[MisterX]

I was reading a thread on anot[h]er forum concerning noise problems when powering a Cmoy amp from a computers PSU.
One of the frequent posters replied with a detailed reply and a portion of the post went something like.........

Quote:

this chip is *designed* to be a headphone amp unlike the small signal "oooh! it's burr brown! it *has* to be good!" op-amps that everyone seems to use for reasons I can't understand...

I just wanted to know if you people think the LM4880 (pdf) has the makings for a good DIY headphone amp?
Please be nice.

Thanks for your answers if you bother to reply to this.

 

[Budgie]

Looks like the only way to see what it sounds like is to build it. The specs look decent.

As to the guys comments about chip choices- Because a chip is designed to drive headphones does not prove it will sound better then a chip designed as, say, a line driver or video driver. If a chip can output enough current to drive the load, then it can do the job, no matter what it's "design intentions" are. After that it becomes a question of how well it does the job. The chips that are regularly used around here have proven ability to do the job, and sound good doing it.

 

[Earwax]

Has anyone tried to build an amp based on one of these chips, lm4880/lm4881 or the tpa6111?
It seems like it could be a pretty tiny amp possibly driven off 3 x AAA batteries.

 

[MisterX]

Yea, I built a couple different amps based on those garbage chips (LM4880/4881).
Nuff said?

 

[Earwax]

Once again proving TANSTAAFL

(nor good sound on low voltage)

 

[MisterX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwax Once again proving TANSTAAFL

What did you call me?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwax (nor good sound on low voltage)

Sad but true.

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterX What did you call me?

Don't take it personaly, I just said, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch".

 

[The_Mac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwax Once again proving TANSTAAFL (nor good sound on low voltage)

That's a great motto, someone should put that on a flag.