expensive in parts. While cost doesn't equate performance, there's still something to be said for a price that high. And since the Beta 22 is a DIY project and not a commercial product, there's an inherent cost savings. If it were commercial, you could expect to pay at least double for it due to profit mark-up and such. If the labor is also $1.5K, then add another healthy amount that can be considered production profit - like the $5K figure that n_maher mentioned. Yes it's super expensive, but it's also the only amp of its kind on the market today.
I would also point out the HeadRoom Balanced Desktop for an <$1K amp. Either that or a balanced M^3 or balanced Mini^3. The latter two would require commissioning a builder with the time and patience to do it though, and there isn't exactly a boatload of those people around here.
The closest commercial relatives to a balanced Beta 22 are the HeadAmp GS-X and Singlepower Square Wave XL btw.
