[madwolf]

Most power would be the AD8656 in the buffers
You could try the rest for L/R to see which one you like best.


Quote:

Originally Posted by fuseboxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Considering: * The stock opamps on the main socket and buffers * And the two pairs of opamps that come with the rolling kit What combination would provide the most power to drive headphones with? And what sound characteristics does this combination have?

 

[twylight]

Maxing out the D10 for iem use...Cost isnt really an object - I want the DAC to sound its best as well as amp section for iem use. um3x for now

Any pointers? Its a brand new D10, 2 days shipped to Texas (thanks ibasso heh)...I have no hiss on the stock setup on low gain. Enough volume to damage my head - I run it on about 20-35% depending on the level of the music/loudness war.

 

[Lil' Knight]

I just wonder if I use the D10 with optical input, can I, in the same time, charge with USB?

 

[Mediahound]

Yes you can.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil' Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just wonder if I use the D10 with optical input, can I, in the same time, charge with USB?

 

[Lil' Knight]

That's great! Thanks!

 

[madwolf]

The 2nd Exotic

ADA4899-1 -- It is the top 100 product by EDN for 2006 A great achievement for an OP-amp

This should be the top of the range Low voltage Op-Amp from Analog Devices.
The pin out is different from the standard single op-amp, Like the first exotic there are different mode of operation.

1) It could be disable or power down to save power
2) Normal
3) Low input bias current
For Audio we could try Normal and Low input bias

Look at a chose up picture of Chip, Note that there is a heat spreader at the underside of the the Chip.

How does this sound ? (Note initial impression less than 5 min testing, Normal mode)
Very close to the 2*AD744 in OBCA mode but without the Hissing (silent even at high volume)
The mid are mellow and sweet, There is a sense of creamy smoothness
I was surprise the the high are close to the AD8599 in terms of clarity, Very quick as well. Usually when something is mellow it is not clear. But this has both. Neutral sound.


Picture of the Chip in modified Brown Dog suited for the D10

To the right is 2*ADA4857-1. That is different from the standard single op-amp as well, Note the rework wires on the chips. But It did not make it to my exotic list of Op-amp for the D10.

How does the ADA4857 sound ?
Very sorry because I audition the ADA4899 just before this. Not comparable, but still very strong. It still beats OPA2350 (non class A, I do not have a class A OPA2350 as yet) slightly in the mid and is much clearer in the highs.

Both are audition with AD8656 in the Buffers


After a second round of testing
The ADA4857 is a very detail amp, I heard things I never heard before. I think plenty of people will like this especially people who like the UE, JH IEM rather than the Westone camp. If you like string instrument this is for you. The guitar in Eva Cassidy's "I know you by by heart" is strikingly life like.

For people whose primary interest is in woodwind instrument and vocal, ADA4899 is better.

 

[bakhtiar]

Thank you madwolf.

After reading about op-amps, I am wondering why there are SO MANY op-amps? I am puzzled too, why op-amps change sound signature. The basic function of op-amp is to amplify input signal without any signal changes. So, there are many ultra low-noise op-amps which able operates up several hundred MHz, but, why we still can hear the differences just with our ears?

Mmm.. or did I missed something?

Thank you

.

 

[HiFlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakhtiar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you madwolf. After reading about op-amps, I am wondering why there are SO MANY op-amps? I am puzzled too, why op-amps change sound signature. The basic function of op-amp is to amplify input signal without any signal changes. So, there are many ultra low-noise op-amps which able operates up several hundred MHz, but, why we still can hear the differences just with our ears? Mmm.. or did I missed something? Thank you .

A very good question! I think the answer partly lies in the fact that each opamp is made up of perhaps 50 or more transistors as well as many capacitors and inductors, all of which are built into the silicon architecture of the opamp.

All of these internal components interact to create inductance, resistance, and capacitance to some degree or another. As these physical properties interact, the result affects the output properties of the opamp, and as a result, each one sounds slightly different.

Also, much of the use of opamps in industrial applications does not involve such a complex mix of frequencies, often only one frequency at a time might be need to be amplified.

If we only played one individual sinewave of a given frequency thru the opamp, one device would be virtually indistinguishable from the other, but due to the very complex mix of frequencies and harmonics that compose music, the interaction of all of the previously mentioned electrical factors result in phase changes as well as frequency changes. Much like the interaction of room size, dimension, and acoustical hardness or softness affects the sound from speakers

If a manufacturer was able, somehow, to create a line of devices that were perfectly linear when passing a complex mix of frequencies, they would all sound exactly alike, as the proverbial straight wire with gain!

Of course, this is the goal of all the manufacturers who designate their opamps as suitable for audio applications, but as we all know, some are more successful than others.

 

[bakhtiar]

Thank you for the explanation. Now I understood why, there are many varieties of op-amps.

There are several amplier types/classes, and currently very interested with Class-D amp. It will nice if I can get the class-D amp out from D10

.

example LM4667.. Output : 1.3W (mono) ... good for low sensitivity headphones.

Good as buffer, I think.

http://www.national.com/mpf/LM/LM4667.html

But... the FR graph shows, it is not quite up to audiophile's standard

.

or
http://www.analog.com/en/audiovideo-...cts/index.html

SSM2315 or SSM2301 seem to be nice

 

[fuseboxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by madwolf /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most power would be the AD8656 in the buffers You could try the rest for L/R to see which one you like best.

great, thanks!

 

[f00fighters]

can someone tell me the best LR/BUFFER setup to sound the most like the Grado RA1?? Is that even possible? I don't care if I have to buy additional OPamps from HiFlight. I currently have ADA4841 as my LR, and 8656 as my two buffers. I'm basically just using what came in the kit.

 

[f00fighters]

What I want from my D10:

I want the vocals to be up front and personal with such clarity and detail that it gives me the chills. I would like to have a large sound stage, but I want it to be like I'm standing in front of the band, not in a concert hall. I want that upfront and personal sound, but with a large sound stage, if that's possible. I want that intimate clarity and detail, where I can hear and feel the artist take a breath before a verse. You get the idea.

My problems with the stock configuration of the D10 - I thought the bass was full, but it was diluting some of the treble/highs/mids, and kind of a distant sound stage, which I do not like. Again, I want such great detail and clarity, that it gives you the feeling that you standing right in front of the band or that you're playing in the band. I am using my Apple Mac Pro tower as my primary source, with lossless music through my optical port, with my Grado SR325is headphones. Do you have any idea what a grado RA1 amp sounds like? I heard it is well suited for the Grado as well. Anyway, please give me suggestions.
__________________

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by f00fighters /img/forum/go_quote.gif What I want from my D10: I want the vocals to be up front and personal with such clarity and detail that it gives me the chills. I would like to have a large sound stage, but I want it to be like I'm standing in front of the band, not in a concert hall. I want that upfront and personal sound, but with a large sound stage, if that's possible. I want that intimate clarity and detail, where I can hear and feel the artist take a breath before a verse. You get the idea. My problems with the stock configuration of the D10 - I thought the bass was full, but it was diluting some of the treble/highs/mids, and kind of a distant sound stage, which I do not like. Again, I want such great detail and clarity, that it gives you the feeling that you standing right in front of the band or that you're playing in the band. I am using my Apple Mac Pro tower as my primary source, with lossless music through my optical port, with my Grado SR325is headphones. Do you have any idea what a grado RA1 amp sounds like? I heard it is well suited for the Grado as well. Anyway, please give me suggestions. __________________

SR-325i may not be the right phones for you, but you could get a head-direct EF1 or EF2 to feed the D10 DAC into, and that would help bring the mids forward and warm them up without killing the soundstage. A millett hybrid would also be a good choice, or a Woo WA6 with a nice Amperex GZ34 rectifier.

 

[f00fighters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif SR-325i may not be the right phones for you, but you could get a head-direct EF1 or EF2 to feed the D10 DAC into, and that would help bring the mids forward and warm them up without killing the soundstage. A millett hybrid would also be a good choice, or a Woo WA6 with a nice Amperex GZ34 rectifier.

I love the 325is's. They are all about detail, and clarity, and normally give that up-front and personal with the music is the typical grado signature. I was looking for an opamp configuration that would enhance the experience. I had this experience, sort of, with the C&C XO portable amp. But then, at higher volumes, it would get too grainy, and the sound stage wasn't as wide as the d10. I'm guessing that maybe, that's exactly what the Grado RA1 did, but i'm not sure.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by f00fighters /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the 325is's. They are all about detail, and clarity, and normally give that up-front and personal with the music is the typical grado signature. I was looking for an opamp configuration that would enhance the experience. I had this experience, sort of, with the C&C XO portable amp. But then, at higher volumes, it would get too grainy, and the sound stage wasn't as wide as the d10. I'm guessing that maybe, that's exactly what the Grado RA1 did, but i'm not sure.

I just can't remember what opamp combo will make the D10 more forward or full in the mids than stock. I haven't rolled opamps in a while. An LM6172 might do the trick, but I gave away my two pairs when I sold my D2 Viper and iBasso D1.

Anyone else?